Shirou in Another World.

Volume 2.5: Interlude 2

Shirou channeled his prana.

The energy coursed through his circuits, pushing forth into the complex device that Zelretch gave to him. It was an instrument designed to help him train his ability to cast complex spells, developing both the formation and depth to another level. Using it for assistance, Shirou wove together a magic script in a circle around him. As more script was added, a dome started to form around him.

"Keep it steady."

Zelretch didn't need to say it, but Shirou understood that the old apostle was only doing it to help him focus.

A little reinforcement and support went a long way.

Pumping a constant supply of prana into the array was simple. The difficult part was perfecting the string of independent arrays that blended into the complete spell. Shirou needed to supply each part for a specified duration before cutting the stream off. Now repeat the same for the hundreds of small individual segments and the task becomes exponentially harder. Focus on one task too much and you risk another.

Destination locked.

Shirou had successfully established the exit coordinates of his fledgling gateway. With the first half complete, he could start on the next half- building the bridge.

This took a lot more energy than the first half.

Creating a traversable space in the middle of the void ate a lot of energy. It depended on the capability of each caster. Shirou was new to this, and needed to build a large bridge to make sure he didn't fall off accidentally while walking inside the void.

Zelretch?

He just needed to build a tightrope to balance across.

Such was the difference between a master and a student.

Trace on.

Shirou's mind sharpened as he chanted. The first line of his aria connected his reality marble and his projection, making it easier for him to manifest the construct. He pictured a solid bridge of brick connecting his reality marble and the Realm of Man. A composition half magical and half physical formed from a blueprint he prepared for this exact scenario, allowing the bridge to survive in the void for the duration of its use.

Brick by brick, the bridge was actualized. It was just as hard as Shirou attempting to trace a divine weapon. Throughout the assembly, he had to keep track of splitting his focus between the bridge, the formalcraft dome, and his dwindling prana supply. Beyond a certain threshold, Shirou wouldn't have enough energy to keep the bridge stable once he stepped on it. The risk of falling into the void in his physical body would destroy it, leaving him a spirit inside his own reality marble.

Not a great way to end after coming this far.

For a second, one line of the magical array didn't receive the specified amount of prana. The entire formalcraft dome wavered as the whiplash of the failed spell triggered a wave of failures on the surrounding area. In an instant, Shirou loses the exit anchor and the connection collapses.

Once again, Unlimited Blade Works was floating beside the Realm of Man without any between the two.

Shirou closed his eyes with a tired sigh.

"Rest and attempt again in an hour." Zelretch stated.

The Wizard Marshal didn't need to point out Shirou's mistake. The boy had repeated the error for a hundred times now and knew where and when he lost control.

Once again, he was back to square one.

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