The Adventures of Lord El-Melloi II - English Translation

[Comun]

Yes, that is its name since its FGO introduction.

[warellis]

Yes, that is its name since its FGO introduction.

Does that name have some connection to a myth, meaning, or historical term?

[You]

Does that name have some connection to a myth, meaning, or historical term?

The Sea of Estray, together with the Atlas Institute, is an organization called the original form of the Magic Association.
Among the founders of the Magic Association, there had been many heretical magi who were exiled from the Sea of Estray and the Atlas Institute and had no place left to go.
The base of the Sea of Estray is in Northern Europe. This base, with the nickname of the Moving Stone Coffin, is itself a moving mountain range. Normally it is wandering at sea as its name suggests, but sometimes it comes up on dry land.
It seems they research mainly body alteration, but the specifics are unknown.

Baldanders was first conceived by shoemaker and writer Hans Sachs after reading the description of Proteus in The Odyssey. According to Sachs’ and collected descriptions, the Baldanders is a creature that is symbolic for the continual change in nature and society as well as the importance of familiarizing oneself with the common from another perspective. Its name is derived from the combination of German words for Soon (Bald) and Another (Anders).

Baldanders was later featured in a novel by Grimmelshausen, Simplicius Simplicissimus to which the creature was further elaborated on by the alternate author and even illustrated on the cover page. In it, the hero of the story stumbles upon a stone statue of an ancient Germanic god. Once touched by the protagonist, the statue explains that it is the Soon-Another or Baldanders to which the statue demonstrates its powers and transforms into a variety of objects.

Baldanders are often described as having a human torso and head, having either a single goat leg attached to the hip or a goat leg and a bird leg together as well as large bird wings and a fish tail. The rendition in Grimmelshausen's novel depicts the baldanders carrying a sword sheathed on a belt as well as a large book containing drawn pictures of all the forms they have taken. Their primary goal it seems is to change into as many shapes and objects in existence as possible.

The name seems to be both a description and an irony.
It describes the main research there, body modification.
The irony is the original message of the myth is about the inevitable change in the world. The Sea of Estray is all about staying in the past.

[warellis]

The name seems to be both a description and an irony.
It describes the main research there, body modification.
The irony is the original message of the myth is about the inevitable change in the world. The Sea of Estray is all about staying in the past.

That makes it sound like Baldanders would be an ironic nickname or something from outsiders. Unless the Sea of Estray named themselves that as an inside joke I guess.

[Kamera]

“They went far further than that. They even reached the eastern coast of Africa. The region around Malacca has always been a place where the East and West have blended together. For instance, the first king of the Malacca Sultanate was rumored to be a descendant of Alexander the Great^[1].”

Ooh so there is actually reference to Iskandar Shah in this volume. Here's another never ever alongside Iskandar Muda for my FGO Servant wish list.

[azwhoisverybored]

Chapter 2, Part 1:

“Anfang!”

The incantation echoed in the mangrove forest.

The Gandr bullet Rin released divided itself as it shot forward, drawing a spiral in the air.

“

Simulated Gemstone. Bloom, seventh, sixth, fifth mirror and flower!

Pseudo-Edelsteine. Seben, sechs, fünf, spiegel, blume, blühen und stolz sein!

^[1]”

Her magecraft blossomed into a kaleidoscope of colors made of curses powerful enough to knock someone into a coma with just a scratch.

However, all of it was deflected before my eyes by the translucent arms that grew from Ergo’s back. The phantasmal limbs knocked away Rin’s magic bullets with the ease of shattering glass.

Even though the young man was unhurt from an attack powerful enough to defeat several dozen mages, Rin did not give up.

This time, she used an unexpected technique that fit the pirate base that we were currently inside, the Bajiquan Tieshankao^[2]. Though she explained that she was still practicing this skill, her enhanced kicks were by no means inferior to those of a master martial artist. This way, Rin drove Ergo from the muddy mangroves and onto the rocks, where she would have an advantage.

Then, she planted her feet, using momentum to strike her opponent’s back with a practiced move. I couldn’t help but be reminded of a mountain of iron.

However, this strike was also blocked by Ergo’s translucent limbs, which wove into a shield. Before the rest of his arms could catch Rin, she leapt backwards while continuing to shoot Gandr bullets to keep Ergo busy. I caught sight of a few holes that were starting to form because of the bullets that had missed.

“

The sixfold star! The birdcage of binding

Der sechsfache Stern! Vogelkäfig der bindet—

”

Something had begun to form in one of the caverns nearby which Rin’s Gandr had torn apart. I realized that, along with the way she had stomped her feet early, was also a part of her magecraft.

“—[Ruby=Lock, chains of darkness!]Shließung, Kette der Finsternis!”

Several dark ropes burst from the earth and captured Ergo’s phantasmal limbs. It was a trap.

Rin’s strategy was such: if her Gandr was blocked, she would switch to martial arts. If her martial arts were blocked, she would switch back to using Gandr. If even this was blocked, she would begin to use more complicated magecraft to fight her enemy. It was a strategy designed in anticipation for anything that her enemy had in store. What battles must she have experienced to use a strategy like this?

Her real goal had probably been the chains of darkness she had just summoned, which were able to restrain him. It reminded me of an ancient giant being sealed by chains.

Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind me.

“…Your consciousness is inside you, but you should look beyond yourself. Ergo, your body doesn’t respond because you’re consciously willing it to. I can’t be sure what kind of magecraft constructed those arms, but they’re clearly closely connected with your true nature. Don’t think about what you’re doing. Feel it.”

Still restrained, Ergo collapsed to the ground, groaning.

The faint light of her Magic Circuits glowed from Rin’s left arm as she continued to feed her Od into her spell, strengthening the chains that bound Ergo.

The voice behind me continued to calmly give the young man suggestions.

“Remember that your phantasmal arms are made of Magical Energy. The only reason why Miss Tohsaka can capture you is because you don’t think of them that way. You can think of those ropes as shadows. Can a shadow tie you up? Don't overthink it. It's an illusion.”

“Don't…overthink” Ergo murmured, his words muffled by his mudstained arm.

Then, in the space of a few seconds, the phantasmal limbs on his right side escaped Rin’s chains and disappeared. When the chains reached toward him again, the limbs reappeared and swept them away with the ease of blowing out a candle.

“You’ve got to be kidding me! How did you destroy my magecraft like that!?”

Ergo didn’t reply. Instead, he charged toward Rin like a bullet, swinging his arms and knocking Rin’s Gandr from the sky.

Though it looked like his arms had made contact with Rin, that was just an illusion.

Once those translucent fingers approached Rin, they began to spin furiously. The enormous limbs glided right past Rin even though the arms were large and bulky. I later learned that this was reminiscent of the Huajin^[3] technique, something often found in Chinese martial arts.

“Focus on your core. The arms themselves do not have a weight or shape.”

Though Ergo seemed tired, he stood up again after hearing those words.

“Don’t use your eyes to search for your target. Use your arms.”

Ergo’s phantasmal arms emerged once more and swung towards Rin. Rin tried to use her triple-enhanced fists to break them apart, but she was outnumbered. The efforts of her defensive magecraft were gradually crumbling.

Rin was approaching a breaking point. She parried one final attack before she took out a shining jewel.

“That’s it!”

I wondered what terrifying things she was capable of with this type of magecraft, as they were her true area of expertise.

However, before she could do anything—

“—That’s enough!”

A silhouette slowly walked out from the shadow of the mangrove trees.

It was my mentor, who had just been behind a defensive Bounded Field for protection. I stood behind him as another way to protect him. In this regard, my mentor was so cautious he could be considered cowardly.

“It’s not bad,” my mentor commented, an eye squinting closed. “Miss Tohsaka, your combination of martial arts and magecraft does work well. However, you’re still too reliant on tricks. You should focus more on your magecraft.”

“Thanks for the advice, Sir.” Rin replied with a slight pout. “Don’t you think it’s unfair that you’re only helping Ergo?”

“That’s because I’m trying to bring out Ergo’s abilities through training. I could also hand the job to Gray, but your magecraft is more ideal because it's more…forthright. …If that’s just a result of your nature, what more can I say.”

“What a great way to put it, Professor.”

“If that wasn’t the case, why else would you reach for those jewels in a training match? Do you even realize how many classrooms you and Luvia blew up that way?”

My mentor turned away from the speechless Rin and toward the young man.

“Did you feel anything, Ergo?”

“I… don’t think I quite understand.”

“Hm. I thought practical training would align your mind and body and help bring back your memories, but I was wrong. It was not completely in vain, though.”

Though his phantasmal arms had disappeared, my mentor still put his hand on Ergo’s back.

“It appears that those six arms aren’t all the same.”

“They aren’t all the same…?”

“The first one that escaped from Miss Tohsaka’s restraints and dispelled her magecraft was the one on the upper right. It most likely has the ability to interfere with spiritual entities. It reminds me of something possessed by a spirit, or a spirit that has been summoned and contained… Even so, it seems strange that arms like these could be distinguishable in such a way. Is it the same for the other ones, too…?”

Once my mentor began to think about the technical details, I was basically clueless.

However, it made me happy to hear my mentor mutter to himself in such an annoyed yet strangely excited voice. It was a bit like what he would do if he was at an impasse while gaming by himself in his London flat, although it might not be quite right to compare this situation to a video game.

“So, about the mysterious thing that you ate…”

Just as my mentor began to speak, he was interrupted by a peculiar growl. Everyone’s eyes were immediately drawn to its source.

