Tick tock, tick tock, the swaying of the weighted balance of an old grandfather clock echoed in the tense silence. Nerves were shot, and this overarching sense of uneasiness was pervading through everyone aside from Zelretch himself.

Another snap of the fingers, and everyone was back to their original world like it was nothing.

Like before, the act appeared as simple as breathing.

Just where and how Zelretch managed to harness the necessary energy for parallel world transfer, was completely lost to Nanoha and Midchilda.

It was a paradigm shift from anything conventional that they knew through their technology and magic systems. Their monitors could sense the fluctuation and change in space, but the medium that would ordinarily facilitate the movement was absent.

There was no gathering of energy to break dimensional boundaries. It was instead closer to integration and freely leaping through.

Even Nanoha didn't have to explain how big a crisis this could be if numerous magic users practiced this magic without the restraint of parallel world boundaries. At the very least, there would be no prison or facility able to contain such users if at all.

"…"

There was radio silence in Nanoha's earpiece. Even Fate wasn't speaking a word, likely in a bid to digest further ramifications that Nanoha hadn't even thought of. Of the two, Fate had always been the more analytical, while she was ugh, haha, somewhat impulsive?

Nanoha inwardly shook her head, trying to get back in focus.

She was older now, more mature. And that meant corresponding responsibilities and new information she was privy to. Right about now, she could infer that the magic ranking of her own world would likely be increased considering the capability Zelretch displayed to move between worlds.

Midchilda could be targeted and attacked. This civilization wasn't solely limited to their dimensional space, but had the ability to launch an offensive.

This alone was reason enough for an elevation in the danger category…

Knitting her brows, Nanoha forced herself to calm down and put down her weapon into non-combat mode.

Nothing was set in stone and it did her no good to just assume.

For his part, the Wizard Marshal appeared solely unbothered by the array of expressions that flickered across Nanoha's features; even taking the leisure to find a recliner, sit down, and make himself comfortable while beads of sweat formed over Nanoha's sodden forehead.

It didn't take much to consider what Nanoha and even her superiors listening in were contemplating over.

Kaleidoscope: A constantly changing pattern or sequence of objects and elements, notably associated with the wings of a butterfly fluttering in a group. It denoted endless possibility, and immeasurable room for rippling impacts.

With a flap, a minute localized change in a complex system could have a large effect elsewhere. And this feat fell into the hands of these Exceptional Humans, no Magi, as-

"T-True Magic?" Nanoha finally muttered the words out in light of the continued radio silence of her comms.

Zelretch hummed, leaning forward and steepling his fingers together with gleaming amusement.

"Oh, are you curious?" He goaded almost good naturedly. Only those who really knew him could smell the scent of mischief in the subterfuge.

Zelretch turned to Rin, catching her off guard as she was still sighing in relief that nothing untoward had happened to her and Shirou on their little 'trip' across dimensional plains.

"Perhaps my student is more suitable for such basic information."

Rin froze, looking back and forth between Zelretch and Nanoha, unsure if they should really be saying such information to a potential enemy.

No. No Rin's eyes were not playing tricks on her.

Zelretch was still nodding at her in ascent.

Why, though? Rin stressed mentally, somewhat annoyed at the almost puppy-like roundness of Nanoha's eyes focusing on her. It reminded her of Shirou when he was being particularly endearing.

Grunting, Rin supposed that Zelretch must have his reasons.

Clearing her throat, Rin adopted a lecturer's pose, something she'd picked up to maintain the noble dignity of the Tohsaka family line.

"True Magics are feats of the Moonlit World that can, in no way, be replicated; unique to it, and it alone." Rin stressed, cutting through the tension in the air and finally making herself comfortable in her own dorm of all places. "The reason for this is a stop block to the Root. No Magus can take the same path as another."

"The Root?" Here Nanoha gave pause, trying to get an understanding of terminology, and getting an answer that not only stunned her, but those listening in as well.

"The goal of a Magi is to reach the Root, the origin of all Magic."

Rin spoke of the Root as if it was just common knowledge, but those in Midchilda knew better than to assume the Root Rin was talking about was just a centralized magic system from Nanoha's world. She literally meant the root of all magic synonymous to any world.

