Combat Arts.
That's right... combat arts are an elective course for magus at the Clock Tower. You didn't hear wrong. Combat arts, also known as self-defense techniques, are a skill that relies on physical strength to deal with sudden situations. magus refers to it as an expression of one's life force.
Although many magus who consider themselves noble look down on such skills, those with true insight and talent understand their importance. When establishing a magical workshop and performing rituals, magus usually make elaborate preparations to connect to the local ley lines, using them as the source of magical power.
However, outside of the workshop, when magus cannot directly access the ley lines, they must rely on their own magic circuits to convert their life force into magical energy, serving as the driving force for magecraft. This is referred to as the lesser source.
At this point, the physical condition of a magus plays a significant role. Therefore, a skilled magus is not just defined by the quality and quantity of their magic circuits but also by their physical attributes.
Looking at the entire Clock Tower, it's rare to find a high-ranking magus who doesn't consistently train their body to enhance their life force.
As an excellent instructor, it was natural for Kayneth to make combat arts a required course for his students.
If in the past he had only passively maintained physical exercise, after the Holy Grail War, he came to deeply realize the importance of combat arts for a magus.
Even a third-rate magus like Emiya Kiritsugu could, through modern weapons and combat skills, make many top magus meet their end. Kayneth himself took a great risk when facing him.
In actual combat, both magecraft and combat skills must be given equal attention. After returning, Kayneth secluded himself for several months, developing a unique combat technique centered around his Mystic Code, Volumen Hydrargyrum.
Not only for himself... he made combat arts a mandatory course for all students in the El-Melloi classroom. Even someone as weak as Waver was dragged into this training and, after enduring multiple rounds of meticulous beatings, transformed from someone who couldn't even kill a chicken to someone who could... his improvement was obvious.
Roy, however, was a different case. Unlike other magus, he was essentially a human Holy Grail. He didn't need to convert life force into magical energy through the lesser source... he was practically an infinite existence.
He chose to join the course simply because he found it interesting.
Kayneth had no objections. If he was already training one bird, why not train two? The more the merrier.
Moreover, he didn't believe that without the use of magecraft, Roy could defeat his meticulously developed combat technique, the El-Melloi Style Volumen Hydrargyrum Combat Arts, using only physical strength.
He also hoped to use this as an opportunity to establish his authority as a teacher.
But soon, he regretted it.
...
Ten minutes later.
*Bam!*
A heavy punch landed squarely in Kayneth's stomach. Accompanied by a dull thud, the immense force made Kayneth involuntarily spit out bile as he staggered backward. Even through his clothes, he could feel that the Volumen Hydrargyrum gathered at his chest had been dispersed by Roy's punch.
Yet, the combat lesson continued...
"Wait..."
That punch completely sobered Kayneth.
Though the rule he set for magus combat arts prohibited the use of magecraft, allowing only physical abilities and techniques to determine victory, he had armed himself with a well-crafted baton for his noble combat art, Bartitsu, while Roy fought barehanded.
He initially thought that by restricting magecraft and relying on his Volumen Hydrargyrum Combat Arts, he could easily overpower Roy and regain his authority as a teacher. But to his surprise, Roy fought even more fiercely, adapting with remarkable speed.
Having recently roamed the underworld of Fuyuki City, Roy wasn't going to stand there and take a beating like Waver. Combining his street-fighting experience with raw physical strength, Roy's unrestrained combat style began to match, and then overpower Kayneth's Bartitsu.
At this point, it still resembled a normal student-teacher sparring session.
But then, Kayneth suddenly used the Volumen Hydrargyrum during an exchange. The mercury-like liquid hidden in his sleeve transformed into a tendril, catching Roy off guard by wrapping around his leg and pulling him off balance. Kayneth seized the opportunity, regaining control with a flurry of attacks using both his baton and limbs.
"Didn't we agree not to use magical energy?"
Roy, struck by the Volumen Hydrargyrum, asked, clearly confused.
In response, Kayneth coolly replied.
"Roy, the power of a magus is not solely about physical strength. Magical energy is also a reflection of life force."
"While the rule forbids the use of magecraft, using magical energy is still within the guidelines. After all, for magus, Mystic Codes are part of the body, and magical energy is like blood, an essential component. The combat art I use integrates my Mystic Code with Bartitsu. Does that explanation make sense, Roy?"
"I see..."
Hearing Kayneth's rather stretched reasoning, Roy didn't get angry. He simply responded calmly, "Understood."
Then, clenching his fists, Roy resumed his fighting stance and nodded slightly before saying, "Please continue, Professor Kayneth."
And after that...
Well, there wasn't much more to say. Wrapping his fists with magical energy, Roy returned the favor, teaching Kayneth a lesson of his own.
Though it was difficult to control the sheer amount of magical energy at his disposal, Roy's combat style didn't require precise control or technique. He didn't need to worry about power output. Since magecraft wasn't allowed, all he had to do was focus on maximizing the magical energy covering his fists and then hit with all his strength.
It just so happened that Roy had been working on some new ideas for his fighting style recently, and this was the perfect opportunity to test them.
After all, a Lord-level magus made for an excellent test subject.
*Bam!*
Another brutal punch landed, completely shattering the Volumen Hydrargyrum Kayneth had used to shield himself, and leaving him dizzy.
At this point, Kayneth's mind was full of questions like, "Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?"
To think that his mystic code, supposedly ten times stronger than steel, could be shattered by brute force alone.
Even though Roy wasn't using any magecraft... just raw magical energy enveloping his fists... the power he wielded was comparable to a Servant.
Before Kayneth could even admit defeat, Roy's next punch was already on its way.