“…Sorry, I’m a little hungry.”

Seeing Ergo’s embarrassed admission, Rin and I laughed in unison.

“…Alright, let’s go back to your base and have lunch.” My mentor declared with a sigh.
———

[1] The ruby text isn’t a translation of the German, but a translation of the furigana.
[2] Bajiquan (lit. Eight-Extremities Fist) is a type of intense Chinese martial arts. Tiemenkao (lit. Iron Gate Technique) is an especially intense branch. Kirei uses this type of martial arts.
[3] A martial arts technique that focuses on dealing with a flood (the enemy’s attacks) by “guiding the flow of the water” rather than “building a dam to stop it”.
——————————————————————————————————

[narmbo]

if there are any formatting errors from here on out, please excuse them-- we are coordinating through PMs on here now for a bit while AZ can't use discord. we'll fix it up for any ebook/pdf releases of adventures. since we normally put in things like italics through the drafts, when we send thru PMs it kind of uh. messes up a bit. if that makes sense.
of course, i'll be getting the next volume of adventures digitally for everyone as well while our translation catches up. thanks guys

[azwhoisverybored]

Chapter 2, Part 2

Chapter 2, Part 2:

“You guys are so dusty!”

“The skinny fox is back!”

Upon our return to the island, the children surrounded us like a whirlwind. The sand they kicked up glittered in the dazzling sunlight.

“…Don’t you all think that’s enough…” My mentor said, trying to rid himself of the sand that got in his face.

“Oh, he got mad!” The children exclaimed, laughing. Some of them were barefoot, while others wore ratty sandals. The ones that had been guarding the base were probably the older ones here. Most of them spent their time playing in the shallows. Possibly because my mentor and I were new to the place, they pestered us with great enthusiasm. I had never experienced something like this before since I was basically the youngest one in my hometown, so I was at a loss as to what to do.

“Ihihihi! You say you’re not good at dealing with kids, but they seem to like you!”

“…It troubles me, though.” I sighed.

Maybe the atmosphere of this place had affected me. The warm wind that blew across my face was nothing like London or my hometown. Though I was right by the sea, it wasn't as humid as I had expected. The air had a pleasing quality to it, as did the colorful scenery that surrounded us.

With the echoing waves and the clouds that floated by lazily, this place could make anyone relax. It had been many years since I felt this way.

“Since it’s a holiday, you should loosen up and enjoy yourselves! If you two stay the way you are, you’re going to miss out on all the fun!”

“To be honest, I think it’s a bit late for that.” I commented. “I just hope my mentor’s getting as much rest as he can.”

I turned to see my mentor sitting on a mangrove stump. Though this was possibly the best place in the world to relax, my mentor’s expression was anything but content. Maybe it was because of the training session just then, but I figured he was thinking of something else. Although, I could see him holding a portable game console that had been waterproofed with magecraft. I could also tell that he was trying to hide it from the children who would doubtlessly steal it from him.

There was someone else that was on my mind.

“Ergo!”

It appeared that the red-haired young man was also being pestered by the children. He sat cross-legged in a circle of them, looking drowsy. Though he still reminded me of a puppy, he was now like a giant tree that gave the children shade.

With a yawn, Ergo reached out to a boy who was sitting on his legs and buried his face into the boy’s messy hair.

“It smells nice.”

“Shouldn’t it stink?”

“No, I think it smells like the sun.”

His voice also reminded me of something warm and fluffy. I inadvertently walked over to him.

“Falling asleep?”

“…Yes. I usually take a nap after lunch,” he replied, yawning again.

Half of his face was obstructed by his red hair, reminding me of a fur seal^[1]. Even though I was usually scared of talking to people I didn’t know, he seemed very approachable.

“This place is so warm and comfortable. I really like it here.”

“…I agree.”

His attitude was not like a mage’s at all. Maybe I had spent so much time around mages that I had forgotten how normal people acted.

“Normal”. What a strange word to use to describe a modern pirate with amnesia.

A girl walked over brandishing a pair of scissors.

“Come here, Ergo! Let me help you cut your hair!”

“Thank you, Lana.” He said, nodding. He followed the girl to a chair on the beach a few steps away.

The girl thrust her fingers into his hair and started cutting here and there. Ergo fell asleep almost immediately, completely unaffected by the haircut and the children noisily playing around him.

“Don’t worry, he’s usually like that.” Rin, who had snuck up at some point, said with a shrug.

“Are you talking about Ergo?”

“Yeah. He falls asleep whenever I leave him be. I haven’t spoken with him much because he always happens to be sleeping whenever I have time.”

“Perhaps something about his nature causes him to require more sleep.” My mentor commented from beside us, not looking up from his game console.

“Maybe. In any case, here’s some dessert.”

I gasped in wonder as Rin brought out a platter of colorful fruits. Though the platter itself was made of cheap plastic, many different types of fruit had been carefully laid atop it, garnished with a thin layer of what looked like chocolate.

“Thank you!”

I tasted a piece. I was first struck by a stunning sweetness, followed by a bitter tang that stung my mouth. The thing that looked like chocolate was actually spicy^[2]. It surprisingly helped bring out the original taste of the fruit.

“Sauce is the key to Chinese-style desserts, just like how you might add a bit of salt to make a watermelon taste better.”

“Wow, this is good!” My mentor exclaimed, turning off his game console. As if he hadn’t expected himself to say that, he coughed a few times and changed the topic. “Miss Tohsaka. Since this is a secret pirate base, where do you get these fruits from?”

“We planted them ourselves in the fields over there.”

“…!?”

My mentor stared at Rin in disbelief as she sipped her tea, unfazed.

“Fruit trees don’t grow well in mangrove swamps, so we use magecraft to alter the qualities of the dirt. With enough practice, it’s actually not hard. We can’t plant everything, of course, so we sell our extra stock. Selling fruit is amazingly profitable. It’s almost enough to make me reconsider my career.” Rin said, somewhat triumphantly.

It was exactly what I expected from someone like her, not only because she was a mage or because she was talented even among the other students of the El-Melloi Classroom.

As I pondered this, my mentor continued to stuff his face with fruit. For a moment, he didn’t look miserable.

“Wait, Miss Tohsaka.” He interjected, narrowing his eyes and looking past Rin to the children that frolicked around the sleeping Ergo. “Did you become a pirate consultant for the sake of these children?”

“What do you mean?”

“I heard them mention that most of the children here were abandoned or neglected. If your goal is only to salvage treasure, you don’t need their help. Even if they have the diving skills to help you with your operation, they lack proper equipment. Doesn’t providing that equipment make your plan more costly?”

“In exchange for the cost, I’ve formed a bond with them that doesn’t come easily. Isn’t that also crucial?” Rin answered with a smile, taking a bite of a delicious-looking lychee. “I taught them how to grow fruits so they believe that my presence has improved their lives. Isn’t that a form of equal exchange, one of the basic principles of magecraft?”

“That makes some sense, but you could have chosen any other group of people to form a bond with. Did you do this out of goodness?”

“Of course not,” Rin said, toying with a few strands of her hair that fluttered in the sea breeze. “It was just a coincidence. I would feel bad if I let them be after talking to them. I happened across them, so they’re a part of my world now. I can’t just pretend I never saw them. Needless to say, I also understand that it’s a hefty price to pay for feeling bad briefly.”

She had a strange way of putting things, but I mostly understood her meaning. Though her words were not direct, they were powerful.

My mentor was silent for a moment as he stared at his student.

“Are you trying to say that you’re responsible for the entire world?”

“Certainly! After all, the world has always belonged to me.”

Though she sounded resolute, Rin frowned.

“…That would have been my answer if you asked me before. But what about now?”

She raised her hand and spread her fingers, as if she was trying to take hold of the sky. Though the sea around us was far from pristine, the sky was a remarkable shade of blue.

“There’s nothing worth being troubled about. In your eyes, you are at the center of the world. As you are a mage, the things that you seek are your path to glory, though I feel like someone might object to it.” My mentor said. Then, he added something as if he just thought of something else. “On the other hand, the person who is currently acting as Luvia’s butler would probably accept it without question. He did say that he wanted to become a super hero, after all.”

”What!? Seriously!? Did he really say that!?”

Who's 'he'? I tilted my head at the mention of someone I couldn't recognize.

“I only had one proper chance to talk to him. Oh, I'm aware it's a silly dream, but don't laugh at him. …I thought that you two were dating for sure.”

“O-of course not! Give me a break! The way you cut to the point is precisely the reason why you have so many enemies!”

My mentor pursed his lips at the unexpected retaliation.

“However, I must say that your guidance during the training session was exactly as the rumors say. Ergo suddenly improved a lot. I’m beginning to understand why Flat gave you all those weird nicknames.” Rin said, looking at my mentor as he ate more fruit in an attempt to cover up his speechlessness.

“Actually… I’ve said this to Gray as well. I’m thinking of quitting my job as a teacher.”

I felt like my heart was pierced through once again.

While my first reaction had been to freeze, Rin stared at my mentor intently.

“…Are you serious, Sir?” She asked. “If you are, I have no reason to try and stop you. But it just doesn’t seem right. It feels like you were born to teach at the Clock Tower.”

“…Maybe that’s the case from your perspective.” My mentor said, frowning.

It wasn’t a look of anger, nor of reproach for not understanding him, but of sadness. It was like the expression of someone who had reached out to the stars only to find out that they were beyond his reach.

“Thank you for the tea and fruit. I’m going for a walk.”

