[Hereafter] Chapter CXLIV: Wayward Student (Patreon)

In what seems to be Hereafter's most recent tradition, this one changed names at the very last moment. I realized that I have another chapter in this Singularity that may in fact need to have the "Legacy" title, so I'm saving it for that. Of course, I've done that before, and never wound up actually playing the card I held onto, but on the off chance...

Anyway. Alchemy battles are hard. FMA did such a damn good job — in no small part because Arakawa really did her research — that it's hard not to make the comparison, especially with masters of the craft who aren't limited to prepared wires and don't have the luxury of just throwing energy at a problem until it works out how you want it to the way Illya can. I tried to make it feel both familiar and unique, but I might have failed.

Also, the relationship between these two isn't canon to Nasuverse, but I thought it added something if there was a line connecting them beyond the most obvious one.

EDIT: Moving down all the way. 5/19/24