Chapter 1: Through the Kaleidoscope

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry for doing this."

What? Who's that? Why is everything black? Was I kidnapped? Am I dead? I try and run some prana through my circuits, but to no avail. It's not that they're not there, but just that they're being blocked. Like when you fold a water hose to keep it from working. I can feel my body generating prana, but something's blocking it from entering my circuits. I don't think dead men can generate prana, so I'm pretty sure I'm not dead. Not yet, anyway.

My eyes won't open, and when I try to struggle against whatever's holding me my body won't move. Damn. There's got to be something I can do to get out of whatever this is.

Wait a minute. I can generate prana, I just can't run it through my circuits. Something's blocking it. Maybe if I generate as much prana as possible and run it through a single circuit, I can break through it. It might work, but it also might blow the circuit or make me explode.

Well, someone's done this to me for a reason. They want me for something, and they've kept me alive this long. Unless they just haven't gotten around to killing me yet, they need me alive for something. So it'll either work and I can hopefully break out, or they'll stop me to keep me alive. They might need to 'wake me up' to do that. At least I might be able to figure out what's going on. They might just let me die, though. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I suppose. Man, Rin is gonna kill me if she finds out I did this. If I live. Here goes nothing.

I haven't sent all of my prana through a single circuit in years, not since the beginning of the Grail War. The only reason I did it back then was because I thought magi had to 'create' circuits using their nerves. I thought better magi could create a bunch and I could only make one at a time because I a third-rate magus. Turns out that was incredibly stupid and dangerous. The only reason I was able to send all the prana I could generate through it back then was because I couldn't make much, and that was just because I had no idea what I was doing back then.

I began making as much prana as I could and sent it through a single one of my circuits. I felt it being blocked, but I just sent in more. My body was starting to get hot. As hot as it did back when I made my nerve circuit. That wasn't enough to break through or enough to kill me though, so I had to go even further.

Hot. It's so hot. It's just like...like back then...flames everywhere. No, don't think about that. Focus. Rin, focus on Rin. If I don't get out of this, I'll never see her again. I'm not dying like this! Let. Me. Out!

"Stop! You'll kill yourself!" I heard the man from before shout. "You have to be able to hear me...wait, you're trying to tell me you'll kill yourself unless I free you, aren't you? And by destroying a circuit?" The man sighed. "Damn, you really are a piece of work, aren't you?" He said wearily as I felt control being returned to me. My eyes slowly began to open. As light finally reached them, I saw a blurry image of an old man standing in front of me.

"You are certainly persistent, boy; and you are definitely his son," the man said. His son, did he know…

"It's time to go now, though. I know you might hate me for this, but knowing you, you'll probably thank me later. After all, they're going to need your help. Good luck, boy." My help? Hate him? What's he talking about?

He turned away from me and waved his hand through the air in front of us. As he did, a portal glowing with possibly every color I'd ever seen, maybe others too, opened. It swirled with powerfully energy that even a third-rate magus could probably feel from miles away. He grabbed me and started pulling me toward it. What? I tried to struggle, but I still had only little control over my body.

"Wha...what are...you…" I mumbled coarsely. As soon as I got those 'words' out, he swung his arm and threw me in.

As soon as I entered the portal, my senses were overloaded. So many colors, such a strange feeling to be surrounded by this energy. My bloodhound-like ability that let me smell prana turned into a curse as my nose was overloaded with the scent of such powerful magic. Magic. This could be nothing else but true magic. I've felt the power the of King Arthur's holy sword and Gilgamesh of Uruk's collection, but this was something else. In an instant, I finally put it together. Old man. Strange actions. Powerful magic, true magic. Rainbow colored portals. Kaleidoscope. I know who the person who I'm dealing with is. Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, Dead Apostle Ancestor, wielder of the Second Magic: Kaleidoscope. The magic of parallel dimensions.

Shit.

I woke up once I hit the floor, the shock jolting me awake. As I looked around wildly, taking in my surroundings and processing what happened before I passed out, I noticed multiple things.

First, this place is made of metal and very modern, very military. After being around the world and visiting many war zones, you start to notice military structures when you see them.

Second, everyone around here is in very military uniforms, wearing an insignia that I don't recognize. A black bird in a gray circle. That pretty much confirms the military theory, that or they're a privatized group, but I have no idea who they are. That shouldn't be possible, or it's very unlikely. I know every military, private or not, worth knowing about. They're either new to the scene and they've kept themselves secret so far somehow, or...oh. The Second Magic. Parallel Dimensions. I'm a long ways from home, aren't I?

Oh yeah, third thing. They are most likely not magi, so if I use magecraft to defend myself, I could doom the entire organization to slaughter via enforcers of the Mage's Association. The Mage's Association of this dimension, anyway. Only one thing to do then, I suppose.

I threw my hands up in the air from my spot on the floor and yelled in my best English, "I surrender!"