The Root itself was like a tree whose branches extend to different dimensions. And following those roots, will lead to the Root of all itself.

This was out of Nanoha's field, but many researchers and mages in Midchilda with even a fraction of understanding towards the beginning of all magics could infer what it would mean to reach it. Then there was the statement that all magi had this goal…

"Of the True Magic users, many have touched upon the Root, granting them the elevation of their research, their craft, into True Magics. That or enlightenment into wielding a new True Magic," Rin continued, ignorant of the effect her words were having.

A twinkle shone in Zelretch's eye. Only he was paying attention to the intermittent glow of the magic earpiece Nanoha was wearing. The top brass, the council, was certainly listening in.

The thing about intellectuals, was that they assume themselves intelligent, not knowing that often, they just think too much.

"There are five known True Magics." Rin raised up five fingers, and placed them in front of her.

"The First Magic: Ether Clumps." Rin drew in her thumb, placing it over her palm before elaborating. "The concept of Materialized Nothings, to create that which is not there."

"That's not-"

A teapot formed in Rin's hands, shutting off Nanoha's interjection.

Fading into motes of blue light, Rin dismissed the pot and didn't give Nanoha the time to scrutinize her use of Projection to notice its glaring defects. She simply moved on.

This wasn't a question-and-answer session, but a simple brief introduction. Projection wasn't the First Magic, but the principle was there.

Rather than have defects, the First Magic was the ability to make true creations out of nothing. The only one coming remotely close to that feat, was in this very room, and only really with blades and weapons, and nothing else.

"The Second Magic: Kaleidoscope." Rin retracted her index finger, and simultaneously nodded at Zelretch. "Operation of Parallel Worlds. I won't elaborate. Cross my teacher and you might know personally."

Nanoha shut her mouth, figuring that she really wouldn't be getting a chance to ask questions right now, and she should just listen.

"The Third True Magic: Heaven's Feel." Rin continued on. "Materialization of the Soul. Yes, the dead can be brought back either as spirits, wraiths, or a higher classification of soul denoted by certain legends and myths."

"The Fourth True Magic- you don't need to know."

"The Fifth True Magic: Magic Blue." Here Rin paused, watching the way Nanoha's eyes widened in recognition from the name Zelretch had mentioned off hand prior. "…Time Travel and law conversion. The weight of a future abandoned, shouldered by the mass-conservation-debts of a past no longer with a future, the range of which is determinant on the practitioner."

Nanoha let the words sink in, but the danger of the phenomenon itself was lost on her. The only indication of the severity of the scenario was conveyed through Midchilda and then through Fate to Nanoha.

"…A Mass-Based Magical Weapon."

Fate transmitted warily, only a single civilization coming to mind that predated Midchilda's founding applicable to such terminology. Mass-Based weapons as Nanoha knew it, in Midchilda's terms, were magicless weapons of mass destruction. Things like firearms, chemical explosives, and nuclear weapons.

But with Magic-based weapons of Mass destruction- no not weapons, Magic Users of Mass Destruction-

"A potential repeat of Ancient Belka just waiting to explode."

The hairs on the back of Nanoha's neck rose in alarm, nervousness causing her to grow antsy when Rin still didn't seem like she was done. The Fifth was a bombshell enough.

"Furthermore-"

"Didn't you say there were only five?" Nanoha blurted.

"Yes," Rin said irritably, miffed that she'd been interrupted again.

Still, Rin was a tolerant woman and stopped it from showing, remaining cordial.

"But that doesn't mean new ones aren't in the midst of being created, let alone craft with effects that can rival True Magics. The difference is only by category, and you'd be surprised that Shirou here may even be qualified to register at this level."

"…"

He did?

Suddenly, Rin was starting to understand her teacher's motives in having her elaborate. She could see how uneasy Nanoha was becoming, let alone how her superiors must feel through the comms.

Zelretch clapped, having loosened his solemn demeanor into something more playful, yet increasingly mysterious.

Nanoha swallowed when she realized she was alone as the only representative of Midchilda in her home world.