“Can I borrow this girl for a while?”

I felt a hand grab me as I was about to follow my mentor. Her grip wasn't tight, but it was enough to hold me in place as my eyes darted around.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to do anything to her.”


“…Sure.”

My mentor turned and left.

*

“Hehehe.”

Tohsaka Rin giggled as if she had finally caught me, like a sniper peering into a scope or a cat cornering a mouse. It was an expression I had seen many times on Reines, my mentor’s little sister. Nothing good ever became of people who made her smile like that.

“…Um…”

“It’s alright, don’t be nervous. Take a seat! I’m just curious because they call you the secret student of the El-Melloi Classroom. I never thought you would be such a cute girl.”

Though her smile was cheerful, I found it hard to relax. I sat down stiffly, even more awkward than when Ergo held me in the air with his invisible hands.

“I have something else I want to ask before that.” She said, her irises reflecting my face. “What does he want to do if he’s quitting his job as a teacher?”

“…He said that he wanted to focus on his research.”

“Hm. That’s troublesome.” She said, looking away.

“It’s… troublesome?”

“After all, both of those options are valid. It’s really in that person’s style to fuss over which one to choose.”

I could understand exactly what she was saying. This was exactly the type of problem that would vex my mentor. Both paths would be difficult, perfectly fitting someone who was constantly struggling.

“Is that really everything, though?” Rin continued. “I’m sure he wouldn't tell you a lie right out, but I feel like he would've decided that sooner if that was it. Think about it. Would he have wasted all that time worrying? It doesn't matter what horse you choose if you miss the betting window by worrying the entire time. I'm sure there's some other reason.”

She continued ruthlessly in pursuit of the truth. Even so, I felt that she was being merciful because my mentor was the subject of her deductions.

“…I think I might know of another reason.”

“What might that be?”

“……”

Rin spoke again before I could respond.

“I don’t know how to say this, but you remind me of someone I know.”

I jolted upright in surprise.

Those were words that I feared more than anything else. Actually, upon second thought, maybe not anymore. But either way, it still scared me. It was the reason why I didn’t take off my hood even though I was in the blazing heat of Singapore.

However, instead of following up her statement immediately, Rin switched the topic.

“A few years ago, I participated in a war.”

—

[1] by fur seal, I mean 海のくまさん(sea bear), which could also mean polar bear? I doubt it means either one. The Chinese translation I’m referencing just gave up and wrote “sea kuma”
[2] People actually eat fruit with chili powder! I didn’t know that

[Comun]

Wait, you're still doing JP-to-CN-to-EN even now? I thought you had shifted to direct JP-to-EN since Fearboss and Narmbo became your proofreaders, because they have the raws for the novels.

[Rafflesiac]

“O-of course not! Give me a break! The way you cut to the point is precisely the reason why you have so many enemies!”

Case Files confirmed to not happen after UBW.

[warellis]

Case Files confirmed to not happen after UBW.

Probably yeah. Though Rin seems to find it difficult to just openly say she's in a relationship with Shirou I notice. And the fact Luvia feels like she needs to steal away Shirou here still makes me wonder about Rin's relationship with Shirou here.

[Reign]

Sanda's afterword for this volume says it's a mix of various routes.

Shirou and Rin don't seem to be dating, but Shirou still went to London with her and still had his conversation with Waver from the UBW anime.

[azwhoisverybored]

Wait, you're still doing JP-to-CN-to-EN even now? I thought you had shifted to direct JP-to-EN since Fearboss and Narmbo became your proofreaders, because they have the raws for the novels.

I'm trying to use the original as much as possible, but my Japanese still sucks. I'll get there one day. Hopefully.

[narmbo]

Wait, you're still doing JP-to-CN-to-EN even now? I thought you had shifted to direct JP-to-EN since Fearboss and Narmbo became your proofreaders, because they have the raws for the novels.

yeah, and you know how bad my japanese is-- i'm doing my best to proofread and go straight jp-en when i recognize what its saying but there will be clunkiness and awkward sounding bits every now and then. it beats going off entirely MTL in my eyes just in the sense of whats easier/harder but yeah.

[fearboss]

My Japanese is unfortunately pretty crap too. When there's something that seems pretty off, I'll ask for the original Japanese passage, but 99% of the time AZ's translation is better than anything I could do.

[azwhoisverybored]

Chapter 2, Part 3

Chapter 2, Part 3:

Lord El-Melloi II sat down near the beach.

Due to the topography of the island, the mangrove trees covered most of the beach. However, this place was an exception. Here one could peer out into the horizon with a less obscured view. Though it was impossible to see the mainland, the other islands scattered around the Strait of Malacca were visible.

The azure waves ebbed and flowed in the sunlight.

Hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, Lord El-Melloi II turned to look back.

“...You look so different I hardly recognized you, Ergo.”

“Lana cut it a bit shorter than I expected.” The young man said, smiling and feeling the hair behind his neck. Though the haircut wasn’t perfect, it fit him well. Ergo's intent gaze was full of a childlike innocence, almost enhanced by the pale color of his eyes. If he paid more attention to his appearance and behavior, it's possible he could pass for an actor.

A look of surprise unexpectedly crossed Lord El-Melloi II's face.

“Is…anything the matter?”

“No, I was just suddenly reminded of another red-head. Someone who was nothing like you.” He said with a shrug, avoiding his eyes as if to wish the memories away in the back of his mind.

“Can I sit here?” Ergo asked as he approached.

“If you want to.”

Neither spoke while the sunlight, wind, and waves continued to play the same endless, ancient tune.

Then, Ergo spoke up again as if he wanted to keep up with that melody.

“…Is it called the El-Melloi Classroom? The place where you teach, I mean.”

“Yes. It’s a bit like a college seminar. It’s always rowdy, and my students are always up to some impossible nonsense I can't begin to fathom. Sometimes it feels more like a live music club than a classroom, if you ask me.”

“I think your teaching style is very easy to understand, Sir.” Ergo said with an incredibly serious expression. “I’ve enjoyed the training sessions as well as the meditation that you taught me over the past few days.”

“It’s nothing impressive. Anyone can teach you Gachirinkan^[1].”

“I think imagining the moon is such a wonderful technique.”

Gachirinkan was also known as Kangetsuhou.

Ergo imagined a full moon that gradually increased in size. It started the same size as himself, but grew to be larger than a house, then larger than a street, a country, a continent, the earth, and eventually the entire universe.

“You can grasp anything inside your imagination. That’s the method of this kind of meditation. I think it suits you. Many Buddhist idols are depicted with many arms, such as the Bodhisattvas. They are believed to be able to reach everything. Perhaps your invisible arms are similar,” said Lord El-Melloi II. “If only that was the case…”

Ergo scratched his head, tousling his hair.

“Are you giving up teaching?”

“Oh, so you heard.”

“I was half-asleep when my hair was being cut, but Rin’s voice is always easy to hear.”

“I agree. It also appears that your senses are naturally enhanced then, considering you could hear them from that far away.”

The training session also made it clear that Ergo’s physical capabilities were far beyond those of regular people. He was undoubtedly stronger than Lord El-Melloi II even if the latter used enhancement.

“Do you hate being a teacher?”

“…Of course not.” Lord El-Melloi II replied, shaking his head slowly. “I’ve enjoyed it so much more than I could have imagined. The past ten or so years have been like a roller coaster ride, with my head spinning and my stomach aching all day long. Considering I started with five people, it's almost overcrowded now.”

There was not a hint of sadness in the mage’s words.

Lord El-Melloi II unfolded the sunglasses in his shirt pocket and put them on.

“But, I’m troubled sometimes,” he said, looking through the lenses at the rays of sunlight that filtered through a thin layer of clouds. “I once aspired to be a great mage.”

His voice was muffled and scattered quickly in the wind.

“…You talk about it in past tense, but you clearly haven’t given up.” Ergo said slowly.

“You say that as if you’ve seen through me.”

“Sorry.”

The young man bowed his head.

“Though, you’re not wrong. I talked about it in past tense, but I still haven’t given up. Now that I've had my successes as a lecturer, I ought to pass that onto the next generation. In fact, if any of my outstanding students, including Miss Tohsaka, became teachers, I would probably feel proud…But no matter what, my conscience tells me that it’s not the path I should continue down.”

He had probably put on his sunglasses because his eyes would give away too much of his thoughts.

“You really are a sincere person, just like Rin said.”

“She hasn’t been saying terrible things about me, has she?” Lord El-Melloi II asked, making a face.

Ergo shook his head. “Not at all. It’s just that I feel like she shares a secret with you.”

“Well… We don’t share a secret, but we both have our own. Though we were involved in different ones, we both participated in a war.”


“A war?” Ergo asked, tilting his head.

He must have found this word hard to imagine, especially since it was a war that Lord El-Melloi II and Tohsaka Rin partook in.

Behind the lens of his sunglasses, Lord El-Melloi’s eyes closed as if he was reminiscing.

*

“A few years ago, I participated in a war.”

In response, I swallowed because I realized that I needed to reply.

“…You mean, the Holy Grail War, right? The war where seven mages summon Servants to fight over the Grail, which can grant their wishes.”

“Yep. It’s not a big deal in the Clock Tower,
where most think of it as a pointless ritual whose importance is exaggerated because the people over there don’t know enough about the world.
I took part in the fifth one. Our teacher was in the fourth. You probably already know that.”

“…Yes.”

Indeed. I knew it very well.

Although the ritual that involved summoning legendary heroes as familiars sounded absurd, I knew that such a grand, unimaginable event had actually occurred in Japan.

