It turned out that Sakura is better at Imaginary number magecraft than I.
When I first got the guide to travel through void space, I was unable to use it.
Imaginary number space, located in the inner side of the world, is a fascinating territory. Unlike the real world, it's not governed by current laws of physics.
So, when someone connects two points in real space through imaginary space, they can easily find the shortest distance in the number space and travel very quickly.
But the problem lies with the fact that you will not know if the portal you have to exit from is really open in the correct place. And if you want to open the portal from the number space to the real world without any previous coordination, you can only hope you don't drop to the ocean floor or another time.
If you think the Imaginary number space is just a harmless void, then you've got another problem on your hands.
So, being able to convert a geo coordinate to an imaginary number coordinate helped me successfully travel through it.
But when I taught Sakura the travel method, she didn't even need coordinates. She made portals to the locations she had previously visited. No complex calculation or weird rituals.
Rin was quite jealous that we could practice magecraft without financially burdening ourselves.
To be fair, while Imaginary numer magecraft is inexpensive but my other magecraft isn't. I had to source different types of materials to make different arrows and then store them in my reality marble.
Turns out that the inner world I have been using to store information is a reality marble. Not a complete one, but still something that can make any magus lose their mind.
Since every magi is so hyped, it should be something super special. And yes, it is.
To understand Reality marble, there is some context required.
First, there is Texture, which is basically a layer of the fabric of reality covering the surface of a Living Planet. Humans refer to this concept as the World, alternate Dimensions, or simply Layers covering the planet. These Textures have different Laws of physics and levels of Mystery associated with them. The reason for this is that the planet constantly modifies them based on the understanding of the ruling intelligent lifeform on its surface—its Prime Species. Some known textures are Human World, Age of Gods, Reverse Side of the World, etc. When a weapon is described as Anti-World, it means it has the power to destroy the texture it has been deployed into.
Then there is the World Egg theory that describes how a Texture or World can be housed in a container called an Egg. That egg can be anything.
Now imagine a person whose common sense is too different from the world they live in. They can be called insane or lunatic. But if that happens to a being with enough magical power, their mindspace might develop its own Texture different from the rest of the world, which can be called the inner world. Which stays contained in the being's soul. The soul separates the inner world from the rest of the world. In this case, the soul is an Egg containing the Texture of the Inner world.
With enough power, a well-defined Inner world can replace the Texture of that layer. Typically, being with that much power are other living planets. If someone can't overpower the planet, the World would immediately crush them. So instead of replacing the whole texture, one can use a bounded field or barrier to block a specific part of the world and switch its texture with their Inner World.
The World constantly attempts to crush the unnatural Bounded Fields, as they are not created by spiritual beings, meaning that it costs a great deal of magical energy to construct one and keep it stabilized.
Each Reality Marble has its own set of patterns and rules, which can be said to be an invasion of reality by the diagram inscribed on the soul. The rules are formed by the user's unconscious view of the world; they can't actively change them, but it reflected by the user's common sense.
My Inner world started forming during the great Fuyuki fire. Watching people's deaths during that event had severely impacted my psyche and wrapped my common sense, creating an alienating Texture within my mind. Slowly, it would have evolved into an inner world and then Reality Marble.
The system's rewards let me bypass decades' worth of hard work. It's still far from complete, but enough to make my projection one of its own kind.
While the system's book had enough for me to get started, it didn't have anything about its history or other users. So I asked Rin about her knowledge on the subject.
She did share her displeasure with my research on a subject that's considered taboo by the moonlit world.
Back to the arrows,
Voidblast was created as a powerful attack by overloading an Excalibur shell. But with Excalibur Morgan at hand, I don't need the shell. Now I am just copying its physical appearance, then overloading it with my unstable prana. The new ones are more stable and can hold more mana than the previous ones. Also, easy to alter for firing from a bow.
