The Fool Is Born

Subaru and Al got to work, gathering the materials from the pouch Al had given him earlier. The dimly lit alchemist lab had an eerie atmosphere, with bubbling liquids in glass vials and faintly glowing runes inscribed on the walls.

Subaru carefully laid out the ingredients on the table, muttering to himself. "Alright, if I remember correctly, the Fool Pathway requires… a mystical silver extract, a drop of purified chaos essence, and something to stabilize it… Al, pass me the Moonlit Dew."

Al rummaged through the pouch and pulled out a small vial filled with a shimmering liquid. "Here, but are you sure this is how Klein did it in Lord of the Mysteries?"

Subaru smirked. "More or less. I'm improvising where needed, but the concept is solid. Fool is about deception, adaptability, and understanding the hidden. If I screw up, worst case, I explode. Best case, I awaken hidden abilities and unlock crazy potential."

Al raised an eyebrow. "The fact that explosion is still on the table is kinda concerning, Bro."

Subaru poured the Moonlit Dew into the cauldron, watching the liquid swirl and turn a deep purple. He then carefully added the purified chaos essence. The moment it touched the surface, the potion hissed, releasing black smoke that formed eerie shapes before dissipating.

[Satella whispered in his mind. "The essence of Fool… It suits you well, my love."]

Subaru ignored the butterflies that Satella's voice always gave him and focused on stabilizing the mixture. He added the mystical silver extract, stirring slowly as the potion's color shifted from deep purple to a translucent gray.

Al peered over his shoulder. "That's looking… kinda ominous."

Subaru chuckled. "That means it's working. Now we just need the final catalyst."

He reached into his Sin System inventory and pulled out a single playing card—the Joker. He had obtained it from a strange loot box the system had given him weeks ago, and now he finally had a use for it.

Subaru took a deep breath and dropped the Joker card into the potion. The cauldron trembled violently before the liquid suddenly turned completely clear. A moment later, it condensed into a small vial of silvery liquid.

Al whistled. "Damn, you actually did it."

Subaru held up the vial, staring at it with a mix of excitement and apprehension. "Yeah… The Fool's Sequence 9 potion. 'Clown of the Unknown.'"

Al smirked. "That name suits you too well, Bro."

Subaru sighed. "I swear, if I get clown powers from this, I'm gonna throw hands with fate."

[Roswaal sneezed somewhere in the capital, feeling inexplicably insulted.]

Subaru carefully stored the potion in his Sin System inventory, watching as it vanished into his personal storage space. "Alright, one down. Tomorrow, we make Salvation."

Al clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Let's just hope we don't have to repeat the whole 'Return by Death' process again, huh?"

Subaru groaned. "Trust me, I'd rather not get punched into orbit by Minerva again."

[Minerva snorted in his head. "Then don't do anything stupid. Again."]

With their work done for the night, the two left the alchemist lab, stepping out into the cool night air. Subaru glanced up at the stars, gripping the vial hidden in his inventory.

"One step closer to my decision."

Subaru looked at the pouch as he spoke. "You know I am kinda surprised that this world has the same ingredients as in Lord Of The Mysteries".

[Echidna then spoke in his head. "That is because of Me and Pandora, let's say we did some experiments with Flugle"]

Subaru blinked as he heard Echidna's voice in his head. "Wait, hold up. You're telling me that you and Pandora—one of the most broken witches in existence—were messing around with Flugel, the Flugel, and somehow ended up recreating ingredients from Lord of the Mysteries?"

[Echidna chuckled. "Oh? You caught that rather quickly. Yes, though 'recreating' is a strong word. Let's just say that certain ideas transcend worlds, and we may have… helped nature along in a few areas."]

Subaru rubbed his temples. "Okay, great. Now I have to deal with the fact that this world might have hidden pathways beyond what I already know. And knowing you, you probably wrote a book about it, didn't you?"

[Echidna giggled. "Oh, I did. But don't bother looking for it. Pandora has it, and she's not one to share freely."]

Subaru sighed, looking over at Al. "Welp, turns out my headache just got bigger. The reason these ingredients exist here is because two witches decided to play god."

Al, who had long accepted the absurdity of his new reality, just shrugged. "I mean, sounds about right. Not the weirdest thing I've heard today."

