"Look over there!"
「Touko」 pointed toward the boundless horizon—an edge invisible to the naked eye.
"I never knew before. I thought the world was just this small. But then, one day, I realized… outside my world, there were other worlds! Can you imagine how I felt? Well, 'felt' might not be the right word. In human terms, I was excited!"
"That boundary is the edge of my world, and beyond it lie other worlds—countless as the sands of the Ganges!"
Aoko had said it.
What shaped that world into its current state wasn't the Counter Force—it was the Root.
The Root acted directly. And those two gatekeepers didn't even resist. If anything, they paved the way, obediently reshaping the world into what it is now.
The Root's goal was to reduce this world's population.
The method didn't matter. The Greater Grail was just one of countless options—it was simply chosen by chance.
After the population was drastically reduced, this world—this Earth—would have vast empty spaces. Spaces to fill with people taken from other worlds.
This world wasn't chosen because it was special. It was chosen because Roy's soul had reincarnated here.
To the Root, it didn't matter which world was picked.
What mattered was which world Roy was in.
Because Roy was the one it had chosen—the central figure meant to bear a great responsibility.
No, that wasn't quite accurate.
Roy wasn't special because he was chosen.
He was chosen because he was special.
"You possess an extraordinarily adaptable constitution. Did you know? When you first descended into my world, your soul had no Magic Circuits—it was completely blank, devoid of any trace of rules. That should have been impossible… And yet, you adapted to my world's rules on your own, developing Magic Circuits without any interference from me."
"In other words, you adapted to my world's rules by yourself. Not only that—you can even help others adapt."
"So, if you were to go to another world, you'd likely adapt to its rules as well. That's why I chose you. That's why I nurtured you. And that's the great task you must undertake!"
「Touko」 studied Roy with fascination, her tone brimming with expectation.
"I want you to become my Pioneer—to help me explore other worlds!"
So that's how it is.
Roy sighed inwardly. He'd already suspected as much before coming here.
The Root was conducting a grand experiment.
People like Kasumigaoka Utaha, who didn't belong to this world, had inexplicably crossed over.
And Roy possessed a unique ability—one that allowed Utaha and the others to adapt to this world's rules.
With all these elements combined, viewed through the higher perspective and reasoning of a transmigrator, he had already pieced together what the Root intended to do.
Beyond the world of Type-Moon, other worlds existed. The Root had discovered several of them and secretly abducted people—Kasumigaoka Utaha, Hayasaka Ai, the Nakano sisters—from those worlds.
"You're totally picking on the weak, aren't you?!"
Roy shot 「Touko」 a disdainful glare.
The worlds Utaha and the others came from had no supernatural elements whatsoever. Even if you counted that artificial island in the Pacific or the Demon King in Mifune City, those were still low-energy worlds.
Plucking people exclusively from such worlds? That was the very definition of bullying the weak!
"This is a matter of rational judgment."
「Touko」 wasn't bothered in the slightest. If anything, she smiled.
"Just as humans instinctively seek advantage and avoid harm, of course I wouldn't start by exploring worlds stronger than my own. Though in the future, that might change…"
"What are you planning?"
Noticing the odd glint in 「Touko's」 eyes, Roy immediately grew wary.
"You're my only Pioneer. I have no intention of hiding things from you—not that I could even if I tried."
「Touko」 nodded, her expression serene.
"I didn't bring those people from other worlds here just for fun. Everything is for the sake of my own evolution. My fundamental goal is to study the rules governing other worlds and integrate them into myself. As for why I specifically abducted main characters—it's because they embody the clearest expressions of those rules."
Roy nodded inwardly.
Of course the Root would know about protagonists.
Even Zelretch, who managed parallel worlds, could pick out a world's main characters on his own.
"Based on this principle, I'll likely abduct other key figures in the future. I might even devour entire worlds, absorbing them into myself. My operational rules will grow increasingly refined, and I myself will grow ever stronger. Naturally, I won't just target weak worlds forever—eventually, I'll set my sights on more powerful ones."
"In fact… you've already experienced this firsthand, haven't you?"
"That Nightmare Curse—that was something I replicated in this world, using a curse spirit I took from another world as the template."
Oh, I should really thank you for that, huh?!
Roy's lips twitched as he stuck his tongue out at 「Touko」 in disgust.
Still, he remained vigilant.
"And once you grow stronger… what then?"
"What do you mean, 'what then'?"
「Touko」 gave him a puzzled look.
"I am the world itself. I operate by my own logic. Unlike humans, who grow violent the moment they gain power, my only goal is continuous growth. As living beings born within me, you'll only benefit."
"Sounds nice. But what about the seven billion people in my world who died because of a single whim of yours? Who's to say you won't do something equally insane later?"
"..."
「Touko」 fell silent, her expression flickering as if struck by a sore spot.
"While this was a decision based on rational judgment… you're not wrong. To me, it was a trivial matter. Humans are far too numerous—losing a few billion is inconsequential. But from a human perspective, of course you'd see it differently… Fine. If something like this happens again, I'll discuss it with you first. If you disagree, I'll consider other methods."
She couldn't guarantee she wouldn't do something like this again.
If necessary, rationality dictated she would—because in the long run, the benefits far outweighed the single drawback.
But Roy was her only Pioneer. His opinion had to be taken into account.
"Don't bother. Kill as many as you want."
Yet Roy only sneered, his expression utterly indifferent.
"Like you said, humans are a dime a dozen. What's a few billion dead? It's not like they'll go extinct."
"..."
「Touko」 went silent again.
She was omnipotent—yet that power didn't work on Roy. She couldn't peer into his mind. She had thought he brought this up now because he wanted her to hold back—to avoid casually slaughtering billions in the future.
But if he didn't care at all… why bring it up?
Just to mess with her?
"I understand. In any case, if something like this happens again, I'll inform you. If you have objections, I'll adjust my approach accordingly."
That was the best outcome.
Roy nodded in agreement.
***
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