Rin stared dumbfounded at the title written in large magical script on the huge hardcover of the book.
Rin didn't know how to read it in magical script, but translated into Chinese, it was: Mana Burst!
Oh my god! Saber's core skill! I never expected the Tohsaka Family to possess such a mana application technique. I suddenly have a newfound respect for the ancestors of the Tohsaka Family.
If you've only watched the anime, you probably haven't even heard of these four words, but those who have read the setting materials would definitely know that this is a skill Saber uses from beginning to end in combat. Saber is strong precisely because of Mana Burst!
Mana Burst: A 'Mana Burst' refers to strengthening one's weapons and body through mana. At A-rank, it allows a formerly weak and powerless maiden knight to possess strength that easily overwhelms multiple strong men. The silver armor Saber wears in combat is also woven from mana.
This is the description of Mana Burst in the settings. If anyone has carefully watched the plot, they would know that Saber's strength in daily life, when not in combat, is even less than Rin's, and she is always at a disadvantage in Rin's playful mischief.
Yet, in combat, even when summoned by the country bumpkin Emiya Shirou, and with her abilities severely degraded, Saber could still fight the strongest of the seven Servant classes, Berserker, Heracles, to a standstill.
Who is Heracles? This name might not be widely known, but another one, Hercules, the son of Zeus in greek mythology, the world-renowned god of strength. After being empowered by the Berserker skill, his strength is so immense that it can be described as off-the-charts!
Even so, Saber could still fight him, and she relied on Mana Burst!
Of course, Mana Burst is not an exclusive skill for Heroic Spirits; some Magicians also use it, and they are at the very pinnacle of Magicians: Aozaki Aoko!
That's right, it's that "human rocket launcher"! That crazy girl never knew what elegance or demeanor was; everything was just about having fun and pleasing herself. She particularly loved close-quarters combat, and combined with her innate and unparalleled talent for destruction, once Mana Burst was activated, she was practically a berserk Gundam!
"Swish swish swish..." The sound of pages turning echoed in the magic workshop.
Since she was preparing to change her style and go the close-combat route, Rin naturally couldn't let go of this divine close-combat magic skill. Although I don't have Saber's cheat-like mana core, the "Dragon's Heart," which can generate mana with a mere breath, I do have the heaven's feel robe and the jewel sword, which also provide infinite mana. Although I can't use them temporarily, I will have them eventually.
Just from the volume of the book, one could tell that Mana Burst was definitely not simply pouring mana into the body; that wouldn't be Mana Burst, that would be self-destruction.
The essence of Mana Burst is to release mana from the Magic Circuits, diffuse it into every cell of the body, and simultaneously compress a portion of mana on the body's surface, then burst it instantly! While the body is greatly strengthened by the Mana Burst, the external Mana Burst generates powerful thrust, instantly giving the weak Magician strength far exceeding that of an ordinary person!
But... powerful strength... for Magicians who have always been known for their elegance and mystery, who the hell would use such a thing besides an anomaly like Aozaki Aoko!
The reason this grimoire is so thick is precisely because it's not a simple, easy-to-understand technique like Reinforcement Magic. Mana Burst is undoubtedly an advanced mana application: the diffusion, circulation, flow, and burst of mana within the body.
So, this technique itself isn't rare; it's just something that's a lot of effort to research with little reward, so no one is willing to use it... To put it bluntly, it's in the same category as Projection Magic.
It seems I overestimated my ancestors... Distribute an equal amount of mana to every cell in the body, otherwise, cells with less mana will rupture during the burst, which could be life-threatening... After the Mana Burst, the body's surface must be instantly sealed to prevent it from diffusing into the external atmosphere, otherwise, a large amount of mana will be lost and wasted, rendering the effort fruitless. If this happens in combat, it's tantamount to seeking death... The mana sealed within the body must flow to every corner of the body, circulating with the Magic Circuits, to minimize mana consumption to a negligible level... "Eh! It can be like this!?"
When she saw this point, Rin completely collapsed onto the book.
High damage, no cooldown, and no mana cost! This is the rhythm of defying the heavens.
Rin pressed her face against the grimoire and re-read it for a long time, confirming she hadn't misread anything. She then recalled that Mana Burst didn't seem to consume much Magic Power.
Didn't Saber, even when contracted with the crippled Emiya Shirou, who couldn't provide Magic Power normally, use Mana Burst throughout all her battles—slicing Lancer, fighting Archer, battling Berserker, and clashing with Rider? She never ran out of Magic Power until the very end, when she had to unleash her noble phantasm, Excalibur, against Rider, and only then did her Magic Power supply become insufficient. And then... Tsuchimikado got his way with her... Don't worry, I won't allow such a human tragedy to occur!!!
As Rin pondered, her thoughts seemed to drift to some strange places... After confirming everything, Rin was extremely satisfied with the Mana Burst skill and began to study it intently.
If Saber's Mana Burst is A, then my Mana Burst, fueled by Finale Magic Power, is EX! Wouldn't that mean zero consumption? Wahahaha... My iron fist is unstoppable!
After flipping through the entire grimoire three times, front to back, and ensuring she hadn't missed a single detail, Rin tidied up anything in the Magic Power workshop that could be easily disturbed by airflow, such as books and drawing paper, since Mana Burst generates air currents. Then she stood in the cleared central space.
Because Rin's Magic Circuits almost completely covered her body, it was easy for her to spread Magic Power to every corner of her being.
A faint blue ripple gradually appeared on Rin's body surface; this was the compressed Magic Power.
"Alright, preparations complete. Mana Burst!"
"Boom! ..."