Of Aura and Ethernano (Fairy Tail/ Jaune Arc SI): Chapter 23

X783, Crocus.

I felt searing pain straight from my soul as the implantation process continued.

The soothing presence of Wendy’s magic, combined with my own Aura Boost, healed any damage done to my body, yet the pain remained all the same.

Thankfully, I had long since mastered the ability to not reveal my pain through my expressions, so I avoided worrying Wendy and the others, but I don’t know how long I can retain that kind of control, given the pain I felt.

Seriously, it is a kind of pain that is beyond words.

Like every nerve in my body was on fire, with magma flowing through my veins, a white hot rod inserted into my spine, high-voltage electricity flowing through my brain, and the worst kind of acid poured on my skin.

It was simply unbearable.

However, I knew that I must persist if my experiment is to succeed, and I gained the ability to use magic.

I felt the Lacrima slowly sink into my soul, its innate magic clashing with my Aura as it tried to create an artificial Magic Container as I wanted it to.

However, just as I felt my Aura and the Magic within the Lacrima reach an equilibrium, the Lacrima suddenly lost its integrity and started fracturing.

It was only because I was completely focused on it and was prepared for the rejection that I was able to eject it out of my body, just in time for it to explode like a grenade.

The others were spared from the blast thanks to the Rune barrier that I had set up beforehand with the help of a few Rune mages that I had hired a few days ago.

I gave a tired sigh as I tried to get up, only to have Mira and Elfman help me up from my sitting position.

“Another failure. The Lacrima was too weak to handle my power.”

Dawn just snorted at my words as Owen gave me a look that was part exasperation and part worry.

“I told you, Jaune. Implanting a Lacrima with innate magics in it only works when the person in question does not have magic or has yet to awaken their magic. Since you already have your magic awakened and have even achieved S-Rank with it, it was a given that the Lacrima would be rejected by your body.”

Dawn nodded at his subordinate’s words as he passed a pain relief potion to me.

“Owen’s right. Jaune. The only way for you to succeed in this is if you find Lacrima with lost magics in them, since those kinds of high-level magics are inherently resilient and can withstand the pressure of your existing magic. However, that is practically impossible to do since they are called ‘Lost Magics’ for a reason.”

At those words, I could not help but sigh and sit down, even as my guildmates gave me worried looks and a scathing one. Three guesses on who was the annoyed one.

I felt a weight settle on my head as two paws swatted at me in anger, which hid her worry.

‘Speak of the devil.’

“How long are you going to worry Wendy and the others with your idiotic actions!?”

I chuckled at Carla’s words and silently patted her head. Her worry was apparent to me since she did not swat away my hand right away, and let me pet her for a few seconds before swatting away my hand.

On the other hand, i felt the worried trills of my baby girl who was already curled up on my chest, making me feel guilty.

However, how am I to tell them that my desperation to learn magic was not just because I wanted to be strong, but also because I wanted to protect them as well?

In the many years I have spent in this world, my memories of Earth have long since started to fade, and my memories of Remnant have already started to take the back seat, being replaced by the happy times of this world.

However, paradoxically, it was only recently that a vague memory from my life on Earth was revealed to me before fading again.

An anime poster and vague recollection of its title.

Fairy Tail. An anime that Trevor loved and said had a lot of dark themes despite its happy-go-lucky cast.

Despite it being an anime, and the world I live in being completely real, there was one image that has been haunting me ever since that recollection.

The image of Wendy and Carla alongside the main cast of the show, who were without a doubt members of the Fairy Tail guild from Fiore, their guild symbol boldly present on her shoulder.

The girl I know loves Cait Shelter with all her heart and would never leave it behind, no matter what.

For her to join Fairy Tail, I cannot imagine what happened to Cait Shelter in the show, and it worries me a lot.

That is why I have been desperately searching for ways to become stronger than I already am. Strong enough to destroy anything that would threaten the lives of my loved ones.

To that end, I have been trying to find ways to wield magic, especially Caster-Type magic.

This latest experiment of trying to implant Magic Lacrima within my body was one such effort that has proven to be a failure.

“Sorry for worrying you guys.”

“It’s fine. Just keep your own health in mind before taking such risks. And whatever you are thinking of facing with all that power, don’t forget that you don’t have to do it alone.”

I just nodded at those words and continued silently drinking the potion along with some juice to dilute the bitter taste of the medicine.

Unfortunately, I cannot tell the truth to these people that I call my friends. Not yet.

That night, sleep did not come to me, just like it had been eluding me for the last few days, ever since I remembered that particular memory from the past.

I have always been a failure, both as David Thornton and Jaune Arc.

Especially Jaune Arc, where my life was the incarnation of failure.

I failed to choose a proper path in my childhood. To persuade my parents to receive training as an aspiring Huntsman. The result was that I wasted my childhood in regular school instead of training. Because I was too timid to go against my Father.

I failed as a Huntsman-in-training. I was nowhere near prepared for the life of a Huntsman and stole the rightful place of someone truly deserving by forging my way into Beacon. If it were not for Pyrrha saving me during Initiation and unlocking my Aura, I have no doubt that I would have died then and there.

Then, I failed as a partner. I failed Pyrrha when she needed me the most. Because I was too weak. Lacking in skill and power. I did not even awaken my semblance by then. A failure that resulted in her death.

I failed as Huntsman. When we faced Cinder Fall and her goons at Haven, I had the perfect opportunity to take her out, if only I could control my emotional outburst and act as a proper Huntsman. But that is not what happened. I let her get the better of me by pushing my buttons, which nearly cost Weiss her life. The only thing that went right that night was that my semblance awakened in the right moment to save her life, which was more her luck than my competence.

Then, I failed to protect Oscar from the Hound in Atlas. I failed to protect team RWBY from falling from that Bridge. I failed to keep my promise to Nora and Ren. I failed to protect Alyx from the Cat. I failed to keep my promise to Ruby that I would go with them through the door to Remnant, and instead fought the Cat to death to buy them time to escape.

Failure after Failure, all the way to my death.

The famed Rusted Knight that every child grows up idolizing is nothing more than a failure throughout his life.

How pathetic.

But this time, things will be different.

This time, I will stop at nothing to become strong. So strong that nobody would even dare look at my family with ill intent. So strong that nobody would dare cross me.

So strong that I will never fail again.

And if I have to endure ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times, or even more of the pain that I felt today?

Then so be it.

I promised myself that I would never lose anything ever again.

And an Arc never goes back on his word, no matter what the cost.