A Nascent Kaleidoscope. Chapter 36 - 35

Zelretch quietly wiped his face with a piece cloth he pulled from wherever he stored things. "Explain properly." He said evenly.

"Fine." I shrugged, It wasn't like I was just going to leave it there. "The world I was born in, the original demons are all dead, the term 'Satan' is used similarly as 'President or Pri Minister'. There are four Satans, of which my biological father is one of. I'm actually descended primarily through the Bael and Gremory lines of Solomon's 72 pillars."

"I don't know how to handle this." Rin said flatly.

"If it makes you feel better, modern day devils aren't much different than humans, they don't go around stealing souls or anything." Well, mostly, I'd rather not get into the whole ss with evil pieces. But they're honestly better than their demon ancestors.

"I'll freak out over this later then." Rin snorted. "I'm pretty sure the church would go ballistic if they found out."

"Yeah, probably not a good idea to ntion outside." The church does have a few monsters I would rather not tangle with right now. "It would probably be worse than the world-lines that the old man is a Dead Apostle."

"Wait, what?" Rin blinked in confusion again.

"Not relevant right now." Zelretch cut off. "I believe we are getting sidetracked."

"Well, there isn't much more to my story, that was basically a month ago and I found myself in a world I didn't recognize, but I was able to gather so resources and figure so things out."

"Curious." Zelretch looked thoughtful. "I had so preliminary thoughts about such a phenonon, but I had yet to truly put any effort into researching it as a plausible avenue."

"Why were you even looking into that?" Rin asked.

"That's...a good question I hadn't thought about yet." I was more concerned on the 'how' and hadn't even touched the 'why' yet. Nice job, Rin, you really are perceptive.

Zelretch stood up, moving towards a shelf in the corner, looking through a few books. "The Spider." He said simply.

My eyes widened, I hesitated ever so slightly. That answer caught completely off guard. I thought it through and a realization dawned on . "Was I supposed to be so kind of weapon then!?" I balled my fists, gritting the words out, but there was an obvious amount of venom present.

"Watch your tone." His said stoically, staring down at .

I stood up, matching his gaze. "Is that why you decided to finally take in a student, is she another bullet in the chamber?"

Why did I have no mories of why I took Rin in as a student in my past life, unless it was intentional.

"I do not make disposable pawns." His words were direct and cut straight through all my rampant thoughts.

Fuck!

I knew that, I knew it.

Why am I acting like this? Jumping to conclusions is not sothing I do! It was just my old insecurities acting up.

Zelretch was many things, a liar was not one of them. I cald myself down, lets hear everything out first, no need to just make assumptions with missing knowledge.

"I would like an explanation." Rin interjected, clearly unsure of what we were talking about.

"Have you not told her about the Spider yet?" I questioned him only for Zelretch to look slightly unsure. It was surprising to see that look if only for a mont.

"I have not, I did not wish to burden her with sothing like that before she was strong enough."

Yeah.....he did care about Rin I was jumping to conclusions here. I let out a breath I was holding in and fell back into my chair. "The Spider, also known as the Ultimate one of rcury, or just Type-rcury, it exists in the sa realm as the Crimson Moon. The strongest creature born from the planet it originates from."

"An Aristoteles?" Rin whispered. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Is it going to awaken soon?" Artoria spoke for the first ti in awhile.

"You would have information on it based on the Grail's systems." I muttered. "Yes, it should be awakening by the end of next century if nothing interferes."

"There's an Aristoteles on earth!?" Rin stood up, slamming her hands on the desk. "Why did no one tell about this!?"

"It's not widely spread." Zelretch spoke up. "It was better to keep any foolish enough to approach it from getting ideas."

I stood up again, and started pacing around the room, I usually do my best thinking on my feet. "Is the Beast of Gaia active....and what about the White Princess?"

"Arcueid is sleeping, and the Beast is sealed for the mont." Zelretch responded.

The Beast of Gaia, the White Wolf. One of the planet's creations ant to 'destroy' humanity. It had absolutely authority over human life, Primate Murder. It being sealed for now was good, a variable like that would be able to flip any boards we set up.

Arcueid Brunestud was another. The White Princess, the last True Ancestor and the only thing on the planet that could claim the title of 'Archetype Earth', or the ultimate one of the Earth. When fully awakened with her power, she was sothing on the sa level as the Spider. It was basically a creation of the Crimson Moon, Type-Moon, as a ans to 'reincarnate' onto Gaia without interference from the planet. Didn't work out in the end, but we got another powerful entity that could flip the board.

"How bad is the situation?" I finally asked.

"All my simulations have either failed or resulted in a pyrrhic victory." Zelretch admitted with no small amount of concern flashing across his face.

"Can soone please tell what's going on?" Rin sighed. "I feel like everyone is talking around ."

