C46: Returnee!

A/N: Sorry for the delay. I moved and had to repaint my new place, surround part of the room for my birds plus unpacked. All it cost is 100USD in total. You can save a lot of money if you use discarded construction trash btw.

— — —

I examine the silvery gauntlet before resting my forearm on the Witcheress' head and placing the enchanted cybernetic in her palm.

Initially, I had considered a ring, but after our visit to the Cyberpunk world, a simple trinket felt… Inadequate.

Why settle for just a mere ring when you can have a power gauntlet with said ring built right into it?

Why opt for a Mystic Code when you can have a Magitek cybernetic gauntlet that shoots a wave of compressed fire, powered by the same energy Ciri has in abundance?

"Consider this my congratulatory gift for saving the world, she-witcher."

Mumbling the words, I plant a soft kiss on her head.

It's even fluffier than Caragor's coat, if you could imagine.

"So this is what you've been working on?" She asks, eyeing the Mystic Code eagerly; fingertips gently caressing the

"Surprise!"

As she trails her fingers down the slick metal, Ciri smiles. "What does the inscription say?"

"It's Latin, an ancient language from my world… Means 'swallows.'"

Mischievous eyes briefly darting down to my crotch, the Witcheress laughs. "Here? Now?"

"I meant the bird." I respond dryly, as she places her hand on my shoulder, a blend of tomboyish charm and Yennefer's elegance in her mannerism.

"I was joking." Ciri replies with a grin.

"Go on," I mutter, shooing her away with a playful slap on her leather-clad behind. "Test the gauntlet so I can make that joke a reality."

"Hey!"

"Don't play coy, you know you like it."

She definitely did last night.

You never know how jiggly ass-cheeks could be until you date an athletic girl.

'Maybe I do have a type…'

Two types I go for, actually: Dark-haired, icy assassins and cool, heroic swordswomen, preferably with lighter hair.

Know yourself, know your enemy, right?

Honestly, I think I'm drawn to their heroic tendencies more than anything, although some seem into 'Corruption', which I find bizarre. It's like buying a supercar only to swap its engine for a Honda Civic's—it just doesn't make any sense.

"What does it do?"

"Channel your Magic into the gauntlet and see." I shrug, my fingers playing with a pebble I picked up earlier, flooding it with Od until all the molecules in it begin to vibrate at a high speed.

"I just did! Now what?"

"Punch in my direction with your fist closed."

Though skeptical, Ciri does as I say, her eyes widening when the pebble flies from my hand, colliding with the hexagons of varying sizes it projects.

The impeccable sensor from Cyberpunk Earth was truly a godsend, I must admit.

It employs an advanced sensor and a highly specialized hybrid system to detect changes in motion, as well as electric and magnetic fields.

While this technology isn't groundbreaking for earthlings, miniaturizing it to fit into a gauntlet? That's the kind of innovation that'd have every government on the planet salivating.

Inspired by the advancements in cybernetics, I've taken the initiative to upgrade my [Kinetic Shield] using cutting-edge algorithms crafted by their quantum computers.

These are based on my understanding of Od and Mana.

The result?

A Spell that's more energy-efficient than ever, with a quicker response time and the ability to interact differently with various objects.

While it's typically advised for a Magus to avoid overcrowding a Crest, I believe I can reserve a few spots for Quantum Spells.

In time, I might even consider cybernetic implants myself, though with a twist. Conceptual Mystic Codes, after all, do exist. Even if I haven't cracked how to craft one yet, it's only a matter of time before I do.

Just the thought of integrating this technology into a network of artificial nervous systems, letting it meld with the body like a Crest, gives me goosebumps.

As a Specialized Mystic Code, it would be immune to the usual degradation that traditional Spells suffer. The possibilities are goddamn endless!

I will need to discuss this further with John soon. This breakthrough, alongside the Trial, has the potential to revolutionize homunculi creation and human enhancements, but let's not get ahead of myself…

"A warning would've been appreciated!"

"Would've ruined the surprise!" I shout back, adding. "Now punch with your palm open!"

This time, the gauntlet glows brilliantly, releasing a burst of subatomic particles—emerald plasma that seems to scorch Space, shortening it as a result.

That's unusual… It was just regular fire when I tried it. And come to think of it, weren't her hexagons similar?

Leaves, pebbles, and dust form a sphere around the plasma burst—all pulled by a force drawing me toward the center as well.

As stupid as it is, I forgot to factor in the Elder Blood…

Such an oversight is frankly unacceptable, but at least things seem to be working themselves out.