"Please consider what actions you decide to take, Ms. Nanoha. You BATS, oh that's a good one, anyways, the TSAB should deliberate long and hard about where they should stand." Zelretch said, getting up from the recliner and getting ready to depart. "You are Foreigners of this world. A balance already exists here, and skewing the scales through the capricious actions of an organization arrogant enough to believe themselves the sole arbitrator of parallel worlds, may do more harm than any good. I'm aware that the last iteration ended in failure already, and I'm sure none of us want a repeat of the wars that followed."

Zelretch kept a trained eye not on Nanoha, but on the figures he knew were likely the ones pulling the strings.

"This is an olive branch," he said with all due courtesy. "A show of good faith if you will, by explaining a portion of the cards in hand."

Nanoha nodded, but found herself rooted in the abrupt sharpness that came over Zelretch's gaze.

"Your actions will decide what comes next."

Only when Nanoha was alone did she let her features twist with anxiety. After Zelretch departed on his last note, he didn't forget to drag Rin and Shirou out of the room to give Nanoha the necessary time to reflect.

It was more out of deviousness than consideration. Often, the greatest danger isn't the fear of what's around you, but the fear conjured by your own mind.

In Nanoha's case, her knees buckled before she allowed herself to melt into the cushions of one of Rin's recliners. It wasn't lost on her that she was still in Rin's dorm, and Rin had been the one to show consideration to her by letting her stay. It was already a bit much that Rin and Shirou were the ones to leave and give her some space and not her, the guest.

Mutedly bringing her index finger to tap on the transmission device by her ear, she hesitated, but still pressed on the receiver.

No reply, but Nanoha knew that they knew what she was waiting for. Finally, she heard Fate sighing listlessly on the other side.

"…Your orders remain unchanged."

Eyes bugging out, Nanoha immediately sat up. "Fate, they can't be serious!"

"Sadly, they are." Fate spoke robotically, almost in the way she used to before the events of the Jewel Seeds where they had first encountered each other. As it stood now, it was a sure sign of Fate's own unease. "Your world has been relegated to a Magic Level of Black."

Nanoha took in a shuddering breath, but Fate wasn't finished reporting what was happening on her end.

"And…The necessary preparations for that designation are underway."

Shutting her eyes, Nanoha let the statement grimly sink in. Oh, she knew some of the procedures as she'd been with the TSAB long enough to know how it operates, but the fact it was being implemented in her home world was jarring. Immediately, she reluctantly supposed that she was being considered for advanced reconnaissance.

But this was her home world. Home. This was home, the place where she grew up and where her family lived!

Traitor.

This single word couldn't help but grudgingly come to mind. It was like she was a sell out, and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that if she didn't get involved with the TSAB, and was instead recruited here for her magic aptitude, perhaps she would have been a magus in this Clock Tower academy too?

If Rin could have known what Nanoha was thinking, only hollow laughter would be the result.

How utterly naive.

Aptitude? Teach you?

If the circumstances of Nanoha's involvement in the TSAB were repeated with the Moonlit World instead, she'd be dead. Even Shirou had been met with a spear through the heart and that was a misunderstanding based on a prior assumption that he wasn't a magus.

Regardless, Nanoha's understanding of magi really wasn't up to par. She was viewing the Clock Tower like a normal education facility and not a den construed and held by a network of self-interests.

She'd be eaten alive here, and Nanoha was even thinking she could have been able to be a magus if the TSAB hadn't gotten involved with her first.

"..." Nanoha began to hesitate.

Procedure dictated as the only agent out on the field, that she locate a suitable location for an advance team's deployment while garnering information on the Black-level civilization. Obviously, Nanoha couldn't hope to create a warp platform for other members of the TSAB's striker teams to deploy in the Clock Tower without intervention.

Admit it or not, she was wary of Zelretch and his capabilities. She'd rather not step on his toes anytime soon, especially on her own.

"Your signal will act as an anchor point should it be necessary to send in reinforcements in the case of an emergency."

"Hey, I didn't agree," Nanoha weakly argued, features downcast. Her lot was already cast with the TSAB.

"You didn't disagree either. I don't really know what you're feeling, but all that matters to me is that I provide you support and get you out of there safely."

"Can't we just dissuade the TSAB's involvement? I thought Earth wasn't in their jurisdiction?"

