Tunguska Sanctuary - Non-Primate Biosphere
Note: Translated by: Rayshift Team - Gaius, Zaszc, Porkslope, Yusuke
Prologue
???:
—Sion. Sion Eltnam Sokaris.
???:
Our visitor from the Atlas Academy. She who has retraced the destined route leading to doom.
???:
Terms for using the Wandering Sea in 2017:
???:
“In exchange...for the newly-issued eighth contract from Atlas,
???:
you will be permitted to stay in the Wandering Sea for one year of virtual time on the bleached Earth—”
???:
The proposed time will soon come. Are there to be no changes to this date?
Sion:
That's right. No cuts or retakes. Please leave the contract as it is.
Sion:
I would be grateful if you would continue to take care of Chaldea.
???:
...very well.
???:
We of the Wandering Sea, Baldanders, each recognize your genius.
???:
The Gate of Perpetuation, Seren, toasts to your will. The Gate of Rebirth, Ganu, casts pity on your deeds.
???:
The Gate of Progress, Eren, ridicules your loss. The Gate of Preservation, Genon, sympathizes with your mission.
???:
The Gate of Servility, Fusilka, remains ever contemptuous.
???:
In deference to the Atlas Academy, the Wandering Sea will overlook the preservers of the Human Order.
Sion:
—phew. Well, that was a strange way to communicate.
Sion:
Man, how surprising. I never expected them to contact me.
Sion:
From the Gate of Rebirth, huh? Ganu, they said...
Sion:
Come to think of it, I have records of a Clock Tower mage becoming an apprentice around 1000 AD.
Sion:
Did they assign someone from a relatively recent time period as liaison? Or is it a simple staff shortage?
Sion:
Ah, this isn't the time to worry about that. Let's get back to work!
Sion:
TRISMEGISTUS II. Catastrophe Automation, halt. Now, show me what's falling apart today!
Sion:
And there it is. The data's awfully cut-and-dry this time, huh?
Sion:
The singularity's coordinates are well-measured, and the threat posed is clearly defined. 100 points!
Sion:
Oh ho. The singularity came to be in January 2017, but it was established back in 1908.
Sion:
It was microscopic at first, but this past year...no, the past few days, it's ballooned in size massively.
Sion:
Just like a Lostbelt. It must have experienced nearly a century's worth of time in an instant.
Sion:
If left unchecked, it'll spread all over Eurasia. Humanity will be reduced to lower animals.
Sion:
Eww, that's not a peaceful end.
Sion:
We've seen a lot of ends for mankind by now, but it's rare for humanity to be removed from the top of the food chain.
Sion:
Well done, Beast IV. You truly are an Evil of Humanity.
Sion:
Then we'll prepare an adequate response.
Sion:
TRISMEGISTUS II. Send an urgent communication to Chaldea's top brass.
Sion:
"Juvenile Beast activity confirmed. Would like to commence suppression mission within 24 hours."
Sion:
"Estimate the battle will be fought under special conditions, as with Britain's Lostbelt."
Sion:
"In addition, Chaldea Base is currently undergoing year-end renovations, and is unable to make use of either Rayshift or Zero Sail."
Sion:
"Onsite travel will be conducted by Storm Border. All staff members are requested to be onboard."
Sion:
"Subjugation target is Chaldea's archenemy, the juvenile Beast, Tamamovitch Koyanskaya."
Sion:
Now then. This is where she's been hiding since she disappeared from Britain...
Sion:
She probably wouldn't have originally revealed her nest until both Chaldea and the Alien God were taken care of.
Sion:
But her strange behavior in Britain's Lostbelt is alarming. Her tail's in gear, literally!
Sion:
Still, that doesn't change that she's a powerful enemy. We'll need a lot to beat her...
Sion:
This battle is an unavoidable step towards uniting Chaldea's forces against the Alien God.
Sion:
Please do your utmost. All I can do is place my trust in you.
Sion:
Well, TRISMEGISTUS II has given us the results this time anyway!
Sion:
No matter what they do, Chaldea is wiped out! All my efforts this past year go up in smoke!
Sion:
Wait, cut, cut! There's no way I can share this with them, is there?
Section 1: Beyond the walls of the world
Narration:
The light—
Narration:
The light fills our vision.
Narration:
Light. Light. Light. The pure white light engulfs us and the nearby trees in an instant.
Narration:
It was the first such incident since we were born. An experience we had never felt before.
Narration:
A flash so bright we could not even shut our eyes.
Narration:
There was an omen. Of the myriad of lives that call this forest home...
Narration:
it was the birds who took off all at once. Possessed of sharp senses, they may have felt something.
Narration:
Did those birds make it out alive?
Narration:
As for me, as for us, it was already too late.
Narration:
There is no escape. The light will surely consume all that lives in this forest.
Narration:
For a moment, it felt like the light had taken away our sight. But we were wrong. In truth, we were wrong.
Narration:
The light took everything from us.
Narration:
Our flesh. Our lives.
Narration:
There was no time to react. We will die, unable to even scream.
Narration:
Light. Light. Light. A sudden 'power' that rained down from the heavens.
Narration:
A unilateral storm, possessed of neither reason nor emotion. Something so mighty, it renders futile both resistance and defiance.
Narration:
O light, you are like—
Narration:
Yes.
Narration:
Just like—
Narration:
—a fire begotten by man.
--ARROW--
Nemo:
Currently approaching the skies above the old Tunguska forest—
Nemo:
We're still picking up Tamamovitch Koyanskaya's magical signature.
Nemo:
At present, the target's signature is located in a forested area upstream of the old Tunguska river.
Nemo:
There is no sign of movement from the tentatively named old Tunguska forest region.
Nemo:
We will soon reach the skies directly above the forest region. The ship continues to sail as straight as a swordfish.
Nemo:
Now then, we have scrutinized it sufficiently back at the Chaldea base, but just in case, let's go over the plan again.
Nemo:
Our destination is the old Tunguska forest region in Siberia. Our objective is the juvenile Beast...
Nemo:
The subjugation of the Alter Ego calling itself Tamamovitch Koyanskaya.
Nemo:
Once the Storm Border approaches the destination aerially via the shortest route,
Nemo:
we will descend on the location of Koyanskaya's magical signature...tentatively named Point X.
Nemo:
Post-descent, we will assault Koyanskaya with maximum firepower.
Nemo:
If all goes according to plan, we're looking at a very short decisive battle.
Nemo:
Nevertheless, if Sion's warning holds true, there will be "special conditions" present at our destination.
Nemo:
There's no telling what ambushes lie in wait for us. All hands, maintain brace positions vigilantly.
Mash:
Roger that, Captain!
Goredolf:
Allow me to repeat, ladies and gentlemen.
Goredolf:
The objective of this operation is the extermination of Koyanskaya, who has been identified as the juvenile Beast IV!
Goredolf:
But that is not all. Surely you remember, Fujimaru.
Goredolf:
Our current operation is, in other words—
Fujimaru 1:
A test run for eliminating the seventh Lostbelt!
Mash:
Yes! It's an operation that assumes usage of the Black Barrel!
Da Vinci:
That's right. While the adjustment of the Black Barrel remains as difficult as ever, we have gained a new ally.
Da Vinci:
One who protects the body of the Black Barrel's wielder. The guardian fairy, Habetrot.
Habetrot:
What's this? Were you talking about me~? Guess I'll materialize then!
Habetrot:
Habetrot the Seamstress has come fo~rth☆ Leave it to me, I've got the protection of Mash's Saint Graph down pat!
—A few hours ago.
—Wandering Sea dock, Storm Border hangar.
Sion:
A new magical signature has been detected. The location is old Russia.
Fujimaru 1:
Russia?
Sion:
Yes.
Sion:
It's a region far removed from the old Russian Lostbelt, but like all other regions on the planet,
Sion:
most of it has already been rendered blank. And all of a sudden, a new reaction manifested there.
Sion:
No, I suppose "all of a sudden" is not quite the right way to put it.
Sion:
What has already been in existence for several months now has rapidly expanded over the past few days...
Sion:
What it means is that the veil meant to pull the wool over humanity's eyes...that mask has finally been peeled off.
Holmes:
Central Siberia, to be specific. The Krasnoyarsk region.
Holmes:
That places it—around the forested area upstream of the Tunguska river.
Holmes:
Any Heroic Spirit who lived in the same time period as I would know of that large-scale light emission.
Mash:
Tunguska...
Mash:
I have read the records. The Tunguska explosion, otherwise known as the Tungus explosion.
Fou:
Fou fou?
Holmes:
That is correct. It was an explosion that occurred over Tunguska in 1908 A.D.
Holmes:
Back in the day, it was not confirmed to have been an explosion...
Holmes:
But it was a dreadful light. Even now, I can still see it in my eyes.
Fou:
Fou...
Mash:
You were in England at the time, Holmes...
Holmes:
Yes.
Holmes:
Its brilliance could be seen even from somewhere as far away as England. It was a dreadful explosion.
Holmes:
The forest region was incinerated by the intense heat and further damaged heavily by the shockwave...
Holmes:
But miraculously enough, there were no confirmed human casualties.
Holmes:
Naturally, it was a colossal disaster. There may have been casualties that were not on the records.
Holmes:
At the very least, tremendous damage had been done to nature. Untold amounts of flora and fauna were lost.
Fujimaru 1:
I've heard about it too...
Fujimaru 2:
...a fallen meteorite and an explosion...
Sion:
That appears to be how the truth is told. I believe it's also seen as such by magical society.
Sion:
Even if you unravel the records, you'd be hard-pressed to find any magical factors there.
Da Vinci:
That's not to say that no one associated it with the occult, but at the very least, the Mage's Association has ruled it a natural phenomenon.
Da Vinci:
There is no evidence of Mystery having been employed.
Da Vinci:
That's why this is an enigma. Why is it in Tunguska?
Holmes:
Well, I could venture a guess, but—
Da Vinci:
Now's not the time to speak of it?
Holmes:
That is how it is. Let us start with the facts.
Holmes:
A unique domain that is neither Singularity nor Lostbelt has formed on the blank surface of Tunguska.
Fujimaru 1:
It's not a Singularity?
Sion:
The reaction is different from what we would identify as a Holy Grail. As such, we felt it prudent to classify it as something other than a Singularity.
Fujimaru 2:
It's not a Lostbelt either?
Sion:
Yes. After all, there is no storm wall present. Furthermore, there is no "variance" as far as humanity goes.
Da Vinci:
It's not like we don't have any guesses, but—
Holmes:
They're not based on any empirical evidence. There's a good chance it would lead to misunderstandings, so let's not go there.
Holmes:
What we can pinpoint at this moment is the cause of this abnormality—no, the name of this enemy we must exterminate.
Holmes:
TRISMEGISTUS II and Observation Lens SHEBA have both identified this magical signature as a juvenile Beast.
Holmes:
The name of the enemy is Tamamovitch Koyanskaya. It's safe to say this unique domain is her "stronghold".
Mash:
...!
Fou:
Fouuuu...
Goredolf:
Are we done with the explanation? Then allow me to say this once more.
Goredolf:
In regards to the reaction detected in the forest region of old Tunguska! What we will do is!
Goredolf:
Find Koyanskaya's hideout and—Whaaat!?
Fou:
Foufou!
Goredolf:
W-What are you so excited about? I'll have you know I don't have any bacon, alright!?
Fou:
Fou, fouu!
Mash:
That's no good, Fou. Come here.
Goredolf:
Haa, haa...be sure to hold onto it, alright...?
Goredolf:
Umm, ahem.
Goredolf:
Now where was I? (Tense)
Holmes:
—Tamamovitch Koyanskaya. She possesses a Saint Graph much like a Servant's,
Holmes:
and is the representative director of NFF Services, a private military company established in January of 2017 after the "resolution of the Human Order Incineration",
Holmes:
as well as the juvenile Beast IV, the Beast of Cherishment.
Holmes:
In all likelihood, the events that occurred in the British Lostbelt have left Koyanskaya...
Holmes:
...in a defective state of sorts. We predict she will not be in perfect form.
Holmes:
Her might when we encountered her in the Atlantic Lostbelt, on Olympus, was tremendous...
Holmes:
At the very least, the magical signature observed by SHEBA does not appear to surpass that.
Fujimaru 1:
For now, that's a relief...I suppose.
Mash:
Yes, Senpai...
Fujimaru 2:
You're not going to say she's gotten any weaker, are you?
Holmes:
I cannot say for sure.
Fou:
Fouuu...
--
Da Vinci:
Now, the problem at hand is—
Da Vinci:
What is she up to?
Meunière:
...she saved our hides in Britain...for the record. But that woman is still an enemy of humanity nonetheless.
Meunière:
Nor is she the type to repent after suffering a grievous wound.
Meunière:
She must have some kind of reason for withdrawing to the far reaches of Russia, don't you think?
Da Vinci:
Yeah. There's a good chance she's recovering the power she's lost.
Da Vinci:
Or perhaps she's plotting to grow further...?
Da Vinci:
There's no reason to reveal your hideout just because you sustained an injury.
Da Vinci:
Putting something she had hidden out there in the open means there's no longer a need to keep it hidden, and—
Holmes:
That sounds likely.
Holmes:
The undefined form we encountered in Olympus was most likely an incomplete state.
Holmes:
The large horns seen in matured Beasts could not be seen in her previous form.
Mash:
Juvenile...growth...
Goredolf:
...may I? All personnel, I'd like you to hear me out.
Goredolf:
...as Meunière has mentioned, that accursed Koyanskaya protected this ship in the Fairy Kingdom.
Chaldea Staff:
(The new director...)
Chaldea Staff:
(He actually got Meunière's name right for the first time in forever!?)
Goredolf:
That is an unmistakable fact. And this may be information you have no way of knowing, but...
Goredolf:
Chillingly enough, she behaved much like a human, in a manner befitting a CEO.
Goredolf:
She did not just dispatch troops. She provided medical equipment and aid to those in great poverty.
Goredolf:
Even if it was just good business, she was sincere in her dealings with those who sought help.
Goredolf:
She may possess the traits of a "femme fatale and a devil", but she was not a unilateral exploiter either.
Goredolf:
If you talked to her, she...no, it's just "something" she used to establish dialogues.
Goredolf:
But...but!
Goredolf:
No matter what, we cannot afford to overlook the growth of a Beast!
Goredolf:
Besides...this responsibility is mine to bear.
Goredolf:
This is especially true for those of you who knew the old Chaldea. It's bound to hurt and rankle a few.
Goredolf:
...it is clear that...I have no right to lead like this.
Goredolf:
But that's precisely why I would like to say this. Please let me take responsibility, even if I have no right to do so.
Goredolf:
I hereby announce to all Chaldea personnel! As of this moment, Chaldea will prepare for combat!
Goredolf:
The battle against the "Alien God".A resolution to the "bleaching of the Earth".
Goredolf:
Putting that top priority on hold, we will divert all our efforts towards exterminating Koyanskaya!
Fujimaru 1:
(Finally...)
Fujimaru 2:
New Director Gordolf...
Mash:
Understood.
Goredolf:
Nevertheless, this is not entirely a detour! We cannot afford to waste resources in that manner!
Goredolf:
While this is an anti-Beast operation, we will also be using this as a test run for the elimination of the seventh Lostbelt!
Goredolf:
Our upcoming confrontation with the Alien God...consider this a rehearsal for that as well!
Goredolf:
In other words!
Goredolf:
We expect the Black Barrel will see active deployment!
Da Vinci:
The Black Barrel...measures the target's Life Scale with the Accomplish Measure,
Da Vinci:
and attacks using "life" itself as a bullet,
Da Vinci:
Fujimaru.
Da Vinci:
But if it's used individually without a Command Spell involved, it is now possible with just Habetrot's assistance alone.
Da Vinci:
It will end up being a physical weapon instead of a conceptual one though. But it will still be plenty effective as a weapon, considering its firepower.
Da Vinci:
The barrel will burn out, so consecutive fire is out of the question, but being able to use it on demand is still a big deal.
Goredolf:
Mm. I've grasped the situation with the Black Barrel. Next up is—
Goredolf:
the essence of the Divine Construct we acquired in the British Lostbelt. How goes the development of the main battery that makes use of it?
Da Vinci:
Oh, it's currently underway.
Da Vinci:
Development is proceeding at a rapid pace with Sion, but this is a first for me...
Da Vinci:
It shames me to say this, but it won't be done in time for our current operation.
Da Vinci:
I'd like you to conduct this battle with Chaldea's usual tactics, applying them such that we get the maximum effect out of them.
Goredolf:
...I see. Just maybe, I thought we could have...
Goredolf:
But I was prepared for such an eventuality! No matter, it's not like we are short on alternatives!
Goredolf:
—The Plan to Eliminate the Seventh Lostbelt, Part 1!
Fou:
Foufoufou.
Goredolf:
Hmph. There's only a part 1 to it, you say?
Goredolf:
Mm. That is correct, but I'd like you to pipe down now!
Mash:
The director gets what Fou is saying...
Goredolf:
No, I haven't the faintest clue! But somehow, my soul understood that just now!
Holmes:
The Plan to Eliminate the Seventh Lostbelt—of course, is centered around Excalibur.
Holmes:
However, we also have a secondary asset planned to supplement it. That is,
Holmes:
the simultaneous mass summoning of Chaldea's Heroic Spirits that becomes possible by running the Storm Border's magical furnaces in parallel.
Holmes:
In other words, that's right—
Da Vinci:
The Large Scale Plan!
Da Vinci:
Storming the enemy's turf with a flood of Chaldea's Heroic Spirits, while keeping them continuously materialized. We will carry out this blitz operation while packing immense firepower.
Da Vinci:
To put it simply...
Da Vinci:
"While keeping them in a state of constant materialization,
Da Vinci:
we will send in a bunch of Heroic Spirits suited for the mission.
Da Vinci:
That would be the easiest way, assuming we can do that.”
Da Vinci:
And that's what we're aiming to do!
Fou:
Foufooou!?
Holmes:
This plan will be utilized solely for the purpose of exterminating Koyanskaya, however...
Holmes:
...at the same time, it will also serve as a test run for the elimination of the seventh Lostbelt.
Holmes:
All the records will be valuable data in the future, so I'd like you to keep this in mind.
Da Vinci:
Fujimaru.
Fujimaru 1:
Understood.
Da Vinci:
You will be accompanied by up to ten Heroic Spirits as you enter the area of operations as a formidable army.
Da Vinci:
We will get as close as we can with the Border and drop you in the vicinity of Koyanskaya's magical signature.
Da Vinci:
Move quickly and neutralize her.
Fou:
Fou!
Da Vinci:
A most straightforward yet powerful strategy...let's all go and do our best together!
Holmes:
For this mission, we have carefully selected six Heroic Spirits. They are standing by in briefing room 2.
Holmes:
Naturally, they are ready to depart at a moment's notice.
Goredolf:
Swifter than ever before!
Goredolf:
You must carry out this mission! I have nothing but the highest of expectations for your efforts!
Goredolf:
... ....
Goredolf:
—Let the Beast hunt commence here!
--ARROW--
Nemo:
—!
Nemo Marine (Observer):
We've confirmed what looks like a barrier in the skies over Tunguskaaa!
Nemo Marine (Observer):
It's different from the storm surrounding a Lostbelt, but it could be a barrier of magical energy or a Bounded Fieeeld!
Nemo Marine (Observer):
Please get rid of it, Da Vinci!
Da Vinci:
Measurements and calculations complete! Focus on the Border's bow and deploy multiple magical energy fields!
