Fate/Magus Path

The door opened.

No... more accurately, it was broken down.

Bang!

With a single punch, Roy smashed through the door, sending both it and the disoriented girl behind it crashing into the wall.

Her body was unnaturally tough... while the door shattered, she remained unscathed. This resilience, combined with her current state, was far from human.

"AAAAHHH! I'll devour you! I'll devour you all!"

Just as he had suspected, Yumizuka Satsuki's transformation into a Dead Apostle was complete.

The reason he hadn't broken down the door earlier was because this girl, Yumizuka Satsuki, had been using sheer willpower to suppress the vampiric instincts of a Dead Apostle.

But for an ordinary human girl, how could mere willpower possibly overcome the overwhelming urge to feed? Her defeat was inevitable... it was only a matter of time.

She had likely held on this long to protect Shiki Tohno, who was in the same room. But now, it seemed she had finally succumbed to the instincts of a Dead Apostle.

Pinned against the wall by Roy's punch, Yumizuka Satsuki opened her crimson eyes. With clawed hands, she lunged at him, desperate to claim the blood she so desperately craved.

"…"

If she had been a stranger, Roy would have eliminated her the moment she showed hostility, using his Black Keys to purify her.

However, as he recalled the desperate eyes of Shiki Tohno and his tearful pleas when Roy had entered the room, a memory of his own powerlessness surfaced. For a moment, his resolve softened.

Fine…

That boy's life was already tragic enough. To lose a friend before his very eyes would be too cruel. Roy decided to help him, if only this once.

It was as Merlin had once said to him.

"Even after becoming a Magician, your nature hasn't changed despite the growth in your power."

"You remain as gentle as you were in the beginning. Compared to Emiya Kiritsugu, you're the one who truly embodies an ally of justice."

An ally of justice…

Roy had no interest in such titles. He was simply unable to ignore the cries for help of those before him. At his core, he was just a softhearted fool.

His senpais in the Fujimura group had often warned him about his kindness.

"Being so compassionate will only get you hurt someday."

But getting hurt…

He didn't care. This was the path he had chosen, and he would walk it to the end, no matter the cost.

With a self-deprecating chuckle, Roy focused on the girl before him.

He did have a method to reverse the transformation of a Dead Apostle, albeit with a slim chance of success. Still, hope remained.

Yet, even if he succeeded, could what he saved still be called human?

Should he really use the Third Magic to transform this girl? Was it the right thing to do?

But doing nothing was definitely the wrong thing.

Without further hesitation, Roy raised his left hand. A brilliant azure glow lit his eyes as his Mystic Eyes activated.

First…

"Boil, my blood."

"Fervor, mei sanguis!"

In mere moments, the mercury-like Liquid Silver Sword, forged from Volumen Hydrargyrum, took the shape of sharp stakes that pierced Yumizuka Satsuki's limbs, pinning her to the ground.

"AAAAHHHH!!!"

The searing pain only intensified her frenzy.

"Blood! Give me blood!!!"

Ignoring her screams, Roy knelt to begin his attempt.

His magic circuits activated, converting his energy. The Third Magic began to unfold, and a radiant white light manifested in his hand.

Looking at the girl, who was now entirely consumed by the instincts of a Dead Apostle, Roy hesitated one last time.

If possible, he never wanted to resort to this technique.

The light was the very miracle Amakusa Shirou had obsessed over... the Third Magic, capable of transforming a human into an immortal being free of conflict.

If she had completely lost her soul and tasted human blood, she would be beyond saving. But if she was innocent, Roy was willing to try.

After all, what could be worse than becoming a Dead Apostle?

No matter the outcome... whether the ritual failed and she remained a Dead Apostle, or he succeeded in transforming her into an ageless, immortal soul... he would ensure her suffering ended.

And afterward, I will send the true culprit, Roa, to hell. I promise you that.

"Your name is Yumizuka Satsuki, isn't it? This will be my first attempt at soul transformation. I hope you can endure it."