Sensing the danger, Ciri closes her fist to activate the [Shield], which protects her from the fiery explosion that disintegrates everything it touches.

"Leo… What did you give me?"

I offer a sheepish smile.

"A cool gauntlet?"

— [Infinity] —

With the evening drawing ever closer, Ciri and I decide to spend some quality time together. We even manage to hunt down the Vampire sleeping beneath Novigrad, which isn't too challenging with her free to wield the Elder Blood as she sees fit. Being the dutiful Magus I am, I of course remember to politely request some genetic samples from her—just a patch of skin, hair, saliva, and a vial of blood; nothing too shocking.

Although every cell in a complex multicellular organism contains the same DNA, different types of cells can express different genes. Having more than just the condensed form of the Elder Blood will give me valuable insights into how the Sorcery Trait affects her, and how I may harness its power for myself.

After acquiring the most advanced cybernetic implants and cyberware I could find, along with a vast assortment of potions to sell—courtesy of Triss and the other Mages—the most prized the Life-Prolonging Potion that the Sorceresses so adore, I gives the she-witcher a reassuring squeeze. "You will return, right?"

"Duh. You're not getting rid of me that easily."

Arm slung over her shoulder, I purchase [Whispering Winds] to lower the [Heat Meter] back to [Brown].

My banishment of O'Dimm rewarded me with a whopping 72 AP after the [Event] concluded, leaving me with a balance of 80.66 after taking advantage of the 50% cost reduction.

Turns out acting charismatic, rubbing elbows with politicians, and striking favorable economic deals also count as training [Ruler]. A pleasant surprise, I must say.

[Whispering Winds]

> There are more the winds can do than tickle your balls while you're pissing down a cliff just for the heck of it. They will now serve you, as all ought to for their proper ruler!

>> Effects: The winds will now whisper to you information—sometimes miscellaneous and embarrassing secrets; sometimes important intel.

>> Status: Bought

"See you soon." I whisper, pressing a kiss to her forehead again and activate [Void Bridge: Nasuverse], yanked out of existence like a dirty piece of rags.

The return journey is just as dramatic as the trip there, but eventually I find myself back in my Workshop.

"Home sweet home…"

I've spent, what, five months in the Witcher-Verse?

Give or take a few weeks, which means about 2.5 months have passed in the Nasuverse.

Everything is just as I left it, even my phone, which I eagerly rush to check.

Can't help it; I'm a very busy person.

As expected, there are over 500 messages and 1386 missed calls—half of which are from my manager.

Messages from others are there too, including one from Rin, who wanted to meet a month ago to reconcile.

"Seriously, what the actual fuck, Miyamoto?"

The fact that messages and calls from seven different people combined only total up to half of hers is ridiculous.

I'm honestly considering a restraining order on this crazy-ass bitch.

'Pitiable is the dude who marries her…'

[From: French Cop]

[Subject: Immediate Assistance Needed in Montreal – Urgent Situation!]

[Leo! Get in touch ASAP! SOMe spooky shii is happening in Montreal. I dont know what the fuck it is but I meed help!]

So many typos… What could have scared the detective so much?

I dial his number, frowning when no one answers.

"What the Hell happened to him?"

Suddenly, a gust of wind sweeps past me, carrying the anxious voice of Oswald.

"[Que Dieu ait pitié de mon âme…]"

The whisper ends with a sharp cry that rattles my eardrums, sending a wave of adrenaline rushing through me.

Damn creepy-ass Perk.

"Shit…"

Which problem should I tackle first? There's Rin, Gilgamesh, my stalker-ish manager, the detective and the Magus Killer, whom I have lumped into the same camp as the Tsundere. Rin and Kiritsugu are probably okay, since the only threat left in Fuyuki is the Worm, who will only appear when the matter concerns the Holy Grail.

Gilgamesh has a treasury of magical weapons she can summon at will—she can protect herself fine.

As for Miyamoto Eri, my manager…

Honestly, she scares me a bit. I've seen my share of crazy, but nearly 1400 calls in two and a half months?

That averages to 18 to 19 calls per day, or one per hour, and that's not even counting the 300 messages she left…

Pretty sure she had a stroke during the last few messages too.

"Oswald it is." There's just one small issue: Leonis Magnus can't legally buy a plane ticket, and Jasper Hangman hasn't been entered into the database yet. If there's anything I regret, it's not getting access to Kiritsugu's network… Now, I have to visit the Magus Killer to sort out all my paperwork.

