Magus often adopt an imperious attitude toward their summoned entities, frequently employing curses or threats to enforce compliance.
Though Morpheus didn't voice such words, the overwhelming pressure he exuded still instilled fear in the serpent with dragon's blood. Obediently, it shifted its position, extending its tail.
Seeing its cooperation, Morpheus swiftly drove his sword into the serpent's tail. The creature flinched, wanting to thrash but not daring to.
Once the blade was nearly fully embedded, Morpheus reached out and withdrew it from the wound.
It was a simple act... thrust and pull... but for the sword in Morpheus' hand, it was transformative.
With this action complete, the blade erupted in a dazzling light, immense magical energy surging around it. It was as if Morpheus no longer held a mere steel sword but a legendary divine weapon.
With a wave, he dismissed the summoned Yamata-no-Orochi. Morpheus casually swung the blade, and even a gentle motion revealed the power within... it possessed the sharpness to cut through nearly anything!
This was only natural. In legend, even the divine weapon Juuchi Yosamu, the Ten-Fist Sword, was chipped in a clash with Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. With such a storied history, Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi's hardness and sharpness were undoubtedly top-tier.
"Is it done?" Da Vinci asked, somewhat skeptical.
Morpheus didn't answer, instead tossing the sword to her.
Catching Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, Da Vinci immediately sensed the immense power concealed within. Her face lit up with astonishment. "This power... it's not just raw strength. It carries the symbolism of Japan's ruler and the authority of conquest… It seems capable of exerting its power even far from Japan!"
"Exactly. It's not just about raw power; its conceptual strength is significant too. Though, the source of its power isn't as strong as it could be, which is a pity…" Morpheus muttered.
Da Vinci barely restrained an eye-roll. "Not strong enough? What counts as strong, then?"
"Something like Curtana, maybe. Oh, right, you wouldn't know. Let's use this for comparison." Morpheus produced his Durandal. "This could slice the Earth in half. That's decent enough, I suppose."
A power capable of cleaving the Earth, and he called it merely decent? Both Da Vinci and Romani couldn't help but wonder what went on in Morpheus' head. Why was his perception of power so bizarre?
"There's a conceptual issue too. I summoned this world's Yamata-no-Orochi, which isn't that impressive. If I could summon the one I know…" Morpheus hesitated, then shook his head. "I don't even know how to do that…"
After a brief silence, Romani asked, "The one you know? What do you mean?"
"Literally, the Yamata-no-Orochi from pure mythology, unrelated to Typhon."
Separating myth from reality, Morpheus' magic seemed tied to mythology, distinct from the Age of Gods… Romani mused silently, shaking his head.
To understand Morpheus' magic, I'd need to study it myself. Without learning it, I can't grasp its principles…
Resolved to study under Morpheus when time allowed, Romani shifted focus to Da Vinci's earlier comment.
"It's already incredible. The process looked simple, but the hardest part was summoning Yamata-no-Orochi and convincing it to let you stab it. That alone would deter any magus."
"True. Just summoning it is a barrier most couldn't cross," Da Vinci nodded.
She tossed Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi back to Morpheus. Though impressive, it was useless to her.
Better to give it to someone who needed it.
Morpheus caught the sword and headed toward its future owner.
…
"How's the taste, Senpai?" In the break room, Mash offered Ritsuka Fujimaru some food she'd made.
This was typical... Mash loved cooking and sharing it, especially with Ritsuka.
Ritsuka, savoring the food, looked surprised. "It's delicious!"
"Good! Though, last time I made some food, Romani stole it!" Mash said, mildly annoyed. "It was meant for you, Senpai."
"The Doctor's always busy; it's fine if he eats some," Ritsuka replied, but seeing Mash's displeasure, she quietly focused on enjoying the meal.
Silence settled in until Mash suddenly spoke. "Senpai, am I useless?"
Swallowing her food, Ritsuka asked, confused, "Why would you say that?"
"Because in these Singularities, I haven't helped much. It's always been Morpheus-senpai solving everything," Mash said, visibly dejected.
Ritsuka didn't know how to respond at first, but as an ordinary person with some experience, she said, "If you're useless, then what about me?"
"Huh?"
"Look, I haven't done much either. It's like I'm just sightseeing," Ritsuka said with a smile, patting Mash's hair. "So, I don't think you should feel bad about it."
"R-Really?"
"She's right," a voice interjected, causing both to turn and see Morpheus approaching.
"I told you it's like a trip. Isn't enjoying the scenery nice?" Morpheus sat across from them, looking at Mash.
This girl definitely had psychological issues, unlike Ritsuka, whose ordinary life gave her a healthy mindset.