“During that war, I met King Arthur. I was surprised that the legendary king of Britain was actually a young girl, but it must not be surprising to you. After all, you look just like her.”

“……”

She was right.

It was why my mentor didn’t want Rin to meet me. Just then, he had given up on keeping us apart, probably because it was better to answer her questions since she had already seen my face.

I gave up as well, closing my eyes and bracing myself. After a few seconds of mental preparation, I removed my hood.

For a moment, I heard Rin hold her breath, proving that I looked exactly like the Servant she knew. My mentor had a similar reaction when he first saw me. The terrified expression that had arisen on my mentor’s face was what had persuaded me to escape from my village.

In terms of appearance, the only thing that made me different from King Arthur was the color of my hair. I had heard that she had golden hair, while only one strand of my dull gray hair was golden.

“How old do I look?” I asked her.

“About fifteen? ..Wait, you must be older than that, right?”

“Yes.” I answered, nodding. “My body has not grown since around three years ago.”

“So, you’re actually around my age?” Rin said, batting her eyes in disbelief.

She quickly covered her mouth with her hands and began to mutter.

“That would make sense… after all, she had the same situation.”

I couldn’t help but feel pained at how quickly she accepted it.

“I have a special relationship with King Arthur, so I don’t look like I’ve aged. My mentor always wanted to help me, so he’s been using his free time to research all kinds of things…”

“Is that why he wants to focus on research, because it’s hard to get anything done like that? Ugh, he could have just said that. …I wouldn’t count on a guy like him to admit to that, though.”

She was right again. I couldn’t say that to my mentor either, because I didn’t want to tarnish his determination.

It was just that…
—————————————————————————————————————————————————— ——

[azwhoisverybored]

Hi, it's been a while

Chapter 2, Part 4

Chapter 2, Part 4:

“…The Holy Grail War.”

“Well, that's what it was, yes.” After explaining the gist of the war to Ergo, Lord El-Melloi II shrugged. “Thinking back, it really was incredible. I never could have imagined that I would one day teach another participant of the Holy Grail War. On second thought, though, my teacher did as well. Maybe that's just fate.”

“...Fate, is it?”

“It’s quite important to mages.”

“I still don't understand what's painful to you, Professor.” said Ergo, switching the topic suddenly. So suddenly that the Lord couldn't help but raise his eyebrow. “Maybe there’s a deeper reason why you want to quit teaching, but I only have a few months of memory. I don’t have enough experience to understand it.”

After a pause, he continued in a quieter voice.

“…I’m scared.” He muttered. “Even though I lost my memory, everyone here is so nice to me. The weather is wonderful. So are the people and the food.”

“It sounds like food is very important to you.”

“Sorry.”

He bowed his head again.

“But, what if I killed someone?” Ergo said, one word at a time. “What if I was a terrible person before I lost my memory? What if I made a lot of people sad?”

“……”

Lord El-Melloi II silently regarded the sincerity of the young man in front of him.

“I don’t understand anything. My memory, the invisible arms behind me, my enhanced senses… None of them make any sense to me.”

“Do you not want your memory back?”

In response to Lord El-Melloi II’s question, Ergo looked away. His gaze drifted to the tiny crabs that stumbled drunkenly around on the sand, and then to the sea foam that battered the shore.

“Since I met you, I’ve realized some things, such as the arms on my back, and how I’m always hungry.”

“Hunger, huh.” Lord El-Melloi II muttered.

“Yes. That’s all I can remember.”

The call of a bird rang through the air. It came from a great myna, a species of birds with black feathers and a stunningly yellow beak which was common in this region. Its cry was close to that of another similar species, the common hill myna.

“I don’t know if it will ever be fulfilled, but I must keep walking toward it… I guess that’s how it is when it comes to a dream. I don’t know if you feel the same way.” Lord El-Melloi II said, switching topics again.

“No, it's the same for me.”

Both of them turned to look toward the horizon, where the ocean still churned and frothed.

“Maybe we’re more similar than I thought.”

“Can I join the El-Melloi Classroom?”

“You’re not a mage. I’m only teaching you because I’m traveling.”

“Thank you. That’s enough for me.” Ergo said with a smile, which caused Lord El-Melloi II to look away again.

“As for what you ate…”

Just as he was about to change the topic yet again, the young man suddenly froze. He clamped down on his temples with his trembling hands as his eyes widened.

“It’s...calling…to me?”

“Ergo?”

Realizing that something was wrong, Lord El-Melloi II scanned the surroundings and discovered something strange.

“What’s…this…?”

Something unusual was happening to the ocean— No, that was a severe understatement. Even the beach that surrounded Ergo and Lord El-Melloi II was starting to be affected. Countless white objects were floating up from the water and the sand.

“Bones…?!”

As he said, the mysterious objects were like bones.

Magecraft that allowed bones to be controlled existed, and fell under the category of Spiritual Evocation. However, this was on a completely different scale. The bones that continued to surge forth surrounded the two of them in similar forms of that like a giant spider, a wolf, and a bird, yet seemingly violated the laws of physics all at once.

“…!”

Lord El-Melloi II fired a magic bullet at the mass of bone. Though he was only a mediocre mage, even he should have made an impact. However, the spider deflected his bullet easily. It only left a burn mark on the smooth, gray surface of its limbs.

It didn’t take long for the controller of these creatures to appear from the depths. The strange familiars parted with each of their master’s steps, which sank deep into the sand as a result of its weight.

“A giant…made of bone…?”

“This is a warning from the Atlas Institute, Lord.” declared the giant as seawater dripped from its gleaming body, made of the same material as the familiars that surrounded it.

“The Atlas Institute?”

Ergo seemed to recall Lord El-Melloi II mentioning that name when he was talking to Rin. It was the name of one of the three Mages’ Associations.

“Please hand us that young man, Lord El-Melloi.”

“What does the Atlas Institute want with him? Why are you even here? This isn’t the Altas Institute’s domain. Is Ergo one of your alchemists?”

“This does not concern you.” Said the giant, not answering any of his questions. “Just give us the boy. Even though we are both from Mages’ Associations— No, especially because we are both from Mages’ Associations, we will not elaborate on our request.”

The army of familiars left no space for negotiation, with armor that could nullify magic bullets and power that probably rivaled modern militaries.

Lord El-Melloi II turned to the red-haired young man.

“…Sir…”

Ergo still clutched his temples. He didn’t understand the situation either. He probably didn’t know what meaning the words “Atlas Institute” held, either. Not even Lord El-Melloi II could make sense of the situation despite his standing in the Clock Tower.

Even so, Ergo smiled weakly.

“Don’t…worry about me…”

“……”

Lord El-Melloi II bit his lip, taking off his sunglasses and removing a cigar from his jacket pocket. Its tip had already been cut off, so he lit it with a snap of his fingers.

“…How unfortunate.” Lord El-Melloi II said in disappointment, letting the smoke calm his trembling fingers.

“A wise choice, Lord.” The bone giant said in the same tone of voice as before.

In response, Lord El-Melloi spoke to the giant as if it was a student that failed the test by a point or two.

“If you had arrived ten minutes earlier, you could have taken him. If you spoke directly to him and not to me, there would have been no room for me to intervene. I always tell my students to take care of the messes they get themselves into.”

“…What do you mean, Lord El-Melloi?”

“Even though it’s only temporary, Ergo is now my student.” Lord El-Melloi II said, staring straight into the bone giant’s eyes as the sparks from his cigar melted into the sea breeze. “I refuse to sell out my students.”

“Lord El-Melloi!”

“You'll have to excuse me, but I insist you add 'the second'. That name alone is too heavy for my shoulders to bear."

With that, he threw his cigar, releasing a cloud of smoke. It was no mere smokescreen. The smoke had been woven with magecraft and could block the bone giant’s senses. It was one of the few mystic Codes that the young Lord carried with him.

“Come on, we're running!” Lord El-Melloi II whispered urgently, grabbing Ergo’s wrist.

“Professor…”

“That’s not an opponent I can beat! We need to think of a strategy…”

“Your assessment is correct.”

With that, an explosion sent the two of them flying. It didn’t take long for Lord El-Melloi II to realize that a few of the familiars around them had self-destructed.

“Blocking my senses does not stop us from crushing you. It may make us less efficient, but we will still take him.“

More explosions happened one after the other. Naturally, Lord El-Melloi II’s defensive magecraft was no match for them. Though, with that in mind, even though it could not stop the impact of the blasts, it prevented shards of the familiars from piercing their skin until the shards suddenly stopped in the air.

Lord El-Melloi II turned to see the Ergo standing next to him with sweat beading on his face, blocking the shards with his translucent arms.

“Ergo…!”

“So that is how your arms can be used. It seems we are not too late.”

The giant parted the smokescreen with a wave of one hand and sent the other plunging toward Ergo and Lord El-Melloi II.

Ergo’s arms moved to intercept them. Three translucent hands met one giant fist with a deafening clang, like the sound a truck would make if it slammed into a gong. It was probably a result of their clashing spiritual qualities. The sand around their feet split as if an asteroid had struck it.

“…Not bad.” The bone giant said, inspecting its hand. Its fingers had been reduced to a mangled mess. If the giant hadn’t been many times larger than Ergo, it might have been swept away instead.

The giant began to move in closer to Ergo and Lord El-Melloi II. Suddenly, a black curse shot through the air, igniting the surface of its skull.