"It's the middle of the night…"

Sneaking into the Emiya Residence, I tilt my head at the sight of three extra pairs of shoes neatly placed alongside Kiritsugu's and Shiro's. "Oh, shit…" Rin and Sakura are both here? Did I just walk into a minefield wilingly.

[DANGER!!!]

The wind's sharp hiss slices through the air as I spin, pushing the gun barrel away from my face, fist almost a second away from turning Kiritsugu's head into a dropped watermelon. Our eyes meet, and a smirk creeps onto my face as recognition sparks in his eyes. "Should I take this as a sign I'm no longer welcome?"

"Leo?"

He wheezes, scanning me from head to toe, his voice choked with disbelief. "What happened? How are you—?"

"Magic," I interrupt as Kiritsugu lowers his Thompson Contender with a quiet sigh of relief, gesturing toward his office down the hall. "Let's continue this elsewhere."

"Probably a good idea." I nod.

Settling into our seats while the electric kettle whistles nearby, the Magus Killer starts.

"The last time I saw you was over three months ago, right? How are you doing?"

I had already started distancing myself a month before my vacation to the Witcher-Verse, not to mention the trip itself...

"Pretty well, all things considered. I see Rin and Sakura are living here now?"

"I'm the legal guardian for Tokiomi's daughter now."

Right… That used to be Kirei's role, didn't it? "How are they doing?"

"Illya's happier now, but she didn't handle her mother's death well… Tokiomi's girl is taking your 'betrayal' hard; Shiro's in a slump, and it's affecting Taiga too."

"And what of the Matou girl?"

The stars have aligned—there's no better time to crush the Worm until nothing remains of it but a smear. Oswald will have to wait his turn…

"Well-behaved… A bit too well."

"I plan to kidnap her." I announce.

Kiritsugu stares at me intently. "Elaborate."

Taking a deep breath, I begin the tale.

It's the story of a misguided Magus, not unlike the Magus Killer himself, who desperately sought Paradise.

A tale of a monstrous being whose Soul, twisted by the marching of time, has lost any and all semblance of humanity—I recount the Saga of Makiri Zolgen, now known to the world at large as Matou Zouken;

And to his descendants, a parasitic blight responsible for the downfall of his own lineage.

Though it's never explicitly stated in the Visual Novel, to ensure one's descendants are all whole and healthy, a Magus must take real good care of their body.

Not exactly an easy task when your decrepit Ancestor is shoving Familiar Worms up your ass.

Damn Crest Worms...

"You mean to tell me even as she sleeps, the Familiar Worms are—"

"Yep." I confirm with a nod.

"What can I do to help?" Without hesitation, the Magus Killer offers a hand.

I'd be touched, if not for the fact he'd be a liability as he is.

"For starters, get your daughters—both biological and adopted—out of town. Take Taiga with you too, while you're at it. I'll handle the rest."

"If we suddenly pack up and leave, it'll look suspicious."

It won't, "Not with the Einzbern as our cover."

To the public, the House of Heaven's Feel still harbors a major grudge against Kiritsugu.

But he's right; that's no reason to be reckless. There are lives at stake here—primarily mine and Sakura's.

"Which is why," I continue, jabbing a finger at him, "You're going to take them on a little Winter vacation the day after tomorrow. That's when I'll be ready. If they ask to bring Sakura, tell them you asked her legal guardian and were told 'No.'"

"From what you've said, Zouken's dangerous. Are you sure you won't need my help?"

"With all due respect, you're not a good match against him." While other characters have flashy, explosive abilities, the Magus Killer's main methods are guns and explosives.

The first is essentially useless against a swarm, while the latter I can set up myself. "I just need you to get everyone out of the way."

"You plan to draw him out using the Matou girl as bait… You think that will work?"

"Zouken has no other option. The corrupted Lesser Grail is crucial to his plans; he can't afford to lose it. He'll come after me, hopefully bringing everything he has so I can destroy his Familiars all at once." I explain.

"And if he doesn't? If he holds back some of his Familiars?"

"He'll be too weak to retaliate, for a while at least."

Those Worms are highly advanced Familiars, they aren't cheap to create; not without Sakura providing Zouken the necessary Od.

"That's not a permanent solution I'm hearing," Kiritsugu points out.

"I'll hunt down the rest; I just need a sample. But if you have a better idea, by all means, do tell."

I've consulted Triss, Yennefer, and even Avallac'h on the matter; they all insist that without live samples to experiment on, their hands are tied.

So, I'll have to keep an eye out for the Worm and scour the city afterward.

Worst case scenario? Biological warfare.

I'm prepared to blanket the whole city in magical pesticide if it comes to that.

