Morning.
Yuuto stood in front of his apartment door, one hand tucked into the pocket of his hoodie, while the Touko Doll—disguised as him—prepared to leave for school.
"I'm heading out."
The doll's voice was flat but polite, almost identical to Yuuto's voice before his transformation.
Yuuto gave a small nod.
"Have a good day. And remember—if you're in danger or someone starts getting suspicious, use the warning spell I implanted in you."
He tapped his own chest lightly.
"That'll act as an alarm for me. So… don't hesitate to use it."
The doll bowed slightly.
"Understood, Master."
Click.
The door closed, leaving Yuuto alone in the small room.
Silence lingered for a few seconds.
Yuuto let out a long breath, then turned around and walked back to the sofa.
He dropped onto it casually, took out his flip phone… and right then:
[Ding]
A new notification popped up.
[Login Reward: Mapo Tofu]
Yuuto stared blankly at the screen.
"…a… tofu dish?"
He blinked once.
"…well, I guess I can't be lucky every day," he muttered, rolling his eyes slightly.
Still, he pressed the claim button.
In an instant, a small swirl of light formed in front of him and—pop—a neat plate appeared on the table, filled with steaming red-hot tofu packed with a sharp, spicy aroma.
Yuuto leaned forward, examining it.
"So this is… mapo tofu?"
The Sichuan heat hit his nose—warm, a little bitter, but also strangely appetizing.
He rubbed his stomach.
"Rather than letting it go to waste…"
Yuuto picked up the chopsticks.
"…I'll just eat it."
Hot steam rose as he took the first bite.
---
Yuuto closed the refrigerator door, gulping down a glass of water before exhaling hard.
"What was that food… that was insanely spicy."
He rubbed his throat, which still burned faintly.
"…but really addictive."
A faint tremble lingered in his fingers—the lingering aftereffect of Sichuan spice.
He was even a little impressed that mapo tofu from another world could make even his enhanced body feel like it was "on fire."
After placing the glass down, he walked toward the apartment door.
His left hand reached for the doorknob—
but just before turning it, he froze.
Silence.
Then—
Click.
The sound of his finger snap echoed softly in the small space.
The air around him changed instantly—
colder, damp, and slightly heavy.
"Hmm… looks like it's going to rain."
He closed his eyes briefly, reading the water particles and air pressure with his Sky Affinity.
"Humidity rising… air pressure dropping. It'll probably rain today."
Yuuto opened his eyes.
He turned back inside and grabbed a folding umbrella from the hook.
"I should bring this just in case."
Click.
He locked the apartment door.
A steady breath followed his light footsteps.
Once he passed through the corridor and stepped outside into the courtyard, the cool morning air brushed against his face.
Yuuto tugged his hoodie a bit lower.
"All right… time to head to the warehouse."
He began walking, his calm aura gradually shifting into the sharp focus of a magus-in-training ready to continue his lessons.
---
The old warehouse was once again filled with long shadows cast by the morning sun.
Yuuto stood in the center of the worn-out room, his flip phone open, the small screen reflecting a faint blue glow.
He inhaled and spoke softly:
"Sensei, I've arrived."
It took only a second for the familiar voice—light, confident, and brimming with pride—to respond.
[Lady Avalon]:
"Very good, my pupil~ I've been waiting. Today, we take a big step forward."
Yuuto lifted his head.
Yuuto:
"What will we train today, sensei?"
Merlin sounded like she was smiling—
the kind of smile she gave whenever she was about to reveal a high-level magecraft secret.
[Lady Avalon]:
"Today, you will learn Spatial Foundation."
Yuuto frowned slightly.
"Spatial… Foundation?"
Merlin's tone turned softer, but also more serious.
[Lady Avalon]:
"It's the basis of all magic related to space.
Bounded Fields? Barriers? Pocket dimensions?
Even low-level teleportation?
All of them stand on this single foundation."
Yuuto stayed silent, listening intently.
Merlin continued in a tone like a professor explaining a fundamental theory:
[Lady Avalon]:
"Spatial Foundation is the ability to understand the structure and stability of space.
Not creating a new space—that's too advanced for you.
What we're doing is understanding the frame of the world, the lines that form the walls of space."
Yuuto clenched his fist.
"…Like learning its framework?"
[Lady Avalon]:
"Exactly. You must be able to sense:
• Spatial tension
• Stable points and weak points
• Mana currents shaping the world's layers
• And how space reacts when touched by magecraft"
There was a brief pause.
Then Merlin added proudly:
[Lady Avalon]:
"Arthur could only grasp a portion of this…
but you—you're learning it much faster."
Yuuto swallowed. The compliment felt heavy… but motivating.
[Lady Avalon]:
"And after this spatial foundation…
you'll learn Light Illusion from me.
Simple illusions first.
Before you touch the deeper concept of true invisibility."
Yuuto nodded.
But Merlin heard something else in Yuuto's tone—
a faint hesitance.
[Lady Avalon]:
"My pupil?
You want to say something?"
Yuuto inhaled slowly.
Yuuto:
"Sensei… before today's training… I have a request."
A brief silence—
as if Merlin tilted her head in curiosity from across dimensions.
[Lady Avalon]:
"Oh~?
A request?
Very well, say it. I'm listening."
Yuuto tightened his grip on his phone.
He took a deep breath, then finally spoke.
Yuuto:
"…I want to train with a sword, sensei."
Silence.
Only the faint buzzing from the old ceiling lights could be heard.
Then—Merlin's voice returned, soft but curious.
[Lady Avalon]:
"A sword?
Why so suddenly, my pupil?"
Yuuto looked at his right hand, as though recalling a memory he never lived, yet felt deeply.
Yuuto:
"Maybe… it's Arthur's instinct.
Or because of all the memories I've seen…
I feel drawn to the sword as well."
There was honesty, hesitation, and something like a calling deep within him—
as if the sword was a piece of himself he couldn't ignore.
Merlin was silent for a second.
Then she let out a small, warm laugh.
[Lady Avalon]:
"In that case… go ahead."
Yuuto blinked. He almost couldn't believe it.
Yuuto:
"Eh—sensei allowed it that easily?
I thought you'd refuse.
Wouldn't it disrupt my magecraft training?"
Merlin sounded like someone patting their student's head lovingly.
[Lady Avalon]:
"Yuuto… since when have I ever forbidden my pupil's wishes?"
Her tone grew warmer.
"And besides—this is Arthur we're talking about.
He could never truly leave the sword behind.
It was part of his life, part of his identity."
Yuuto felt something stir inside his chest—
as if Arthur's memories were resonating.
[Lady Avalon]:
"And don't worry about disrupting training.
You have Arthur's talent, Arthur's body, Arthur's experience…
His sword instincts are already inside you.
All you need to do is follow them.
The rest is only a matter of time until you become a swordsman."
Yuuto could feel the memories inside him shift—like a blade humming quietly.
But before he became too excited, Merlin added:
[Lady Avalon]:
"But not now."
Yuuto blinked.
Yuuto:
"…Huh?"
[Lady Avalon]:
"First, fully master your Bounded Field.
After that, do whatever you want.
Your sword and your magic—they'll complement each other."
Yuuto let out a soft breath, half relieved, half resigned.
Yuuto:
"Understood, sensei."
Then Merlin's voice softened, as if smiling:
[Lady Avalon]:
"Good.
I like pupils who know their priorities."