Chapter 63: The Spark Called Determination
The airliner taxied gradually along the long runway, its speed building layer by layer. Upon reaching sufficient velocity, accompanied by a surge of G-force pressing them into their seats, it took flight like a gull skimming the sea, soaring into the night sky adorned with scattered stars.
Having reached cruising altitude, Shirou could only see small pinpricks of light amidst the vast, dark terrain through the tiny window. As far as this life was concerned, it was his first time on a plane, and being in the year 1994 gave the experience a strange sense of novelty.
Looking out the window at the dim layers of clouds drifting by under the moonlight, Shirou's gaze was deeply captivated. Lost in a dreamlike state, his thoughts wandered aimlessly until a steady, weathered voice reached his ears.
"Orihara Shirou, what is it that you seek?"
Shirou glanced at Saber sitting beside him; the girl's expression showed no reaction. That voice was being transmitted into Shirou's ears via some form of magecraft, so no one else would hear it. He couldn't even detect who was doing it.
After confirming this, Shirou leaned back against his seat, closed his eyes, and answered the question in his mind.
"To protect my family, at any cost. And if possible, to save those who were meant to die alongside them."
While Shirou didn't consider himself a "saint," the pain and despair he felt during his previous death were still vivid. He wanted to spare those people from the agony of the black mud. Having witnessed it firsthand, he truly could not stand by and watch if he had the power to act.
Then, the aged voice spoke again.
"Are you aware? This world has undergone a massive upheaval because of you. I do not know why you possess such miraculous power, but this world has indeed restarted several times... and because of that, countless parallel worlds have begun to converge, merging into the form this world takes now."
Hearing this, Shirou's pupils trembled slightly. Suddenly, he understood. No wonder this world was different from his previous memories. Multiple deaths and multiple restarts had made this world increasingly chaotic. Beyond this, the world might even face unpredictable crises because of it.
With these problems appearing one after another, the fact that someone knew about his "restarts" actually became secondary. Shirou could now roughly guess the identity of the person speaking to him.
In the Nasuverse, there is only one person capable of observing parallel worlds while remaining independent of them. The man with many aliases: "The Wizard Marshall," "Kaleidoscope," and "Jewel Zelretch."
He who can wield the Second Magic.
—Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg.
The Second Magic is the proof and application of parallel worlds; Zelretch proved that there is room for the world to unfold in different ways. While maintaining his own identity, Zelretch moves freely across multiple existing parallel worlds. His alias "Kaleidoscope" comes from the fact that he can peer into countless parallel dimensions.
Zelretch's method of moving between parallel worlds involves transferring his soul into "jewels" located on different timelines of Earth. Shirou had indeed obtained a gem from the Tohsaka residence, and during his battle with Gilgamesh, that gem had mysteriously provided him with magical energy.
'But why would the Wizard Marshall help me?'
The moment the thought surfaced, Shirou couldn't help but smile. Hadn't enough strange things already happened to him and around him? The man had just said that countless parallel worlds had merged into this one, so no matter how chaotic or absurd things became, they were starting to seem "logical" to Shirou.
The old man was not evil, so Shirou didn't treat him as a mortal enemy.
"So, why are you telling me all this?"
Shirou's sudden use of honorifics made the old man laugh.
"Hahaha, child, I am not your enemy. I am simply curious about your 'personality'."
"Personality?"
Shirou was taken bck. His personality shouldn't be that complex, right?
At that moment, with his eyes closed, light suddenly appeared in Shirou's pitch-black, abyss-like vision. A gloomy sky, a terminal black sun, burning streets, desperate people... and himself in the midst of it all, constantly searching for a way to live.
The memory fragments that had been blurred by the restarts were finally complete. In this form, Shirou witnessed his own death over and over again. Struggle, pain, despair, madness... through countless deaths, his personality had been tempered, transforming into a spark called determination.
Then, everything returned to silence.
In the dark vision that had regained its quiet, an aged figure appeared. From his outward appearance, he looked to be only in his sixties. His white hair was combed back into a messy
style; though he was a stern-looking old man, his vigorous expression made his true age difficult to judge. He was built tall and sturdy, like a great man from a stereotypical military background.
"After this world became what it is now, certain things are constantly gestating. In ten years at most, they will erode the stability of this world."
The old man looked at Shirou with a kind smile, the light of wisdom flickering in his dark eyes.
"Besides that, there are many outsiders watching with greedy eyes. I am already stretched too thin, so I hope you can protect this world in my stead."
"…."
Shirou remained silent, pondering Zelretch's words. If he were to count the unstable factors in the Type-Moon world, there were simply too many.
Things like breaking continental plates or cleansing the Earth's surface—just thinking about it gave him a headache. Shirou only had the power of Heroic Spirit EMIYA; how could he possibly fight such beings?
He didn't know why this old gentleman had such "mysterious confidence" in his ability to protect the world. However, according to Zelretch, the world had changed drastically because of him—specifically because of the restarts brought by his "System." Therefore, as the culprit, it seemed he was the only one who could exercise this duty.
The thought of it made Shirou feel a mountain of pressure.
"Even if I refuse, when that day truly comes, there will be no escape, right..." Shirou couldn't help but sigh.
But there was still a chance. Once he completed the main quest, the next opening of the Dimensional Roulette would bring him new power.
At that time... perhaps there would be a turning point.
"Child, before facing the coming crisis, you need to become strong enough..."
As Shirou thought this, the old man's figure vanished, leaving only this final piece of advice.
Someone tapped him lightly on the shoulder. Shirou opened his eyes to find that the plane had landed at some point. The blonde girl beside him was reminding him.
"Shirou, we've arrived."
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