Subaru deadpanned. "What was the weirdest thing you heard today?"

Al smirked. "Roswaal's book outselling yours."

Subaru groaned. "Damn clown."

[Echidna hummed. "Oh, but Roswaal is quite the talented writer. I read an early draft. It was rather entertaining, though I think he exaggerated your love life quite a bit."]

Subaru sighed. "Great. Just great. Not only do I have to worry about potion-making and potential explosions, but now I also have to live with the fact that my life is bestselling romantic comedy material."

Al clapped his shoulder. "Welcome to fame, bro."

Subaru shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside. He had a potion to brew and a choice to make. "Alright, back to work. Let's get Salvation done tomorrow, and then I'll finally decide which pathway I'm following."

[Satella's voice whispered gently. "No matter which path you choose… I will always watch over you."]

Subaru smiled faintly. "Yeah… I know."

Subaru then put the potion of the Fool Pathway in his inventory. "So Al how are you able too help when Priscilla is will Priscilla".

Al looked as he spoke. "Will she and Emilia after the Black Smoke Incident and you getting the Witch's Edge do have this 2 days a week chess match, so she told to do what I want while they have there Match".

Subaru shuddered as he recalled those chess matches. "Yeah… the ones that last four hours because neither of them wants to lose. I swear, I walked in once, and the room felt like a battlefield."

Al smirked. "You're telling me. Last time, I made the mistake of saying 'just resign already,' and Priscilla nearly had me executed on the spot."

Subaru chuckled. "Sounds about right. I bet Emilia just ignored you and kept playing."

Al nodded. "Yep. She was too focused. I don't think she even heard me."

Subaru sighed. "So, in other words, we have exactly four hours of freedom every time they play. We should probably use that time wisely."

Al crossed his arms. "And by 'wisely,' you mean messing around with dangerous potions and possibly blowing ourselves up?"

Subaru grinned. "Exactly."

Al shook his head but didn't argue. "Alright, so we'll handle the Salvation Pathway potion tomorrow. You sure you don't wanna decide now?"

Subaru glanced at the Fool Pathway potion in his inventory, then exhaled. "Nah. I'll sleep on it. No need to rush."

Al nodded. "Fair enough. Just don't take too long. The last thing we need is some new disaster popping up before you're ready."

Subaru laughed dryly. "With my luck? Yeah, that's probably gonna happen anyway."

Later that night after Subaru had went too sleep.

As Subaru was looking at the Potion of the Fool Pathway as he looked at it. "You know I never in my thoughts I will be something like this".

Minerva then spoke look at him as she spoke. "So quick Question, what will you do with the other pathway after unlocking it".

Subaru thought for a bit and spoke. "Give too someone I can trust".

Minerva crossed her arms as she eyed him. "And who exactly do you trust enough to give a damn Sequence potion to?"

Subaru rubbed the back of his head. "Well… it has to be someone reliable, someone who won't misuse it, and someone who's already involved in all this craziness."

Echidna's voice chimed in. "A rather short list, I'd imagine."

Subaru sighed. "Yeah. Honestly, I was thinking of either Emilia or Otto. But Emilia already has her own magic and stuff, and Otto… well, he's Otto."

Minerva huffed. "You're avoiding the real issue. The Fool Pathway is one thing, but the Salvation Pathway? That's a dangerous road. You can't just hand it off like it's a party favor."

Subaru nodded, his expression serious. "I know. That's why I need time to think about it. I don't want to make the wrong choice."

Just then, Pandora's voice echoed in his mind, smooth and unsettling. "Why not keep both? After all, power is best kept in the hands of those who understand its value."

Subaru frowned. "And what? Try to handle two pathways at once? I don't think that's even possible."

Echidna chuckled. "Oh, it's possible. It's just… inadvisable. But hey, when has that ever stopped you?"

Subaru groaned, lying back on his bed and staring at the ceiling. "I swear, you guys make my life more complicated every day."

Minerva smirked. "Get used to it, idiot. Now, are you drinking that potion or what?"

Subaru stared at the Fool Pathway potion in his hands, heart pounding. "Yeah… let's get this over with." He uncorked the bottle and, without another thought, downed it in one go.

Typhon then looked at him as she spoke. "Why not give one too Lucifer Big Brother".