Da Vinci:
According to my calculations, we can break through!
Nemo:
You work fast as always, Da Vinci. In that case—
Nemo:
Deploy space-time regulating membrane on the bow!
Nemo:
Pierce through in dimension drilling mode!
Da Vinci:
The Tunguska Special Territory! After we break through the barrier, we'll attempt to start our operation from the sky!
Da Vinci:
Brace yourselves, everybody!
Nemo:
We've broken through!
Nemo:
We've entered the skies above the Tunguska Special Territory! Now we head for the magical energy signature—
Habetrot:
Wait a second! There's something really wrong with this place!
Nemo:
...!?
Holmes:
This...! Habetrot, are you all right!?
Habetrot:
Hardly, I'm about to disappear! But I'm still guardian fairy of the Black Barrel!
Habetrot:
I'm not reverting to a Saint Graph, but I'm going back to the dormant mode of the Black Barrel!
Habetrot:
Mash, call me if you need me! I'll even help out a little in battle!
Mash:
Habetrot!? Da Vinci, what's going—
Fou:
Fooooou!
Goredolf:
Whaa, that foul-mouthed yet good-natured Habenyan disappeared right away!?
Goredolf:
Aaargh, what is going on!? Administrative Advisor, Technical Advisor! Would the two of you say something!?
Fujimaru 1:
...! What's Captain's condition!?
Nemo:
...How...this is bad...
Fujimaru 2:
Holmes too!?
Holmes:
...Da Vinci.
Holmes:
Check briefing room 2. Hurry.
Da Vinci:
Briefing room 2—
Da Vinci:
Wh-what the heck!?
Da Vinci:
Chaldea's Heroic Spirits waiting to sortie...Their magical signatures are vanishing one after another!
Da Vinci:
The current world can't support them...They're being forcibly returned to Saint Graphs!
Mash:
...!
Da Vinci:
Holmes!
Holmes:
...yes. That's exactly right, Da Vinci.
Holmes:
Is this the way the world originally was, or did she study the way things were in Britain...
Holmes:
This particular realm has become one that rejects human history itself.
Holmes:
This must be the "special circumstance" that TRISMEGISTUS II predicted.
Holmes:
Needless to say, we have learned from our experience in Britain. The summoning system has multiple safety features added to it—
Holmes:
But I suppose the peculiarities of this domain exceed even those.
Holmes:
I cannot maintain myself either. Da Vinci, Nemo!
Da Vinci:
Roger that! Leave it to us!
Nemo:
Da Vinci may be a Servant, but her essence is that of a present existence, not a Heroic Spirit.
Nemo:
As a Demi-Servant, Mash is the same. Fujimaru and Gordolf are unaffected.
Nemo:
I have two Saint Graphs, so I can maintain myself slightly, and I can use that to...
Nemo:
Regrettably, the Storm Border will retreat from the Special Territory!
Nemo:
Marines!
Nemo Marine:
Aye, sir!
Nemo Marine:
Engines to maximum! Full reverse! We're ready to go anytime!
Nemo:
All right. Meunière, get up. I'm taking the helm!
Meunière:
What!? O-oh yeah, I get it! Roger, it's all yours!
Nemo:
Right. I'm counting on you, operator. Da Vinci!
Da Vinci:
Got it!
Goredolf:
Whoa, the door just opened—
Da Vinci:
Director Gordolf!
Da Vinci:
Get to the hangar! Hurry!
Nemo:
Nurse and Bakery will disconnect Da Vinci and carry her there!
Nemo:
All you have to do is run to the Shadow Border and change into your Type 1 equipment!
Fujimaru 1:
Captain!
Fujimaru 1:
Take care of the ship!
Nemo:
I don't need to be told that. Keeping a ship afloat is the captain's job.
Nemo:
You lot know yours, right? You don't need to concern yourselves with combat.
Meunière:
I know! We'll make it back safely with the Shadow Border!
Meunière:
Fujimaru, Mash, Da Vinci, me, and the old man!
Nemo:
Good answer. Then I don't need to worry anymore.
Nemo:
From now on, the survey team will commence investigation of the Special Territory as an independent unit!
Nemo:
Master Fujimaru! Do not hesitate to make contact in case of emergency!
Nemo:
We'll rush in whenever you need, even if it's only once!
Fujimaru 1:
Roger!
Fujimaru 2:
We're off!
Holmes:
This will do for now.
Holmes:
But even so...first Britain, and now here.
Holmes:
This goes beyond expectations. Blitzkrieg tactics have become virtually impossible now.
Holmes:
Moreover, these "special circumstances" bother me. If they were learned in Britain...
Holmes:
(It's possible that Koyanskaya has also learned of the various "threats" that exist in the Lostbelts...)
Nemo:
We should be prepared for a worst-case scenario. After all, our opponent is a Beast.
Nemo:
We have to leave everything to [♂ him /♀ her]...just like we always do.
Holmes:
Just so. Vexing, but nothing can be done about it.
Holmes:
Well then, Captain, I leave the rest to you.
Nemo:
No matter. My job is just to remain on standby after we exit the Special Territory.
Nemo:
Like the goby, we must be cautious. Waiting is hard, but it isn't dangerous work.
Nemo:
Compared to their temporary evacuation, this is nothing. I'll see you back on the Wandering Sea, Mister.
Da Vinci:
We're taking some serious lateral Gs, but bear with it!
Da Vinci:
The Storm Border is being rotated for separation! As soon as our position is stabilized, we'll descend!
Da Vinci:
We're going to take some Gs from below now!
Da Vinci:
—Hang on!
Nemo:
Inversion complete! Begin rapid withdrawal, after we—
Nemo:
Hatch open! Hatch open!
Nemo:
Shadow Border, launch!
Da Vinci:
...Shadow Border! Launching!
Meunière:
When you say lau—Whoooooooooaaaaaaa!
Goredolf:
Don't you mean drooooooooooooop!?
Da Vinci:
Deploying multiple Bounded Fields underneath the vehicle frame! I don't know if my magical energy alone is enough, so...
Da Vinci:
Sorry☆
Fou:
Fou☆
Meunière:
Aaaaah geeeez! This is makes the third time I've done a drop operatioooooon! Aaahahahaha!
Goredolf:
Wait, if I just think of this as the Dakar Rally...Okay, let's goooooo!
--ARROW--
Fou:
Fou!
Fujimaru 1:
...I'm okay, Fou.
Fujimaru 2:
I didn't pass out.
Fou:
Fou.
Mash:
Master, are you alright!?
Fujimaru 1:
What about you, Mash?
Mash:
Yes. Mash Kyrielight has no issues.
Fujimaru 2:
No issues here.
Da Vinci:
Status confirmation—
Da Vinci:
Electrical systems damage at 20%. Recovery feasible. No engine damage. Frame damage at 10%. Operation viable.
Da Vinci:
Not too shabby, considering the landing from an emergency sortie. Is everyone alright?
Meunière:
Y-Yeah. I was prepared for some whiplash, but this is nothing.
Meunière:
On the contrary...my stiff shoulders are feeling better...?
Goredolf:
Why do you look like you've gone to a chiropractor? Are you the type of person who rehabs on rollercoasters?
Goredolf:
While the lifestyle my subordinate leads has me a bit depressed, h-hmm, I am fine as well.
Goredolf:
Fujimaru and Kyrielight...hmph, also appear to be fine.
Fou:
Fou!
Goredolf:
...! I see you've joined us on board as well, furball! Tsk...can't send you back to the Storm at this point...
Goredolf:
Technical Advisor, how are things on your end? We have landed on enemy soil, are there any problems with the Saint Graphs?
Da Vinci:
Thank you for your concern, Director. I don't see any abnormalities in the Saint Graphs either.
Da Vinci:
It would appear the Heroic Spirits weren't all forced out, like they were in the British Lostbelt.
Da Vinci:
Even if the Heroic Spirits are to be rejected, a loophole of sorts...is bound to exist.
Da Vinci:
Beings who already possess a clear life of their own should have no trouble either. This includes humans and animals.
Da Vinci:
We should treat this domain as one that forces out or otherwise rejects Heroic Spirits whose existence depends heavily on human history.
Fou:
Fou!
???:
Eh, don't you think that's a little strange?
Fou:
Fou?
Fujimaru 1:
Huh?
???:
I mean, I'm here.
Fujimaru 2:
That voice...
???:
You like my voice? I like it too.
???:
In any case, I think your predictions are all a little off the mark.
Goredolf:
W-Who's there!?
Ibuki Dōji:
After all—I'm right here.
Fujimaru 1:
Ibuki-Douji!
Ibuki Dōji:
...?
Goredolf:
Oh...
Goredolf:
...?
Goredolf:
A Heroic Spirit. Or rather, less of a Heroic Spirit and more of a Divine Spirit Servant.
Goredolf:
Oh, now that I mention it! Ibuki-Douji was on standby in briefing room 2.
Goredolf:
She's one of the six Heroic Spirits! So you were safe!
Goredolf:
...hnn. She was...safe? How come?
Mash:
Y-Yes.
Mash:
Unlike a normal Heroic Spirit, Ibuki-Douji is a Divine Spirit Servant...
Mash:
I wonder if it's due to that categorization?
Meunière:
Well, if she's here, she's here.
Da Vinci:
...
Ibuki Dōji:
...?
Da Vinci:
...no doubt about it. She's Ibuki-Douji.
Da Vinci:
In that case, the nature of this place may differ from the British Lostbelt.
Da Vinci:
Judging from the situation, there's no doubt that it's preventing the materialization of Heroic Spirits.
Da Vinci:
Just like Britain, you're not held back by that if you incarnate. But there's one more thing!
Da Vinci:
Non-human Heroic Spirits are not forced out. What's the criteria here, I wonder?
Da Vinci:
Was she okayed because she's a Divine Spirit? Or is it because she's categorized as a Nature Spirit?
Ibuki Dōji:
Non-human?
Ibuki Dōji:
Divine Spirit? Nature Spirit?
Ibuki Dōji:
...Hmm~.
Ibuki Dōji:
Was Ibuki-Douji my True Name?
Fujimaru 1:
Huh?
Ibuki Dōji:
...?
Fujimaru 2:
Hold on a second.
Ibuki Dōji:
Hmm?
Fujimaru 1:
Could it be that there's something wrong with your memory?
Ibuki Dōji:
Hmm~?
Ibuki Dōji:
Well, I am who I am. I'm strong, kind, I like to drink,
Ibuki Dōji:
and I know I'm your Servant.
Ibuki Dōji:
But other than that...it's all rather vague.
Ibuki Dōji:
Hmm, what exactly was I anyway?
Ibuki Dōji:
Not that I care, as long as I can get a nice drink!
Fujimaru 1:
It's not alright, but I understand the situation.
Ibuki Dōji:
Is that so?
Fujimaru 2:
I see...it's a pleasure to have you, Ibuki-Douji!
Ibuki Dōji:
Yes! The pleasure's all mine, Master!
Goredolf:
Aren't the two of you being a little too quick on the uptake?
Da Vinci:
Despite materializing, it would appear the tradeoff is an abnormality in her memories.
Da Vinci:
There are some uncertain elements, but what about you, Ibuki-Douji? How would you rate yourself as a combatant?
Ibuki Dōji:
Me? Oh, I'm strong.
Ibuki Dōji:
If my Master tells me to, I'll fight! I love a good rampage.
Ibuki Dōji:
Hmm. My head's all fuzzy, so I might not be at my best though...
Ibuki Dōji:
Let's see, I'll check, so give me a minute, okay?
Mash:
Y-Yes.
Ibuki Dōji:
For starters, I can use fire.
Ibuki Dōji:
Looks like wind's part of the package too.
Ibuki Dōji:
I can also use lightning.
Ibuki Dōji:
Oh, naturally, I can use water as well!
Fujimaru 1:
Isn't that pretty much everything!?
Ibuki Dōji:
If I try hard, I think I can even change my Saint Graph! The magical energy consumption is gonna be a buzzkill, so I'm not sure how many times I can do that.
Goredolf:
...this is...
Goredolf:
It may be regrettable that you aren't in perfect form, and that all six Servants aren't present, but I think you're already plenty reliable...?
Meunière:
Is this what they call a blessing in disguise...?
Ibuki Dōji:
Hee hee hee!
Ibuki Dōji:
Leave it all to your big sis here. No run-of-the-mill enemy's going to give me a hard time!
Fujimaru 1:
I'll be counting on you, Ibuki-Douji.
Fujimaru 2:
Let's work together!
Ibuki Dōji:
Of course!
Fou:
Fou, fooou!
Section 2: Great Collision
Goredolf:
Well, whatever!
Goredolf:
The most important thing is that we've increased our assets by one. This increases our capabilities!
Goredolf:
She may have memory problems, but securing a Divine Spirit Servant is a significant achievement.
Goredolf:
Have we confirmed the Storm Border has left this territory?
Goredolf:
Then we have but two choices to us:To proceed forward, or do nothing.
Goredolf:
—naturally, we choose the former.
Goredolf:
There's no way the enemy isn't aware we've landed at this point.
Goredolf:
We have no choice but to get to Koyanskaya and crush her as soon as possible!
Goredolf:
This will be different from seizing a Lostbelt. This is an extermination.
Goredolf:
The more time she has, the more Koyanskaya will mature as a Beast.
Goredolf:
Therefore, we do the best with what we have right now.
Goredolf:
At least that's what I think, but—Wh-what are your thoughts, Technical Advisor?
Da Vinci:
Of course, I'm in agreement.
Da Vinci:
The fact that we were able to land like this, and the fact that Ibuki-Douji stayed with us...
Da Vinci:
You could call them both "good opportunities."
Da Vinci:
After we get an understanding of the Special Territory's state of affairs and characteristics, we can fall back.
Da Vinci:
First is search and analysis. That's just the basic route to take right now for us.
Da Vinci:
Isn't that right, Master Fujimaru?
Fujimaru 1:
Yeah!
Fujimaru 2:
We start with what we can reach, right?
Goredolf:
Hmph—
Goredolf:
You seem to be able to grasp the gist of what I'm saying.
Goredolf:
Are you okay with this, Munimuni? You are a bit of a chicken, after all.
Meunière:
At least I'm not an old fart, like you. Plus, it's good to be a little nervous this time, right?
Meunière:
So, are you sure you want to restart the operation here, Da Vinci?
Fujimaru 1:
We can head out anytime.
Meunière:
Sheesh, you're way too eager! Don't get ahead of yourself!
Fujimaru 2:
The original plan seems kind of impossible now...
Meunière:
Yeah, it sure does.
Meunière:
We were supposed to make a blitz right for the magical signature we assumed was Koyanskaya.
Da Vinci:
As you might expect, we need to change plans here.
Da Vinci:
Originally, we considered a blitz attack by means of Heroic Spirits with high firepower and mobility.
Da Vinci:
But there's a large distance between the aforementioned magical signature and where we are now. It's actually 150 kilometers away.
Da Vinci:
We're currently at the southern edge of the Special Territory, so to reach Koyanskaya's signature in the center,
Da Vinci:
we'll have to cross a considerable distance.
Goredolf:
...hm.
Goredolf:
I'd like to force our way across using the Border, but this time we need to do more than just get there.
Goredolf:
First, I'd like to get a better grasp of the area...
Goredolf:
And if we're surrounded, why there's been no hostile responses by now—
Goredolf:
Get the picture?
Da Vinci:
There's no hostile signatures within the surrounding area. You can bet that I'm constantly sweeping for them.
Da Vinci:
But outside of the Border's search range, I couldn't even begin to guess.
Da Vinci:
We need to send out a separate investigation team.
Mash:
...which means...
Fujimaru 1:
We have to gather info about the surrounding area...right?
Da Vinci:
You got it.
Meunière:
You should also secure additional assets. Who knows if there are any stray Servants out there...
Fujimaru 2:
Meaning, get out there and get more firepower.
Da Vinci:
Yep. Gathering intel and securing more assets. We're back to square one once again.
Da Vinci:
I said before that the blitz operation would be a test run for our assault on the seventh Lostbelt,
Da Vinci:
but at the same time, it would have lessened the burden on everyone.
Da Vinci:
Unfortunately, that's no longer possible. I'm really sorry about this.
Da Vinci:
Mash, and Ibuki-Douji out on field recon...
Fujimaru 1:
Of course it'll be all right.
Fujimaru 1:
Mash is with me again this time.
Mash:
Yes!
Mash:
I may not be receiving power from the Storm Border, but if necessary, I can use the Black Barrel independently.
Mash:
For a moment, I think I can briefly amount to several Servants in firepower.
Fujimaru 2:
This time we have Ibuki-Douji with us.
Ibuki Dōji:
Oh, you mean me?
Ibuki Dōji:
Ibuki-Douji, Ibuki-Douji...I'll have to remember that. You'll have a hundredfold spiritual power with me around!
Goredolf:
A hundredfold spiritual power...
Goredolf:
In other words, the strength of a hundred people! Divine Spirits have a weird way of putting things!
Goredolf:
Woah, you scared me!
Goredolf:
Don't load your eyes with such subtle magical energy! It reminds me of the hellish Mystic Eye resistance training I went through!
Meunière:
Is that really something you did...? What kind of training did you do...
Da Vinci:
Well, let's try this again. Commencing the new operation.
Da Vinci:
You'll gather information about the Special Territory, and invite additional Servants to join us.
Da Vinci:
Not many stray Servants would be able to maintain their existence in this place,
Da Vinci:
we don't know if we can set up a summoning circle, and the Servants we can summon are going to be limited...
Da Vinci:
So I'd like you to seize any chance you get.
Da Vinci:
You'll probably be able to perform simple summons for a few minutes at a time.
Da Vinci:
Be sure to take the situation, as well as your own limits into account when you fight.
Fujimaru 1:
Roger that—commencing operation!
Da Vinci:
Be careful out there!
Fujimaru 2:
Let's go, Mash! Ibuki-Douji!
Mash:
Yes, Master!
Ibuki Dōji:
Okay!
Goredolf:
Unfortunately, we still can't connect outside the barrier, but communications within the Special Territory are still good.
Goredolf:
We'll send you periodic reports from the Shadow Border. Now...
Goredolf:
—Koyanskaya Subjugation Operation, start!
Ibuki Dōji:
Ahaha!
Fujimaru 1:
She's fast...!
Mash:
Y-yes! She's just like an airplane!
Mash:
Even with her Saint Graph enlarged to three meters, to reach this speed holding Senpai and myself...
Mash:
She isn't affected by the terrain even in this overgrown forest!
Fou:
Foooooou!
Mash:
We don't know if there are any hostiles or not...
Mash:
But the overgrown foliage will obscure our view and should make us hard to spot.
Ibuki Dōji:
Are you sure about that, Mash?
Ibuki Dōji:
Am I not dazzling? Not physically, but in terms of presence.
Ibuki Dōji:
If I'm seen, I will obviously stand out. So take care!
Mash:
Um, yes. But...
Mash:
I think it's a very unique way of scouting.
Mash:
She should be able to escape all but the swiftest enemies!
Fujimaru 1:
She's sure...
Fujimaru 2:
...just like the roaring wind...
Ibuki Dōji:
—!
Mash:
Ibuki-Douji?
Ibuki Dōji:
...I sense something big up ahead. It's like I naturally...
Ibuki Dōji:
Like some kind of premonition. I wonder...
Ibuki Dōji:
Ah!
Fujimaru 1:
Whoa.
Fujimaru 2:
Ibuki-Douji!?
Ibuki Dōji:
Ah, sorry about that.