The giant turned to look at the source of the attack, which hadn't come from the land. It didn't seem surprised as a motorboat came into view, carrying the person who had fired the magic bullet.

“I’ve kept you waiting for long enough!” Rin Tohsaka shouted as she prepared for another shot like a gunslinger in a Western.

*

The engine of the motorboat whirred, churning the ocean surface into a white froth.

Rin shouted at the people on the shore as she steered the boat with one hand.

“So that’s why the alarm system was going off! That thing doesn’t look like it’s here to invite us to a party.”

“…How do you know how to drive that?”

“It’s much easier than driving a car! Although, I had to keep repairing and replacing them, so it cost me a fortune.”

Though she had only been around pirates for half a year, it seemed that she had mastered motorboat driving. It was probably also the result of magecraft, considering that reducing the friction between the boat and the water or adjusting the pressure of the wind was a piece of cake for her.

The bone giant’s familiars reacted to Rin’s presence and swooped toward her from behind.

“Anfang!”

In response to this attack, Rin fired a stream of Gandr bullets without even looking at them and chanted a three-count spell.

“

Identify, confirm, and fire continuously

Identifizieren, bestägen und kontinuierlich feuern—!

”

More Gandr shots appeared, battering the birds with power no less than that of a Gatling gun. The curses, which were powerful enough to have a physical impact, shattered the swarm of familiars. Her first attack succeeded in regaining control of the air.

The giant turned to the motorboat that had wiped out its first wave of familiars and turned the tables brilliantly.

“Do you plan on interfering as well, Rin Tohsaka?”

“Oh? So you’ve already done research on us? I should have expected that from the Atlas Institute.” Rin said with a satisfied smile.

“It was easy to identify you using magecraft, an amateur who arrogantly calls herself the pirate consultant, as well as the Lord who came all the way from the Clock Tower.”

The giant glanced towards the familiars surrounding the two people on the beach. At this signal, they narrowed their circle further, as if they were signaling that they could kill their victims whenever they wanted.

“Well? What will you do now? Do you plan on destroying my familiars from over there?”

“There’s no need for that.” Rin’s smile widened. “Gray!”

Hearing her signal, I leapt out from the mangroves, slashing the familiars surrounding my mentor and Ergo into pieces. At her instruction, I had snuck into the forest when the giant was distracted. Bone spiders were parted from their legs, while wolves slid onto the sand, motionless.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, I grabbed my mentor and Ergo and jumped with my enhanced feet.

Before we landed, I swung my scythe again to clear away the bone familiars that had gathered, telling them with my eyes and my blade that I would not allow them to lay a finger on my mentor and Ergo.

“Thank you, but could you be a little gentler next time, Lady?”

“I will if I can.” I said, standing next to my mentor kneeling on the ground, coughing.

I frowned. Something about the familiars seemed strange.

“They’re not undead…!”

“Exactly,” my mentor said, nodding as if he had expected it. “The Atlas Institute doesn’t treat Mystery the same way we do. Though some work has been done on those familiars, they are only bones, constructions of calcium phosphate.”

—“I’ve met an alchemist of the Atlas Institute before. They use a mixture of modern technology and magecraft.”

I finally understood what my mentor had meant. This came as a relief to me. It might sound weird, considering that I was once a grave keeper, but I had a deadly fear of ghosts and spirits. Even now, simply sensing their presence was enough to send shivers down my spine and freeze my heart with fear.

Against these opponents, though, I was not scared at all.

“Ergo, can you protect my mentor?”

“…I think I should be able to.” The young man said with a slight nod.

It was at this point that I finally noticed a change in him.

(--At this point in time I might as well assume that imgur will never work.--)

“Have you cut your hair?”

“Does it look weird?”

“No. You look just as kind as I imagined.”

Though I considered myself to be shy, I found it easy to talk to him. Maybe it was the result of the same attributes that made the children like him.

However, for some inexplicable reason, I felt just as stiff as I did when I fought spirits.

“Strange,” Ergo said, feeling his stomach. “Every time I’m around you, I feel hungry.”

Though he had probably said it without thinking too much, his strange statement left a larger impression on me than it should have. Regardless, now was not the time to ask about it.

“If you can move, Ergo, you should go as well.” Said my mentor.

“But Sir—“

“That giant is too powerful to be defeated by one person. I know how to run away. I’ll be fine as long as you two can deal with him.”

My mentor had a point. It was worth the risk.

“—Let's go!”

With that, I leaped into the air again, cutting down more bone familiars every time I landed. If they were only structures made of bone, there was no use trying to get rid of all of them when they would just spring right back. All I needed to do was clear a path for myself.

I cut down one, two, and then a third. But before my scythe could reach a fourth, something else knocked it away.

It was Ergo’s phantasmal limbs. He had caught up to my enhanced pace by simply running. I knew he had superhuman abilities, but I hadn’t realized that he could be this fast. Though I didn’t know how to use proper magecraft, I could enhance myself better than most mages. I hadn’t thought that he would be able to keep up this easily.

“I’ll deal with that one!” Ergo shouted. His translucent hands crushed the familiars in front of us.

The speed, strength, and reach of his attacks were also stunning, as if the fact that he had many translucent hands on his back was not surprising enough by itself. He was able to flatten the familiars from tens of meters away, leaving only debris behind on the sand.

With his help, I would be able to reach the bone giant controlling all the familiars, I thought.

“Add, release first stage restrictions!” I shouted as I made my decision.

“Ihihihi! Yes, that’s how you should deal with a big guy like that!”

My scythe transformed into a hammer as big as a battering ram before Add could finish his sentence. As its form suggested, it had the destructive power to batter down the gates of a castle.

Magical Energy spewed from the back of Add, transforming acceleration into centrifugal force. At the same time, I felt the bone giant’s fist pass by millimeters from my face. I endured the wind pressure, which nearly knocked me away, and smashed my hammer at the bone giant—!

The sound that the impact generated split the ocean’s surface. It was not only a result of the hammer, but also because the giant had been blown into the water.

Even so, the giant was still intact. It had probably increased its defense moments before the impact. Though I hadn't expected my blow to be lethal, it should have been strong enough to shatter the armor of a tank. What kind of technique had it used to make its bones so strong?

Something didn’t feel right.

It was as if the giant had known that I would attack with my battering ram from the very beginning.

Cradling its injured arm, the giant stood up to its waist in the water. However, before it could do that—

“—Rin!”

The motorboat had turned around, and was now charging toward the giant at full speed like an arrow. Atop it, Rin raised one hand.

“Ugh, so annoying! In that case, I’ll use the attack I’ve been saving!”

The gemstone between her fingers began to shine with the colors of the rainbow.

“Anfang!”

With this, her Magic Crest was activated. I could see a complicated pattern that glowed with faint blue light appear on her left arm. Magical Energy was being drawn out from the engraved pattern and into the gemstone.

“You said I should believe in my magecraft and keep refining it, right, Sir?” Said Rin. Then, she began to incant.

“Vierzehn, neun, acht. Drei Schwerter, Synergie, eine Mulde!”

A spiral made of overlapping light appeared in her outstretched hand. It was the highest amount of power a modern mage could hope for. Though the power of the superimposed gemstones reached the realm of forbidden magecraft, Rin was able to fully master them.

Her attack made the giant shudder violently for the first time. However, it still did not fall.

“How sturdy are you!?” Rin complained. “I don’t even think Hercules could defeat you without dying once!”

“So your attribute is conversion? Interesting.”

The giant had definitely been damaged this time. Its head had caved in, revealing nothing but the sky peeking out from the other side. Then, the hole disappeared like a video being played backwards.

“It’s not because it’s sturdy.” I heard Ergo mutter. “There’s nothing there.”

What seemed like a giant was only a shell. Its true body was somewhere else. If the giant was only a puppet, it made sense that it could regenerate itself indefinitely.

“Gray! Rin!”

My mentor’s warning came a second too late.

Suddenly, white chains erupted from the ground and captured Ergo and I. They somehow managed to keep us trapped despite my enhancement and Ergo’s translucent arms. From the corner of my eye, I could see that Rin had also been restrained.

This trap had probably been set up from the moment I sent the giant flying with my battering ram. Though Rin was usually cautious, she let down her guard at the sight of her opponent being blown away.

Thoughts raced through my head. It should have been the first time our opponent had seen my battering ram and Rin’s magecraft. How had they prepared for it as if they knew that we were going to pull these tricks?

“Gah…!”

Some air managed to escape my compressed lungs. Though I had been able to avoid being completely crushed by jamming my hammer between myself and the chains, the alarm in my head was shrieking at maximum volume. The chains continued to tighten with enough force to crush iron.

“OwowowowowImgoingtobreakimgoingtobreak!” Cried Add.

“Add…!”

I desperately tried to think of a way to prevent myself from being squashed. If the true body was indeed somewhere else like we had guessed, the giant did not have any vitals. Though it might have had something like a core, I didn’t know how to identify it.

In that case, what if I just pulverized the entire giant?

Since the battering ram hadn’t been able to turn the giant’s bones into dust…

I clenched my teeth, letting my Magic Circuits run at full capacity and forcing myself to breathe to bring more fuel to power my heart. It wasn’t for my lungs, or for my red blood cells. I was turning my heart into a Magical Energy Reactor through breathing.

If those chains of bone could crush iron, this could melt steel. “Power” surged through my Magic Circuits like a charging dragon, or a roller coaster through lava.

My existence was slowly being replaced from its core. This dazzling “power” was pushing against my sense of self. Even so, I grabbed onto the wick that was about to disappear as I resisted the pressure of the chains around me.

