The instant words left my mouth, Medea's fingers were already snapping.
"First, we require a vat filled with liquefied mana to create our specialized ink."
"A trivial matter, Master." Medea spoke as a magic circle ignited on the floor nearby, expanding upward as an empty vat materialized beneath it.
Under Artoria and Medusa's watchful gazes, Medea pointed at that vat.
A second circle erupted above its rim. It began pulling atmospheric mana from the air, spinning like a millstone—gaseous energy folding in on itself over and over, compressing with growing density.
Then, a single droplet of liquefied mana fell from her circle into the vat.
"Master, this vat should be full within ten to fifteen minutes." Medea's attention shifted back to me. Artoria and Medusa followed suit.
"Next, I need four syringes." I pulled back one sleeve of my coat, exposing my bare arm.
Before Medea could respond, Artoria spoke first.
"Why do you need syringes, Master?" Her voice carried caution, attempting to discern my intentions.
"An adequate quantity of my own blood is necessary to resolve the compatibility issue between myself and the mystic code we're creating. Otherwise, those pseudo-magic circuits will violently reject my body, resulting in severe backlash."
Artoria nodded in understanding.
"Valid concern, Master. Adding your blood to the ink solution should resolve most compatibility issues." Medea tapped a finger against the low table before me, then withdrew. A flash of light later, four syringes materialized before me.
I wrapped my fingers around one syringe and brought it toward my bare arm. A single glance was enough to identify optimal insertion points.
"More significantly, my blood possesses slight draconic properties due to [Beast Will]. It will integrate well with the primary reagent I have in mind." With a dismissive motion, I drove its needle into a vein near my inner elbow, then pulled back my hand to grip the syringe's plunger, drawing it back with an impassive expression.
Blood rose and accumulated within the syringe as Artoria rolled up her own sleeve.
"Master, if draconic blood is what you require, you may take mine as well." She gestured toward her exposed arm with composure.
"That won't work, Saber." Medea delivered her verdict instantly.
"Why?" Artoria's brow creased.
"Your blood isn't truly blood," I said, putting that full syringe back down, fingers wrapping around another empty one.
"Servants are mana constructs. What flows through your veins has no genetic material. It is purely made up of mana."
Understanding flickered across Artoria's face.
"...Of course. I should have realized."
Medusa remained fixed on that filled syringe with razor-sharp focus, my explanation going in through one ear and out the other.
Moments later, all four syringes brimmed with my blood. I grasped one and tossed it wordlessly to Medusa.
She caught it fluidly, fingers tightening around its glass cylinder.
The remaining three were passed to Medea alongside my instructions:
"Add these to the vat once it's half-filled with liquefied mana. Stir at consistent intervals of one hundred twenty seconds after emptying each syringe."
Liquefied mana was stable, but my calculations had determined that introducing more than 100ml of blood simultaneously would cause it to coagulate rather than disperse evenly throughout the solution.
"Master, perhaps we should reduce the amount of blood being added to this mixture. Even three syringes will compromise its stability—particularly since we haven't introduced a main reagent yet." Medea offered her analysis.
"Not a cause for concern. I've already identified a method to preserve its stability." My words sparked curiosity across her features—one eyebrow arching upward.
"How, Master?" Medea asked, walking toward the vat now half full of liquefied mana, resembling a luminous blue liquid.
"It concerns Artoria." I glanced toward her, causing her to perk up from where she'd been listening silently.
Meanwhile, Medusa had already uncapped her syringe and was savoring my blood like fine wine.
"I'll demonstrate it to you all. Before that, however, I require something essential from both of you—Medusa and Medea—to complete this ink." I spoke while facing each in turn.
"What... do you need us to do?" Medusa asked, blindfold rising to meet my eyes.
Medea inclined her ear toward us, having just mixed my blood into the liquefied mana—transforming it from luminescent to dark blue.
"I want both of you to retrieve a final ingredient."
Medusa nodded without another word, gaze dropping downward once more. Medea, meanwhile, posed a question that had clearly occupied her thoughts.
"What of the main reagent, Master? What have you selected to act as the foundation for these pseudo-magic circuits?"
I paused briefly before answering.
"I'll extract 'that' from storage unit 002. Only it can serve as a viable base for something as critical as magic circuits."
Medea froze momentarily, eyes snapping back toward me.
"You refer to the Dragon Marrow, Master?" Her voice dropped, becoming grave.
"Dragon Marrow? Shouldn't dragons have long since gone extinct? How did you acquire something like their marrow, Master? As I recall, the one we fought was merely a projection." Artoria interjected before I could respond, her breathing slightly off rhythm.
"I created it using [Item Construction]," Medea clarified, stirring the vat with a spatula she'd just manifested.
"Master provided its structure after analyzing that projected dragon's entire body, instructing me to produce some marrow—though the mana expenditure required... was tremendous even by my standards."
"Is such a thing truly possible?" Artoria asked, eyes widening.
"For a standard Caster? No. However, Medea's [Item Construction] ranks at A—meaning she can manifest anything from raw mana alone, provided she understands the internal structure of what she's conjuring." I rose to my feet, approaching Medea to inspect our ink.
"I'll take over from here. You and Medusa should proceed to the area beneath Ryuudou Temple and acquire a small sample of whatever resides there. I sensed its presence previously, that 'thing' should serve perfectly as our ink's final ingredient." I took the spatula from her hands and continued stirring with precise, economical movements.
Medusa rose from her seat and finished my blood in one final swallow. Medea stepped back, moving to join Medusa.
"Teleport back immediately after obtaining a tiny portion of 'that thing.' Don't linger near it any longer than absolutely necessary." I issued one final warning.
"We'll remain vigilant and return at once." Medea replied as Medusa nodded alongside her.
A gesture from Medea summoned a massive magic circle beneath them both. Light flashed—and they vanished.
I turned toward Artoria, beckoning her closer.
"Come here... Artoria."
She rose from the sofa and approached, stopping beside me.
"Yes, Master?"
I raised my hand to my sternum, reaching into the metaphysical space between my flesh and soul.
A single pull—and [Avalon] materialized in my palm.
Golden light filled our surroundings. Artoria's breath caught.
That sheath.
The one she had carried into battle countless times. The one that had saved her life more than she could count. The piece of her soul she had lost eras ago—and now it rested in her Master's hand, offered back to her.
Her fingers trembled as they closed around it.
"Master... this..."
"I need you to charge it completely," I said, gaze returning to stirring.
"Every drop of mana you can pour into it."
Artoria held [Avalon] against her chest like a long-lost child finally returned home.
"It will be done." Her voice was quieter now.
"...Master."
I watched her step away, golden scabbard clutched to her chest.
Everything was proceeding according to design.
Almost everything.
...
..
.
***
[200 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
[5 chapters ahead on P@tr3on = [email protected]/Not_Aaryan]
...
[Authors Thoughts]
Now... Now. Do you see what I'm cooking?
Dragon Marrow + Izuru's Blood (DNA carrying every ultimate) + Liquified mana to act as an ink + a secret use of Avalon + Angra Mainyu (All the World's Evil).
Yet, even now... two more essential steps of connecting to the foundation and engraving are left.
Oh and don't worry, I've found a workaround against Angra's corruption too.
So... To even fight against a semi-serious Gil... we need at least this much or Izuru will die without even knowing how.
But honestly... only someone like Izuru would dare to use Angry Mango to create a mystic code. Though with King of Curses and All the World's Evil, it checks out nonetheless.
Anyway... Have a wonderful day, everyone!