Since he'd caught her talking about this, it was a good chance to address it.
"One question: why does not helping make you feel useless? Is your life defined by helping others?"
"I…"
"As a person, shouldn't you first affirm your own independent identity? Your own freedom? Only after that should you consider helping others."
Mash wanted to protest, knowing her origins as an experiment... perhaps not even qualifying as human.
"By the way, if you had one wish, what would it be?"
"I… I don't have any wishes."
"Don't you feel any desires in your heart?" Morpheus smiled.
"Desires?"
"For example, when Romani ate your food, didn't it make you angry?"
"Angry!"
"See? You were angry because he ate it, preventing you from giving it to Ritsuka. That's your heart's desire, which can translate into a wish."
Morpheus spoke like a patient teacher, guiding her gently.
"With such clear desires, it proves you have life, self-awareness. So, you should first think about yourself."
Without giving Mash time to argue or reflect, he continued, "Remember what I did with Jeanne Alter?"
Mash nodded slowly.
"Good. Jeanne Alter's existence is even more tragic than yours. Your life, your years... whether happy or painful... are real. Even if you were confined, that was real. But for Jeanne Alter, all her memories are fake, borrowed from someone else."
Morpheus sighed.
"That's why I told her at the end to think about what she wants to do. She's her own person now, with the right to consider such things... a right she was born with."
Mash reflected on her past, then on Jeanne Alter. Indeed, as Morpheus said, her experiences... joyful or painful... were real, not fabricated.
But Jeanne Alter's memories were entirely false. From the moment she was born in the Singularity, her experiences were her only reality.
If anyone's existence was more tragic, it was Jeanne Alter.
If Jeanne Alter had the right to pursue her humanity, then didn't Mash have that right too?
She exhaled, bowing slightly to Morpheus. "Thank you, Morpheus-senpai."
"No need. After all, you're a child of God, aren't you?"
Mash didn't know how to respond, but Morpheus casually added, "I almost became a priest, you know. Trust me, I'm right!"
"A priest?"
"Yup, nearly got ordained, part of the system." Morpheus grinned, placing the sword on the table and sliding it toward Ritsuka. "Here, this is your weapon now!"
"My weapon?!" Ritsuka, both curious and excited, grabbed the sword. The moment she held it, she felt immense power coursing through her.
Morpheus took out his staff and lightly tapped the ground.
Instantly, the space was isolated, a small area expanding into a vast region, cut off from the outside.
"Try running," Morpheus said.
Ritsuka complied, dashing forward. Her speed produced a sonic boom, breaking the sound barrier!
Yet, she didn't crash into walls or obstacles, effortlessly avoiding them. After running for a few minutes, she stopped.
"It's amazing! I feel like I could fight a Servant head-on!" Ritsuka exclaimed.
Then, she eagerly asked, "What's this weapon?"
"From its design…" Mash studied the weapon in Ritsuka's hands, uncertain. "Is it some kind of historical Japanese weapon?"
"It's the mythical weapon of Japan, Kusanagi-no suorugi," Morpheus said with a grin. "Of course, it's a fake I made."
Neither Ritsuka nor Mash took his "fake" comment seriously. With such terrifying power and enhancements, fake or not, it didn't matter!
"You've been studying magic, but you might need to learn some Eastern magic next."
"Eastern magic?"
"Like Onmyoudou," Morpheus said, sounding helpless. "Honestly, I don't know much about it. I can only offer advice based on basic magical principles. As a Golden Dawn magician, I at least understand the fundamentals."
This wasn't boasting. Golden Dawn magicians, and even earlier magicians, pursued magical knowledge across the globe, studying not just Indian mysticism or Tibetan Buddhism but also Shinto and other traditions.
After careful selection, Western magic as it is now was formed. So, teaching Ritsuka the basics to explore Onmyoudou herself wasn't a problem.
But first, she had other things to learn.
"Combine the weapon with your magic, then fight using both magic and the weapon while moving at high speed."
At Morpheus' suggestion, Ritsuka frowned. "Using magic and fighting at that speed… that's tough…"
"No worries, I'll train you well. You're Chaldea's ace, after all!" Morpheus grinned, his smile dangerously enthusiastic, giving Ritsuka an uneasy feeling.
"Don't worry, you'll master it. Trust me!"
Seeing Morpheus' eager expression, Mash silently mourned for Ritsuka.
Unfortunately, her mourning missed one person.
"You're training too, Mash."
"Me?!"
"With the Holy Grail, your mana issues are solved. Training's only logical, right?"
Unable to refuse... lacking any excuse... Mash joined Ritsuka.
The poor Master and Servant were plunged into Morpheus' training hell.
***
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