Chapter 5: Bonds in Motion
Sunlight slanted across the training courtyard, illuminating cracks where our resonance had scarred the stone. Today's exercise would not be a solo drill—it would be a joint test with Mash, Artoria, and me, designed to sharpen teamwork and reveal the limits of my Infinite Blood–fueled creation power.
Olga stood before us, her tablet raised. "Today you face simulated phantoms—data-based constructs designed to test Master–Servant coordination. Your objectives: defeat three waves of enemies within ten minutes, without collateral damage. Understood?"
I glanced at Artoria, her posture as steady as a mountain. "Understood."
Mash tapped her shield. "Let's show them what we've got."
—
Wave One: hollow specters with jagged blades. They converged on us instantly.
Artoria lunged forward, Excalibur's edge gleaming. She cut a wide arc, dispersing the nearest phantoms. I felt the familiar hum in my chest—my Infinity Blood pulsing. Drawing on our shared resonance from yesterday, I wove a slender thread of creation power into Artoria's strike. The blade flared with a golden aura, slicing the specters cleanly, their data ghosts vanishing in a puff of white light.
Mash intercepted two specters charging from behind, her shield materializing in time to block one, then sweeping the other aside. "Good timing, Master!" she called, breathless with excitement.
Wave Two arrived as swirling shards of shadow, faster and more numerous. Artoria's guard held firm, but her sword arm began to tire. The golden warmth in my veins flared, urging me to act.
"Artoria!" I shouted. She paused mid-defend, eyes on me. I placed both hands on the air in front of her, channeling creation power outward like a shield. A radiant barrier blossomed, absorbing the shadow shards and transforming them into motes of light. The fragments coalesced into a single, luminescent sphere that hovered between us.
"Now!" I urged, voice steady. Artoria seized the sphere and hurled it as if it were a makeshift Noble Phantasm. It detonated upon impact with the remaining specters, releasing a burst of cleansing light.
When the glow faded, the courtyard was silent. No specters remained.
—
Wave Three tested our agility: rapid phantoms that split and reformed. This required flawless coordination. Artoria and I exchanged a brief nod—no words needed.
She darted ahead, drawing phantom fire, while I sprinted to flank them. My Infinite Blood–charged aura trailed behind me, a golden echo that slowed the specters' regeneration. Mash followed, shielding me from stray energy shards. Together, we funneled the phantoms into a narrow alley of runic plates.
"Converge!" I commanded.
Artoria's sword swooped, Mash's shield slammed, and I unleashed creation energy through the runes—constructing a radiating prism that amplified their strikes. The phantoms crumbled in a final cascade of light.
And then—nothing but stillness.
—
Olga and Roman stepped forward, their data tablets glowing. Olga's lips curved in a rare smile. "Remarkable. Your synergy is exceptional for a first real combat test. Creation power pairing with a Heroic Spirit's Noble Phantasm is still experimental."
Dr. Roman's eyes gleamed. "Your Infinite Blood signature stabilized at ninety-two percent efficiency in all three waves. No significant mana fatigue detected."
Mash grinned, sliding down from her shield's resting post. "You were amazing, Senpai. You saved Artoria and me more times than I can count."
Artoria sheathed Excalibur and approached, her gaze softening. "Master Aion, your creation power is a gift—and a responsibility. Today, you proved you can wield it selflessly, protecting those who protect you."
I felt my chest tighten—her words carried more weight than any technical reading. "I couldn't have done it without you," I replied. "Artoria, Mash… thank you for trusting me."
A gentle warmth spread through my Infinite Blood veins as both heroines stepped close. Mash's hand found mine, and Artoria's gauntleted thumb brushed my wrist—small touches of solidarity that spoke louder than proclamations.
In that moment, I realized the true strength of a Master: not raw power, but the bonds forged in action, trust, and shared purpose.
Tomorrow, we would face a real anomaly in the field. But tonight, we celebrated our first victory—together.
And as the sun dipped below the horizon, the courtyard's scars glowed faintly, a testament to our nascent legend.