Ibuki Dōji:
I shouted too loud on reflex. Be careful, you two!
Ibuki Dōji:
This may not be our first meeting, but it feels like it for me. So, yeah, you know.
Ibuki Dōji:
They're here—enemies!
Mash:
Multiple responses in front of us...they're hostile, Master!
Ibuki Dōji:
We can avoid them, but this feeling...my instincts are screaming.
Ibuki Dōji:
It's likely we're already trapped. Are you two ready?
Mash:
Right!
Mash:
Ortenaus, quick startup!
Mash:
Mash Kyrielight, shifting to intercept!
Fou:
Fou...
Mash:
Get in the shield, Fou!
Fou:
Fou!
Ibuki Dōji:
Here they come! Much as it feels like our first sortie—let's go!
--BATTLE--
Mash:
Ibuki-Douji!
Ibuki Dōji:
Leave it to me!
Ibuki Dōji:
...and that'll shrink me back down. The fight's all done, right?
Fujimaru 1:
Just now...
Fujimaru 2:
They were from the Russian and Indian Lostbelts...
Mash:
Yes. Individuals resembling the Yaga and a Kali from the Indian Lostbelt...if I'm not mistaken?
Mash:
However, how should I put it...I couldn't sense any life from either of them.
Ibuki Dōji:
Yes. They were unmistakably after us, but there was nothing else in them.
Ibuki Dōji:
No anger. No fear. No will to fight for life.
Ibuki Dōji:
It feels really weird!
Ibuki Dōji:
I don't remember clearly, but I do know that there's something "wrong" with that sort of enemy.
Mash:
... ...
Mash:
Senpai, could this be—
Mash:
New hostile reaction, incoming!
Ibuki Dōji:
The tremors are getting bigger...looks like we have a big shot. Keep your guards up, both of you.
Mash:
!
Mash:
Giants from the Scandinavian Lostbelt...! Confirmed to be top-grade warriors at that!
Fujimaru 1:
Yeah, general-class...!
Fujimaru 2:
A giant equivalent of a Heroic Spirit, sort of!?
Ibuki Dōji:
Greater Giants!
Ibuki Dōji:
I just remembered something. Giants are fearsome beings even when on their own,
Ibuki Dōji:
so special ones are an extremely uncommon sight! Yet the fact that these ones stand before us
Ibuki Dōji:
means they are aberrants!
Giant species:
–!!!
Ibuki Dōji:
A menacing sound, as though it were tearing the earth asunder! Perfect, I wouldn't have it any other way!
Ibuki Dōji:
I consider them to be moving, impregnable fortresses! Put your backs into it, Master, Mash!
Ibuki Dōji:
These three giant chieftains are formidable foes!
Ibuki Dōji:
Then allow me to respond accordingly! Serious mode!
Ibuki Dōji:
I'm going all out, so I think the magical energy consumption's going to be rough on you. I'm sorry if this ends up doing you in.
Fujimaru 1:
I-I see, roger that!
Fujimaru 2:
(An enemy who can push Ibuki-Douji that far!)
Habetrot:
Okay, you're in a pickle! Just say so if it's my turn!
Habetrot:
Hold up, they're huge!? How are you not afraid, Fujimaru!?
Fujimaru 1:
I'm afraid, but I've got guts!
Habetrot:
I see, not bad! Then I can't afford to be scared either!
Fujimaru 2:
You can come out, Habetrot!?
Habetrot:
I can manage if it's just for a little whi~le! This is a pain, but isn't that part of the job?
Habetrot:
Now then, let's fire off a big one for starters~!
Habetrot:
Are you ready, Mash? I'll leave the timing to you.
Mash:
Yes, setting Black Barrel to blaster mode! Waiting on your command, Master!
Ibuki Dōji:
Thanks for the assist! Well then—here I come, you three nameless giant chieftains!
--BATTLE--
Section 3: The Boy Walking to Forever
Ibuki Dōji:
Phew!
Ibuki Dōji:
That was a lot of work, but it looks like we took care of all three.
Ibuki Dōji:
Good job, everyone. You too, Habenyan!
Habetrot:
N-No worries! Good work out there!
Habetrot:
(She's...not a fairy, is she?)
Habetrot:
(Looks like an incarnation of an Elemental and a Phantasmal Beast...no, wouldn't that make her a god?)
Habetrot:
Oh well, she's a nice and friendly beauty! Okay, I'll see you around!
Mash:
Thank you so much, Habetrot!
Ibuki Dōji:
But, hmm...
Ibuki Dōji:
while it's good and all that I beat them in the end,
Ibuki Dōji:
what exactly were those three giant chieftains?
Mash:
...
Mash:
This sensation is familiar. Senpai...
Fujimaru 1:
Yeah.
Fujimaru 2:
They may have been some of Koyanskaya's minions.
Mash:
...true.
Mash:
In the past, she has made use of peculiar organisms from one Lostbelt in a different one as her minions.
Mash:
Those three giant chieftains just now felt similar to those enemies.
Ibuki Dōji:
So I take it this domain belongs to this Koyanskaya person? In that case, the answer is...
???:
Lost Familiars—
???:
Her familiars, in other words.
???:
The ones stationed here are automatic. They will automatically attack whoever they deem enemies.
???:
Please rest assured,
???:
for they do not share a data link with their administrator. Having said that...
???:
Those were exceptional units, even among the Lost Familiars. You lot ran out of luck back there.
???:
Still, since you did take three exceptional units out all at once—
???:
that would mean you made your own luck. That was splendid indeed.
???:
Truly a force to be reckoned with.
Mash:
...!
Fou:
Fou!
Ibuki Dōji:
That startled me.
Ibuki Dōji:
Getting this close even though they were in my sensory range.
Mash:
Master, get behind me!
Fujimaru 1:
It's alright.
???:
Oh?
Fujimaru 2:
I think an enemy would've attacked us already—
???:
I see. A fair assumption.
Ibuki Dōji:
Who are you?
???:
I am...
???:
Hmm, let's see, I'm not your enemy.
???:
So please, there's little need to be so cautious.
Mash:
... ...
???:
On the contrary, the opposite! The opposite of an enemy! I am a professional, here to hunt a beast!
???:
I've been summoned in the Saint Graph of a Rider on this occasion. But I still have a few tricks up my sleeve, you see.
???:
So the thing is,
???:
I ask that you leave the elimination of the shadow of Daji,
???:
attempting to usurp Beast IV, to me.
Mash:
Daji...?
???:
I know quite a bit about her. I've undertaken additional investigations as well.
Ibuki Dōji:
Alright! I take it we're bolstering our forces!
Ibuki Dōji:
Hold on—should I even be pleased about this? What do you say?
Fujimaru 1:
Probably...?
???:
Oh dear, could it be that you're wary of me? Perhaps a dashing lad has made a fool of you in the recent past?
???:
Hmm. Hmm.
???:
So that's how it is...
???:
I must say, I was rather confident in my negotiation skills...how odd.
Woman's Voice:
That sounds about right.
Woman's Voice:
You're too euphemistic. That's why I said I'd talk to them first.
Fou:
Fou! Foou!
???:
Woah there.
???:
...you can come out now, Nikitich. Looks like the jig is up.
Woman's Voice:
Of course it is. That's why I spoke up.
???:
—Hmph.
???:
Didn't I tell you there was no need to hide? We should've just honestly joined the fight earlier.
???:
A pleasure to make your acquaintance, folks. I am Nikitich.
Nikitch:
The dragon slayer of Kiev, the hero Dobrynya Nikitich.
Nikitch:
I am strong.
Ibuki Dōji:
Huh, you'd better be strong if you're going to say that!
Nikitch:
Mm. I am.
Ibuki Dōji:
Ooh!
Nikitch:
Mm-hmm.
???:
What's with this back-and-forth...?
Nikitch:
And this unsavory man here is...
???:
Oh, I'll handle that myself.
???:
Umm, yeah. Though wouldn't you say "unsavory man" is a cruel way of putting it?
???:
Oh well, I'll keep this brief then.
???:
I have come forth from the Empyrean realm—
???:
—
???:
That is to say, of course, that I came from the Throne of Heroes.
???:
In life, I acted in the capacity of a tactician. And then, as a Daoshi and such.
???:
My True Name is Taigong Wang.
Section 4: The Nikitch Solution
Narration:
—I heard a voice.
Narration:
In the beginning, I heard a voice.
Narration:
I believe that was how I came to be.
Narration:
I heard voices. I heard voices.
Narration:
A swarm of countless, feeble voices.
Narration:
Voices so small, so ephemeral, so frail and so fragile that I could barely hear each one.
Narration:
But by endlessly overlapping and piling up atop one another,
Narration:
they become only just recognizable as a voice.
Narration:
Or perhaps—
Narration:
They may have been prayers.
Narration:
There were voices.
There were voices.
Narration:
A swarm of countless, feeble screams.
Narration:
I collected them.
Those voices so small I could barely hear each one.
Narration:
I frantically collected them and strained to hear them.
Narration:
And as I did so—
Narration:
I became self-aware.
Narration:
A harrowing flash and heat. The shockwave.
At the heart of the devastating event that rules out the survival of all forms of life,
Narration:
I...
Narration:
chose to live.
Narration:
And I realized.
Narration:
The meaning of those silent voices.
Narration:
In an instant that lasted less than a second, while they were being incinerated...
Narration:
I learned their story. I heard their end.
Narration:
Countless voices of shock and anguish showed me what kind of life "they" were on this planet.
Narration:
In their final moments, countless voices celebrated my genesis.
Narration:
"Our representative." "The greatest of our kind."
A birth celebrated in flames.
Narration:
I am...
Narration:
I am—.
--ARROW--
Fujimaru 1:
Taigong Wang—?
Taigong:
Yes. I am Taigong Wang.
Taigong:
Oh, I don't mind being called Lü Shang or Jiang Ziya or Jiang Taigong either, so please feel to do so.
Mash:
T-Taigong Lü Shang...!
Ibuki Dōji:
Hmm.
Ibuki Dōji:
Taigong.
Ibuki Dōji:
A familiar name, or perhaps an unfamiliar one...but then again, it does sound familiar...
Mash:
U-Umm, I'm not whether you are aware of this or not, Ibuki-Douji,
Mash:
but Taigong Lü Shang—was a genius tactician who served the ancient Chinese Shang dynasty!
Mash:
It is said that he authored the Six Secret Teachings and the Three Strategies, esoteric texts under the protection of Kiichi Hogen...
Mash:
The great hero who bested King Zhou, the last monarch of the Shang, alongside King Wu of Zhou!
Mash:
According to the Investiture of the Gods, not only did he best King Zhou, he is also said to be a practitioner of the sage arts who smote the many fiends who sided with the Shang.
Da Vinci:
We did it! We hit the jackpot!
Goredolf:
Hear, hear! Taigong!
Goredolf:
A disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun, the Xian master of the Kunlun Mountains. In other words, the disciple of the most exalted entity in Taoism!
Da Vinci:
Yep, yep! The one who overthrew the Shang dynasty!
Da Vinci:
He is credited as the one who coined the proverb "there is no returning spilt water to the basin."
Goredolf:
Heroic Spirit Taigong, I've read the complete English translation of the Investiture of the Gods. I know you well!
Goredolf:
Daji, the jewel of the country and beloved concubine of King Zhou, who brought chaos unto the world...
Goredolf:
Her true identity is the Golden White Face—the Thousand-Year Fox Spirit. In other words, wasn't she a Beast?
Goredolf:
Daji was a Beast, wasn't she?
Goredolf:
...she was, wasn't she?
Nikitch:
He's asking you, Taigong.
Taigong:
Oh, it slipped my mind because I figured that much was obvious.
Taigong:
Yes. That is correct.
Taigong:
As you say, Daji was a Beast. One of the beasts corresponding to the Evils of Humanity.
Taigong:
In any caaaaaaaaase, she was well and truly strong!
Taigong:
For real!
Goredolf:
I knew it! So that IS the case!
Fujimaru 1:
The Golden White Face...
Fujimaru 2:
Fox...
Fujimaru 1:
(Tamamo-no-Mae...?)
Mash:
(U-Umm, Senpai?)
Mash:
(I do believe Tamamo-no-Mae has gone on record saying she and Daji are not the same person...)
Tamamo Cat:
Hmm? Daji?
Tamamo Cat:
Yes, woof.
Tamamo Cat:
In most of the legends concerning Tamamo-no-Mae, she arrived in Japan after committing atrocities in China and India.
Tamamo Cat:
That in itself caused her to be labelled as a great, malevolent Youkai.
Tamamo Cat:
Daji of the Shang! Bao Si of the Zhou! In the Kingdom of Devala, she is a great evil god, beheader of a thousand heads!
Tamamo Cat:
An evil fox who gives the Tamamos a bad name.
Tamamo-no-Mae:
You. Are. Mistaken.
Tamamo-no-Mae:
I'm Daji? Will you please cut that malicious slander out? Actually, when you say it, it pretty much counts as a self-confession.
Tamamo-no-Mae:
I really, really want you to cut that out.
Tamamo Cat:
Woah, that nonchalant way of not even denying the Zhou and Devala stuff...so this is the original's cunning art of conversation? This'll be a good reference.
Tamamo Cat:
But aren't you only leaving Daji out because she's been on your mind?
Tamamo Cat:
Aren't you going to admit that you're both Bao Si and Daji? We're all the same and that's all good.
Tamamo-no-Mae:
Absolutely not. We're as different as shiruko and zenzai.
Tamamo-no-Mae:
It's just a coincidence. Let me assert that we just so happen to look alike. Just a foxy coincidence.
Tamamo-no-Mae:
Speaking of Daji, isn't she the one who went above and beyond with being a cruel femme fatale...
Tamamo-no-Mae:
A majestic siren, a rare breed who killed people in the most brutal fashion. Like with the paoluo...
Tamamo-no-Mae:
How should I put it, even I wouldn't go that far.
Tamamo Cat:
I see. While it is a quirk of the original to have her "siren gauge" appear when her "good wife gauge" has maxed out...
Tamamo Cat:
making an entire country her husband is beyond her.
Tamamo-no-Mae:
...listen to me, Cat. I'll take this opportunity to clarify things.
Tamamo-no-Mae:
My official stance is that I know nothing about Daji. Not even the littlest, tiniest, slightest bit!
Taigong:
Hmm? Is something the matter?
Mash:
N-No. Nothing at all.
Ibuki Dōji:
Now I remember. Taigong!
Ibuki Dōji:
A man who ought to be called a cornerstone of military tactics! A famous general and tactician. I hear he later became the progenitor of the Qi state!
Ibuki Dōji:
...am I wrong?
Ibuki Dōji:
Humph, I may not know much about myself, but it seems like the knowledge itself is in my head.
Ibuki Dōji:
Isn't this great news? Finally, Chaldea has gained a legendary figure as an ally!
Fou:
Fou fou!
Da Vinci:
It feels kind of strange having a Divine Spirit say that...
Da Vinci:
Though we do have a good number of legendary figures whose Saint Graphs are on the registry, but yes!
Da Vinci:
Can I assume the two of you are so-called stray Servants?
Da Vinci:
Your run-of-the-mill Heroic Spirit should find it difficult to even materialize though...
Taigong:
Yes, that goes without saying!
Taigong:
Even now, I'm struggling not to be forced out. I managed to cobble together some fangshu to get by,
Taigong:
but to be honest, I'm not doing too well.
Nikitch:
Is that a fact?
Taigong:
Yes.
Taigong:
Speaking of which...you're cool as a cucumber, Nikitich.
Nikitch:
I'm just fine.
Nikitch:
There's nothing wrong with me. Ain't that right, dragon lady?
Ibuki Dōji:
Well, doesn't seem like there's anything wrong with you, warrior lady.
Ibuki Dōji:
Hehe, so you can tell that I'm a dragon? I wasn't too sure about it either, but I had a feeling I might be one.
Nikitch:
Uh-huh.
Ibuki Dōji:
The two of us may have something in common, wouldn't you say?
Da Vinci:
(What I'm interested in are those ears...a werewolf? No, not that it's impossible.)
Ibuki Dōji:
First of all, let's see...
Ibuki Dōji:
Nikitich. I take it you're a considerably skilled warrior. What say you?
Ibuki Dōji:
...what?
Taigong:
She's asking you, Nikitich.
Nikitch:
Oh, me? I zoned out while watching the dragon talk.
Fujimaru 1:
(They really are kindred spirits, the two of them...)
Mash:
(Y-Yes.)
Mash:
(Do you think the two of them are related in some manner?)
Fujimaru 2:
(How should I put it, they really are on the same page.)
Mash:
(They're perfectly synchronized!)
Nikitch:
I am Dobrynya Nikitich. You, the dragon.
Nikitch:
Feel free to call me either Dobrynya or Nikitich.
Ibuki Dōji:
I already know your True Name, but I see. So you're Dobrynya Nikitich!
Nikitch:
I see, so you're going with the full name...how avaricious.
Da Vinci:
One of the legendary bogatyrs who served the Grand Prince of Kiev. One who slew an evil dragon.
Goredolf:
You're the hero of Kiev!
Goredolf:
Nikitich...hmm. I have heard of you before.
Goredolf:
The three-headed dragon Gorynych—the Zmei with three heads and twelve tails.
Goredolf:
So you're the hero who bested it alone not once, but twice. There was also this anecdote of them having gone to Constantinople.
Goredolf:
While it is curious that you look female, I do suppose that heroes come in many different forms!
Ibuki Dōji:
Small ones and big ones!
Nikitch:
Hm.
Nikitch:
I am strong. I can handle almost anything.
Goredolf:
Mmm. Mmm!
Goredolf:
Taigong the beast slayer and Dobrynya Nikitich the dragon slayer!
Goredolf:
I consider it an excellent outcome seeing how the operation has just begun. The odds are in our favor, ladies and gentlemen.
Mash:
Yes!
Mash:
—Taigong, Nikitich.
Taigong:
Yes?
Nikitch:
Hm.
Mash:
I apologize for not introducing myself earlier.
Mash:
I am Mash Kyrielight, a Demi-Servant.
Mash:
I am acting on behalf of the Organization for the Preservation of the Human Order Chaldea to reclaim human history.
Mash:
And here's our Master...
Fujimaru 1:
I'm Fujimaru of Chaldea.
Taigong:
Right, pleasure to meet you.
Taigong:
The last Master of mankind and Servant. I have heard of your exploits from Lord Yuanshi Tianzun...
Taigong:
That is to say, I have learned a fair bit about you by way of the Human Order's guidance.
Taigong:
I have already explained matters to Nikitich.
Nikitch:
I don't know much about the Human Order.
Nikitch:
But you've got enemies, don't you? Then it's just a matter of obliterating them.
Goredolf:
What a remark, overflowing with motivation. This is as dependable as it gets.
Goredolf:
As expected of a dragon slayer.
Goredolf:
...but aren't you a bit more bloodthirsty than normal? Are you okay? You're sure you're not a Berserker?
Da Vinci:
No worries, she undoubtedly is of the Rider class. We're communicating just fine, aren't we?
Nikitch:
Hmm. I can handle that. I've already mastered the human tongue.
Goredolf:
(You sound all robotic like "Human language, acquired" though!?)
Da Vinci:
Now then, let's confirm our objective. Taigong, Nikitich.
Da Vinci:
We are in pursuit of one who we believe to be the monarch of this special territory.
Da Vinci:
Her name is Tamamovitch Koyanskaya.
