Fate/Magus Path

In Zelretch's parallel world residence.

"There aren't many important matters to discuss, but it's mainly about Merlin's situation," Zelretch said, casually closing an ancient book on the table before beginning to chat with Roy.

"Still, you've done an exceptional job with this commission. Ignoring the Child of Einnashe that Ortenrosse tossed over here, you've taken out Nrvnqsr Chaos, Vlov Arkhangel, and Roa in one go. You've dealt a significant blow to the Dead Apostle Ancestors' forces, causing quite a stir in the world. Even in centuries of conflict with the Holy Church, they've never lost so many Dead Apostle Ancestors at once."

Thinking about the Holy Church, whose morale had soared after the confirmed deaths of two Dead Apostle Ancestors, and the shaken Dead Apostle Ancestors, Zelretch couldn't help but laugh.

Now, within the Dead Apostle ranks, the Black Princess is punishing the White Wing Lord, and the Black and White Knights are locked in a deadly battle with him.

Meanwhile, the Holy Church has mobilized its top forces to reclaim the territories of the Dead Apostle Ancestors as quickly as possible.

The Dead Apostle Ancestors are facing threats both internally and externally.

Thankfully, Altrouge didn't cause any trouble in front of Roy during the chaos. The expanding Reality Marble in the Child of Einnashe wasn't targeting her.

They were just standing in that area and were detected by Roy. If they had shown any hostility, escaping that Reality Marble wouldn't have been so easy.

Otherwise, even if she had escaped, the Black and White Knights might not have been so lucky.

Compared to the naive Arcueid, Altrouge is clearly much sharper.

Still, Zelretch preferred Arcueid, who had the potential to become a magical girl.

After some thought, Zelretch said idly, "Well, since you're not interested in magical girls, let's cut to the chase. I have other matters to attend to later."

"..."

Roy was speechless. "Wasn't it you who dragged me into that adult store earlier?"

"Actually, I've been observing you since you entered this world. The repeated Holy Grail Wars were my opportunity to understand you better."

Ignoring Roy's comment, Zelretch continued.

"Later, because that uncontrolled cycle might bring some undesirable consequences, I made an exception and intervened once..."

"..."

Roy remained silent, letting Zelretch continue.

Zelretch sighed.

"Then I regretted it. After freeing you from that cycle, I realized what kind of existence I had unleashed. Though you're different from the Outer Gods, your actions are no less destructive than theirs."

"What are you trying to say?" Roy frowned.

By now, he could tell that Zelretch's words carried deeper implications.

"Well, to put it simply, you've been destroying worlds all along..."

Zelretch raised his hand, a cold smile on his lips.

"Destroying worlds? What do you mean?"

Roy's expression shifted slightly.

He knew Zelretch, despite his playful demeanor, wasn't one to speak carelessly.

So... what was going on?

"Calm down, kid. When I say 'destroying worlds,' I don't mean physical destruction. I mean the destruction of concepts and possibilities."

"To be frank, after observing you for so long, I've gained some understanding of your personality and methods. The events you've resolved have indeed led to the best possible outcomes."

"Artoria, Sakura, and Arcueid—their fates weren't originally set in stone. Each had at least two or more possibilities, or 'if' lines, in parallel worlds."

Zelretch held up three fingers as he explained.

"But due to your interference, the fates of these characters have changed. Those who were supposed to die or meet tragic ends have found new outcomes. This, in itself, isn't a big deal to me. Divergences between worlds are common."

"However... what I didn't expect was that your interference has caused the fates of characters in other timelines to change as well."

"Whether subjective or objective, all fates are converging toward your timeline. Their destinies have been completely altered and fixed. The possibilities and uncertainties have vanished. This is the most significant change I've observed."

Zelretch then began to illustrate specific examples of these changes.

Originally, for the birth of Lord El-Melloi II, Kayneth Archibald, that lemon-headed man, was destined to die in the Fourth Holy Grail War. But because of Roy's interference, other timelines began to align with this world, allowing many versions of Kayneth to escape their fated deaths.

For instance, before the Holy Grail War, Kayneth caught Waver Velvet stealing his relic, which infuriated him so much that he abandoned the rural ritual and began training Waver at the Clock Tower. Or, in another parallel world, his fiancée Sola-Ui fell in love with him earlier and dragged him on a honeymoon, causing him to miss the Holy Grail War entirely.

Then there's Sakura Tohsaka. In some timelines, Zouken Matou's insect magecraft would go out of control, leading to his premature death, which would be discovered by Tokiomi Tohsaka during a visit. Or, in another timeline, Kariya Matou would make a bold move, attempting to take Zouken down with him in a fiery explosion, drawing the Church's attention and saving Sakura.

Countless improbable events are now unfolding in parallel worlds.

This is what surprised Zelretch the most.

As Zelretch continued to describe the changes he had observed in parallel worlds, Roy began to understand.

What Zelretch meant was that all the branching paths of a single storyline were converging, leaving only the timeline anchored in Roy's world.

"Though I must admit, the timeline you've chosen is the most perfect one I've observed across parallel worlds. If it were anyone else, they'd be thrilled to see everything heading toward a happy ending. But..."

Zelretch's expression turned serious.

"Take a look at this first..."

With a wave of his hand, Zelretch used his magic to draw a massive, intricate tree diagram in the air.

The branches of this tree had various starting points and extended toward unknown ends, representing the infinite possibilities of parallel worlds.

But...

When Zelretch introduced a bright red dot into the diagram, the tree structure immediately underwent a noticeable change.

"This is..."

___

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