Subaru looked as he spoke. "Clarify Which Lucifer".

Sekhmet yawn as she spoke. "She means the Kid on the Roswaal Machine with the Yang Magic who is being trained by Puck not the angel".

Subaru let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, that Lucifer. You had me thinking of the other one for a second."

Minerva crossed her arms. "Still, do you think it's a good idea to give that kind of power to a kid?"

Echidna smirked. "That depends on how much Subaru trusts him. Besides, if he's training under Puck, he already has decent potential."

Subaru looked at the Fool Pathway potion in his hand, deep in thought. "I'll think about it. I want to see how he handles himself before handing out something this important."

Typhon pouted. "Boooring! Just give it to him and see what happens!"

Sekhmet yawned again. "Or... don't. Your call, Barusu."

Subaru rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I'll decide after I see more of what he can do."

Subaru raised an eyebrow at Carmilla. "That bad, huh?"

Carmilla shivered slightly. "I-it's not just a book... i-it's like looking at r-reality being rewritten in r-real-time."

Pandora giggled, resting a finger on her lips. "Oh, Carmilla, you're making it sound way more ominous than it really is."

Minerva crossed her arms. "No, she isn't. That thing is dangerous."

Subaru sighed, rubbing his temple. "So, in other words, it's a reality-altering book written by you, Pandora."

Pandora tilted her head. "Aren't all books reality-altering in a way? They shape perception, influence thought… even your stories about 'Naruto' and 'Shadow Slave' are doing the same."

Subaru groaned. "Yeah, but those don't risk breaking the laws of the world."

Pandora just smirked. "Are you sure about that?"

Minerva then looked as she spoke. "Anyway that is enough let's get too writing the Volume 6 of Naruto and Shadow Slave Volume 4".

Subaru Streath as he pulled out the manuscripts and pen. "Alright let's Start, Volume 5 ended with the Gaara rescue arc".

Minerva looked at him as she spoke. "Yeah, now let's start writing the new of Shippuden, I wonder what arc will end Volume".

Subaru spoke as he started too write. "Probably with another arc that finally have Naruto go up the ninja ranks".

Pandora chuckled. "You know, Subaru, you're essentially rewriting history in this world. These stories didn't exist before you."

Subaru smirked, spinning his pen between his fingers. "Well, if I can't use reality-altering books like yours, I might as well shape this world's entertainment industry instead."

Minerva nodded. "Alright, focus up. Volume 6 will cover the start of Shippuden, so we're looking at Naruto's return, the Akatsuki making moves, and setting up future conflicts."

Carmilla hesitantly raised a hand. "W-what about S-Shadow Slave?"

Subaru grinned. "Oh, that one's getting spicy. Volume 4 is gonna introduce a major turning point. More mysteries, more power struggles, and of course, epic fights."

Sekhmet yawned. "You work too much. Why not take a break and just sleep?"

Subaru sighed. "Sekhmet, if I stopped writing now, Reinhard's book would overtake mine in sales. Do you really want that?"

The witches all exchanged glances before shaking their heads.

Minerva slammed her fist onto the table. "Alright then, let's get this done!"

After writing the Manuscripts or Half the Manuscripts of both work's, as after that was done, he was busy helping Carmilla get over her stuttering problem again.

Subaru sat across from Carmilla, watching as she fidgeted with her fingers. "Alright, Carmilla, let's go over this again. Take a deep breath, and say the sentence clearly."

Carmilla took a shaky breath. "S-Subaru... I w-want t-to h-help y-you."

Subaru sighed, offering her an encouraging smile. "You're improving, but you're still hesitating. Try to slow down and focus on each word."

Minerva crossed her arms, watching from the side. "You know, Subaru, at this rate, you're basically her speech therapist."

Subaru shrugged. "Well, considering she helped me out before, it's only fair I return the favor."

Carmilla blushed slightly but nodded, trying again. "Subaru... I want to help you."

Subaru clapped his hands. "See? Much better! Keep practicing, and soon enough, you won't even need to think about it."

Carmilla smiled softly. "T-thank you."

Sekhmet yawned. "You really are way too nice to everyone, huh?"

Subaru smirked. "Well, someone has to be."

To be continued

Hope people like this Ch and give me power stones and enjoy