Nanoha could hear Fate sighing on the other side, her legs crossing and uncrossing in her apprehension.

"That's because they weren't paying attention to it, and that Earth's Mass Weapons were restricted to their dimension without the factor of magic to invade other worlds. They can't just ignore it, now that they know of it."

"Fate, what should I do?" Nanoha rubbed at her temples, deflating as she leaned back into the recliner.

"Stick to what you know." Fate advised. "Focus on the Jewel Seed. Just because preparations for a Black-level threat are underway doesn't mean that conflict is inevitable. I know you Nanoha. You feel like you're betraying your fellow Exceptional Humans, and it's weighing on you. However, you have to remember that you can use this scouting mission as a chance to form a factual argument against the TSAB's mobilization. People are more uneasy about what they don't know than what they do know."

Nanoha suddenly beamed, vigor returning to her figure. "Fate, you're a genius!"

"Baby steps."

"Right," Nanoha muttered, unenthused as the weight of the task sunk in. "Baby steps."

Neither Nanoha or Fate were saying it, but they both knew in the case of a disagreement and mobilization, the odds of peaceful negotiations were slim to none. That's why they had to work to prevent that.

Reassuring herself, Nanoha sorted out her thoughts and then moved to leave the room. She'd stayed long enough, and she'd feel too embarrassed if she imposed any longer.

Nanoha opened the door of the room to leave, and predictably found Shirou and Rin waiting for her outside. Considering Nanoha's ignorance of the Clock Tower's inner workings, she was actually quite grateful.

Zelretch though, thank goodness for Nanoha's heart, was gone.

"You were waiting for me?" Nanoha smiled softly.

"We figured you'd need a bit of time to yourself," Shirou answered before Rin.

Flattered at the consideration, Nanoha failed to notice that the dormitory hallway where she had once seen several other 'students,' was empty except for Rin and Shirou. On the way to Rin's room, Nanoha had seen many such people, but as she had been too busy following Shirou at the time, she'd not been able to give them a greeting.

This did pose a question at the top of Nanoha's mind.

"What are magi like?" She broached after finally taking notice of the absence of others. It was far too odd that she could not see any other magus in a facility dedicated to their pursuit of craft.

Still, if magi were anything like Shirou and Rin, then Nanoha had no doubts that she should be able to gather up sufficient evidence to convince the TSAB that the magic of her world was in good hands.

However, both Shirou and Rin visibly froze at the question, glancing stiffly at each other, neither too eager to address the question.

"Best left alone," Rin cut off the topic.

"…" Nanoha had no words. Awkward.

"Suspicious."

'Fate. I don't need the commentary.'

"Oh, ugh, is that so." Nanoha immediately tried to play things off, expression contrite and looking for a means to make things less awkward. "Would it be too much to ask for a tour of this Clock Tower, then?"

Rin hummed, a hand cradling her chin in thought before she decided this was manageable. "That can be arranged. Please wait in my dorm," she instructed.

"Couldn't we just go now?" Nanoha blinked, growing more and more doubtful.

"No. You and Shirou will wait here. I'll handle the itinerary." Rin smiled, ending all room for disagreement. Then, staring daggers into Shirou's soul, her features grew increasingly stern on Shirou and Shirou alone. "Shirou, I mean it. Wait. Here."

"R-Right," Shirou answered mutedly.

Rin continued to stare hard at Shirou until she was satisfied before smiling swimmingly at Nanoha, and leaving to make preparations to where they can and can't go in the Clock Tower.

Shirou himself now stood awkwardly by the door; his eyes trained on Nanoha who didn't move to make things difficult for him. Instead, she pressed a hand to her intercom, found a seat to wait, and began whispering.

"He's obviously keeping guard." Nanoha could tell that Shirou wasn't going to be easily convinced to move.

Fate snorted on the other end.

"Either there are extraneous circumstances not known to us, or they really do have something to hide."

Subtly, Nanoha eyed Shirou from the side while going over her general impression of him. Now that they were alone and not 'hiding' things from each other, she began to think.

"For now, it's better to cooperate. We still don't know what we're really dealing with. Be careful Nanoha, and maybe try to get some information from Shirou. This could be an opportunity. Compared to Rin, he's certainly a terrible liar. Good luck."