I looked at her and then to Zelretch who gave a small nod. "It started when the Age of Gods began to decline. The planet foresaw that Humanity would kill it in the far future, eventually living on its dead husk. It sought out the only other figure that could judge it, another celestial body, and the Moon answered. That's where the story ends for most people as they all know the tale of Zelretch defeating the Crimson Moon. What most don't know about is a prophecy into the far future, where on its last breath, Gaia calls to the other Celestial Bodies to purge humanity from its corpse. Type-rcury received the call thousands of years too early and crashed in the Rainforests of South Arica where it now slumbers."

"All data gathered so far indicates that the Spider will awaken within the next hundred years or so. I've run countless simulations, creating new variables, and planning new strategies. But it seems like everything I have done so far only manages to trade the whole of humanity for its destruction in the best-case scenario." Zelretch finished.

"Which is where I apparently co in." I sighed, rubbing my temples.

"You're a reincarnation of Zelretch." Rin replied quietly. "It makes sense now."

Zelretch smiled. "Indeed." He looked over to . "I had a thought a few years ago, about a '' that wasn't bound to the sa 'rules' as I was."

Rules. That was it, that was what I was missing, so obvious! Zelretch is the Kaleidoscope, he has a certain 'authority' that cos with that, things I couldn't do while he still exists. He can choose certain possibilities and force them to co true, that is one of his greatest 'treasures'. A ti-line he 'views' will beco the true one among the infinite possibilities. That's why he has to 'simulate' instead of simply watching.

"I'm not bound by the sa rules, I lack your 'authority' but I can do things you can't." I shared a look with him, he apparently already thought this out. "No wonder." I whispered.

"It's more than that, you aren't " He smiled, almost grandfatherly.

"I'm not you." I repeated, not quite sure how to feel after hearing that.

"What are we but our experiences? You have my mories but haven't lived through it, you are you and I am ." He said gently. "You will therefore think differently, do things I didn't and thus co to different conclusions."

I am not Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg.

I am just .

And I was okay with that.

"I guess its too late to ask you for so training?" I snorted in laughter.

He smiled but shook his head. "It would be best for you to develop without my input."

Yeah, I already realized that, well fuck I'm back to square one, but now the damn Spider is hanging over my head. "I guess that's why my mories end around here. How many other variables have you tried to introduce?"

I doubt I was the only 'thing' he tried so far. Hell, I can only imagine he threw everything at the wall and hoped sothing stuck.

"Too many to count." He rubbed his eyes, looking much more tired that normal. "I've wasted many resources with almost nothing to show for it. If you are here now though, that ans sothing worked, and how knows, maybe others may also co to fruition at so point."

Rin was probably one of the easiest variables to introduce, a well trained apprentice adept at the Kaleidoscope would be invaluable.

No wonder he had her sit in on this discussion, it was better for everyone to be on the sa page. He truly does not do things for no reason. Even Artoria being here, no doubt he ddled with the Grail War sohow, her Noble Phantasm would be invaluable in the future.

A sudden realization hit . "The Holy Grail." Rin and Artoria both stared at abruptly. "That's why you helped create it initially, allowed for its creation and why it persisted until now." No wonder that was another hole in my mories.

"Good." He nodded his head. "It is as you say, I had to suffer that infernal contraption because it allowed us so miniscule success against the Spider in so simulations."

It was unlikely the Counter Force would put any showing against the Spider if this world wasn't worth saving, it was just removing its direct interference and allow this 'branch' to be cut from the 'tree'. Being able to summon Heroic Spirits, servants, would be invaluable in the inevitable fight.

"What about the strategies from other world-lines, there are plenty that managed to survive past the spider's awakening."

He shook his head. "This world-line is....not unique but different than most. While either Gaia or Alaya are usually favored, this one is almost even, just barely in Alaya's favor. Most other strategies do not work because of this."

"...You made sure this was the world-line I popped into, didn't you?" I stopped in my tracks, and turned towards him.

His lips curled up into a smirk. "Well done."

"Since when have you been aware of ?" He said he hadn't even began to experint with whatever allowed to exist, so when did he notice ?

"The first ti you used the Kaleidoscope." He didn't hide the truth.

"So, you know where to look for your future experints then." I just nodded, I wasn't exactly upset, he was acting exactly as I would after all. It was a good world; the reincarnation cycle was much easier to ddle with since things like 'Sacred Gears' were being reborn alongside human souls. I was willing to bet that was the system he piggybacked on to do this initially. "Well, I guess you wouldn't mind supporting with resources?"

"What kind of grandfather would I be if I didn't give my little grandson so pocket change?" He raised an eyebrow, and we shared a small laugh.

Well, shit, now I need to find soone else to teach ....