The small fire sat in the middle of my palm as sweat rolled down my face. Finally I was able to do it without using Loki or the ring, but it took forever...

Erica was next to me, looking similarly tired as a small ball of water floated in her hand.

The sound of clapping filled our ears as we watched Merlin walk over to us.

"Good job!" She cheered.

"That took forever." I stated. "There's no way this is efficient..."

"We'll, not at first." Merlin agreed. "Because what you two just did was create a mana vein."

"What?" Erica and I simultaneously asked at the same time.

"You see, while mana is the fuel for your magic and your mana core is your tank, you still need the output in order to release that magic." She stated.

"That is the mana veins. Unfortunately, they don't come naturally and take time and effort to create, which is why you two are so tired right now." She explained.

"You two created a vein from the mana core in your soul to your hand, which is where the element is appearing from. These mana veins are what makes using magic easier in the future." She continued.

"You can do it without mana veins, but mana veins allows the mana to flow through your body easier. So right now you both have one mana vein." She added.

"Right, mana veins." Loki commented. "We called them something different back in the day, but I had thousands."

Really?

"Of course! I was the best god of magic!" Loki grinned.

Impressive, because doing this one took forever...

Merlin continued. "Now that you've done one mana vein, the others should come quicker. They'll be just as much work though."

"I want you two to create multiple mana veins before we start moving on to other things." She stated. "Making a good foundation is best before we start with other things."

"Okay..." Erica and I sighed.

We have to make even more of these? Of course...

I started to get to work on pushing the mana through my body. This time I worked my way towards the other hand.

"Hey Ken." Merlin said, walking over to me.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Do you know what that red lightning is?" She wondered.

"No, I don't." I replied, making Merlin let out a sigh.

"Even Loki doesn't know." I added.

"Loki?" She asked, here eyes widening.

"Uh...yeah?" I replied. "My Arcana?"

"You can...talk to Loki...?!" She gasped.

"Yeah. Isn't that normal?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I can also talk to my Arcana." Erica added. "I thought that was a normal thing."

"No! Not at all!" Merlin exclaimed.

What? I was pretty sure that in the anime you unlocked the ability to talk to your Arcana after Tier 2. Everyone else also thought that.

So the collective fan base of Heaven's Hell got that completely wrong? Seriously?

I mean, the story does only follow Erica and we only hear her thoughts, including when she talks to her Arcana...

How interesting.

"Huh." Loki commented. "That means I'm special."

I think it means that I'm special.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Replied Loki.

"So..." I started up another conversation. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Not inherently..." Merlin sighed. "Just...be careful. Arcana's are powerful tools...sometimes too powerful."

Is she insinuating what I'm thinking?

"Probably." Loki commented. "But don't worry, I would never do that!"

You're the most famous God of Lies.

Loki let out a mock gasp. "Do you not trust me? After all we've been through?"

If you're doing the puppy eyes right now, just know that I can't see them.

"Damn it." Loki muttered. "One of my greatest weapons, countered."

"Wait." Merlin suddenly realized. "Who are you talking to Erica? Your Arcana is Excalibur, and Excalibur never had a conscious."

"Arthur." Erica stated.

"Arthur?!" Merlin gasped. "Are you...serious..?"

"Yeah." Erica nodded, confused at Merljn's reaction.

Erica's eyes suddenly went out of focus as she looked over to the side. "Eh?" She let out.

Excalibur manifested in Erica's hands, taking all three of us by surprise. Then it started to glow, taking us by surprise even further.

"Hello Merlin." A regal sounding voice spoke from the sword.

It talked?!

"It talked?!" Gasped Loki.

What the hell?! Can you do that?!

"I don't know. Wanna try?" Loki asked.

No.

"You're no fun." He pouted.

"A-Arthur..." Gasped Merlin, starting to tear up. "I-is it really you...?"

"Well, I am King Arthur. However, in my world you weren't...well, a girl. I'm the Arthur from this world." Arthur awkwardly replied.

"O-oh, of course..." Merlin muttered sadly, wiping the tears from the edges of her eyes.

"I'm sorry." Arthur said.

"It's fine." Merlin shook her head. "It's just...been a while."

"It has." Arthur nodded. "You remind me of my Merlin. Just less...girl."

"You remind me of my own Arthur. Just less human." Smirked Merlin.

"...Well played." Sighed Arthur.

Erica shuffled over to me, still holding the glowing Excalibur. "Am I the only one confused?" She whispered.

"I think I know what's going on." I whispered back.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Im not going to tell you." I smirked.

"Ken!" Hissed Erica.

Heh.

The two are bonding. And if I'd have to guess, over a dead one. Or two. Merlin's Arthur is likely dead, and Arthur's Merlin is likely dead as well.

Or maybe he's also an Arcana.

"So, if you became an Arcana as well, just like all the others..." Merlin started to ask. "Why is the Arcana Excalibur? And not Arthur?"

"Can't you just look into the past to see with your Clairvoyance?" Arthur questioned.

"It would take more time, having to find the exact time and place. It's easier asking you now." Merlin explained.

"Alright. Well, I'm a little different than other Arcana's..." Arthur stated. "Back during the Great Mythological War, my Merlin sealed me as I was dying into Excalibur as a desperate attempt to save me."

"I bet he had no idea that I would basically become a Pseudo-Arcana." Arthur added.

"Wait, so what's the difference?" Questioned Erica.

"I'm not completely sure, but likely the fact that I'm able to talk to you like this unlike other Arcana's." He theorized.

"Then why can Ken talk to Loki?" Erica wondered.

"I'm not sure." Arthur replied.

"Wait, let's all back up here a second. What in the hell is the Great Mythological War?" I questioned.

"Right...that..." Loki muttered.

"Did you ever wonder why this world is filled with such huge amounts of mana, yet we only have humans, Arcana's, and a couple of other species?" Merlin asked.

"Not really, no." I admitted.

"Well, not every world has the same amount of mana, the worlds that contain more magic are because that world contains more magic." She stated.

"A long time ago, there were many types of magic and many magical figures. The world was completely filled with magic." She continued.

"You now know them as myths. Greek, Egyptian, Celtic, Norse, and even Arthurian Legend." She added.

"But with all of these different powers, it was inevitable that they would eventually clash. And thus they did, creating one of the most devastating wars of all time." Merlin explained.

"The Great Mythological War. The war that killed off almost every single mythological figure." She stated.

"I'm surprised you know so much." Arthur commented.

"Well, I did have plenty of time to look into the past. I never did encounter you in my search though." Merlin replied.

"The Great Mythological War...I don't want to think about it..." Loki muttered.

You alright?

"I'm fine. It's just something I wouldn't want to remember. I like chaos and all, but not straight up genocide." Loki replied.

Huh. Thought you'd want that.

"Maybe in the past...but not anymore." Loki stated.

Is that why you never told me about this?

"Yes. That and the fact that it never really came up in topic." Loki commented.

Fair point.

"Alright, that's enough talk for now." Merlin stated. "You two need to continue creating those mana veins. Arthur, Loki, make sure you two don't help them."

"Roger!" Loki replied.

You know she can't hear you, right?

"You better start making those mana veins, boy!" Loki replied, his voice slowly fading. I could hear the grin on his face.

Damn it.