A Fake Familiar Reborn

Chapter 15: Training Part 2

Beta read by Shigiya, Paragon of Awesomeness and Maglad.

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-Basement-

"I didn't expect that this place would have a basement."

Walking through the dimly lit stairs, Archer couldn't help but comment as he gazed at the redhead in front of him who brought him here. Her movements still showed signs of stiffness and periodic cramps despite her Devil constitution's recovery rate. At least Yuuto showed no trouble this morning along with Koneko - though for the Knight their prior training had likely helped in that regard. And as for the Rook's recovery, he suspected it had to do with her other origin. Issei could barely move or even get out of bed, Akeno had still been in a deep slumber and was even drooling on her pillow, sleeping like a baby showing no signs of waking up, and Asia had taken it upon herself to use her Twilight Healing once again on everyone despite being equally exhausted.

Her first patient being none other than Rias by his request.

As soon as she woke up, he asked his Master to guide him to this mysterious Bishop of hers. Every moment before the Rating Game counted, as their mindsets had to be in the right place to better themselves. If they kept up the idea of him taking care of everything, then that would inadvertently risk the possibility of the whole peerage becoming over-reliant on him.

What he said to Akeno last night and her subsequent reaction was just further evidence of this problem. She had been utterly shocked at the idea of him disappearing one day, as if it would never happen even after he repeatedly and meticulously explained to everyone the role of a Servant and the temporary nature of his existence. Sure the rules of this world differed vastly from his own, with another unknown factor keeping him anchored to this world, but Archer never once deluded himself with the idea that there wouldn't be any problems that wouldn't arise or that it would change the fate that awaited every Servant.

Someone was behind the magic that brought him to this world. Rias' explanation of an old mage having created the summoning spell only answered one question from his ever growing list. Someone or something - at this very moment - continued to supply him with Mana converted into the kind of Magical Energy he was familiar with, to keep him anchored from the continuous force trying to pull him back to the Throne.

Many different names came up in his mind, and first and foremost among them was that of a certain Wizard Marshal - but that idea instantly got thrown out as soon as it appeared. He'd only ever encountered that monster on exceedingly rare instances, and his demeanor left a deep impression on the bowman's mind. That person would never meddle with such things or even attempt to recreate a Holy Grail War outside the original reality. Sure he had his quirks like any other Magus, but not to the extent of doing something so drastic and dangerous.

Honestly, the only way for the summoning knowledge to reach this world meant that someone crossed over here or... a being from this world managed to tear through space and time to reach his world. Given how absurdly the magic system operated in this world, the latter option just seemed far more likely and also added more to his stress.

'If there is a Magus like Zeltrech back in my world, what's stopping there being an entity here with similar powers, or even multiple ones?' Worrisome, far too worrisome for his liking. His paranoid side wondered if Rias stumbling upon that summoning circle really had been an accident, or if the mage in question would turn out to be nothing but a sacrificial puppet to someone else. Even worse, whether or not there were more similar instances elsewhere in the world with the potential to bring forth other Servants remained a complete mystery.