Looking at the struggling, pitiful girl pinned to the ground, Roy finally cast aside all hesitation. He placed the sphere of light onto her head.

The magical circuits across his arm flared to life, and an immense surge of power flowed through him, causing the light to shine even brighter.

"Heaven's Feel - Soul Transformation."

The hand bathed in radiant white light pressed firmly against Yumizuka Satsuki's head.

"AAAAHHH!!!"

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!"

The process of forcibly altering her soul was agonizing, a torment even a Dead Apostle could hardly endure.

Yet Roy paid no heed, focusing entirely on controlling the transformation.

Seeing the soul as a lump of clay.

Analyze, infiltrate, then reshape.

Soul, body, emotions.

Preserve the fragments of humanity still lingering within this girl, while using the Third Magic to purge the impurities that had taken root.

Transform the soul to reconstruct the body.

Both processes had to happen simultaneously... ensuring her core identity remained intact while saving her life. It was an exceptionally delicate and challenging task.

Although Arcueid had no idea what Roy was specifically doing, the sheer concentration etched on his face was enough to tell her that he was sparing no effort to save this girl.

From her perspective, the impurities coursing through Yumizuka Satsuki's body were slowly dissolving under Roy's manipulation. The radiant white light flowing from his palm was systematically replacing every corrupted part.

Could it really be possible to reverse the transformation into a Dead Apostle?

Arcueid found herself astonished.

To forcibly perform a secondary transformation on someone who had already become a Dead Apostle... this was beyond anything she had ever heard of.

Yet, here Roy was, defying reason and achieving the impossible.

Seconds turned into minutes.

Pinned to the ground, Yumizuka Satsuki's struggles grew increasingly violent. But no matter how frantically she fought, Roy's relentless suppression left her powerless to resist.

She could only endure as Roy continued pouring his magic into her body.

Finally, as the process neared its conclusion, Yumizuka Satsuki's thrashing began to subside. Even the crimson ferocity in her eyes gradually gave way to a soft, serene white light.

Her spirit had reached its absolute limit under Roy's meticulous efforts. The impurities of the Dead Apostle within her were pushed to their very brink by the Third Magic.

"AAAAHHHH!!"

Suddenly, her eyes rolled back, and she let out an incomprehensible cry before collapsing into unconsciousness, her mind completely blank.

"Did it fail?"

The scene unfolding before her caused Arcueid, who had been observing from the side, to tense with unease.

"No. It worked."

Lowering his head to examine the girl whose soul he had partially transformed, Roy exhaled a breath of relief.

The good news: Yumizuka Satsuki's transformation into a Dead Apostle had been successfully halted, sparing her from becoming one of Roa's kin.

The bad news: she had now become Roy's familiar. A third of her soul had been transformed, stripping her of certain emotions while endowing her with a supernatural nature far removed from humanity.

She was now his first familiar. Whether she could return to a normal life remained uncertain, even to him.

This outcome, while far from perfect, was still infinitely better than leaving her as a Dead Apostle.

In any case, the decision of how to proceed would ultimately be hers to make upon waking. If she was willing, Roy considered bringing her to the Ryougi family for training. If she chose otherwise, he would not force her to go.

After all, wasn't it Shiki Tohno's desperate plea that led to this?

If that were the case, then it was only right that he should bear responsibility for her moving forward.

Didn't he say she was someone important to him?

If so, perhaps it was time for him to take another step forward.

Given her newfound supernatural nature, she would inevitably attract the moonlit world phenomena. Her life was now destined to be anything but ordinary. If she wished for a peaceful existence, she would need to either become a magus herself or have someone to protect her.

If it was the former, that would be ideal. But if she chose the latter… Shiki Tohno, you'd better be ready to take responsibility.

With that thought, Roy gently picked up the unconscious Yumizuka Satsuki and carried her to the infirmary to rest.

As for Shiki Tohno, who Roy had knocked out earlier, he was now strung up by chains courtesy of Arcueid. She dragged him along into the infirmary as well.

___

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