Da Vinci:
She is the juvenile Beast IV, and possesses the ability to nonchalantly cross the Lostbelts.
Da Vinci:
However, her movements have stopped at present for some reason. She remains stationary at the heart of this area.
Da Vinci:
I don't know the details, but...
Da Vinci:
in the worst case scenario, she may be plotting to emerge into her fully developed form.
Da Vinci:
We would like to eliminate Koyanskaya before that happens, no matter what.
Da Vinci:
So—we would like you to lend us your strength. What do you say?
Taigong:
Of course, that's the idea.
Taigong:
In fact, I have been waiting for you all to arrive.
Taigong:
Chaldea, I am glad you are a bunch of good-natured folks, just the way I heard it. Yep, that puts me at ease. Whew!
Nikitch:
Are you really going to flatter them out of nowhere, Taigong?
Taigong:
Hahaha, it's not flattery, Nikitich. It's lip service.
Ibuki Dōji:
Isn't that what they call flattery?
Nikitch:
You won't get any flattery from me. Hmph.
Nikitch:
Might is everything, that is, if you wish to be a bogatyr of salvation.
Nikitch:
Clothes only get in the way. Alright, it's easier to move now.
Taigong:
Hold up.
Nikitch:
Let's see how good you are. That fine with you?
Ibuki Dōji:
Hmm.
Taigong:
No, no, no. You already saw how good they are in that scuffle with the Lost Familiars earlier.
Nikitch:
I said, I want to see how good they are.
Mash:
!
Mash:
M-Master! Nikitich's magical energy is on the rise!
Goredolf:
We should've been able to peacefully negotiate...does it really have to end with a "prepare for battle" mood?
Nikitch:
Let's do this.
Nikitch:
Heroic Spirits of Chaldea—and this so-called Master!
Nikitch:
Prove your valor to me!
--BATTLE--
Nikitch:
Ha ha ha ha ha!
Mash:
Gh!
Nikitch:
Ah hah! I see you are familiar with midair combat!
Fujimaru 1:
From the sky...!
Fujimaru 2:
Another air battle, just like Melusine!
Ibuki Dōji:
We're not being bombarded, but we're at a huge disadvantage!
Ibuki Dōji:
I'm fine with fighting in midair, but I can't leave Master and Mash behind...
Ibuki Dōji:
Use the trees as cover. Over here!
Nikitch:
Oh no, you don't.
Ibuki Dōji:
Wow!
Ibuki Dōji:
That tingles! What a weird feeling!
Mash:
High-maneuverability aerial combat using a wyvern—
Mash:
Dobrynya Nikitich! A formidable opponent, Master!
Mash:
Furthermore, that was a special attack against dragonkind, a suicide attack on Ibuki-Douji!
Da Vinci:
Yeah, she's a dragonslaying dragon rider! Shouldn't she pick one or the other!?
Da Vinci:
Then that white wyvern is probably a transformed version of her legendary horse!
Da Vinci:
Be careful, that's not a normal wyvern! Consider it on the level of a Heroic Spirit!
Nikitch:
Challenging the unreasonable and doing the impossible is what makes a hero!
Nikitch:
Now, I challenge you!
Nikitch:
The wingless declare aerial battle impossible, and so on! I won't hear a word of that!
Taigong:
...oh no.
Taigong:
Oh no no no no. As usual, you exaggerate, Nikitich.
Taigong:
Those without wings can no more fly than a lost child can walk, yes?
Taigong:
We're all adults, so this should be handled accordingly.
Taigong:
Unable to fly?
Taigong:
Unable to do the impossible?
Taigong:
Then someone should help them, Nikitich. And in this case—
Taigong:
I shall.
Nikitch:
!
Mash:
...!
Ibuki Dōji:
Oh? Are the two of you floating too?
Fujimaru 1:
This feeling...
Fujimaru 1:
Mash!
Mash:
Yes! It appears to be magecraft that lets you walk on the air!
Taigong:
The two of you from Chaldea, I will now use fangshu to back you up.
Taigong:
By the way, I'll be riding Si Bu Xiang. After all, my class is still Rider, you see.
Mash:
Uh...
Ibuki Dōji:
She's diving down!
Taigong:
Then I'll take to the sky first!
--BATTLE--
Nikitch:
Wind sorcery...? Taigong!
Taigong:
I've temporarily cut down the ceiling for flight. This should be, yes...
Taigong:
Lady Ibuki-Douji!
Ibuki Dōji:
But of course!
Ibuki Dōji:
Mash, make me a foothold!
Mash:
Y-Yes, I don't mind. Please use my shield as a springboard!
Ibuki Dōji:
Thank you!!
Ibuki Dōji:
Here I come, then.
Ibuki Dōji:
Pseudo Noble Phantasm - Nukite Hachimyaku Dotou!
Fujimaru 1:
Isn't this one brand-new!?
Mash:
Since she called it a Pseudo Noble Phantasm, it may only be a simple attack!
Fujimaru 1:
For now, I'll pass on all the magical energy I can!
Fujimaru 2:
Get 'em, Ibuki-Douji!
Nikitch:
A dragon of the earth that swims through the sky! Elegant, but hardly fair...!
Nikitch:
Your determination, and your daring!
Nikitch:
We must decide whose is superior!—Come at me!
Ibuki Dōji:
...Hm!
Nikitch:
...Well struck!
Nikitch:
You've skillfully pierced my steed's wings. You have my admiration!
Nikitch:
Look, we're barely managing to hover.
Nikitch:
Your coordination was as splendid as your swordplay.
Nikitch:
I'll need Taigong to heal his wings, or have him rest in spirit form.
Nikitch:
We cannot continue this duel in the air.
Nikitch:
I shall concede victory to you, Chaldea. At least, for now...
Nikitch:
Let us first return to ground!
Ibuki Dōji:
Oh, agreed.
Ibuki Dōji:
My new move, or rather, Pseudo Noble Phantasm, is rather tiring. Well...
Fujimaru 1:
An all-out attack while doing an octuple spin!
Fujimaru 2:
That was one crazy assault you pulled off.
Ibuki Dōji:
... ...
Ibuki Dōji:
...I'm kind of tired from going into all-out mode.
(Blowing off steam)
Fujimaru 1:
Step it down slowly with a nice, deep breath.
Ibuki Dōji:
Hooh, haah.
Fujimaru 2:
Chill out before you do something reckless.
Ibuki Dōji:
...Guess I'd better, yeah.
--ARROW--
Nikitch:
There we go.
Nikitch:
You did well, my steed. Stay in spirit form for a time.
Nikitch:
—Well then.
Nikitch:
Not bad at all, Chaldea!
Fou:
Fou, foou!
Goredolf:
Phew, I'm just glad you're all safe...and I hope you won't drive me to a heart attack by ever doing that again.
Nikitch:
Haw-haw-ha! Haw-haw-ha!
Goredolf:
You don't fool me. I can hear the obstinance in that resounding laugh of yours.
Taigong:
There won't be any rematches. Be at ease, Chaldean lord.
Taigong:
That was more along the lines of demonstrating a Heroic Spirit's dignity.
Taigong:
I don't expect there are many of them who'd need to assert their strength more than once, are there?
Da Vinci:
Sure. A show of strength does make for a concise and forceful negotiation.
Da Vinci:
So we were glad to have your help for that instance. Thank you, Taigong.
Taigong:
Not at all!
Taigong:
Honestly, Master Dobrynya Nikitich, you're incorrigible when you say you're going to do something.
Taigong:
You are truly selfish for a warrior.
Nikitch:
Now don't you call me selfish.
Nikitch:
You have me beat on the egoist front, Taigong.
Taigong:
Hmm? Do I really?
Nikitch:
Don't you?
Taigong:
Hmm.
Taigong:
I suppose it's fine to be bull-headed. Psychology and the ego weren't concepts back in our eras!
Fou:
Fofoufou, Merli-fou!
Taigong:
Yowch!
Mash:
N-No, Fou!
Mash:
What brought that on...What? He has the same air as Merlin?
Mash:
Don't do that. I think it's rude for Taigong or Merlin the Flower Magus alike to be mistaken for the other.
Fou:
Fou...
Si Bu Xiang:
Mo...Momomomo...
Mash:
See? You're making his Baku angry too—
Mash:
What?
Mash:
Baku?
Si Bu Xiang:
Mo. Momo.
Fou:
Fou!
Si Bu Xiang:
Momomomo.
Fujimaru 1:
That thing he was just riding...
Fujimaru 2:
was this cute and chubby Baku!?
Mash:
Y-Yes. It's a lovely Baku!
Taigong:
Right, that's my Si Bu Xiang. She usually gets like that when things aren't serious.
Si Bu Xiang:
Mo. Mo.
Mash:
Pleased to meet you, Si Bu Xiang.
Si Bu Xiang:
Mo. Momo.
Taigong:
My, it's rare for her to take to humans. I had thought she was much more shy than this,
Taigong:
but does her personality change as a Noble Phantasm? How very interesting.
Taigong:
...Well.
Taigong:
Si Bu Xiang aside for the moment, let me address all of Chaldea.
Taigong:
We have been present in this region well before you arrived.
Taigong:
Of course, as a Heroic Spirit on the side of the Human Order, the objective is to seal off the thing at the center of this domain.
Taigong:
We have more detailed knowledge of the area. Please make use of me as a guide.
Taigong:
Unfortunately, we were not endowed with any knowledge of Chaldea's inner workings.
Taigong:
Only that you are an organization resisting on behalf of the Human Order.
Taigong:
The trials you've overcome to date. The current state of Chaldea, and knowledge of the six Lostbelts...
Taigong:
I haven't the faintest clue about them.
Taigong:
So I'd like you to share that intelligence with me first—
Mash:
That's...
Mash:
That would be very much appreciated. We need all the information we can get!
Fujimaru 1:
Yeah.
Fujimaru 2:
Please, whatever you have to share!
Taigong:
So I see. Is that how the Lostbelts have been all this time?
Taigong:
Six in all. The number fits as well. This makes more and more sense.
Taigong:
Things have become far clearer thanks to your knowledge. Thank you so much.
Goredolf:
...Mm, ahem. Now that things are out in the open, it's somewhat belated...
Goredolf:
but as commanding officer, I feel it necessary to point something out.
Goredolf:
Fujimaru, and Kyrielight as well, aren't you both a bit too forthcoming for field investigators?
Goredolf:
"No intel whatsoever" is one thing, but to lay so much of our own bare in so one-sided an exch—
Goredolf:
Mmph. Mmppthph.
Meunière:
Let's stop there. Fujimaru and Mash are hardened veterans in this area.
Meunière:
You want to be able to trust in and have faith in this guy. That's why you'll be forthcoming with our secrets without a second thought.
Meunière:
That's how it feels for me. You two are the ones up close and personal with them, right?
Fujimaru 1:
(Nod)
Taigong:
...
Taigong:
...Ah, well.
Mash:
...?
Ibuki Dōji:
What?
Taigong:
I'm quite pleased you've nibbled onto sharing intelligence, sure.
Taigong:
"I do have important intel I'd like to present. But only after taking care of some loose ends."
Taigong:
That's the sort of bargain I had in mind here. Ahaha.
Goredolf:
... ...
Goredolf:
...Oh?
Mash:
Umm...
Ibuki Dōji:
... ...
Ibuki Dōji:
(I don't follow, so I think I'll have a snack. What do you say, Si Bu Xiang?)
Si Bu Xiang:
(Mo. Mo.)
Ibuki Dōji:
(Hm, carrots rather than jerky.)
Ibuki Dōji:
(Now, why did I bring carrots anyway? Oh, well.)
Ibuki Dōji:
(Here's a carrot!)
Si Bu Xiang:
(Crunch, crunch, crunch)
Ibuki Dōji:
(Wow! Way to eat!)
Nikitch:
You stupid imbecile!
Taigong:
Gyah!
Nikitch:
The dragon and Si Bu Xiang are starting to lose interest because you won't give a straight answer!
Taigong:
... ...
Si Bu Xiang:
(Crunch, crunch, crunch)
Ibuki Dōji:
Look at her go! She's so enthusiastic!
Fou:
Fou-yum!
Taigong:
A—hahahaha! Fine, I give up!
Taigong:
Yes, yes. I'm in the wrong here. Si Bu Xiang's enjoying her carrots.
Taigong:
I fully understand. I'll give it to you, warts and all!
Taigong:
Nonetheless, this is a can of worms you could well have avoided opening.
Taigong:
It factors heavily into our sharing of intel, so I have a place I'd like to show all of you.
Taigong:
However! The quickest route there...
Taigong:
will require crossing an ultra-exceptional unit's nest.
Taigong:
As the name would imply, an ultra-exceptional unit is...a hostile entity boasting ultra-exceptional combat prowess.
Taigong:
It will make those high level units from earlier look like child's play.
Fujimaru 1:
Which means...
Fujimaru 1:
Combat is unavoidable.
Taigong:
Right.
Taigong:
In order to guarantee your safety once we arrive at the location I mentioned,
Taigong:
I want to preemptively strike this exceptional unit. Appropriate threats must be sorted out, you see.
Taigong:
How now, everyone? I trust you shall make the right decision, Chaldea.
Nikitch:
Mm...If you really want that, Taigong, I'll go along with it.
Ibuki Dōji:
Of course. I follow where my Master, Fujimaru leads.
Mash:
Master.
Fujimaru 1:
Let's go.
Fujimaru 1:
I'd like to hear your story, Taigong.
Mash:
Yes!
Fujimaru 2:
Appropriate threats do need sorting out.
Nikitch:
Oh. Good decision.
Taigong:
Then we're settled.
Taigong:
Let us begin our very first joint operation!
--ARROW--
Mash:
Just ahead...there's a blizzard blocking our field of vision!
Mash:
This is no ordinary weather shift! Master, please hold on to me!
Mash:
And that looks like...!
Nikitch:
"Lightning?"
Ibuki Dōji:
Lightning.
Nikitch:
Hold on, is that a mountain I see past the lightning?
Ibuki Dōji:
Nope, that's no mountain.
Ibuki Dōji:
I'm starting to understand. This is where those ones congregate.
Ibuki Dōji:
Hmm, is that the reason I'm here? How very twisted.
Taigong:
Indeed, it is no mountain. But you all knew that already.
Taigong:
Magical energy and mass to put this thundering blizzard to shame.
Taigong:
At times inert, other times melting into the valley with a bellow. The first of these kings—
Taigong:
—The wandering glacier, Ivan the Terrible!
Fujimaru 1:
...!
Fujimaru 2:
Ivan the Terrible!?
Mash:
...!
Taigong:
Ivan the Terrible! His body recreated, cobbled together with magic energy!
Taigong:
Of course, only now did I learn its name from you. Regardless, there it stands.
Taigong:
Such a pity that he should be designated a mere weapon for the likes of her.
Taigong:
At present, it defends its domain as the strongest ultra-exceptional unit in the area.
Taigong:
Truly a mind-boggling obstacle!
Ibuki Dōji:
I should say so.
Taigong:
Powerful, yet towering. Towering, yet powerful.
Taigong:
Moreover, it has the tendency to mobilize from its base to answer emergency calls from elsewhere.
Taigong:
A most deadly threat for the likes of us—
Nikitch:
It's in the way.
Taigong:
Right.
Ibuki Dōji:
...Huh, I'm surprised.
Ibuki Dōji:
You two are ready to take it on without a second look?
Ibuki Dōji:
Ahahahahahaha, I like that! It does make the juices rise, like those three giant chieftains!
Ibuki Dōji:
I've taken quite a liking to these little ones! I think I could get serious again!
Ibuki Dōji:
Well? Master, if I do—would you bear with it to your death?
Fujimaru 1:
Please, Ibuki-Douji...
Fujimaru 2:
...give that thundering tsar one more fight.
Ibuki Dōji:
...Well then, I'm going to have to step things higher than just serious.
Ibuki Dōji:
If it drains you dry of magic energy, don't blame me.
Fou:
Fo, fouu!
Mash:
I-It'll be okay, Fou. I'm always monitoring Senpai's remaining magic energy.
Fou:
Fouh!
Ibuki Dōji:
Orochis, onward! Keep that elephant pinned down as long as possible!
Ibuki Dōji:
"Give it every last—ounce of effort!"
Mash:
Yes!
Mash:
Mash Kyrielight is battle-ready!—Habetrot, if you please!
Habetrot:
Okay, it's my turn! But did it have to be so cold!?
Habetrot:
Still, I won't let the chill freeze up any operations. Leave the barrel's coordination to me!
Nikitch:
Oh, another little one. At least you have a warrior's look. Heheh, not bad!
Nikitch:
Now, all troops, move out!
--BATTLE--
Section 5: With Delicate Mad Lives
Mash:
The blizzard is subsiding...
Mash:
Total annihilation of the giant hostile life form has been confirmed. The battle has concluded!
Fujimaru 1:
Good work!
Ibuki Dōji:
Well done!
Ibuki Dōji:
Master, Mash, you both did well! Same goes to you, Taigong, Nikichi and Habenyan!
Ibuki Dōji:
Haah. I'd really appreciate a drink.
Habetrot:
A reward after a hard day's work sounds nice! I too love having apple water after pulling an all-nighter!
Habetrot:
Feel free to invite me if you're going to raise a toast! Anyway, good night!
Fou:
Fou!
Fou:
Fou?
Mash:
...
Fou:
Fou!
Mash:
Woah there, Fou.
Fujimaru 1:
What's the matter, Mash?
Mash:
Yes. I've...been having these thoughts...
Mash:
A recreation of Ivan the Terrible...
Mash:
She must have added the Lostbelt King of the Russian Lostbelt to her arsenal as a "weapon"...
Fujimaru 1:
How many recreations are there?
Nikitch:
There can't be that many.
Nikitch:
After all, Taigong and I have taken out a number of them.
Fujimaru 2:
I wonder what criteria she chooses by?
Ibuki Dōji:
Hmmm. Not too sure myself.
Taigong:
Let's summarize, shall we? This time, about the "hostile life forms that exist in this domain".
Taigong:
I believe you have already encountered them, but broadly speaking, there are two types.
Taigong:
Firstly, there are the mass-produced units who are born in succession, as a species.
Fujimaru 1:
The ones resembling Yaga and Kali may be those...
Fujimaru 2:
Those are beings unique to their respective Lostbelts...
Taigong:
Yes, that is true. You called them Yaga and Kali?
Taigong:
I believe you've also encountered the giants of Scandinavia, have you not?
Taigong:
These mass-produced units are commonly known as Lost Familiars.
Taigong:
Sometimes, rare variants of a higher class do manifest...
Taigong:
But for the most part, you can consider them the rank and file.
Taigong:
Oh, Lost Familiars is a term I came up with on my own. Please feel free to use it.
Taigong:
They fall under the category of "species that inhabit this domain".
Taigong:
Next up, you have these ultra-exceptional units formed via recreation! The Ivan recreation we just fought falls under this category.
Taigong:
They fall under the category of "an individual threat, unrelated to any species"...Lost Weapons.
Taigong:
Hostile life forms that belong to a species are termed "Lost Familiars" and individual hostile entities are termed "Lost Weapons".
Taigong:
How about it? Simple enough, no?
Taigong:
So far, there are six familiars and six weapons. Six species and six individuals.
Taigong:
I wonder how many of them she intends to collect? There are but seven Lostbelts...
Taigong:
No. That would be unlike her.
Fou:
Fou, fou.
Taigong:
Anyway! We have done all that needs doing here.
Taigong:
We should have whittled her forces down. Let us be on our way.
Nikitch:
Mmm!
