Fate/Magus Path

121 Arrival

"Impressive. While I've long been aware of your capabilities, your knack for gathering allies surprises me even more."
Stepping out from the infirmary where Arcueid was resting, Roy was greeted by a few words of praise from Touko, who had just returned from her tasks.

"A Magus Killer, a Grand Magus, a Servant, a Magus, members of the Church's Burial Agency... and now even a True Ancestor has joined your ranks."

"Honestly, with the forces you've amassed, you could attempt to overturn the entire world of magecraft's order."

"Enough to disrupt the world's balance?"

Roy shook his head. "Such pursuits hold no appeal for me. Neither the current world nor one reshaped would have any effect on the truly powerful. What we need is a stable world, nothing more."

"A stable world, huh... No wonder. After all, for magus, no matter how the world changes, you'll always hold a place in it."

"Naturally. I imagine you're the same... so long as you have your own place, the rest doesn't matter."

At this, Touko smiled softly and didn't delve further into the topic.

"Speaking of which, are you seriously planning to send Shiki to confront a monster like Nrvnqsr Chaos? Even with her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, she's essentially a novice magus. Facing an ancient monster who's survived for centuries isn't something to be taken lightly."

Her tone grew stern as she turned her gaze to Roy.

"She could very well die."

As the mentor to both Ryougi Shiki and Asagami Fujino, Touko was well-acquainted with their abilities.

Shiki wasn't particularly adept at magecraft. Her abilities aligned more with those of a magus killer like Emiya Kiritsugu, rather than a full-fledged magus. Over the past year, Touko had only helped her awaken her magic circuits and taught her basic spells, like reinforcement magecraft and hypnotic magecraft.

Occasionally, Touko brought her along on missions, but their opponents had been no more than spirits or rogue magus. Now, Roy was proposing she face a creature that had thrived in the shadows for centuries. It seemed absurd.

But Roy simply shook his head in response. "This is her choice."

"Her choice? That doesn't mean... "

Touko's objection was cut short as Roy interrupted her.

"Don't worry. I've already put measures in place to ensure her safety. I won't let her take unnecessary risks."

She wasn't wrong. Roy had no intention of letting Shiki face Nrvnqsr Chaos alone. Even if she carried Avalon, it wouldn't put his mind at ease. When the time came, he planned to personally suppress Nrvnqsr and enlist a trustworthy ally to provide backup for Shiki.

Arcueid, with her own grievances against Nrvnqsr Chaos, seemed a fitting candidate for this task.

"I should have guessed. You've already made preparations. I knew you wouldn't let her face danger recklessly."

With this reassurance, Touko's frown finally relaxed.

"Still, that girl seems to treasure this opportunity. She's been practicing her Mystic Eyes on the training dummies I prepared, even now. It's clear she's eager to prove herself."

"Prove herself?"

"Yes. Can't you tell? Despite her cool demeanor, Shiki values you deeply and wants to follow in your footsteps. Her determination to seize this opportunity and train so hard... it's all to show you what she's capable of."