Gradually, the pressure eased. The battering ram in my hands also began to transform into something else.

“Sir, please give me permission to unseal the holy lance!^[1]”

White light gushed from my hands, bringing with it power that I could barely control. It was Add’s hidden true form. A hurricane of Magical Energy whirled around the rotating box. Before, I could only activate the second stage by consuming the Magic Power of the surrounding area. Now, I only needed myself and Add.

“

Darken Celebrate

Gray…Rave…

” I chanted in a trancelike state.

I only needed one word from my mentor to unleash its final form.

“

Want Corrupt

Crave…Deprave…

"

“That’s enough.” Said a calm voice.

It had come from a person with long blue hair who looked about twenty-five. Though the person’s features were androgynous, her slender body told me that she was a woman. Her unnaturally blue hair and purple eyes also fit the atmosphere she gave off. A navy blue tie fluttered in the wind from the collar of her uniform-like coat.

The constant swaying of her tie and hair made it feel as if she was floating in the sea breeze. Combined with her beautiful pursed lips, which were reminiscent of those of a Greek sculpture, I found it hard to believe that she was a living being like myself.

She almost looked… artificial.

However, these thoughts were quickly tossed to the back of my mind.

My trump card had been deactivated before it could be unleashed.

That was because the sword made of bone in the woman’s hand was pressed against my mentor’s throat.

*

I need to…save him… thought Ergo despite the blinding pain.

Ergo had only known Lord El-Melloi II and Gray for a few days. Rin, no more than a month.

To Ergo, they were all there for most of his life. In the brief time which he had gotten to know them, they had become irreplaceable.

I need to save him…!

This thought was the only thing that drove his body to move. His phantasmal arms wrenched open the chains bit by bit.

However, that thought suddenly vanished from his mind.

His gaze was wrenched away along with his consciousness. He even forgot about the chains that restrained him.

He was looking toward the brilliant light that the gray girl had unleashed. It was hard to imagine something like that from someone who was always so shy and self-conscious.

An unknown urge appeared in Ergo as he beheld the light, which shone like lightning that could tear the sky apart.

That urge was like a disaster, like a disease, like hell.

No!

The young man let out a pained cry as he desperately tried to resist it. It was futile. The impulse tore through his body and electrified his brain. Reason was long gone, replaced by hellfire that burned through his bones and nerves. It ravaged his blood vessels like a meteor turning hotter and brighter as it sailed through the atmosphere.

It was the same as the power that had struggled out from within the girl’s body just then.

…It hu…

Nebulously, it took form.

The voice he so desperately wanted to shut out.

And yet, he didn't even have the strength to cover his ears. All his phantasmal hands, all of them sealed, unable to even breathe. Even the flow of blood was blocked, his face going near-purple in an instant.

…hurts… It hurts…!

The more he trembled, the more intense the desire became.

A feeling he never wanted to feel towards that girl. And yet, in front of the light pouring from that girl, his ego melts into the void like a dusting of frost in the sun.

“Ah…!”

Inside Ergo, only one concept, one singular thought remained.

The desire to devour.
———
[1] Alternatively, weigh anchor? (抜錨)
—————————————————————————————————————————————————— ——

[GrandBeastVIII]

Hey, is there somewhere i can find chapter 2 of volume 2? Only that chapter. Be it translated or not.

[azwhoisverybored]

Chapter 2, Part 5

Chapter 2, Part 5:

My body froze when I saw the sword at my mentor’s throat.

The lance of light that pointed toward the bone giant could be unleashed if I as much as twitched my fingers. It was impossible for me to change my target to the new arrival. Even if I somehow managed to do so, unlike Rin, my mentor wouldn’t be able to dodge it.

However, I couldn’t just make the light disappear, either. I felt sweat trickle down my face.

This kind of stalemate could not last for long. The Magical Energy in my body kept flowing into the light in my hands. With every breath I took, Magical Energy equivalent to the reserves of an ordinary mage was being used up. If you told someone unaware of the situation about this, they may even be tempted to jump off a cliff because of the sheer amount of Magical Energy being wasted.

Just as I felt my body was being drained of the last drops of energy, and the realization of my mentor's imminent death dawned upon me, someone spoke up.

“Wait.”

I only knew one person who could have said such a thing.

“…Sir.”

“Since you have gone to the risk of exposing your true form to threaten me at sword point, you must have something you want to say.” Said my mentor as he scowled at his assailant.

Despite his seemingly confident attitude, I noticed that his fingers were trembling behind his back. I could not help but worry what problems would result from his stubbornness this time.

Thankfully, after a short silence, the blue-haired woman spoke.

“The name of this individual is Latio. Latio Crudelis Hiram.”

Her name brought about an unexpected reaction from my mentor.

“Crudelis…? Isn’t that one of the Six Sources of the Atlas Institute?”

“So, just like a Lord of the Clock Tower?” Rin exclaimed, still restrained.

I could hear her perfectly even though there was some distance between us. I was also shocked by those words.

The woman was from a family that rivaled the twelve Lord families of the Clock Tower? That would explain the alchemy she had used to overwhelm us. In the years that I had been at the Clock Tower, I had learnt of the terrifying magecraft that the other Lords could wield.

“Let us negotiate.” The alchemist from the Atlas Institute said, my mentor’s face reflected in her purple eyes. “Latio has not begun fighting in earnest yet, but neither have you. If we continue our confrontation here, we will only cause more damage to ourselves. We should first determine whether we can reach a compromise.”

“In other words, you showed yourself because you're out of ideas.”

“I admit that I underestimated you.”

“…Huh, I thought people from the Atlas Institute like you would be more stubborn.” Rin muttered.

Though Latio heard her statement, her expression did not change. “Predictions are only calculations of known elements. If unknown factors are added, it is only natural that there will be discrepancies. From this, we can set up the situation to end in our favor.“

“The Atlas Institute’s Thought Acceleration and Memory Partition,” my mentor pointed out. “The mages of the Atlas Institute consider themselves as calculators, so those two techniques are essential. The former is as the name suggests. The latter involves partitioning the brain into multiple areas that can operate in parallel. Those are what enabled you to effectively predict the future, allowing you to restrain Miss Tohsaka and threaten me before we could reveal our trump card.”

I almost shouted out loud. Had they managed to stay one step ahead of us because they had gathered enough information to predict the future?

“Do you realize that resistance is futile now?”

“Of course. But you chose to threaten me instead of stopping Gray because you have no guarantee that you can protect yourself against our trump card, yes? At the very least, it’s too risky for you to ignore.”

Though his words were provocative, Latio remained composed. Her icy gaze scanned across our surroundings until it stopped at me, causing me to become more anxious.

“Put your weapon away, and Gray will do the same.”

“…Fine.”

At the same time she pulled her sword away from my mentor’s neck, the chains around us also loosened. I slowly began to shut off the light in my hand. I could finally relax a little now.

Rin had been released as well, and was driving the motorboat toward the shore. Ergo was the only one who was still restrained.

“Please let Ergo go as well.”

“Is that what he calls himself?” Latio said, eyeing the young man. “I ca—”

“—You can’t.”

It was not Latio who completed her sentence, but Ergo.

“You mustn’t let go of me. Not now, at least.”

In the next instant, the chains around him snapped. Latio had not loosened them. Instead, Ergo’s phantasmal arms had torn apart the chains which I had barely been able to push aside as if they were made of melted candy^[1].

Two of his six arms extended toward Latio, crushing the bone familiars that rushed forward in an attempt to protect her.

“Stop! Stop it!” Ergo shouted.

It seemed that his phantasmal arms were completely out of control.

Just as it seemed that Ergo’s arms were going to reach her, Latio called out a name.

“Tangere!”

More bone chains descended from the sky, tying up the arms charging toward Latio as well as Ergo. The thing who had accomplished this landed on the beach, sending sand scattering into the air. Though I clearly knew that it was the bone giant, it still took me a few seconds to fully realize that the bone giant who was standing in the waves earlier had jumped onto the beach.

That was not all.

“They were able to analyze and deprogram our magecraft by simply touching it. An impressive feat that would have worked if not for the three layers of wards covering our bones and spongy matter. —This is what you wanted me to do, right, Lady Latio?” The bone giant said in a manly voice.

It was hard to believe that this was the same automaton that had fought us just then, which had been emotionless when it wasn’t delivering Latio’s words. I even saw him shrug like a human being.

“I thought that the alchemists from the Atlas Institute are not allowed to take weapons from the underground storehouse.” My mentor said, also shocked.

“Of course,” Latio replied with a very serious expression. “Tangere and this sword are not from there. They are all Latio’s bones.”

“What?”

“Just as the Eltnam family can control Etherite as their own nerves, the Crudelis family can control Exoform as our bones. All of the bones you see now are from Latio. As long as they are part of our bodies, they do not violate the regulations of the Atlas Institute. In fact, the Six Origins of Atlas are all entrusted with this ability so we can continue to expand the abilities of our bodies.”

My mentor’s eyes widened slightly at this.

So this was what the Atlas Institute’s mystery was like. Though they were technically part of the Mages’ Association along with the Clock Tower, they reminded me more of cyborgs from scifi movies or monks that strived to reach the peak of martial arts.

“Tangere’s personality comes from two of Latio’s Thought Partitions that were allowed to grow by themselves, which is why Tangere has such a terrible personality.”

“How heartless! I thought you treated me like a sibling! Your words are heartbreaking, Lady Latio!”