With my new knowledge of Reality Marble and expert-level Imaginary Numbers, I made my new spell SpaceLock. It doesn't lock space; instead, like a Reality Marble, it creates a bounded field that separates its inside from the world. But it doesn't create a new texture inside. Basically, it can delay an enemy for a moment before the world crushes the bounded field.
Using a jewel inscribed with the spell as an arrow tip made it possible to fire it from a long distance. To make it more useful, the arrow shaft is equipped with Ansuz and Ehwaz runes with a slight delay.
Basically, you get hit by the arrow, it separates you from the world, and whatever rune is inscribed on it hits you without even affecting the outside world. Just clean and efficient.
But the biggest issue is the Atomic arrow. I don't have any Plutonium left to make another one. Projecting plutonium doesn't work, as trying to start a fission reaction with a projection breaks it during ignition.
The use of nuclear weapons during WWII made it impossible to buy. Using Uranium as a substitute is not an option, as more uranium is required to start a nuclear reaction, making it too bulky to fire from a bow. So, more production is halted for now.
Right now, I am trying to make a bow for shooting these heavyweight arrows.
Regular materials like carbon fiber, fiberglass, or polycarbons are used to make the bow lighter. But they can't be used for these arrows, as even reinforced, the bows break after a single use.
My current prototype is just a tungsten rod altered to look like a bow, hardened with Ehwaz, and reinforcement magecraft. Its string is just reinforced stainless steel wire. Making its weight approximately 14kg, while a regular one weighs around half a kg. It also needs a monstrous draw strength to pull the string. So I was looking for a new string.
Kyu suggested using Arcueid's hair. As Gaia's alter ego, it should be strong and flexible enough to get the job done.
-----
In the workshop, I, Kyu, and Sakura are standing around a table watching the strands of golden hair.
"Do you really think it will work?" I couldn't help but ask Kyu. It has been the most expensive item I have ever owned.
"You won't know unless you try," she replied nonchalantly.
"Sempai, I don't think it's a good idea," Sakura expressed concern.
I think for a moment and go for it anyway. If it's ruined, I lose 1million points.
First, use structural analysis to check the hair.
It was a bad idea. Stupidity at its peak. If Rin saw this, she would call me an idiot.
It turns out that trying to understand the details of a magical alien's hair that also contains a huge amount of power is too much for my brain. It blanks for a moment, then comes a splitting headache.
When I look at Sakura and Kyu, I realize they were trying to say something. No, they are saying something. I can't hear anything. Also, I am bleeding from my nose.
I know Avalon will fix me in a moment. I try to reassure them, but the world tilts, and I pass out.
-------
I am dreaming. No, it's someone else's dream.
I see a pointless goal being realized. A species making the strongest of their kind. No grand reason, just to see the possibility.
She was born from nothingness. Strongest of her kind.
Then she was given a purpose: to hunt down her own kind. Those who had fallen. She was a perfect weapon.
She killed and then slept. All of her memory was erased during sleep. The cycle repeated.
She was the perfect tool, without any flaw.
Then came the villain, one who feared death. He was greedy for life, for power. So he approached the empty princess.
He desired her power, so tainted her with his blood. The princess lost her reasoning to lust. He stole her power.
She killed her kind, but this time without discrimination. It ended when she forced herself to sleep.
Next time, when she woke up, she was no different than her brethren. She, too, began craving blood and, like them, suppressing the urge.
She got her revenge and destroyed the villain. But the cunning villain returns.
So she kills him again, only to sleep afterward. Repeating the cycle over and over again.
She is the princess of the moon, Arcueid Brunestud, sleeping in the castle that's nothing more than a case.
Then a pair of beautiful red eyes opens, and they stare at my golden brown one with curiosity. She sits up and stretches lazily. Her long-sleeved white shirt tightens around her breast. They are E-cup, I notice. She fixes wrinkles in her long purple skirt. Her black boots tap the floor rhythmically as she walks to me. She holds her chin with one hand and puts another on her hip, tilts her head cutely, and asks,
"Who are you and what are you doing here, in my house?"
