The next morning.
Touko stood in the courtyard, deftly channeling magical energy to envelop her fist.
With a single punch to the ground beneath her feet, the earth instantly cracked apart, the loud noise startling everyone nearby.
"So this is how it works," Touko murmured, rubbing her fist with a pleased smile. Protected by magical energy, her hand didn't hurt at all.
No—her magical energy wasn't ordinary anymore. It now carried the characteristics of stellar energy.
"Comparatively, magical energy can strengthen the physical body, while prana only envelops it without actual reinforcement. Yet the power amplification is far greater than magical energy. Only by casting spells can one achieve similar enhancement levels to prana!"
Touko's joy was palpable.
For her, perhaps some past obsessions had been set aside.
But certain things could never be erased from one's heart. Adapting to this completely different power system might just become her solace.
"Remember to fix the ground later," Roy called from the corridor.
"I know..." came Touko's distracted reply.
She was already experimenting with prana burst techniques. Though not combat-oriented, her mastery over magical energy made reaching this level effortless.
Only after thoroughly satisfying her curiosity did she repair the damaged ground and return to sit by the corridor.
"Rare to see such childlike enthusiasm from you," Roy remarked between sips of tea, casting her an amused glance.
"Is it? Perhaps so." Touko exhaled deeply, her expression remarkably refreshed.
"Just imagining the possibility of beating up Aoko someday makes me unbearably excited!"
"Knew it!" Roy's expression said he'd expected nothing less.
Elsewhere, an unsuspecting Aoko suddenly sneezed, wondering who was talking about her.
"Speaking of which, you've fully mastered the abilities Tiamat granted you, haven't you?" Touko's gaze turned intense, an unusual glint of ambition flashing in her eyes.
"At a basic level, yes—I've grasped abilities across categories," Roy answered cautiously.
Then he gave her a probing look.
"You're not thinking of having me turn you into a Phantasmal Species so you can beat up Aoko, are you?"
"Is it impossible?"
"You're actually serious..." Roy looked utterly dumbfounded by her outlandish idea.
"For ordinary Phantasmal Species, perhaps. But there's a prerequisite—I'd need a specimen to analyze its physical composition first."
"Though against Aoko as an opponent, unless it's a top-tier Phantasmal Species like dragonkin, you'd stand no chance. And dragonkin are currently beyond my modification capabilities."
"To be honest, I've actually considered undergoing such modifications myself. Given the current limits on magical capacity, having the mana reserves of a Phantasmal Species would open up so many possibilities..."
An A-rank body modification is among the highest-tier skills even among Heroic Spirits.
Ordinary Phantasmal Species weren't beyond modification—give him a sample to analyze their physical composition, and he could transform himself into their likeness.
But Dragonkind stood at the pinnacle of Phantasmal Species, especially the pure-blooded ones. They were indisputably at the apex of the Phantasmal Species hierarchy, comparable to Divine Beasts or even deities themselves.
This level wasn't just "top-tier" but outright "transcendent," far beyond Roy's current reach.
Roy couldn't help but covet the power of Dragonkind.
Not just for their immense mystery and strength, but more so for their terrifying mana reserves.
Modern magi were constrained by their life force and Magic Circuits, their limits already set in stone.
Yet, in the Age of Gods, the concept of Magic Circuits didn't even exist. The air was saturated with Ether, with True Ether in abundance.
Phantasmal Species from that era had bodies that functioned as natural Magic Circuits, effortlessly drawing upon unimaginable amounts of mana. Pure-blooded Dragons were even more extraordinary—their hearts were natural mana furnaces, each breath carrying enough mana to incinerate a person. Their capacity wasn't just a hundred times that of modern magi—it was beyond measure.
Unfortunately, Roy currently had no means to modify himself to the level of Dragonkind.
Even if he could, without a living Dragon before him to analyze its structure, he could only lament his helplessness—a skilled craftsman without materials.
Taking a step back, even modifications to the level of ordinary Phantasmal Species would represent a monumental leap for Roy.
But tragically, since the global inferno a decade ago, the already scarce Phantasmal Species had vanished without a trace.
Perhaps they were slain by corrupted Servants, or perhaps they returned to the Inner Sea of the Planet. Who knew? They were simply gone now.
Even the Golden Wolf and his kin, who once had a fleeting connection with Touko, had disappeared—when investigating anomalies in the world, Touko had visited their territory only to find barren land, long abandoned.
Understanding the circumstances, Touko could only sigh in resignation.
Her wish to give Aoko a good thrashing would have to wait a little longer.
"Lord Roy, Lady Touko, may we begin lunch?"
Hayasaka approached the corridor, bowing respectfully as she sought their instructions.
"Let's begin. I've been starving all morning."
Roy stood up, stretching before heading toward the kitchen.
"Speaking of which, where's Rin? Has she not returned yet?"
He hadn't seen Rin since last night, assuming she'd been delayed by some matter.
Why was she still absent now?
"Lady Rin hasn't returned for many days."
"Oh? Has her house been repaired?"
"No, Lady Rin's villa remains in ruins."
Hearing this, Hayasaka explained, "I've just heard that the city hall has been extremely busy lately. Lady Rin has been so swamped that she hasn't had a chance to come back to rest and has been sleeping at the city hall for several consecutive days."
"Why is she so busy?"
Didn't the Holy Grail War already end?
Why is she even busier than before?
Come to think of it, Roy vaguely remembered that Rin had already been working non-stop even before he left for Asterisk City. Could it be that there was too much backlog from the Holy Grail War period? Or had her misuse of public funds been exposed?
"That I don't know."
Hayasaka shook her head. Currently, she not only held the position of head maid at the Aozaki residence but also had to diligently study magecraft every day, leaving her no time to concern herself with Rin's situation.
Roy nodded.
Then he would go to the city hall later.
As it happened, he also had some things to bring to Rin.