“Shut up. Also, stop calling Latio that.”

“As you wish, Lady Latio.”

There was nothing inhuman about the attitude of the giant that currently had one hand raised. Add was pretty much the same thing, but it still felt uncanny to see an artificial personality in something capable of human gestures.

“Why do you want Ergo?”

“Because Latio and the others are heirs to an ancient inheritance. Ergo is the inheritance.” The woman said, as if it was obvious.

Ergo, still bound, did not move this time. The new bone chains from the giant named Tangere seemed to be more powerful than his arms.

Rin spoke in his stead.

“That’s…uh…a strange way of putting it. Do you mean that your father or something created Ergo?”

“All you need to know is that three mages—if you will allow Latio to call them that— from three organizations conducted an experiment long ago. Though everyone has long forgotten about it, Latio noticed that the result of that experiment has escaped into the outside world.”

“Three mages from three organizations…?” My mentor muttered. “Is that why he has six phantasmal arms?”

“Hm?” One of Latio’s thin eyebrows went up.

“I noticed that Ergo has been fused with some kind of spiritual factor. It isn’t that hard to find humans possessed by various spiritual entities. Legends of werewolves and fox possessions are quite common. One of my alumni even uses bestial magecraft.”

Possessions by evil spirits happened sometimes in the Christian world. That was why the profession of exorcism existed.

“The varying personalities and properties of each pair of arms confused me before I realized that he could be possessed by more than one spirit. That means that he has one pair of arms for each spirit, which corresponds to the three mages you mentioned. The magecraft they used probably originated from the stability of a triangle. Though the Atlas Institute might have a different practice, it should have also incorporated the Tria Prima of Alchemy, salt, mercury, and sulfur. So each mage brought their own mystery.”

I felt a sense of deja vu hearing my mentor talk as if he had encountered a mystery where he needed to find the culprit.

My mentor’s theories were based on more than his knowledge of magecraft. He also took the mage behind it into account. I wondered if he could display his unusual ability here in front of the person who claimed to be the heir to Ergo.

Latio frowned slightly.

“…For someone who has not seen the ritual, you know a lot about it.”

“The magecraft I’ve been studying recently is similar, except I’ve been looking in the opposite direction. I want to know how those factors can be removed.”

“……”

I felt a pain in my chest. My mentor was talking about my problem. He was trying to remove a part of an ancient hero to make my body age again, a goal which he was willing to give up his position as a lecturer for.

“I have also wondered whether these factors can be implanted into a person’s body to create what you could call a Pseudo-Servant, an artificial Heroic Spirit. Perhaps Ergo is something like that.”

“…If that is the case, do you wish to study the spirits that have possessed him?”

“I’m talking about Yomotsuhegui.” My mentor suddenly said.

Rin reacted to this phrase, possibly because it was a legend from her country.

“That’s the story about the dead not being able to return from the underworld, right?”

“Yes. Yomotsuhegui is a Japanese legend, but a similar example, the legend of Persephone, is more famous in the Western world.”

I recalled what my mentor had muttered to himself when he heard Ergo’s story. Perhaps he had already come up with a theory back then.

“The story goes like this. After Hades, the god of the underworld, kidnapped Persephone, the daughter of the goddess of the harvest, Demeter, he offered her the food of the underworld. As a result, Persephone had to remain in the underworld for a duration of time equal to the portion of the food that she ate, even after her enraged mother took her back. …Other than his name, Ergo only remembers that he ate something that is indescribable in shape and taste.”

Yomotsuhegui.

“Some say that Persephone ate a pomegranate. In many myths and legends, pomegranates are symbolic of human flesh. In that case, what exactly were the pomegranates of the underworld? What does her inability to return to the surface world signify?”

“—Wait a minute!” Rin interjected. As a student who had gathered much more knowledge about magecraft than me, she must have predicted what my mentor was going to say next. She must have realized the true horror of his words.

“That means that Ergo ate…”

“It’s safe to assume that the ritual those mages used was born from this type of legend. Since Persephone and Yomotsuhegui are not from the same part of the world, the principle should be valid across different magecraft organizations. It’s also clear why Ergo was given these factors. Powder made from mummies were once used to prolong life, while people believed that they could become as strong and brave as warriors if they ate their hearts and brains. One subject keeps appearing in this kind of story. That is to say, the human flesh of the land of the dead, or something like it,” my mentor said as if he was giving a lecture. He spoke with such force that made even Latio flinch.

“The Gospel of John says this—‘Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.’ Though this is a sermon, it also shows the ubiquity of the idea that one can take in the divine by eating. In summary—”

After a beat, my mentor revealed the answer.

“—Ergo ate the flesh and blood of gods. Right?”

Everyone fell silent after hearing his great reveal. For a moment, all I heard was the waves.

I had expected my mentor to keep the truth hidden, at least for a little while.

“Not only that, it wasn’t just one god. Ergo’s six phantasmal arms are not his own. Since he has three pairs of arms and three mages worked together, it’s safe to assume that he ate three gods.”

“…As the rumors say, you are not to be underestimated, Lord El-Melloi II.” Latio commented. “You had hardly any clues, yet you were able to reach this point. Surprising, even for the notorious Plunderer.”

“I don’t mind the nickname, but this is hardly a formal hypothesis. Even if someone managed to eat the flesh of a god, it is impossible to use modern magecraft to utilize fragments of the god’s essence. …No, would it even be possible with the magecraft of the Age of the Gods? Humans shouldn’t be able to contain one god, much less three. Those three mages from three organizations…what kind of sleight of hand did they use?”

“That is a secret,” the woman said with a smile. “But, at least you understand the danger he poses now. Please forgive our rudeness. Latio can provide you with as much compensation as you wish in exchange for Ergo.”

“I made up my mind a long time ago,” Rin said before my mentor could respond. “I can’t have you think that you can barge in out of the blue and kidnap someone I know.”

Rin’s eyes had a defiant glint as she looked fixedly at Latio. I could tell that there was no changing her mind.

“……”

I simply stood there, stunned.

Ergo had devoured the flesh of gods.

I still couldn’t fully understand what that meant. I wasn’t a mage, so I had no way of knowing how serious and fatal it was.

Or, maybe I understood its meaning too well. I had been instilled with fragments of a hero of the past, so I knew what fate awaited Ergo.

“…Sir…” the young man uttered, still bound. “I think it’ll be better that way…”

“……”

Latio faced my mentor, who was still silent.

“Do you not respect the will of your students, Lord El-Melloi II?”

“…I refuse.”

“Sir!” Ergo called out again.

“You didn’t say that you wanted to go with her. You said that it will be better that way. You are not following your own wishes, but trying to take the easy way out, and that's the first thing I tell my students not to do. Keep that in mind. If you want to be one of my students, you must think about what you want to achieve and what you want to become, even if the consequences are against me.”

…Ah. That was how he always was, reaching out to the stars even though he knew that he would never reach them, and standing tall even if he was trembling with fear.

If I was to stand by him, I felt like I should try and stand up a little myself.

“I don’t understand any of this.” I said, shaking my head inside my hood. “I don’t understand anything about the gods that Ergo ate or the inheritance that is owed to you, Ms. Latio. But I know that the children on this island will be sad if Ergo disappears.”

“Ihihihi! You’re right, that would happen!” Add said, turning into a scythe again.

The giant of bone sighed with an “oh dear”. It wasn’t actually breathing, though, so it was only pretending to.

“The negotiations have fallen apart, just as I said, Lady Latio.”

“This is a necessary process.”

“I know, I know. The director won’t reprimand us, but I don’t know if the Crudelis representative will do the same.” Tangere, the bone giant said.

The tension on the beach began to rise again.

More than half of Latio’s bone familiars still remained. Ergo was still restrained. The situation had become less favorable for us, and more information was being calculated by Latio’s Thought Partitioning and Acceleration.

What were we meant to do against an enemy that held the future?

Latio retreated several steps, and then stopped.

From now on, any movement could signal the start of battle.

All of a sudden, something echoed in the sky. It sounded like an eagle’s call, which was out of place by the sea.

“Found you.”

At this moment, the same thought probably rang through all of our minds. The voice that had just spoken was playful yet deathly frightening.

“This…voice…” Ergo said, shuddering.

“Hahaha, so you remember me? Or perhaps I should say, have you not forgotten me?”

Latio jerked her head up at the sky.

“No way… Mushiki…!”

No one else reacted further.

We were all frozen in shock, unsure what magecraft the new arrival had used.

By the time we came to our senses, we found that the right side of Ergo’s head had completely disappeared.

“…Ergo…”

I could hardly call out.

The young man’s head had been shaved off from the upper-right side of his nose, leaving a fountain of blood in its place. Unlike the giant, I could see his destroyed skull and the contents that lay inside it. Wondering whether he was alive was pointless. No one could survive without that much of their head.

—In the next moment, a huge phantom hand gushed from Ergo’s back like a wing made out of light.

*

I won’t describe the rest in detail.

All you need to know is that a miracle that happened on a tiny island in the southeast of Singapore made the news. Most people hadn’t taken it seriously because it was covered by a third-rate newspaper, but it was soon dubbed a modern-day Tunguska event.

This is what the news said: the shore of the island was destroyed, as if a meteorite had hit it.

Amazingly, the crater left behind was in the shape of a giant hand.

[1] By that, I mean 飴細工, which is like candy sculpture
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Interlude

Interlude:

—London.

The capital of the great British Empire, and the world-famous city of fog.