Her beautiful voice dazes me for a moment. But I quickly recover and reply,
"I am Shirou, Shirou Emiya. It looks like I had an accident that transferred me here."
So we talk about our lives. She hasn't lived enough of her life. So, I tell her about the current world, its wonder, sorrow, daily life, human nature, food, recreation, etc.
She was very curious about everything and didn't hesitate to ask me questions.
Her bright and vibrant personality puts a smile on my face.
When she finds out I had some of her hair, I promise to return it to her. Then we became friends.
It seems an eternity has passed since we started talking. Then I feel a tug on my being, and my consciousness starts to fade.
She gets teary-eyed seeing me fade out. So I invite her to my home for dinner since I have invaded hers.
-----
I wake up to find a worried Sakura hovering over me while Kyu heals me with the magecraft she had learned.
"Sorry, Sakura. How long was I out?" I ask them
"Around one hour. What happened?" Kyu asks.
"I think I met Arcueid Brunestud," I replied.
"Sempai, please start from the beginning."
-------
Arcueid had a dream. In the dream, she made a friend.
His name is Shiirou Emiya, and he has invited her to dinner. But he forgot to tell her his address.
It didn't matter; she could easily find him. So she went to the clock tower where her grandfather works. He is probably aware of Shirou.
It didn't take long for him to show up. His name is Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, one of the founders of the Clock Tower and the Magician of the Second Magic.
"Gramps! I have made a friend! And he has invited me to a dinner," she exclaims.
============================================
[A\N: You can thank Windows Update for the short chapter]
[Spirit Origin:
Name: Shirou Emiya
Title: The Gamer
Level: 42[345k/800k]
Class: Foreigner
Alignment: Neutral ・ Evil
HP: 49k [regen 4900 per min]
MP: 19k
SP: 8.2k [regen 4100 per min]
ATK: 5.4k
Points: 33,525
Familiar: Kyu Sugardust
Params:
STR: C
END: A+
VIT: A+
AGI: D
MP: EX
LUK: D
NP: ??]
[Skills:
[Gamers Mind-EX]
[Gamers Body-EX]
[Sword of Void-EX]
[Type ORT-EX]
[One Radiant Thing-EX]
[Imaginary Number Magecraft-A++]
[Seven Deadly Sins-A++]
[Perpetual Puberty-A+++]
[Kama Sutra-EX]
[Observe-EX]
[Pain Tolerance-EX]
[Avalon-EX]
[??????????????-E~EX]
[Anti-Evil (passive)]
[Archery-A]
[Cooking-A+]
[Technician-C]
[Magecraft-D]
[Eye of Mind-C]
[Anti Divinity-E]
[Phantom Flame]
[Modern Rune]
[High-speed incantation-A]
[Territory Creation(A)]
Spells:
[Tracing]
[Reinforcement]
[Refresh]
[Flash Air]
[Clone Jutsu]
[Voidblast]
[Fireball]
[Eternal Blaze]
[The Goal Of Life Is Death]
]
[Quests]:
World Quest:
->9 months and 23 days left
Main Quest:
-> Help Sakura and Rin Reconcile. {Rewards: exp +10000, 90% off voucher for system mall, 2 SSR-tokens, points +5000, Advanced healing magecraft knowledge.}
Character Quest:
->Increase your physical fitness
->Increase your magical fitness
->Increase your knowledge of the world and beings living there {knowledge about powerful beings yields better results}
->Learn/Improve skills
->Learn more about people you already have a relationship with {friends and foes, both are counted}
Side Quests:
->Unlock Immunity to Mystic Eye Of Death Perception
->Upgrade Skill: Type ORT
->Find what happened during the Fourth Holy Grail War. {reward: 25,000XP, ???}
->Find what happened to Irisviel von Einzbern and her daughter. {reward: 25,000XP, ???}
-> Find Tohsaka Tokomi's killer. {rewards: 10,000XP, 1000 points}
->Unlock Excalibur Morgan True Name release.