Nikitch:
Let's get moving! You, Dragon, fly off with Mash and Fujimaru!
Ibuki Dōji:
Alrighty!
--BATTLE--
Taigong:
Mm—.
Taigong:
That's right, around here should be good.
Taigong:
The Lost Familiars have two types of behavorial patterns.
Taigong:
They either stand by at accumulation points or move periodically along a patrol route.
Taigong:
We're currently far off from either.
Taigong:
So it's relatively safe.
Fou:
Fou, fou.
Mash:
Fou, if you get too close to the river edge...
Fou:
Fou-fish!
Mash:
Woah.
Mash:
Wow, there are lots of fish—
Nikitch:
Mm. They're delicious.
Mash:
Y-yes.
Nikitch:
You want some?
Ibuki Dōji:
Wow, is it okay? When a beautiful woman invites me, I can't help but want to take part!
Goredolf:
A dragon species...eats fish, doesn't it, Lemon?
Meunière:
You must be picturing a Meunière that's good at cooking...How on earth would I know the dietary habits of a divine oriental dragon!?
Meunière:
Aren't they usually carnivores? They also like alcohol, right?
Taigong:
Would you like me to help you with fishing? It's my specialty.
Mash:
!!
Mash:
When speaking of Taigong, it has to be fishing!
Mash:
Taigong. His fondness for fishing is so well known in China and Japan that his name is associated with anglers...
Fujimaru 1:
As expected of Taigong.
Fujimaru 2:
That's right.
Mash:
Yes!
Taigong:
But this time, my job is fox hunting—beast hunting. We have to hunt that human-resenting beast.
Da Vinci:
Hmm...This is an unusual case indeed.
Da Vinci:
You may be a stray Servant, but clearly you're aware of the Human Order.
Da Vinci:
Rather than the land, you're a Heroic Spirit summoned by the world itself...is that it?
Taigong:
—Yes, that's about right.
Mash:
So could you be the Counter Force's...
Taigong:
Oh, no no! It's not as clear cut as that.
Taigong:
Well—
Taigong:
I guess this isn't the time to be modest. Alright, I'm gonna say it!
Taigong:
My usual self is, um...how should I say this?
Taigong:
Even manifesting with the Saint Graph of a Grand Caster wouldn't be odd, you know.
Mash:
Uh.
Goredolf:
Err.
Meunière:
Seriously?
Ibuki Dōji:
What happened? Still no bite?
Nikitch:
No, not yet.
Fujimaru 1:
...Grand Caster?
Taigong:
Yes.
Taigong:
Grand Caster. I wonder if it's possible to be a Grand Rider as well?
Taigong:
Anyhow, it's not something strange. But for some reason, I'm just a normal Rider here.
Taigong:
In addition, since I've been constantly using fangshu to twist the rules and avoid getting forced out...
Taigong:
My power has been considerably drained. Ah, I'm ashamed.
Da Vinci:
Being so serious about beast hunting... you're a professional Beast slayer indeed.
Da Vinci:
Unfortunately, he's currently manifested in a normal Saint Graph. With that said, it doesn't change the fact that it's very reassuring.
Fou:
Fou!
Taigong:
No matter the state of my Saint Graph, there's probably only one thing that the Human Order wants from me.
Taigong:
My job this time is to finish off that Beast IV candidate who's doing as she pleases everywhere.
Taigong:
Mm, what a mess.
Taigong:
The Human Order and Lord Yuanshi Tianzun sure are working me to the bone!
Goredolf:
... ...
Goredolf:
...O-oh. Is that some type of Kunlun Mountain joke?
Goredolf:
When you suddenly reference the supreme being of a mythological system, it's hard to know how to react.
Meunière:
That's right, it's not that funny...
Taigong:
I sure was talking big!
Taigong:
However, the current me has a very much reduced amount of magical power. I'd like to ask everyone at Chaldea to lend me a hand.
Mash:
Um, about that, we're glad to have your help as well!
Fujimaru 1:
Let's fight together, Taigong. Nikitich.
Taigong:
Yep, I'm looking forward to working with you.
Nikitch:
Mm! It's about time I caught something.
Animals:
(Fidgeting)
Taigong:
Leaving the fishing to Nikitich—let's start our information sharing.
Taigong:
Mm-hmm. From the Russian Lostbelt came the Yaga...those Beastmen.
Taigong:
From the Scandinavian Lostbelt, she collected the Giants. I wonder what she collected from the Chinese Lostbelt?
Mash:
That's unknown. We haven't encountered them yet either.
Taigong:
Hmm.
Taigong:
Perhaps...Were there tanks with tiger heads on them in the Chinese Lostbelt?
Mash:
T-there were...
Fujimaru 1:
There were, indeed...
Taigong:
I see. So there were.
Taigong:
I knew it, so those were the Familiars from the Chinese Lostbelt, huh...
Mash:
Oh, um! I'm sure they were there, but I thought it was a machine or...
Taigong:
No, it's a living thing. Or at least, the one we came across in this region was.
Taigong:
The tiger part is living. It even roars.
Mash:
!
Da Vinci:
So, basically...
Da Vinci:
Koyanskaya's battle strength in this region is essentially made up by what she acquired from the Lostbelts?
Taigong:
Essentially, yes.
Taigong:
The six species of Lost Familiars are active in small numbers around the patrol routes.
Taigong:
The Lost Weapons, who are ultra-exceptional units, exist for base defense and to be dispatched in abnormal situations.
Da Vinci:
That was a reproduction of Ivan the Terrible just now, wasn't it?
Taigong:
Yes. He was indeed placed very effectively.
Taigong:
Since they have full control over the leylines, they keep reappearing every time we strike them down.
Da Vinci:
An inexhaustible supply of Familiars...and you've been fighting them all alone?
Da Vinci:
It's like being totally surrounded by enemies while deep within their territory.
Fujimaru 1:
I'm amazed you were able to survive...
Taigong:
It's thanks to my speedy escapes, I guess!
Fujimaru 2:
Seems like you're barely scraping by.
Taigong:
I'm confident in my ability to escape. Yep.
Taigong:
If they're struck down thoroughly enough, it'll be fine for a while. It's not to the extent where we have to lament the futility of fighting them.
Da Vinci:
...But they're in control of the leylines. It'll be difficult to set up a summoning circle then.
Taigong:
Unfortunately so.
Taigong:
With that said, each location doesn't have a connection that transmits information to Koyanskaya.
Taigong:
They're also cut off in terms of magical connections. The base's Lost Weapons are all in a state of complete autonomy.
Taigong:
Much like Koyanskaya...
Taigong:
Basically, we're unlikely to be noticed unless we're near the "castle" in the center.
Da Vinci:
"Castle", huh—
Nikitch:
I caught a fish!
Fujimaru 1:
The unexpected Strong Style!
Fujimaru 2:
That's not fishing, you're just grabbing it!
Mash:
Your whole body is soaked! A-are you okay?
Nikitch:
No problem.
Nikitch:
Bububububububububu.
(Water droplets splashing around)
Nikitch:
That will dry me off.
Ibuki Dōji:
Hahahaha...and I'm soaking as well. Hahaha!
Ibuki Dōji:
Judging by those ears, Nikichi has to be some type of animal incarnation, isn't she?
Ibuki Dōji:
And she's adept at shaking herself dry too!
Goredolf:
(Oh. You're cutting in there, Divine Spirit Ibuki-Douji!)
Nikitch:
Oho, you're interested in my ears?
Mash:
Nikitich, um...are you a Beastman?
Nikitch:
No, I'm not.
Goredolf:
(She's not?)
Nikitch:
I'm not, but my wife was a strong, beautiful she-giant, more beast than man.
Fujimaru 1:
So those beast ears are your wife's...?
Fujimaru 2:
Maybe your Saint Graph reproduces her features?
Ibuki Dōji:
That's so sweet. I wonder if you're a Heroic Spirit that receives blessings from the love between you two.
Goredolf:
I see! So that's why you're in the form of a woman!
Nikitch:
No, it's not.
Goredolf:
It's not...
Nikitch:
Or it might be, a little.
Goredolf:
O-oh? So your ears and form are indeed because of your wife's blessing—
Nikitch:
Hm~.
Goredolf:
...Which is it?
Taigong:
Well then. I have a theory.
Taigong:
What kind of principle is this region employing to force out Heroic Spirits of the Human Order—?
Taigong:
... ...
Taigong:
...It would be easy to talk about it here, but I'd like for you to wait a while.
Da Vinci:
Hm. And what is your reasoning for that?
Taigong:
It's necessary for you Chaldeans to receive some prerequisite knowledge.
Taigong:
In order to do that, we need to gain an understanding of this area. Specifically, there are two places I'd like to visit.
Taigong:
It's easier to show than to explain.
Taigong:
And above all —
Taigong:
Yes, your understanding about Koyanskaya should change a lot.
Taigong:
At the same time, you should also learn why Nikitich and Ibuki-Douji aren't forced out as well.
Da Vinci:
...Seems like you're putting on airs, Heroic Spirit Taigong. Or should I say, Grand Candidate Taigong?
Taigong:
A presentation should be effective, shouldn't it? I tend to be particular about those sort of things by nature.
Taigong:
And well, there really are some things in the world that just can't be described adequately with words alone.
Taigong:
That's how I came to terms with the region myself. How you guys will feel about it though...
Taigong:
I'm not so sure about that.
Da Vinci:
I understand.
Da Vinci:
Fujimaru, Mash. What do you think about his statement?
Fujimaru 1:
If there's something you want to show, I'll have a look.
Fujimaru 2:
A picture is worth a thousand words, right?
Nikitch:
Hm. Shall we move then?
Nikitch:
Alright. But we've got to finish eating the fish first.
Nikitch:
Let's bake them.
Taigong:
Hm~.
Taigong:
Sorry, Nikitich, but I don't think it's a good idea to make smoke.
Nikitch:
You can use a technique then.
Taigong:
Huh. That's your reply!?
Nikitch:
There was a technique for roasting fish amongst your sage and dao arts, wasn't there?
Nikitch:
The seasoning is perfect! More salt, pepper, and others can be added just by wishing for it.
Nikitch:
Fine adjustments can be done as well! I've already skewered them all!
Taigong:
Yes, yes...
Ibuki Dōji:
Wow, that smells great! The fish will be cooked in no time!
Fujimaru 1:
How convenient...
Fujimaru 2:
So these are sage arts?
Taigong:
Oh no, it's actually one of my originals.
Taigong:
I quite like fishing, so I thought it would be useful to have a technique that allows me to eat the fish as soon as I catch them.
Mash:
As expected of Taigong, the man associated with anglers—
Taigong:
Oh, really?
Taigong:
Ah, that's a bit embarrassing.
Nikitch:
The fish is ready. Let's all eat our share before we leave!
Nikitch:
You can't fight if you're hungry. Besides, you all look as young as chicks.
Nikitch:
And so you should eat! Hurry and eat!
Nikitch:
Eat and make up for the exhaustion in your continuous battles! After that, we bogatyrs go to battle once more!
Fujimaru 1:
Y-yes!
Fujimaru 2:
I'll be digging in!
Goredolf:
...Let's begin our meal as well then! Fish, hm...I'd like some meunière with it...
Meunière:
You called?
Goredolf:
Not you, Morningcall! Hm, what should I do...
Fou:
Fou fu, fou fu (Chew chew)
Mash:
(Chew chew)
Mash:
Wow, it's so delicious...
Mash:
The meat has a pleasant texture and a lovely aroma as well—
Mash:
It's a refreshing taste typical of freshwater fish!
Ibuki Dōji:
(Chew chew)
Ibuki Dōji:
Oh, it's so delicious! It's melting into my cheeks! Hahaha, I want another piece!
Si Bu Xiang:
Mo. Momo. (Chew chew)
Hiryuu:
(Chew chew)
Hiryuu:
...Huh, dragons eat fish, do they?
Fujimaru 1:
He's speaking...—!?
Fou:
Spea-Fou!
Mash:
Fou!?
Nikitch:
Ah. Let me introduce you to my beloved steed. As you can see, he's taken the form of a flying dragon after being cursed by an evil dragon.
Nikitch:
He was originally a horse. Please treat him well, Dragon.
Ibuki Dōji:
Oh, really?
Ibuki Dōji:
I'm Ibuki-Douji. I'm still a little fuzzy about who I am, but...
Ibuki Dōji:
Nice to meet you, steed.
Hiryuu:
(Lub-dub)
Hiryuu:
What's with this dragon? She's super pretty...Well, it's nice to meet you, Ibuki.
Fujimaru 1:
He's speaking normally.
Fujimaru 2:
Talking horses exist, I know.
Mash:
Y-yes. It's rare to find a horse (?) that speaks so fluently.
Mash:
But Chaldea also has one who's polite and well-spoken.
Nikitch:
I see. Being polite is certainly a good thing. Ah. That's right, Mash.
Nikitch:
My horse is kind of lewd, so watch out for him.
Mash:
Yes...?
Nikitch:
He likes women. If he touches your butt with the tip of his nose, then do this.
Nikitch:
(Gestures by clenching her fist and swinging it down)
Fou:
Fou...
Ibuki Dōji:
Ah, there are animals like that sometimes, aren't there? Strangely attracted to human women, even young girls!
Ibuki Dōji:
I seem to have that sort of memory. It's weird.
Mash:
I-I'll be careful. Yes.
Fujimaru 1:
(Gaze warily at Hiryuu)
Hiryuu:
What...so you're gonna watch out, huh...
Hiryuu:
Tsk, tsk. I was finally able to get close to a beautiful woman, but it turned out like this.
Hiryuu:
Well, that's fine regardless! You're going to be straddling me in the end anyway~!
Nikitch:
Look at that, disgusting. He was even able to twist something mundane like riding into a lewd act.
Nikitch:
You're gonna get one of these later. (Clenches fist and swings it down)
Hiryuu:
Hee-hee... ♪ Oh, what a treat ♪
Nikitch:
Stop acting tough, stupid horse! No food for you!
Hiryuu:
N-no way! Anything but that, Master!
Fou:
Scary-fou...
Goredolf:
...
Goredolf:
Chamomile. Chamomile. Can I have a quick word with you?
Meunière:
Come on, don't take your eyes off the oven. What is it?
Goredolf:
Is it just my imagination? No, I don't think it is...
Goredolf:
...it's like the Town Musicians of Bremen this time, isn't it?
--ARROW--
Nikitch:
Charge, my steed!
Hiryuu:
Yes, General!
Hiryuu:
Charge, charge, charge!
Narration:
Riding atop Hiryuu's back—
Narration:
Dashing about in the sky above the forest. Taking care to avoid meeting the Lost Familiars.
Narration:
As Taigong said, their goal is the canyon ahead.
Narration:
The white wings are strong and fast.
Narration:
Our destination is reached before long. After confirming there are no Lost Familiars nearby,
Narration:
Hiryuu descends.
Narration:
And—
Narration:
We approach the canyon—
Ibuki Dōji:
...oh, these are interesting creatures.
Ibuki Dōji:
They look like natural quadrupeds though.
Ibuki Dōji:
Hmm?
Ibuki Dōji:
Yes, they don't look like anything I've seen before.
Fujimaru 1:
Thanks for joining us, Ibuki Douji.
Fujimaru 2:
Were you seen by the Lost Familiars?
Ibuki Dōji:
Don't worry. I kept an eye out while scouting around.
Ibuki Dōji:
There were about three groups on the ground. I didn't see any that looked especially strong.
Ibuki Dōji:
So what is this thing?
Taigong:
I wanted to show all of you this. They're the easiest ones to comprehend.
Taigong:
Well? Do you know what this creature is?
Fou:
Fou...
Mash:
... ...
Mash:
...I have no idea. Its body resembles a goat, but...
Mash:
Even if it is a subspecies, it looks far too different.
Goredolf:
A goat? No, a sheep?
Meunière:
Isn't this an impossible question? I mean, look at those paws...
Da Vinci:
—I give up.
Da Vinci:
This looks like nothing I can recall, and it's not in the Border's onboard Chaldea database either.
Fujimaru 1:
If it's not a normal creature...
Fujimaru 2:
Could it be a Phantasmal?
Da Vinci:
That's not out of the question.
Da Vinci:
Phantasmal species, like Demonic Beasts, don't belong to the normal genealogical tree at all.
Da Vinci:
Supernatural existences. Beings from the realm of Mystery.
Da Vinci:
It's a possibility. But I wonder...
Da Vinci:
It's just my intuition, but I think that—
Taigong:
It's a being that lives rooted in fact, and not in Mystery, right?
Mash:
...that's how it looks to me too.
Goredolf:
It has a grounded feeling for a Phantasmal. In fact, it looks just like part of the food chain.
Taigong:
Oh yes.
Taigong:
Let's start with the conclusion.
Taigong:
These are not something that originally lived here in Tunguska.
Taigong:
And they're nothing like a Phantasmal. They lack any of their usual traits, such as high magical energy.
Taigong:
However, they are the most common creature in this territory. There is nothing here to prey upon them.
Mash:
An apex predator...
Taigong:
They are forming a pack.
Taigong:
Small groups of them come together to form a large herd.
Taigong:
In this canyon alone, let's see...several hundred of them belong to a single herd.
Mash:
In this environment?
Taigong:
Yes.
Goredolf:
That's odd. I don't know if they eat meat, plants, or both, but there doesn't appear to be any feeding grounds nearby.
Taigong:
This is just a colony. They hunt mainly in the forest and river areas.
Taigong:
—by specimens who possess the role of hunter.
Mash:
!
Goredolf:
!?
Da Vinci:
Wait, go back.
Da Vinci:
Did you just say "role" of hunter?
Taigong:
Yes.
Taigong:
First, they form into familial groups. Then they form a community, where each are given a specific role.
Taigong:
Settlements—contributing towards society. Aside from small, childlike individuals.
Taigong:
There are a multitude of roles filled, by the way.
Taigong:
You could call them social animals if they form a society.
Da Vinci:
Wait a tick, because in that case it sounds almost like they're insects, or—
Mash:
... ...
Mash:
...
Fujimaru 1:
...humans?
Mash:
...yes, Senpai.
Mash:
Humanity in the Russian Lostbelt had changed their form into one more suited to the harsh environment.
Mash:
If the same thing is happening in this territory...
Taigong:
Oh no, not at all.
Taigong:
Don't be fooled, that thing was never human.
Taigong:
But more importantly, that is a creature that was designed in the same way as a human in this Special Territory.
Taigong:
Even if they are not intelligent...
Taigong:
Please look at them.
Taigong:
That one is designed to be the most loving member of a family unit.
Da Vinci:
...much like a human?
Taigong:
Well, I wonder about that...
Mash:
...
Taigong:
Does it make you feel uneasy? Of course it does. I felt the same way.
Taigong:
I told Nikitich that this was strange, but she didn't listen to me...
Nikitch:
Of course I didn't.
Nikitch:
But some things you just know when you see them.
Nikitch:
Nothing more, nothing less!
Taigong:
...well, that.
Taigong:
And now that you're filled with depression, I have to take the opportunity to tell you one more thing.
Taigong:
These creatures aren't the only ones.
Mash:
?
Goredolf:
Th-there's more? What is it?
Taigong:
In this Special Territory, you see—
Taigong:
Not a single living organism that you are familiar with exists. Naturally, I haven't been able to confirm it down to the microbial level...
Taigong:
But the insects, the fish, the trees.
Taigong:
Every living thing you can see before you.
Taigong:
Even the fish you just ate may have looked very similar to ordinary trout,
Taigong:
but its internal organs are completely alien.
