Fate/World

(A/N: Ah, 250. So close, yet so far for one so utterly washed.)

I loved magic. I loved magecraft.

Those were my persistent and earnest feelings from the very moment I learnt of its existence. It was to the point where someone as scatter-brained and easily distracted as myself took two hours from every day simply mixing-and-matching whatever I'd learnt.

Bisecting code, placing it in another place, the practice usually blew up in my face but that was expected. Occasionally though, I'd come across some incredible combinations that I could use to further decipher these uniquely magnificent languages in which spells were woven together.

The act of enacting something upon the world by manifesting it through their internal world, and then passing it through a 'higher system' was as incredible as it was incredulous. An act that manifested the supernatural by decieving the very world. Could anyone really blame me for being as enthralled as I was?

I stared up at the grey London sky from atop the main building of the Department of Modern Magecraft Theory, sitting on the roof with my feet dangling off the edge. I counted the seconds until the clock struck four and Big Ben tolled loud, for all to hear.

Moments later, droves of students came spilling from the doors, headed to their homes or their workshops, whichever suited them best. Most were like me, 'New Agers' that were just stepping into this world for whatever reasons and didn't know much but were eager to learn. The other departments looked down on them... us.

You never really saw any old lineages here, not really. It was obvious why once I noticed that for magi who were incredibly devoted to their own specific branches of research, classes must have been nothing but a formality, a way to foster alliances, scout talent and whatnot.

Conceited, but fair.

My suspicions were confirmed when I learnt that a number of families were eying Svin or Flat for adoption or marriage. They steered clear of me solely because of the Democratic Faction's apparent interest... as well as the Neutral Faction's if you counted Yvette's crazy ass.

Done with my musings, I returned to the latest object of fascination for me.

Bounded Fields.

Using Gurdoa's principles, and Waver's lessons, I easily could set up a basic Bounded Field. It was, after all, just an area with a spell woven into the 'separate space' previously designated. But, therein lay the issue, the area was 'fixed'. I could find no way to augment this without the field falling apart. It couldn't be mobile, or at least, I couldn't make it mobile. It went against the very basis of a 'bounded field'.

I'd succeeded in limiting it to the area of an object... but again, the object wasn't the anchor. The area itself was so it didn't really move with the object.

I was interrupted, by someone clearing their throat.

"Why ya hiding behind Grey, Professor? You look like you forgot to take a shit or something."

I eyed Waver from the corner of my eye. He was standing behind Grey, his apprentice, sweat on his brow. When my words registered, he cleared his throat again.

"Well... you blasted Flat with an artillery-type spell when he interrupted-... It's nothing." He suddenly shook his head. "I wanted to ask for your help."

I raised a curious brow. He needed only ask, and I would do just about anything.

"The Castle of Separation. Lord Ashborn's legacy-"

"Et tu?"

"Your eyes would be-... wait, what do you mean by me too?" He tilted his head, confusion playing across his entire face. "Someone else approached you? Or, did you receive a letter as well?"

"That second one's impossible, man. I'm a nobody."

"...Is that so?"

Something told me he didn't really believe those words.

Noting his silence, I continued, turning my eyes back to the sky. "It was Luviagelita. Already gave her my word. I guess I can tell her no if you want...?"

"Don't. Whatever she can give you is beyond anything the El-Melloi can offer at the moment." He sighed into his hands. "I was hoping I could enlist your help but it is what it is. I only request that you let me off easy if-... no, when it comes to a fight."

Grey gave me a strange look... was she trying to be scary again?

"Don't give me that look, Grey. I would never hurt the professor. Well, unless he hit my mother or something. But, you can understand why I'd be in the right there. Wait no, he doesn't have the balls for that."

Waver narrowed his eyes, as if he wanted to rebuke me for something. "You're right."

"I know." 

I grinned.

"Anyway, professor, help me out, will you? You got anything about mobile bounded fields?"

Waver stroked his chin, earnestly considering the notion like I expected him to. The guy was as enthusiastic about magecraft as I was, if not more.

"Wouldn't being mobile defeat the whole purpose of... wait, no. There was a member of the Church, an Executor belonging to some secret order or some such. He was executed though."

"So you just jumped through several hoops there for nothing."

"I was just trying to help!" The professor protested with a raised fist.

"...but you didn't."

"It's the thought that counts."

"Tell that to dead people who could've been saved."

-

"I want to be spoiled more!" Ellie declared suddenly as I led her by her little hand. "Hal! Do you hear me?"

"We just left the candy store. We went to the park before that. Aren't you being a bit too unreasonable, my dear sister?"

She huffed, puffed up her little red cheeks, and turned aside again, still clutching the bag of chocolates I just bought her while acting like I didn't. The adorable little creature even had the gall to pull away her hand and run down the street.

What happened next was... honestly something I should have expected.

No, she didn't get isekai'd after she 'fought' her brother by means of speeding lorry. No, instead, a white van pulled up the second she stopped by the curb. The door slid open. Unfortunately for her and the would-be kidnappers, I was not about to let this be some cheap ass cliche character development arc.

"To hell with you, foul creature!"

Before the would-be kidnapper number one could even grab her by the arm, I drop-kicked him back into the back of his van with reinforced feet. I definitely felt a crunch too. He tumbled back inside with a loud boom.

The other one thought to avenge his comrade and jumped out of the door, brandishing a long dagger. Without hesitation, he swiped at me. Without hesitation, I stepped back and planted a roundhouse kick directly onto his cheek, shoving him against the van... no, not against, INTO the van so hard the motherfucker left a proper print.

"You won't be blowing your boyfriend in there for a good few months. Too bad."

He moaned in pain as he slid down onto the hard concrete road.

Dusting off my hands even though there was no need to, I turned back to Ellie, kneeling down on one knee.

"You alright there? I won't mind if you give me a standing ovation."

Contrary to expectations, she looked at me with big bubbly eyes with tears welling in them.

"...T-That was scary."

"O...Or I'd be fine with being called the coolest older brother?"

She just started wailing, snot and the waterworks all. The little brat even rubbed her nose on my sweatpants like they were some kind of napkin! With no remorse, even! She wrapped herself around the leg.

"I-I won't ru...run away again!"

I could only awkwardly pat her head with no real idea of what to do. With a sigh, I channeled my inner Henry and took her in my arms, putting her against my shoulder as I softly stroked the back of her head.

"There there. Nothing happened. You're alright."

...She wailed harder.

Oh my fucking Go-

-

"Way to go, Caules."

In the end, rushing to the dormitory and shoving her on Caules seemed to be the best option. She'd taken something of a liking to his games and honestly, I was proud as hell to be the brother of a gamer even though she would never attain the heights I myself had. 

"Ah... CoD Lobbies, how I loved you." 

A single tear rolled down my cheek.

Caules, who'd been delegated to reading books instead of nerding out on his own gaming pc, wasn't really that upset for some reason. He just sat on his bed with one leg crossed over the other, watching Ellie play with a smile.

"You..." I narrowed my eyes. "You wouldn't happen to be some kind of lolico-"

"Where'd that even come from?!" He shouted, red-faced. "I just thought she looked adorable!"

"...That's what a lolicon would sa-..."

"Leave."

"Okay. Okay. I'm sorry. Damn. Just poking fun, you drama queen."

"How am I a drama queen in this situation?!"

-

You can find 8 chapters ahead at patre0n.com/Bleap