This was a chance to get to know Shirou better; no more lies between them.

"Roger." Nanoha said, focused intently on Shirou.

It only helped that Shirou's prior actions had piqued Nanoha's interest.

Who was he, and what sort of past did he have? Besides, he must have his own questions about her, so they could play a game of give and take.

There were questions at the top of her head, but Nanoha keenly noticed that Shirou suddenly didn't look too good the moment two men suddenly knocked and appeared at Rin's door. Both were wearing metal-plated cross emblems with the word 'Enforcers' etched into the metal.

Evidently, Shirou had done too much of a good job lately or something like that because the men started off with the employer's name rather than a greeting or anything else.

"Lady Lorelei sends her regards. Your latest mission has helped locate the trail of a rat Lorelei has been tracking."

A rat? Last mission?

Nanoha was quickly stowing away tidbits of information that she could glean.

As for Shirou, he looked more and more troubled, finally culminating into a finishing blow.

"Lady Lorelei formally invites you on her team for a little 'Hunt.'"

He looked like he was facing the gallows.

There was no room to decline.

Rin was having a bad day.

It was one thing to be faced with normal troubles that abounded her life as a magus, but it was another thing to always have them with the world at jeopardy.

Honestly, only Emiya seems to step into these things time after time.

Grimacing, Rin resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration.

The best way to avoid confrontation was simply to avoid them. And so, Rin had no choice but to not only ask Zelretch for a favor to vacate all the nearby magi from the area, but now had to make an itinerary using her own time.

Rin couldn't have Nanoha interact with other magi let alone inquire about their research or activities. That right there was already a big no no.

If the cold nature of magi as a majority were revealed, all striving towards the Root through any means, Rin held no doubt that the TSAB would deem them untrustworthy to harness such magic. Rin would rather avoid that worst-case scenario than actively drive into it.

In a way, Zelretch was right.

The capricious actions of an organization arrogant enough to believe themselves the sole arbitrator of parallel worlds was bound for conflict. Sometimes, things were best left alone to their own devices.

Many magi would happily acquiesce to certain demands, arrangements, or regulations if it meant more time to focus on or further their research. Hence the collective of the Clock tower. However, taking their research and barring their efforts to further it would be a suitable basis for any magi to declare you a mortal enemy.

Then there were certain restricted zones and places Rin would rather Nanoha not see at all. Therefore, she had to plan ahead and keep Nanoha away from such places. Instead, all that Rin would show were ordinary study halls with struggling magi with their heads too taken in by books to bother conversing.

This way, the only impression they'd give was of a reclusive magic society, away from the common people. For this scheme, she first contacted her teacher to get him to scare off any wandering magi, before then personally checking each place she'd let Nanoha visit.

Rin had it all planned to the extent that she had even moved her schedule to avoid a run-in with Luvia.

Unfortunately, nothing could account for the variable that was E-Rank luck, and Shirou as the butt of a joke.

Rin came back to an empty room, utterly lost for words.

One thing. She'd only asked one thing of Shirou, just one, while she was away planning the itinerary.

Her smile twisted sharply, a low laugh escaping her lips before her eyes hardened.

That man…was a dead man walking.

.

.

.

The floor for him.

(Omake)

-Uploading file.

Hmm?

Nanoha sneakily glanced at the magic interface she could see from the corner of her eye while trailing behind Shirou.

Fate? What was she doing now?

-File Upload complete: Seduction 101, proper posture, tone, and touch.

FATE! Noooo! If this was a joke, it wasn't funny.

"It's not me."

Then who?!

"…It might prove helpful. Just keep it stored. Operation, Starlight Reverse Harem Protagonist, Start!"

This was revenge for the past, Nanoha knew it.

'I refuse!'

/-/

Elsewhere.

-Zelretch, laughs in Harem Protagonist EX.

Thanks for reading, and thanks to my newest patrons: Izzyt100 and Red Orca!

Next update: Fate Hero and Sword

P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious

Book links:

Fatedlegacydark. ca

The Lonely Peak

New Book: Out on Amazon (Remove dash on link)

Survivor's Log Reflection: Amazon.c-om/dp/B08VDDGN7Z?