Mash:
...!
Fujimaru 1:
Every living thing in this territory is a new species?
Taigong:
Exactly!
Taigong:
Biologists would be in heaven here. After all, each step brings the discovery of a new species!
Taigong:
What's more, it's completely unknown if they fall under the normal evolutionary tree!
Taigong:
I'm not familiar with modern-day sciences, and my fangshu can cover most of the bases.
Taigong:
But even then, I'm completely flummoxed.
Taigong:
I have no idea.
Taigong:
In terms of both composition and ecology, there's no way that creature should exist.
Da Vinci:
...is that a declaration?
Taigong:
Yes.
Fujimaru 1:
...I don't understand.
Fujimaru 2:
Why would Koyanskaya do this?
Taigong:
There you have it. The grand mystery.
Taigong:
That being said, I don't know either.
Taigong:
What we know right now is based solely on what we can observe.
Taigong:
But what does the ruler sitting in the center of this realm actually want—
Narration:
In order to corroborate what Taigong said—
Narration:
A series of observations and collections were to be made.
Narration:
As for the observations, the video data is sequentially transmitted. For taking the samples, as they do not have a professional kit,
Narration:
it's stored in a simpler one stored in the Ortenaus shield, and data is sent to the Shadow Border at regular intervals.
Narration:
While this is repeated, real-time data analysis is carried out inside the Border.
Narration:
After about one hour—
Narration:
Chaldea has come to truly understand the Special Territory.
Narration:
In conclusion, Taigong's words were the truth.
Narration:
The environment in this territory was as far removed from human history as a Lostbelt.
Narration:
Furthermore, there is a huge difference between here and the previous Lostbelts.
Narration:
There are no people.
Narration:
None to be found, not even a trace.
Narration:
No creatures that speak a distinct language. No creatures who possess culture or civilization.
Narration:
The apex predator is a social creature that flocks together into enormous herds,
Narration:
but nothing that has developed to rule from the top.
Narration:
The humans are gone.
Narration:
There are creatures that form societies like humans, but no evidence of humans themselves...
Narration:
No signs of settlement, no signs of hunters going into the woods,
Narration:
no sign of camps, or even stray wanderers.
Narration:
Although there should have been these signs in the old Tunguska forest, there were none.
Narration:
Merely a world overflowing with unknown plants and animals—
Mash:
A sanctuary...
Mash:
...for creatures that don't exist in the world—
Fujimaru 1:
—it's beautiful.
Mash:
...yes.
Mash:
I don't know what to say. It's hard to put into words, but...
Mash:
I...
Mash:
I find this scene beautiful too...
Taigong:
Hmm.
Taigong:
Hmm. Hmm. You two would say that, would you?
Taigong:
No disgust. No fear.
Taigong:
Like an adventurer taking his first steps onto a new continent or ocean, looking with sparkling eyes at the unknown itself.
Taigong:
Is it your unshakable courage...?
Taigong:
Or perhaps it is your youth...
Nikitch:
Haw-haw-ha!
Nikitch:
You said it! They're a discerning bunch of youngsters, Taigong!
Taigong:
How can an eternally-young warrior like you say something like that?
Taigong:
Now—
Taigong:
Since you've finally borne witness to this spectacle, I can say this to you.
Taigong:
This primeval scenery is just one state of being here in the Special Territory.
Taigong:
There are two ways things go here.
Mash:
Two...?
Taigong:
One is what you see before you. I call it the Life Zone.
Taigong:
A circle of nature itself. A paradise full of life, with no violence beyond simple predators eating prey.
Taigong:
A paradise.
Fujimaru 1:
And the other...?
Taigong:
A place diametrically opposed to paradise. Namely—
Taigong:
Hell.
Section 6: Out of the Everywhere, and Other Extraordinary Slaughters
Narration:
—I heard a voice.
Narration:
Next, I heard the truth. My slumber just let me adjust to it.
Narration:
Stone. Iron. Fire. Oil. It was an unending torrent.
Narration:
Each of them a tool that reshaped the world and heralded the dawn of a new age.
Narration:
Both wonderful and detestable.
Narration:
It's understandable. If humanity is that way, then it's only natural that they would be taken.
Narration:
Countless roaring noises. Echoing violence.
Beating. Cutting. Shooting. Developing.
Narration:
With the song of life and death as my lullaby, I attain what I am.
Narration:
Sudden death. Sudden power. A sudden roar. Conflict and coexistence. Protection from and strikes against. Exploitation and subjugation.
Narration:
And yet loved and loving. Repulsive and beautiful.
Beast:
"—Aah..."
Narration:
The edges of my mouth lift in a grin.
Narration:
Good. This is good.
Narration:
Contradiction, failure, perversion, selfishness. Things to be primitively courted and made sport of.
Narration:
If that is how you all are—
Narration:
Then I must be the same.
Narration:
It was a massacre.
Narration:
Fire erupts from the dangerous organs of what appear to be the same species—
Narration:
They shoot out countless chunks of lead and kill each other.
Narration:
Killing, laughing.
Narration:
They kill, laugh, and search for their next prey. Then they kill it and laugh again.
Narration:
It repeats. Over and over, it repeats.
Narration:
The land is stained with fresh blood which has no time to dry...—
Taigong:
—The Dead Zone!
Taigong:
Slaughter! Massacre!
Taigong:
Kill each other, again and again and again!
Taigong:
The never-ending chain of killing one other, cycling perpetually...
Taigong:
A garden of cruelty, as if to call the overflowingLife Zone a fraud!
Taigong:
It was made by mixing together the six Lost Familiar subspecies—
Taigong:
A world full of brutal carnage and slaughter, where warped, gun-toting beasts kill each other without any regard for the food chain.
Taigong:
The way this is, it's more toxic even than brewing gu poison.
Taigong:
This is the other way things work in this Special Territory—
Taigong:
the Dead Zone. Yes, that's the name I gave it.
Mash:
...!
Fujimaru 1:
...
Fou:
Fouu...
Da Vinci:
This too...is shocking...
Goredolf:
...I've just seen the full-color images...
Goredolf:
Mages know a thing or two about combat. I wasn't surprised by this at all,
Goredolf:
but I was just thinking about roast beef for dinner until you hit me with this...
Goredolf:
E-Explain yourself...Heroic Spirit Taigong...!
Taigong:
Please pardon my rudeness.
Taigong:
However, it was quicker to let you see it yourselves, as I thought.
Taigong:
I only wonder how the essence of this area could be conveyed by word of mouth alone.
Goredolf:
Essence?
Goredolf:
This is bad comedy. All of this is in bad taste...
Taigong:
Very good, Lord of Chaldea. That is exactly the case.
Goredolf:
...?
Da Vinci:
Bad taste—
Taigong:
Yes, precisely that.
Goredolf:
...it's true, this is something that bitch would come up with. Naturally, not something you ever want to see again!
Goredolf:
I understand your reasoning, but please exercise caution, Taigong.
Goredolf:
Everyone in our forward team is still young. What if this affects their mindset!?
Fujimaru 1:
Thanks for your consideration, Director.
Goredolf:
M-Mm, yes. It's important, after all.
Goredolf:
You're naive to a fault, to the point you never look away from something even when you probably should.
Fujimaru 2:
I want to know my enemies, if I can.
Da Vinci:
...I suppose you do. But do so in moderation, Fujimaru.
Da Vinci:
You won't be deceived as long as you're there, even if you turn away.
Nikitch:
You're speaking of hearts and minds, are you? Not bad for a commander.
Ibuki Dōji:
...
Goredolf:
Whoa. Don't suddenly expand your magical energy like that!
Ibuki Dōji:
It makes me sick!
Ibuki Dōji:
Courageous assaults and death! Bravely and cruelly dismembering! Blood flying everywhere!
Ibuki Dōji:
It's easy to put into words, but...
Ibuki Dōji:
I don't know how to put it. It really is in bad taste.
Ibuki Dōji:
Yep. Yep.
Ibuki Dōji:
So this is the Dead Zone, huh? Hmmm.
Ibuki Dōji:
Where you fight so hard, but there's no way to win.
Ibuki Dōji:
All there is is slaughter for the sake of slaughter, and death for the sake of death.
Ibuki Dōji:
Is that all what this fighting is about...? Hm.
Ibuki Dōji:
So in that case, is that what fighting is? Is it?
Ibuki Dōji:
Ah, damn, my memories and emotions are all messed up!
Ibuki Dōji:
I can't look anymore! That's all!
Fou:
Fou!
Nikitch:
What the dragon says is correct.
Nikitch:
Now if it were me...yes, the Tartars' attack on Russia.
Nikitch:
There was a bloody wind blowing over that battlefield. That too was pointless and in bad taste.
Nikitch:
Maybe the dragon's right, and that's the nature of fighting in the end—
Nikitch:
A wasteland of destruction and death. It's...it's too much...
Nikitch:
...
Nikitch:
Haha! Not what a bogatyr should be saying! Forget it, it's nothing!
Mash:
Russia...
Mash:
By the way, Nikitich. You're a great hero who defended Russia, aren't you?
Nikitch:
Only natural for a bogatyr.
Nikitch:
If the land of the north is in crisis, I come running. Even if it's a Subcategory Holy Grail War.
Nikitch:
Actually, I would have loved to have been with you in the Russian Lostbelt!
Nikitch:
I'm strong, so I can handle most anything. Even the horrors of war that threaten the lands of the north.
Fou:
Fouu?
Nikitch:
Sure, I can.
Ibuki Dōji:
Wow, so confident!
Ibuki Dōji:
So what about that big elephant man...um,Ivan the Terrible...?
Nikitch:
Sure, I can.
Fou:
Foufoouu!?
Fou:
Fo...
Nikitch:
Like hell, would I lie. I can do most anything.
Nikitch:
The true emperor, not some reincarnation. It might be a tall order on my own, but I can do it.
Nikitch:
A bogatyr keeps fighting and never gives up. If there isn't an opening, they look for one. And if they lack the strength, they look for allies.
Nikitch:
There's no such thing as the impossible.
Mash:
Th-then...don't tell me you can also cut down Fantasy Trees?
Nikitch:
No, that's impossible.
Ibuki Dōji:
... ...
Ibuki Dōji:
...you said you could do anything!
Nikitch:
I said "most", didn't I?
Nikitch:
I can eliminate enemies who infringe upon the land.
But, something beyond the present boundaries is out of the question.
Nikitch:
I couldn't prevent the land from being bleached over, and so fail to prevent the establishment of the Lostbelt.
Nikitch:
Something to that degree is...
Nikitch:
But I still have my oath. You should keep those, even if it's only made once.
Nikitch:
I will save this version of the land of the north.
Fujimaru 1:
You're quite dutiful, Nikitich.
Nikitch:
Yup.
Fujimaru 2:
I'm counting on you.
Nikitch:
Yeah, keep on buttering me up!
Taigong:
Well...Nikitich...
Taigong:
According to legend, he was so dutiful he actually lost his beloved wife to another warrior.
Taigong:
When was that? Ah yes, while you were in Constantinople.
Taigong:
Did the months pass by that quickly? Even the Grand Prince of Kiev told her to just give up and remarry already...
Nikitch:
Yeah, that's right!
Nikitch:
A story about how he should have stopped being so righteous, since he was on the verge of losing his beloved wife.
Nikitch:
Enough of this.
Ibuki Dōji:
...?
Ibuki Dōji:
Why is Nikichi upset? Shouldn't the wife be the angry one?
Goredolf:
Come to think of it...
Nikitch:
Enough of this.
Ibuki Dōji:
...??
Goredolf:
...???
--ARROW--
Da Vinci:
—Data aggregation, completed in full.
Da Vinci:
Bipedal. Deformed beasts equipped with a number of metal cylinders resembling firearms.
Da Vinci:
The beasts will continue killing one another as long as we maintain a certain distance from them.
Da Vinci:
Their sensory and detection range isn't that wide. On the subject of firepower, they do seem fairly strong.
Da Vinci:
But they're limited to frontal assaults. Do they not have scout units...?
Fujimaru 1:
Are you alright, Da Vinci?
Fujimaru 2:
You don't look so good...
Da Vinci:
Me? I'm doing just fine.
Da Vinci:
I could ask the same of you. That's not exactly a pleasant sight.
Taigong:
—Twisted is what it is.
Taigong:
It imparts a nameless dread on people. That is just how the war-beasts of the Dead Zone are.
Da Vinci:
War-beasts...
Da Vinci:
The name says it all, straightforward and easy to understand.
Da Vinci:
They walk bipedally like humans, and kill with firearms much like a human.
Da Vinci:
And above all else, they indulge in butchery like humans.
Da Vinci:
The Lahmu of Uruk were horrifying creatures, but they had enough sapience to "obey their mother".
Da Vinci:
But the war-beasts lack even that. You even get the feeling that they were born only to slaughter one another.
Da Vinci:
Like a caricature of a human. Yet they roar and behave just like beasts.
Da Vinci:
Weapons and cruelty are exclusive to man. They are not inherent in wild animals.
Da Vinci:
Cruelty—Ibuki-Douji and the others may claim it is an intrinsic part of the essence of battle,
Da Vinci:
but that only applies to human battles. It's not quite the same as what animals in the wild possess.
Taigong:
Then let me ask you this, Lady Leonardo da Vinci.
Taigong:
How would you say these tentatively named war-beasts gained those two traits?
Taigong:
Or rather, why do you reckon Koyanskaya gave those traits to them?
Da Vinci:
Do you mind a brief answer?
Taigong:
Not at all.
Da Vinci:
That one's simple. This is merely guesswork, but—
Da Vinci:
I'm positive that it's for the purpose of slaughtering humanity.
Taigong:
...Impressive.
Taigong:
What an answer, Leonardo da Vinci. No wonder they call you the renaissance genius!
Taigong:
And allow me to add to that. Your analysis earlier was almost spot-on.
Taigong:
The war-beasts have an extremely limited detection range. I too figured as much.
Taigong:
But it's a different story when you consider what their natural prey is.
Da Vinci:
!
Da Vinci:
They may respond poorly to Heroic Spirits, but they react much more to humans!?
Taigong:
In all likelihood.
Fujimaru 1:
So that means—
Fujimaru 2:
Mash!
Mash:
Yes! Senpai!
Da Vinci:
Please tell us that sooner! Fujimaru, Mash!
Mash:
Moving to intercept! Master!
Fujimaru 1:
Begin interception!
Mash:
Roger that!
--BATTLE--
Section 7: The Ices Are Melted, The Flames Will Be Gone
Mash:
Master!
Fujimaru 1:
(I feel more panicky than usual...!?)
Nikitch:
Fall back for a moment, Fujimaru! Hold the line, Mash!
Mash:
Roger that, Nikitich!
Nikitch:
Create some distance! Hold on to me, Fujimaru!
Fujimaru 1:
I'm fine, please put me back down.
Fujimaru 2:
I can keep going!
Nikitch:
That's enough now, no acting tough.
Nikitch:
I get it. This sort of thing's bound to get you panic-stricken. It's only natural.
Nikitch:
That was purposefully cruel of Taigong! We shouldn't have to engage in any avoidable fights,
Nikitch:
but he wanted you to experience it. He's...
Nikitch:
Well, since he's been there himself and all.
Fujimaru 1:
...?
Nikitch:
Just talking to myself. More importantly, these war-beast creatures?
Nikitch:
They're—human slaughter itself. That's why they're such a handful.
Nikitch:
Killing from a faraway distance. That is what firearms do.
Nikitch:
The ultimate portable weapon, far stronger than an arrow. Killing effortlessly, unilaterally, efficiently, and mercilessly.
Nikitch:
Above all else is its ease of use. Even a child, should they attempt it, is capable of wielding one.
Nikitch:
There are some who hail it as mankind's greatest invention. And I do see their point.
Nikitch:
Knights, samurai, heroes, warriors...
Nikitch:
It took away all forms of honorable combat. Nowadays, there is no longer any honor to be found in war.
Nikitch:
To think...
Nikitch:
there's such an unsightly hodgepodge of them! Good grief!
Nikitch:
I am furious! Furious, I say!
Nikitch:
O guns, you who have yet to be satisfied after tearing down the honor of our age of heroes!
Nikitch:
How dare you threaten a lost child!
Nikitch:
Hmph!
Nikitch:
...!
Nikitch:
Anti-aircraft fire! Looks like the big hitters have joined the battlefront on the ground!
Nikitch:
I guess I can't just leave them be. Be that as it may.
Fujimaru 1:
Nikitich!
Fujimaru 2:
Don't worry, I won't do anything rash.
Nikitch:
...understood.
Nikitch:
We will plunge back down into the battlefield. Be sure to keep as far away as you can, got it!?
Fujimaru 1:
Yes!
Nikitch:
My steed! Once we touch down, you must protect Fujimaru!
Nikitch:
Now then—let's do this!
--BATTLE--
Ibuki Dōji:
Doesn't matter how much lead you sling at me! Ahahahahaha!
Mash:
...!
Taigong:
A most impressive defense, Lady Mash. Please do stay put right there—
Taigong:
They shall feast on my True Fire of Samadhi! Here I go!
Nikitch:
You're slow.
Nikitch:
...phew!
Mash:
The battle has ended! All hostile responses have been exterminated.
Mash:
Good work, Master.
Fujimaru 1:
Well done, Mash.
Mash:
Ortenaus, output stable at 80%. The auto-tuning function is also operating as intended.
Mash:
No problems!
Fujimaru 2:
Thanks for protecting me, Wyvern.
Hiryuu:
No worries. After all, Nikitich requested it.
Fou:
Fou!
Da Vinci:
Good work out there, everyone. Can I assume we'll have some breathing room now?
Taigong:
No?
Meunière:
This guy's saying no!
Goredolf:
S-So you're saying it's out of the frying pan and into the fire!?
Taigong:
This is my first time seeing them react to a live human in this manner...
Taigong:
Once they ascertain that the enemy is a Heroic Spirit, their attacks can get maddeningly tenacious.
Taigong:
Those long-range attacks are already troublesome on their own, so things will get out of hand if the Lost Familiars get involved as well.
Nikitch:
Taigong!
Taigong:
Yes?
Nikitch:
You fool! Don't jinx us!
Nikitch:
Those remarks tend to come true!
Taigong:
Haha. Surely not!
Taigong:
You're overthinking things. I don't know if you're a jinx of the highest calibre,
Taigong:
but we're far removed from the patrol routes of the Lost Familiars. Hahaha, we'll be alright, hahaha.
Da Vinci:
Those Lost Weapons in the Life Zone...do they also exist here?
Taigong:
Oh, they do. Naturally.
Goredolf:
W-What do you mean? What do you mean by naturally?
Meunière:
Taigong, don't tell me you...
Fou:
Foufoou!
Taigong:
...
Taigong:
...I brought you all to the Dead Zone for a reason.
Taigong:
I wanted you to witness it with your own eyes. That much is true,
Taigong:
however, I remember now that there was another reason. I haven't even told Nikitich about it...
Taigong:
Truth be told, we are a mere stone's throw away from the base of another Lost Weapon.
Nikitch:
!?
Nikitch:
So you did this on purpose, Taigong—
Taigong:
Yes.
Taigong:
I did so on purpose.
Fou:
Foou!
Taigong:
A Lost Weapon, and a super-wide-area annihilator type at that!
Taigong:
I would like to exterminate it, no matter the cost! I'm the type of person who likes to nip their worries in the bud.
Taigong:
But if I were upfront about that, you may not have been willing to tag along. And I did want to show you the Dead Zone!