"You'll need a Spiritual Doctor to remove the Familiars, or it could endanger her life." Kiritsugu advises.

What is this, 20 questions? "I have my methods."

Sparks clash as our gazes briefly meet, then the Magus Killer breaks eye contact, chuckling softly as he refills his cup of tea.

"I'm glad you're in a better place now."

And all it took was dominating an entire world to my will—physically, magically, intellectually. Pretty sure O'Dimm let me have one, but a win is a win.

The best way to describe it is realizing I have become somewhat of a Souls Boss to the Bosses themselves. While nowhere near the strongest, I no longer have that nagging fear of getting insta-killed by a stray blast like Broly's father 'allegedly' was, which is a gigantic relief.

"I'm glad too."

After our brief discussion, I head back to my Workshop and start the process of surgically relocating all twenty-five of my Magic Circuits into my Crest.

The entire procedure takes approximately 6 hours and 23 minutes of execruciating pain, as Magecraft usually is.

Though I can't feel physical exhaustion anymore thanks to [Eternal Engine], the pain I'm experiencing is soul-deep, quite literally. That's why, instead of making the trip myself, I summon Caragor—the Demonic Cat O'Dimm 'lost' to me.

After consulting [Pilferage], I confirm the Demon's Sorcery Traits: [Limited-Shapeshifting], which explains the grotesque, abstract horror form it took during our first encounter; the standard telepathic link inherent between a Demon and its Master; the [Recall] that allows it to planeshift to wherever I am, and a weaker version of the Blessing Eredin bargained for, compensated with [Infernal Fire] instead to top it off.

All its Stats will double relative to the total battle power of its opponent at the time, while the compensation is an eternal Hellfire that inflicts unimaginable pain.

That's all it does—it burns no more effectively than a regular campfire but causes an agony like nothing I have ever experienced.

Imagine every cell in your body being set ablaze…

Imagine you're alive and fully conscious to feel it.

That's what [Infernal Fire • VII] is.

I'm still unsure where its loyalty lies, but [Ruler]'s next Perk—[National Animal!]—should help with that.

"Go! Find me a good spot to fight the Worm!"

The black Maine Coon tilts its head curiously before disappearing up the stairs like any normal cat would while I watch through its eyes, letting it roam for hours to survey different battlegrounds until I find one that meets all the criteria: First, it's a barren land with rocky soil and a trail between the hills I can funnel the Swarm in;

Second, it's far enough from the local greenery and the population that an [Infernal Blast] wil not devastate the forest;

And third, there are few places for a 'stray' Worm to escape since it's an open field.

I'll have Caragor handle the nest Matou Manor, while I protect Sakura and duke it out with Zouken.

With a general route and a rendezvous point mapped out, I lie on the floor contemplating life until my phone rings. "John?"

"—Milord, I have fantastic news!"

Someone sounds unusually cheerful today. "What is it?"

"—My Soul's been tainted!"

Homunculi are simple creatures—they're like machines created to follow orders, clusters of artificial Magic Circuits disguised as humans.

Typical Homunculi come with an imperfect Soul, best described as Ether Clumps with data-trained algorithms that dictate their every interactions.

Their Souls remain pure because they lack the adaptability or 'brain plasticity' to absorb new ideas.

They can't grow as individuals and are often non-sentient.

The exception is, of course, the Einzbern, but as skillful as they are at Homunculi-Creation, there are things the 'Northern Alchemists' can't fix.

Occasionally, exceptions like Illya, Irisviel, Justeaze, Sieg, and to a lesser extent, Leysritt and Sella appear, but they're anomalies, not the norm.

For John's Soul to be 'tainted' implies that the programmed Ether Clump has adapted due to [Eris' Discordant Whispers] and developed a new algorithm on its own.

The discovery could revolutionize Homunculi Creation as a whole.

"Are the Homunculi pods repaired?"

"—They're not fully functional, but I've managed to salvage over two dozens Combat Models."

After a moment of thought, I carefully instruct, "Send three to Montreal, Canada. Find one Detective Oswald and, if necessary, save him."

It does not feel right to leave him hanging after he practically begged me for help, plus I have invested too much time and resources to let the dectectibe die in a ditch.

"Figure out what's causing the supernatural disturbances there and eliminate it."

"—Understood… Anything else?"

"No, that's all. Thank you for your service, John."

"—It's my pleasure!" The homunculus-golem hybrid cheers before ending the call.

I don't take offense.

If anything, I'm just glad no one's bothering me anymore. "Peace at last."

It's the calm before the storm, so best enjoy it while I still can.