There was a street called Slough Street a short drive away from the city center. Due to the intermittent waves of modernization the city had been through, it was lined haphazardly with an assortment of buildings old and new, giving the impression that it had been pieced together in a rush.

This seemingly quiet district was actually the base of a group of mages— the

Norwich

Department of Modern Magecraft

, a satellite city established by the Clock Tower. It was the smallest out of the twelve major departments, which goes to show how deeply rooted mages were in the city of London.

There was an elegant mansion in the center of the road.

“—What! What do you mean you’re not going to be back for a while, brother!?”

Inside the office of the mansion, a young lady was holding a letter. She looked about eighteen, with lustrous golden hair, blue eyes, the complexion of a bisque doll, and a sadistic expression that could leave a strong impression on anyone.

Her name was Reines El-Melloi Archisorte, the adoptive little sister by succession of Lord El-Melloi II and the true heir to his title.

She hadn’t entrusted the position to Lord El-Melloi II because she wasn’t interested in power. Quite the opposite, her greatest hobby was exercising her power to bring others to her knees. She had just felt that she was too young and inexperienced to take on the responsibility that came with the position of Lord.

Currently, she was glaring sternly at a piece of fine, watermarked paper.

“He even went to the effort of sending it through airmail. It’s postmarked three days ago. If he had called instead, I wouldn’t have let him get away with it. Does he know how much work I have to do to make up for this?! I hope he knows he’ll be stripped of his title if he slips up! Wait, was that why he decided to send a letter? Ugh, he’s really starting to pick up on the Clock Tower’s style.” She said, her face twisted with anger.

Another voice came from the sofa beside her.

“He probably wants to be rid of the title of Lord as soon as possible, does he not?” Said the woman sitting there in a quiet voice.

She was slightly older than Reines, having already bid goodbye to her childhood like a flower about to bloom. She wore a blue dress over her slender body, and had long eyelashes that seemed to accentuate the slim bridge of her nose. Even the traces of immaturity that had yet to leave her did not take away from her beauty. Together with her spiraling golden hair, she resembled a jewel cut by a talented craftsman.

Her name was Luviagelita Edelfelt, a student of Lord El-Melloi II.

Behind her stood a strange-looking servant with a Mohawk and a muscular physique that could be seen through his suit, making one wonder if he also worked as a bodyguard.

“Whatever. It’s not like he hasn’t always been like this. My brother isn’t interested in the joys of power. I don’t think he can enjoy seventy percent of the pleasures in life. But there’s nothing I can do about that. I’m sure he’s looking forward to his retirement from being a Lord in a few years time.”

There were several years left until Reines would be old enough to graduate from college. Even though she would still need a guardian, she would be able to succeed him as Lord.

However, based on his current performance, many people hoped that Lord El-Melloi II could continue.

“My brother has a bad habit of being good at useless things and getting all kinds of strange achievements. I heard he’s being called the Plunderer now.”

“I have also heard of his many nicknames, such as ‘the rat king who steals valuable secrets’. As a student, I must say that those names are not unfounded.”

“Isn’t your family called ‘the world’s most graceful hyenas’?”

“Exactly. We are of the same kind. That is why I think it is a fitting nickname.” Luvia said with an evil smile that she did not bother to conceal.

If Lord El-Melloi was here, he would probably be clutching his stomach. Maybe he would even shout “whose fault do you think that is?”

Reines shrugged.

“I agree. That’s why my brother’s life will be in danger if he quits.”

Though he was a Lord, countless people wanted him to pay for his constant dismantling of other people’s magecraft. It was as if he stole the hard work of researchers and published them without their permission. Not only that, he would critique the work of the people who originally came up with the idea and add his own comments^[1]. His position was the only reason why he hadn’t been assassinated yet.

(What came first, the chicken or the egg?) Reines wondered. (…The desperate expression he makes every time I ask him something like that is quite cute, though.)

A smile appeared on her face.

“Do you think he ran away?” This time, it was Luvia who had asked the question.

“Of course not. If he was capable of doing that, he wouldn’t have to suffer so much. I wonder how he’s doing over there in Southeast Asia.” The young lady said, looking at the letter in her hand.

Luvia frowned slightly. “Southeast Asia?”

“Thought of something?”

“Nothing important. I just remembered that Miss Tohsaka sent me a letter from Singapore.”

“Speaking of Rin, she said that she was going on holiday, right? But she left her attendant from Japan here because she said he should get used to life here.”

“Yes, you are correct. The real question is how I can lure Shero away from that vixen…”

“You guys live in the same building, don’t you?”

“Yes, we were fated to be together!” Luvia said, sparkles appearing in her eyes,

With an expression that could only be described as that of a dreaming damsel, she laced her delicate fingers together in front of her chest. Her beauty added to this feeling, making it seem like she came from some humorous fairy tale.

“I have been so busy at my mansion, and the servants are on break this week, so it has been a while since I have seen Shero’s face. But I believe that the red thread of fate will lead him to my side! No, I do not need to rely on fickle things like red threads. If necessary, I will bring him to me by myself.”

Luvia’s confidence made her look fierce but beautiful at the same time.

Across the desk from her, Reines propped up her face with her hands, somewhat irritated.

“I can’t tell whether the man is lucky or not to have both of you vying for his attention. I remember hearing that you and Rin once messed around and leaped off the Tower of London together. They called you the Mary of July, didn’t they?”

“I-I acted on a sudden whim then. But Miss Tohsaka and I are even, because she was called the Poppins of July.”

“Uh… How exactly does that make you two even?” Just as Reines finished asking her question, the door to her room burst open.

“—Professor!”

The person who entered this time was a young man with straw-colored hair. He was about the same age as Reines, but his face was full of innocent mischief as he glanced about the office.

“Huh? I thought he’s supposed to come back to London today.”

“Oh, it’s you, Flat. I just received a letter from him. He said that he’s coming back later.” Reines said, holding up the letter.

Though he looked disappointed, the young man named Flat piped back up.

“I was looking forward to sharing the premier Japanese retro game that I bought from Luvia-chan’s butler with him.”

“You mean, from Shero?!”

“This is the prototype version of the Great War of Heroes^[2], the consumer version from the age of offline games! I’m sure the prof will be excited to see it! Luvia-chan’s butler said that he got it through a special route from someone called Tiger…Oh, but Rin-chan told me not to tell Luvia-chan…”

Flat covered his mouth with his hands. It seemed that he had not noticed the person sitting right beside him.

Luvia stood up slowly and smiled.

“Now, what were you saying about Miss Tohsaka?”

“N-n-n-nothing, I’m sure ‘Tiger’ is just some free-range pet or something, I don’t think Rin-chan thought it was important enough to tell you. She definitely wasn’t hiding information about your butler from you. I’m also worried about having my personal information sold to you by my friends, but right now, I’m more worried about being strangled by Miss Luvia’s Octopus Hold.”

“Oh? So you would rather be attacked with Gandr than catch-as-catch-can?”

With a whoosh, a burn mark appeared on the wall next to Flat.

It was the result of Gandr, a curse so compressed it took on a physical form.

Flat made a sign with his hands as Luvia approached him with graceful steps and an unchanged smile.

“Play Ball!”

A shadow formed on the scorched wall and became several human shapes the same size as Flat that gathered around Luvia.

“Hmph, another new, useless kind of magecraft!”

“Hehehe, I’ve hacked into your Gandr to turn it against you! You can’t catch me now!”

Each of the shadows had the exact same voice that echoed in the room as if each of them was actually speaking.

“…Are you trying to escape?”

“How did you guess? Now that you know I’m trying to escape, I have to stop you. Go, me number two, three, four, and five!”

It was hard to tell whether Luvia would be faster than Flat’s shadows until they were all abruptly destroyed by a lariat^[3] from Luvia.

“No way!” Flat exclaimed. “Is that the lariat move that the mayor used?!”

With a howl, Flat ran from the room. Luvia tore after him like a wild beast, leaving a trail of explosions and punches as they went down the hallway.

And so, the Department of Modern Magecraft’s daily routine began. Other students rushed to the scene and began cheering the brawlers on.

Reines sighed as she listened to the clamor.

The El-Melloi Classroom had grown and changed dramatically in the last couple of years. The student by the name of Rin Tohsaka, a jewel mage from the Far East, was one of the reasons behind this change. Along with the attendant she had brought, this corner of the Clock Tower became the scene of a slapstick comedy basically every month.

There was another person on Reines’ mind, the shy, gray girl who always stood next to Lord El-Melloi II.

Though they were the same age, Reines had grown, leaving her dearest friend behind.

“…I know you’ve been taking note of my height and the changes to my body.” Reines muttered to herself in a soft voice.

More and more students of the El-Melloi Classroom were beginning to notice something strange about her. Fortunately, most students graduated from the classroom in four years, meaning that they were gone before they could convey their suspicions to others.

Reines’ brother was worried for the same reason. Mages always cared for their family. In this sense, her brother was too much like a mage.

“I don’t care how much my brother suffers, because all I can do is pity him… I hope he hasn’t gotten himself involved in some strange incident again.” Reines thought out loud, holding the letter between her fingers and thinking of the place her brother was in.

That was when the office's phone rang.

[1] Note that this is a simile.
[2] https://typemoon.fandom.com/wiki/Great_War_of_Heroes. Linking this because I find the cards very interesting
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Hey, is there somewhere i can find chapter 2 of volume 2? Only that chapter. Be it translated or not.

I can send it to you

[Reign]

lmao Luvia