Fujimaru 1:
Please tell us these things in advance.
Fujimaru 2:
It's no good if you won't talk to us!
Nikitch:
Fujimaru has a point.
Da Vinci:
Yeah!
Taigong:
...oh no! My deepest apologies!
Mash:
P-Please allow me to confirm, Taigong. Are there any signs, like that blizzard earlier!?
Taigong:
There are signs, alright. Just not on the ground—
Taigong:
Above us!
Taigong:
The base is far above us!
Taigong:
Visual recognition is impossible under normal circumstances. However, should it detect an intruder,
Taigong:
a chasm will open up in the sky.
Mash:
—!
Ibuki Dōji:
Oh dear. One is forming already.
Mash:
Master! I can confirm the presence of a massive dark circle in the sky...!
Fujimaru 1:
The Scandinavian sun!
Taigong:
It's not the sun. That may have been the case for the real one,
Taigong:
but this is a hole. A momentary rift in space.
Fujimaru 2:
That's Surtr's—
Taigong:
The king of the Fire Jötunns. This hole is where his Lost Weapon recreation drifts within its slumber.
Taigong:
That's right, it's a hole. A rift in space that occurs only for the briefest of moments.
Taigong:
On the other side lies an inferno that scorches the earth as it warps and incinerates physical phenomena!
Taigong:
All the same, it is but a recreation.
Taigong:
It likely isn't the doomsday device that the real deal was. If we cannot handle this...
Taigong:
then we cannot possibly hope to eliminate the Beast!
Nikitch:
—It intends to come out here.
Nikitch:
Be wary of the extreme heat! Especially you, Fujimaru!
Nikitch:
It can obliterate living beings with ease. Dragon, use your scales to protect .
Ibuki Dōji:
Oh, I'd better. Got it!
Ibuki Dōji:
Also turning my serious mode on while I'm at it!
Ibuki Dōji:
While we're here, you may as well come out, Habenyan!
Habetrot:
First I was freezing! Now I'm burning up! Is this how Chaldea rolls?
Habetrot:
But I guess we're all in this together! Can't whine about it!
Habetrot:
Alright, Habenyan's gonna do her best! After all, my big sis Ibuki asked for me!
Nikitch:
There, there, how dependable of you, gallant little fairy. That being said, Taigong!
Nikitch:
That's enough carelessness out of you. I'll have you make up for this, so you'd better prepare yourself.
Taigong:
...my deepest apologies.
Da Vinci:
The magical energy signature in the sky is expanding! It's just like the real deal when it comes to being immeasurable!
Nikitch:
Here it comes!
Mash:
—Jötunn King Surtr's recreation has materialized!
Mash:
Hostile reaction detected. Confirmed as an ultra-exceptional unit, a Lost Weapon!
Ibuki Dōji:
I'm bringing out the Orochis too. I'm as serious as it gets!
Nikitch:
That's not a force we could afford to ignore either way. We would've had to do this sooner or later!
Nikitch:
So I'm going to pulverize it with all the might I can muster. Soldiers!
Fujimaru 1:
I feel like clobbering the enemy forces too!
Fujimaru 2:
Let's do this!
Nikitch:
An excellent answer. Let's take to the skies then!
Nikitch:
—A giant hunt as a prelude to our beast hunt!
--BATTLE--
Section 8: Your Haploid Paradise
Mash:
...confirmed elimination of giant enemy.
Mash:
No magical signature. All surrounding special flames have been extinguished as well.
Mash:
The battle is over, Master!
Fou:
Fou! Fou!
Ibuki Dōji:
We've pushed through! Haaaah, I'm so exhausted.
Ibuki Dōji:
What an incredible opponent. And that sword! It was amazing!
Ibuki Dōji:
Too bad it wasn't the real thing, right?
Ibuki Dōji:
Isn't that so, Master?
Fujimaru 1:
Oh yeah, for sure.
Fujimaru 2:
The real Lævateinn was even more incredible.
Ibuki Dōji:
Yeah, I thought so.
Ibuki Dōji:
Too bad. If I had been facing the real thing and the real sword, I might have fallen in love...
Ibuki Dōji:
Just kidding! Ahahaha!
Ibuki Dōji:
You surprised? You astonished, Master? I think I'm surprised by what I just said too.
Ibuki Dōji:
...ah, I'm thirsty.
Nikitch:
You get strangely riled up, Dragon. Is it the evil dragon phenomenon mixed with the giant's heat?
Nikitch:
Here, have some water.
Ibuki Dōji:
Pwaah!
Ibuki Dōji:
That perked me right up! You're an awfully kind warrior lady, Nikitich...
Ibuki Dōji:
It wiped away all my fatigue in an instant. Yeah, I underestimated you.
Nikitch:
I can do most anything.
Fou:
Foufou!
Fujimaru 1:
Anyway, the battle is over!
Fujimaru 2:
Really good work, everyone.
Mash:
Yes, Senpai.
Nikitch:
I could use a break myself, but we shouldn't let our guards down in the Dead Zone.
Nikitch:
Hey, time for you to do something about this, Taigong!
Taigong:
Yes, yes. It's all my fault...
Nikitch:
Well, work it off then. You've gotta make amends, you know?
Nikitch:
Like this, right? (Shadowboxing)
Fou:
Foooo...
Ibuki Dōji:
Hm...?
Ibuki Dōji:
But it kinda can't be helped, you know? This is a strong person's territory, right?
Ibuki Dōji:
After all, there are multiple Arts prepared here for confusing one's perceptions.
That person must be dreadfully serious.
Ibuki Dōji:
Huh? Did I say something weird?
Ibuki Dōji:
Perception disruption. Like what was associated with those three giant chieftains?
Fujimaru 1:
...!
Mash:
Is...is that true!?
Nikitch:
First I've heard of it.
Ibuki Dōji:
Oh my. Did none of you notice?
Fujimaru 2:
So they're hard to notice?
Ibuki Dōji:
Yes, exactly!
Ibuki Dōji:
Taigong said a few things, but did you really forget about it until just now?
Ibuki Dōji:
You remember what he said.
Taigong:
I remember now that there was another reason. I haven't even told Nikitich about it...
Ibuki Dōji:
Honestly, I think it's tough for humans and those related to them. You're a Heroic Spirit of the Human Order, right, Taigong?
Ibuki Dōji:
It's only natural if you don't notice.
Ibuki Dōji:
I did, since I'm not human.
Fujimaru 1:
That may be...
Fujimaru 1:
...something you should've mentioned sooner.
Fujimaru 2:
Ibuki-Douji...?
Ibuki Dōji:
Huh? Really?
Da Vinci:
Well, sometimes some people can be a little dense. Her memories are all fuzzy too.
Da Vinci:
I guess there's no helping it. Oh, dear.
Nikitch:
So that's how it is, huh? Hmm.
Nikitch:
But do you really mean what you said about taking out the Lost Weapons, Taigong?
Taigong:
Yes.
Nikitch:
Then take some responsibility. Now let's get the hell out of here.
Nikitch:
We're still in the Dead Zone, so the war-beasts will jump us if we're unlucky.
Taigong:
Naturally. I'll take responsibility.
Taigong:
—eventually.
Taigong:
Now everyone, please gather around! I'm going to use my Tudun technique!
Taigong:
It takes a lot of magical energy, so I can't do it often. But since you're all exhausted, I might as well!
Taigong:
Now, let's go!
Ibuki Dōji:
Whoooa. What's happening!?
Fou:
Fooooou!?
Mash:
It feels like my insides are being lifted...! Is this forced levitation!?
Taigong:
This is the Tudun technique.
Fou:
Fou, fooou!
Ibuki Dōji:
Whoa, I'm being sent into the air!
Ibuki Dōji:
Ahahahahahaha! This is great, I've never done this before!
Ibuki Dōji:
I can fly with so many people this way!
Mash:
Look, Senpai!
Mash:
Our footing...is flying...!
Fujimaru 1:
Whoa!
Fujimaru 2:
Is this the legendary magic carpet!?
Taigong:
Well, it's nothing so free-flying. Only a method to fire you from point-to-point.
Taigong:
That's the Tudun technique, in a nutshell.
Da Vinci:
So that means you're not using the wind element, right? Hmm, how interesting!
Goredolf:
The theory has caught my interest, but long-distance air travel for a group! Hmmm, are sage arts that amazing!?
Mash:
Mass high-speed point-to-point transfer—
Mash:
It's described in "The Investiture of the Gods". Taigong used this art to move many times.
Mash:
If you really did implement this technology in ancient times, then...
Taigong:
Could you lead your armies in a straight fight even when faced with Phantasmals or evil immortals?
Taigong:
Is that truly how it's portrayed in "Investiture"?
Taigong:
Hahaha, that's exactly the case!
Taigong:
I used this technique many times during my travels! Off we go!
Taigong:
Whoosh!
Si Bu Xiang:
Mo. Mo.
Fou:
Fou?
Si Bu Xiang:
Mo. Mo.
Fou:
Fou, fooou!
Ibuki Dōji:
The Life Zone, I presume?
Ibuki Dōji:
This area is relaxing somehow. Makes you feel like just sighing in relief, right?
Ibuki Dōji:
Fou and Si Bu Xiang also seem somehow relaxed!
Si Bu Xiang:
Mo. Mo.
Fou:
Fou~!
Si Bu Xiang:
Mo. Mo.
Fou:
Fo! Fo!
Ibuki Dōji:
See? Aren't they livelier than before?
Fujimaru 1:
That's true...
Fujimaru 2:
It was pretty rough before.
Ibuki Dōji:
Was it?
Taigong:
That which we call nature is harsh to the civilized man...
Taigong:
After experiencing the Dead Zone firsthand, you can tell things are like night and day.
Taigong:
What do you think?
Fujimaru 1:
It's true, this place is far more tranquil.
Mash:
Yes...
Fujimaru 2:
It feels like I can finally stop holding my breath.
Mash:
The Dead Zone...
Mash:
We may have been feeling more pressure than we imagined.
Da Vinci:
I have a suggestion. How about you rejoin with the Border? All that fighting has worn you out,
Da Vinci:
and I'd also like to repair Mash's Ortenaus. We can also replenish a little of your magical energy.
Da Vinci:
I've already entered the data on the Lost Familiars we got from Taigong, especially the data on their patrol routes,
Da Vinci:
so it should be possible to move the Shadow Border there without being detected.
Meunière:
We'll probably make contact in two or three hours. What do you think, Director?
Goredolf:
...I suppose so.
Goredolf:
Yes, a rendezvous should be our first priority. We'll be able to corroborate our data on the two zones!
Goredolf:
After the investigation team and the Shadow Border link up, we'll decide on our strategy going forward once everything is in perfect shape!
Fou:
Fou, fooooou!
Taigong:
Then let's set up camp and wait here. Nikitich.
Nikitch:
You got it. Let's go fishing!
Ibuki Dōji:
...oh, that smells good.
Ibuki Dōji:
Is it done yet? It's done, right?
Nikitch:
Not yet.
Ibuki Dōji:
...
Ibuki Dōji:
...how about now?
Nikitch:
Not yet.
Si Bu Xiang:
Mo. Momo.
Nikitch:
Alright, it's cooked through.
Ibuki Dōji:
Wow!
Fou:
Fou!
Nikitch:
Now everyone—dig in!
Fujimaru 1:
Let's eat!
Mash:
Yes, it looks delicious.
Fou:
Fofou!
Taigong:
Now, please listen up while you eat, everyone.—if that isn't a problem, Lady Leonardo da Vinci?
Da Vinci:
Yeah, go ahead. The Director and Meunière are busy driving the Border and keeping an eye on the perimeter.
Da Vinci:
I'm the only one who can talk right now. Is that fine?
Taigong:
Yes. I'd like to continue our conversation from earlier.
Taigong:
First, Lady Da Vinci. Your guess was correct, as expected.
Taigong:
Both the war-beasts and the Dead Zones are for the purpose of killing mankind.
Taigong:
The question is, why is this the case?
Taigong:
In a completely blanked world, where the Russian Lostbelt has disappeared,
Taigong:
this land of Tunguska is still full of life.
Taigong:
This two-faced Special Territory, existing similarly to a Lostbelt while being completely different.
Taigong:
A land overflowing with unknown plants and animals exulting life. A wasteland of endless battles slaughtering life.
Taigong:
And generally speaking, a grotesque biosphere that doesn't recognize any existence related to the Human Order, and refuses any connection to the Throne.
Taigong:
A world that despises humanity despite not rejecting them, but also overflowing with violence against them.
Taigong:
What is this place, exactly?
Taigong:
Allow me to state my conclusion. There can be no mistake, this place is—
Taigong:
—somebody's inner world. A Reality Marble.
Da Vinci:
!
Mash:
...!
Fou:
Fou!?
Nikitch:
...
Ibuki Dōji:
(Chewing happily)
Fujimaru 1:
A Reality Marble...
Da Vinci:
...the ultimate achievement in magecraft.
Da Vinci:
A superlative magecraft technique creating another world inside the real one.
Da Vinci:
The effect varies depending on the user. But it allows things normally impossible in reality to occur, as a commonality.
Da Vinci:
Heroic Spirits sometimes use them as Noble Phantasms, but magically speaking, their value is absurd!
Taigong:
Somebody's inner world. The embodiment of their mentality.
Taigong:
Without a doubt, another world apart from the one we know.
Taigong:
That is what this place is.
Taigong:
The world—of Tamamovitch Koyanskaya.
Fujimaru 1:
A paradise safe from outsiders...
Fujimaru 1:
A hell of human-killing weapons walking the earth...
Mash:
...
Mash:
If this is how her spirit is...if it is what shapes this world, then...
Da Vinci:
Refutal of the existence of mankind, and scathing cynicism towards civilization.
Da Vinci:
The hypothesis makes sense if you take into account what Koyanskaya's said and done up to now.
Da Vinci:
Your conclusion is probably the correct one. But there's still another question to answer.
Da Vinci:
Normally, a Reality Marble can't be maintained for a long period of time, right?
Taigong:
Were it used in the real world, that would be the case. But there are ways around that.
Da Vinci:
When it's deployed inside the body of a single being!
Taigong:
Yes.
Taigong:
The whole Special Territory, the outer shell included, is most likely Koyanskaya herself.
Taigong:
She extended her Saint Graph ad infinitum, and enshrined herself within the old Tunguska forest area.
Fou:
Foooooou...
Da Vinci:
I see...that make sense.
Taigong:
For a while, I thought this was a variant of a Singularity or a Lostbelt.
Taigong:
In any case, we'd be better off thinking of this as a Reality Marble from here on.
Taigong:
After all, the theme is far too consistent!
Taigong:
On the one hand, abundant life!
On the other, boundless carnage!
Taigong:
And both of them rejecting humanity!
Taigong:
...far too straightforward for a Singularity using a Holy Grail.
Taigong:
There's no way that vixen would be so up-front about her wishes.
Taigong:
And it's too unnatural to be reached as a what-if history.
Da Vinci:
Hold on a second.
Da Vinci:
I have to object to that one. If it is an alternate history, then there should be one without humans.
Da Vinci:
If that is the case though, it still doesn't account for the arbitrary Dead Zones.
Taigong:
...good guess.
Taigong:
Now I'll prove why I think it's so unnatural. Please think back, everybody.
Taigong:
Do you recall the animals you saw at the canyon in the Life Zone?
Mash:
Y-yes.
Mash:
The new species, parents and children—
Taigong:
Those were not parents and children.
Mash:
Huh...?
Taigong:
Siblings.
Ibuki Dōji:
What?
Taigong:
All life here is related, in a manner of speaking. The insects, animals, plants, even the war-beasts.
Mash:
The plants...and the war-beasts...?
Taigong:
Miss Da Vinci. You still can't perform a genetic analysis, can you?
Da Vinci:
Well, we don't have any real equipment, so that's to be expected. Wait. Wait a second here.
Da Vinci:
Are you saying you can do that yourself? Unassisted?
Taigong:
Hahaha...well, it's a bit embarrassing, you see.
Taigong:
I had a lot of time to kill before meeting you all, and so I made use of many fangshu.
Taigong:
So I can say this definitively, okay?
Taigong:
The creatures of this world don't interbreed. Not the animals, not the plants, and not the war-beasts.
Taigong:
They don't grow, they don't accumulate experiences, their genes don't intermingle, and they don't evolve.
Taigong:
All the organisms in this realm are...
Taigong:
Siblings, born from a single mother.
Da Vinci:
That's impossible...!
Da Vinci:
We have observational and collected data, on everything!
Da Vinci:
Reproductive organs are visible! Like on the fish from before...
Taigong:
They're just for show.
Taigong:
But there is a life cycle itself. One called the food chain.
Taigong:
Birth, life, death.
Taigong:
Eat and be eaten, kill and be killed.
Taigong:
The difference is—
Taigong:
All the life comes from just one source: Koyanskaya, ruler of this territory.
Taigong:
Everything, everything here is created in a fixed state.
Taigong:
The same natural cycle of the food chain.The same cycle of brutal, violent slaughter.
Taigong:
Both of them are equally the same.
Taigong:
Nothing more than what is created by Koyanskaya, and what eventually returns to her.
Taigong:
This world is definitively in a closed state.
Taigong:
In some ways...even moreso than a Singularity or a Lostbelt.
Fujimaru 1:
Even if that's the case...
Fujimaru 1:
These animals and plants have lives, don't they...?
Taigong:
Yes, they most certainly do.
Taigong:
Philosophically speaking, I couldn't say. But from a purely biological standpoint,
Taigong:
all the organisms in this Special Territory have lives of their own.
Taigong:
They are alive. Therefore death also exists here, and the cycle of life and death continues.
Taigong:
But as for right now—
Taigong:
They have no egos or sense of self.
Mash:
Huh...?
Taigong:
Like I said earlier, I had a lot of time to kill, and I can assure you I've tested it many times.
Taigong:
They have no ego. They have no self.
Taigong:
I suppose that means that there's no need for life that grows, evolves, or inherits traits from before.
Taigong:
At the very least, for the shadow of Daji—
Taigong:
—for Koyanskaya, the ruler of this territory.
Fujimaru 1:
...
Fujimaru 2:
You've called her a "shadow" several times now.
Taigong:
Yes.
Taigong:
Her scent is a little different from Daji herself.
Taigong:
Tamamovitch Koyanskaya is an alter ego of Daji, the Golden White Face. A bunrei subvariant,
Taigong:
or perhaps an exaggerated form of her as a Heroic Spirit.
Taigong:
My word. What was she thinking when she built this world...
Da Vinci:
No egos or sense of self...
Mash:
...
Da Vinci:
It all...somehow makes sense again...
Da Vinci:
But if this is a Reality Marble, then that would be the case.
Da Vinci:
Regardless of how twisted it is to us, if this is how she perceives the world deep down,
Da Vinci:
that's the way her mental landscape would be shaped.
Taigong:
Yes.
Da Vinci:
...that being the case.
Da Vinci:
We can't deny the possibility that Koyanskaya will do something outside of the information we've collected up to this point.
Da Vinci:
This is a Reality Marble, after all. The laws of the natural world mean nothing here.
Da Vinci:
After we rendezvous, we'll join forces and make our way to where she is at the center, but—
Mash:
Be on guard, right? Understood.
Fujimaru 1:
(Nod emphatically)
Fou:
Fou!
Ibuki Dōji:
It's fine, it's fine! I won't let anything get close. Leave it to me!
Ibuki Dōji:
(Hic)
Nikitch:
!