It wasn't a fancy technique. There was no reinforcement magic involved. Yet when it connected, the punch unleashed an overwhelming force. This wasn't due to any advanced technique but simply because Roy had channeled a massive amount of magical energy into his fist, nothing more.
However, to enhance the impact, Roy also used a surge of magical energy at the moment of contact to trap and crush his opponent's body.
The resulting force was more than just the sum of its parts.
Though it seemed like an ordinary punch, it felt like being hit by a magical explosion. Anyone hit by this would be left thinking one thing, "That hurts."
But by now, Kayneth could no longer speak, having been sent flying across the room. He crashed into the wall with a cracking sound before collapsing to the floor.
Kayneth was down for the count.
The victor was clear.
"Are you alright, Professor Kayneth?"
Seeing Kayneth roll to the ground after crashing into the wall, eyes closed and mouth open, Waver hurriedly rushed over, shouting in alarm.
Though he didn't want to admit it, watching Kayneth... who had always beaten him up during combat training... getting pounded by Roy gave him an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. However, seeing him in such a miserable state also made Waver genuinely worried.
That's why, as soon as the fight was clearly over, Waver ran to Kayneth and checked his condition.
"Cough, cough... Stop yelling, you fool, I'm fine."
Hearing Kayneth's usual sharp tone, Waver finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Since he still had the energy to insult him, it seemed Kayneth wasn't in too much danger. Thinking this, Waver quickly helped him up.
"I apologize, Professor Kayneth. I got a bit carried away and may have hit a little too hard."
After Waver spoke, Roy said, somewhat remorsefully.
In fact, he wasn't very familiar with controlling the unique battle techniques he had just used, and Kayneth's underhanded move had triggered his temper, making him take things more seriously.
This combat style, covering one's fists with magical energy and then unleashing bursts upon impact, seemed like a simple use of magical energy. But the simpler the technique, the more effective it could be, filled with subtle details.
The fact that this first real test left Professor Kayneth in such a state showed just how practical the technique was. What started as a conceptual battle method in Roy's mind had proven surprisingly powerful in reality.
"Hiss..."
Hearing Roy's words, Kayneth couldn't help but wince in pain again.
During the fight, he had no idea how many times that excruciating fist had landed. His face and various parts of his body throbbed with a burning sensation that made him grimace.
First, his carefully crafted Volumen Hydrargyrum combat technique had been effortlessly dismantled by Roy. Then, the strange force behind Roy's fists was so strong that even the protective Volumen Hydrargyrum couldn't withstand it.
What started as an attempt to teach Roy the importance of coordinating with mystic codes in combat quickly turned into a one-sided lesson where Kayneth was the student.
It was embarrassing, but Kayneth didn't feel humiliated. After all, being defeated by a Magician was hardly disgraceful.
He could still clearly recognize the vast gap between magus and Magicians.
His self-developed Volumen Hydrargyrum combat technique would be incredibly powerful against modern magus... even against other Lords or Magus of different disciplines. There was no way he should have been so thoroughly outclassed today. So clearly, the issue wasn't that he was weak; it was that Roy had grown stronger.
How long had it been? Only four months since Roy arrived in London?
Not only had Roy mastered the famous Volumen Hydrargyrum and Jewel Magecraft of the Department of Mineralogy, but he was now developing his own combat techniques.
What a monster…
Magus and Magicians truly belonged to different realms of existence. No matter which Magician you encountered, they were all genuine monsters.
Reaching the Root, touching the domain of the True Magic.
As these thoughts passed through his mind, Kayneth couldn't help but show a flash of envy in his eyes. But he quickly suppressed it, responding, "I'm fine."
Dusting off his clothes and tidying up his appearance, Kayneth quickly returned to his dignified noble persona.
Glancing at Roy, he sighed and said, somewhat helplessly, "Originally, I intended to use this combat class to teach you the importance of a Magus' physical abilities... also known as a Magus' life force... to handle unexpected situations. But it seems that's no longer necessary. You're clearly far more exceptional than I had imagined."
"Even when using my prized mystic codes, I could barely match you, let alone defeat you. Your strength has already far exceeded my expectations."
"Though I hate to admit it, aside from magical theory and experience, there's not much left that I can teach you."
"Eh?" Roy was taken aback.
"Huh?!" Waver gasped in shock. "You must be joking, right?"
Kayneth's words had clearly startled Waver.
"What? Are you doubting my judgment, Waver?" Kayneth turned to look at him.
"I wouldn't dare." Waver immediately straightened up.
"So..."
"So, Professor Kayneth, does this mean I've graduated?"
Graduating after only four months of study? Isn't that a bit too fast? While he had learned a lot from Kayneth's extensive library, the more he learned, the more he realized how vast the world of magecraft was. Even Magicians didn't have a full grasp of all the mysteries out there. Different mythologies and countless lineages held their own secrets.
"Graduating? You still have a long way to go. You've simply outgrown the need to continue learning here. You're nowhere near ready to graduate."
"The path of Magecraft is endless."
"So, what do you mean?"
"Go to the Clock Tower. You're just about ready. At this point, it's unlikely any of those fools would be able to harm you."
"You need to shine and announce yourself at the right time. I'll handle everything else for you."
"I'll arrange for you to skip a few ranks and join the El-Melloi Elite Classroom. All you need to do is continue studying Bounded Fields, Rituals, and Magecraft Theory with me."
"As for the rest of your path, that's something you'll have to carve out on your own. No one can help you with that."
"Thank you for going to such lengths for me, Professor Kayneth."
Roy nodded in gratitude.
"It's nothing. Alright, that concludes your guidance for now."
"Now it's your turn, Waver."
Waver's body stiffened immediately.
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