Nikitch:
Hey! Where did you get that booze from!?
Nikitch:
Hmph. Not bad.
Mash:
...!
Fujimaru 1:
....!
Fujimaru 2:
(As expected of a bogatyr...!)
Nikitch:
And she's right, keep your eyes open! Being in a Reality Marble is no different from being in the enemy's lair.
Nikitch:
No matter what happens, don't lose your heads!
Nikitch:
—got it, soldiers!?
Fujimaru 1:
Yessir!
Section 9: Planet Songs of the Primate I
Narration:
—He came from Xuzhou by the Eastern Sea. His family name was Jiāng and his given name was Shàng.
Narration:
Yuanshi Tianzun of the Kunlun Mountains noticed him at an early age. Thus, he would spend his days learning scores of spells, engrossed in his studies.
Narration:
He was but a Daoshi, yet he was extolled as one equal to the Xians.
Narration:
However, he did not earnestly devote himself either.
Narration:
He would abandon his training and indulge in fishing, or he would stop by unfamiliar villages and empyrean realms.
Narration:
Therefore—
Narration:
He would often meet pretty and beautiful women.
Narration:
The women of the village, renowned for their beauty, as well as the wise and mighty celestial maidens who seemed to be clad in blinding light.
Narration:
Even the Lady of the Ma he took as wife was of excellent character. A gentle, charming woman.
Narration:
He was even somewhat aware that he was more knowledgeable than the common sage.
Narration:
And yet.
Narration:
"I am the one known as Daji."
Narration:
"I am a woman of the Yousu. I have been graciously blessed with His Majesty's love."
Narration:
—He could not believe his eyes.
Narration:
He knew of her true nature. A huli jing said to have lived for a thousand years. The Golden White Face.
Narration:
She descended unto the human world at the secret behest of the Tai Sovereign of the Three Sovereigns, the goddess Nüwa,
Narration:
and brought ruin to the doomed Shang dynasty as it lost hold over the country.
Narration:
One of the three Youkai tasked with receiving the new venerated king.
Narration:
However, she disobeyed the decree laid down by the goddess Nüwa when she reached the Shang. Furthermore, she seduced King Zhou of Shang, who had lost favor with the heavens.
Narration:
A great evil, cruel and inhumane, who delighted in any and all forms of atrocities committed upon the innocent populace.
Narration:
A femme fatale of a rare breed...
Narration:
A beauty comparable even to Mo Xi of the Xia dynasty.
Narration:
A woman to be feared.A woman I must vanquish.
Narration:
Her glance was the glance of death.Her smile was the smile of death.
Narration:
A beast of death that not even Daoshi, sages, and the virtuous Xians could remain heedless around—
Narration:
She is the enemy.
Narration:
I must fight. I must not let my guard down, not even for the briefest of moments.
Narration:
That was how it should have been. And yet, I—
Narration:
I—
Narration:
"Dear me, would you happen to have a knack for fishing?"
Narration:
—I thought this woman, this beast, was beautiful.
--ARROW--
Nikitch:
Hmm.
Taigong:
Thank you very much. That completes the provisional contract.
Taigong:
... ...
Taigong:
...Mm-hmm, now I understand.
Taigong:
So this is the state of having a Master? It's very reliable to know your magic energy supply is secure.
Taigong:
It's good to be in your care once again, ladies and gentlemen of Chaldea.
Fujimaru 1:
Same to the both of you!
Mash:
Taigong, Nikitich, please continue to give your support.
Nikitch:
Mm. Good to be with you!
Ibuki Dōji:
Good to be with you. Hehe. Of course, I've long since made my own contract♡
Nikitch:
So has Mash, yes?
Mash:
Yes, that's right. I'm Senpai's very first Servant!
Ibuki Dōji:
My, that's right! I'm honestly jealous of that.
Ibuki Dōji:
Being [♂ his /♀ her] first Servant must mean you have a deep and enduring bond with Master, true?
Ibuki Dōji:
I'm just so jealous!
Fou:
Fou!?
Ibuki Dōji:
My, my.
Da Vinci:
You've completed your provisional contract. Good work—
Da Vinci:
Woah, you scared me!
Da Vinci:
Ahaha, that was a fright. Suddenly I ran into that huge Ibuki-Douji...
Da Vinci:
I thought something was off. Weren't you surprised, Fou?
Fou:
Fou fou!
Ibuki Dōji:
Ahaha, so sorry!
Da Vinci:
Everything all right with you, Director?
Goredolf:
The sons of the Musik family train on a daily basis. What doesn't devour us at the first encounter won't faze us again.
Da Vinci:
That's our Director. Good to hear.
Da Vinci:
Well then, let's start the briefing. All right?
Fujimaru 1:
Go ahead.
Mash:
Yes, please do.
Fujimaru 2:
Please do, Da Vinci.
Da Vinci:
First, let's sort out and confirm the situation.
Da Vinci:
Now that we've retrieved your recon team, we're making for the center of the territory with the Shadow Border.
Da Vinci:
It's believed to be the dwelling place of this territory's ruler, Tamamovitch Koyanskaya.
Da Vinci:
If this territory is an enlarged version of herself, then that's the location of the nucleus or main body.
Da Vinci:
Considering her ability to cross into the different Lostbelts, there may be no point in observing...
Da Vinci:
but even now, her response hasn't moved.
Taigong:
And she won't move.
Goredolf:
Hm?
Taigong:
I give you my word as a Heroic Spirit and Grand Duke.
Taigong:
Daji never moves her residence. That's the kind of creature that thing is.
Taigong:
She's something of a homebody.
Taigong:
Once establishing her "den", she will defend herself, but not go out to attack.
Taigong:
Only when there is a full-scale attack on her castle will she finally show herself at its gates.
Goredolf:
Where Koyanskaya is concerned, she strongly gave off the impression of a traveller.
Goredolf:
You mean to say that she has an indoorsy nature?
Fou:
Fou. Fou?
Da Vinci:
The coordinates of the region's center are 60°55' north latitude and 101°57' east longitude.
Da Vinci:
This was Koyanskaya's reaction point when observed two days ago at Chaldea Base.
Taigong:
As you may know...
Taigong:
It's the same coordinates as that once great explosion's epicenter.
Fujimaru 1:
You mean...
Mash:
The Tunguska Explosion, correct?
Fujimaru 2:
the Tunguska Explosion.
Mash:
Right. About 100 years ago, a massive explosion took place—
Goredolf:
Mm, to sit at the center of mass destruction. Is it a declarative statement that she will carry out one of her own?
Da Vinci:
That's one possibility. Or...
Fujimaru 1:
Are she and the explosion somehow connected?
Taigong:
That's not so impossible a circumstance.
Taigong:
It's just...the Tunguska Explosion.
Taigong:
It's a momentous event in history's records, but I wonder what connection it has to Daji?
Taigong:
To be honest, I have no idea either. Why did that thing choose to come here?
Taigong:
We've heard no legends of Russian dynasties led by a beauty to ruin, have we?
Taigong:
Nor any episodes of fox or raccoon spirits appearing, or tales of forests being razed.
Taigong:
... ...
Taigong:
...Life Zones and Dead Zones.
Taigong:
Those two ways of being at odds within the Reality Marble may somehow be related to the explosion...
Taigong:
It is possible that may be the case, but there's nothing at present to use as grounds for analysis—
Nikitch:
I don't care even if there is!
Nikitch:
I don't care if it comes down to a huge explosion or wild beast, or whatever the hell it is.
Nikitch:
I have to defeat the enemy, and save the land of Russia.
Ibuki Dōji:
Wow. Such brave words!
Ibuki Dōji:
But yeah, that's good too for Master to hear. I'll give my all for [♂ him /♀ her], all the way!
Mash:
...and me too. Mash Kyrielight, ready to do everything in her power.
Da Vinci:
Yeah, and I'll do my best to support you!
Fou:
Fou!
Taigong:
Distance from current position to the target is 80 kilometers. At this speed, we'll arrive in two hours.
Taigong:
Where the explosion is concerned, it might be more expeditious to ask her personally.
Goredolf:
Two hours...
Goredolf:
It seems the battle is finally coming to a head. Technical Advisor, what about the combat side of things?
Da Vinci:
Okay, let's start from the conclusion.
Da Vinci:
With our current strength—we should be able to defeat Koyanskaya!
Goredolf:
And the specific probability for victory?
Da Vinci:
Using the battle data from Olympus as reference, I input a variety of data for calculation. The probability of victory is 70%.
Fou:
Foou!
Mash:
Yes. A 70% probability is an encouraging projection.
Nikitch:
Hmm.
Ibuki Dōji:
Mm-hmm.
Da Vinci:
...
Da Vinci:
... ...
Da Vinci:
...but I have to tell you the truth.
Da Vinci:
I'd like to base a strategy on a higher probability than that, and having a 30% chance of defeat is too high to talk about!
Da Vinci:
Still, though.
Da Vinci:
This time, instead of having enhancements like the Klironomia—we have Taigong, Nikitich, and Ibuki-Douji.
Da Vinci:
Taigong is a specialist in handling the nine-tails, and Nikitich is a regular professional in combat.
Da Vinci:
Ibuki-Douji's memories are still...
Ibuki Dōji:
Yeah, still fuzzy.
Da Vinci:
Her memory doesn't look like it's sound, but she has enough magical energy and combat ability to make up for it.
Da Vinci:
In addition, firepower support from the Black Barrel. And simple field summonings of Heroic Spirits, courtesy of Fujimaru.
Da Vinci:
After taking everything into account, that's the final figure I could come to.
Da Vinci:
I wish I could raise it higher with better operations and equipment, but that's all I can do as things stand.
Da Vinci:
...I'm a disappointing technical advisor, and ashamed for it.
Fujimaru 1:
You've done nothing shameful, Da Vinci.
Da Vinci:
Think so? Well, then I really need to prove you can count on me.
Fujimaru 2:
Thank you for always supporting us.
Da Vinci:
Like the renaissance genius ought to. Although, you can't get around my inability to do more than that.
Nikitch:
... ...
Nikitch:
(Pats her head)
Da Vinci:
Wawah!?
Nikitch:
Yeah. Yeah.
Nikitch:
I don't know what kind of Heroic Spirit you are, but you're doing far better in enemy territory than any child can be expected.
Nikitch:
So don't make such a face. You look cute when you smile, so smile.
Nikitch:
That way, Fujimaru and Mash will be happy.
Nikitch:
Right?
Fujimaru 1:
(Nod)
Goredolf:
Umm.
Goredolf:
I hate to sober the mood, and feel free to say so as long as we're sitting for the briefing,
Goredolf:
...but did you take into account the possibility she'll be more powerful than our encounter on Olympus?
Da Vinci:
Of course, I did!
Goredolf:
Hmm, good then!
Goredolf:
Moving on...
Goredolf:
I hate to say it, but I will. After all, that's what a good commander should do!
Goredolf:
I mean, wh-what if, she were?
Goredolf:
As for the possibility that she's already transformed into a matured Beast—
Taigong:
That isn't possible.
Goredolf:
R-Really?
Taigong:
This Heroic Spirit calling herself Tamamovitch Koyanskaya, rather, this present world's shadow of Daji.
Taigong:
She cannot yet be a mature Beast.
Da Vinci:
...color me assured.
Ibuki Dōji:
How do you mean?
Taigong:
The beast called Daji has the power to control nations.
Taigong:
In other words, she has free rein to bully her prey while possessing the world around her.
Taigong:
Any person who resists is caught at once, and made to taste indescribable torments—
Taigong:
That's what makes her Daji.
Taigong:
Despite Koyanskaya being a shadow, her base nature is probably not far removed from Daji.
Taigong:
But matters at present don't correspond. We're able to move relatively free within the territory like we have.
Taigong:
From a situational standpoint, this means she is not in a state of maturity.
Da Vinci:
Mm-hmm...
Taigong:
However, it may be—
Taigong:
She may be incomplete due to some accident.
Taigong:
Despite time spent resting, or emerging,
Taigong:
she hasn't sent assassins or soldiers herself, and is letting her enemy run free for too long. It's unusual for Daji.
Taigong:
At present, I believe the shadow of Daji turned juvenile Beast should be considered as being in a kind of debilitated state.
Mash:
An accident...
Mash:
Senpai.
Fujimaru 1:
Yeah, there was an accident.
Fujimaru 2:
It was Cernunnos.
Da Vinci:
I bet that was the cause. Cernunnos—
Da Vinci:
During a certain event in Britain's Lost World, Koyanskaya took the brunt of Cernunnos' power.
Fujimaru 1:
Koyanskaya, she...
Fujimaru 1:
for some reason, shielded us from Cernunnos.
Taigong:
Hmm.
Fujimaru 2:
And as a result, protected Chaldea.
Mash:
I think so too.
Mash:
If Koyanskaya hadn't shown herself before Cernunnos at that moment,
Mash:
the Storm Border would surely have...
Taigong:
Hmm...?
Taigong:
By Cernunnos, you mean the old nature god of Ireland?
Da Vinci:
More precisely, a Calamity in the form of his last vestiges.
Taigong:
... ...
Taigong:
...I see. A force closer to that of nature than to the Human Order, correct?
Taigong:
That makes sense. Considering the state of her war-beasts, her current self must have suffered a painful blow.
Taigong:
Or rather, defining heretofore nonexistent weaknesses unto herself...
Taigong:
I don't know how she can take a direct hit from that and still maintain her existence.
Taigong:
Still, everyone! I beg you not to worry.
Taigong:
Your trusty Taigong is not suggesting we go in there with no plan. After all, I have—
Taigong:
an Anti-Beast Noble Phantasm
designed to affect Daji!
Taigong:
Not to mention!
Taigong:
More precisely! It has been fine-tuned to work effectively even on Daji's shadow!
Fou:
Fou!?
Da Vinci:
Wow!
Goredolf:
Ooh!
Goredolf:
I'd prefer to scold you for not telling us in the first place, but well done, Heroic Spirit Taigong!
Taigong:
Ha ha ha! No, with apologies!
Taigong:
It may have been left out of the Ming period's literature, but I've fought hard against her for 3,000 years.
Taigong:
Moreover, I have Chaldea and Nikitich, albeit falling short of old times with the Twelve Immortals and King Wu's host of troops.
Taigong:
Can so small a force defeat that beast, so formidable a demon?
Taigong:
Naturally, I brought a plan with me to this world. Lord Yuanshi Tianzun and the Human Order couldn't be so devious!
Mash:
...!
Mash:
An Anti-Beast Noble Phantasm...We don't know exactly what it's capable of.
Mash:
But this is a technique that Taigong is very proud of! I have high hopes, Senpai!
Fujimaru 1:
(Exhale in relief)
???:
Well, well.
???:
Pardon my interrupting while everyone is happily chatting. And what's more...
???:
I am extremely grateful that you are so concerned for my physical condition.
???:
But—would you please stop joking as though you really care?
???:
Mercy is what the strong shows to the weak...
???:
I'm so irritated at being doted upon by worms such as you that my tails are on the verge of electrifying upright.
Taigong:
...What?
Fujimaru 1:
...!
Mash:
!!
Fou:
Foooou!
Da Vinci:
Wh...at!?
???:
Honestly—
???:
After all the trouble I went to keep my distance and have you guessing at my intentions through the Lostbelts,
???:
you've come to spoil it for yourselves. Oh, and to such an extent?
???:
I suppose it's a matter of perspective, but my opinion takes precedence here, doesn't it?
???:
Most of all...
???:
This place. My own house. And inside too.
Meunière:
W-Woah woah woah, magical signature—generating from inside a moving vehicle—no, here!?
Goredolf:
Uh, what? What? I thought you said she wouldn't move out of her castle!?
Fou:
Foufooou!
???:
But all that being said, you know?
???:
Is buzzing around like so many mayflies really the right course when it comes to picking a fight?
Koyanskaya:
You should be more familiar with the rules of etiquette, Chaldeans. A proper greeting would be plainly obvious.
Koyanskaya:
Sigh.
Koyanskaya:
...are you so confused? I'm a little worn-out by that affair in Britain.
Fujimaru 1:
Tamamovitch Koyanskaya!
Koyanskaya:
Present☆
Mash:
Senpai!
Mash:
Nikitich...?
Nikitch:
Don't worry, Mash. I'll stop this.
Taigong:
!?
Taigong:
Leaving the castle—
Taigong:
personally...?
Taigong:
Even—as a mere...shadow of Daji...
Taigong:
Tha—t's...not...possible...—!?
Nikitch:
Don't be a fool, Taigong!
Taigong:
I can't apologize enough! Ahh, I've really blundered this time around!
Koyanskaya:
...My, my☆
Koyanskaya:
Not quite what you'd expect from teleportation. A forced high-speed transfer?
Koyanskaya:
A round of applause☆
Koyanskaya:
I must admit, that was something else. In addition to myself, the Master, [♂ his /♀ her] Demi-Servant,
Koyanskaya:
one nasty Divine Spirit, a cat-eared oddity, and the practitioner himself. It's no small feat to compel six bodies to move together.
Koyanskaya:
More than that, it's using a power belonging to the Human Order while still within me.
Koyanskaya:
There's a degree of brashness in that, but I compliment your courage.
Koyanskaya:
Oh, but don't get me wrong, I'll soon forget it after you're all dead. So, you're a new face to me.
Koyanskaya:
What is your True Name?
Taigong:
Curse you, Daji!
Taigong:
You know just how to bark your ignorance! Anyway, it's fortunate you've brazenly crawled out of your den!
Taigong:
Facing you here 3,000 years since we met—
Taigong:
I suppose I've come to take you lightly as well. At least your appearance has hardly changed.
Taigong:
Golden White Face! No, the shadowy figure of the beast fatale revived into this world!
Koyanskaya:
—Um, by that, do you mean me?
Nikitch:
Come, my dragon!
Ibuki Dōji:
Oh, me?
Nikitch:
Not you!
Nikitch:
Not the oriental dragon. My Hiryuu, come to me!
Nikitch:
There you are, my steed!
Koyanskaya:
Kyaa, what a darling wyvern☆
Koyanskaya:
Oh, but sad to say, I have no interest in a simple dragon subspecies.
Hiryuu:
I'm wyvern-shocked to be jilted so casually by such a beautiful woman! ...or so it would seem, Milord! Let's ride!
Nikitch:
Hmph!
Nikitch:
Mash, we'll cover you from the air!
Mash:
Yes!
Fujimaru 1:
Huh, Mash!?
Mash:
...?
Mash:
—Uh, the Ortinaus!? When did I change into this!?
Fujimaru 2:
When did you put the Ortinaus on?
Mash:
Uh...
Mash:
Ah! The Ortinaus!? I don't remember changing, either...
Taigong:
I borrowed the things stored in the chamber when we moved from the vehicle with my Tudun technique.
Taigong:
I'm not so adept at dressing, Lady Mash, but are there any issues?
Mash:
N-No, not in the least!
Mash:
Ortinaus, activating for emergency combat! Maintaining power at 80%. I can fight, Master!
Fujimaru 1:
...Prepare for battle!
Mash:
Roger!
Koyanskaya:
Very nice. It's fine and well to see you all being so energetic, isn't it☆
Koyanskaya:
The newcomers and Demi-Servant are all together, and seem to be feverishly motivated. Good work.
Koyanskaya:
I don't suppose you've all forgotten, have you?
Koyanskaya:
Exactly where it is you're all standing?
Koyanskaya:
Well?
Da Vinci:
Multiple hostile responses gathering at the perimeter! 5, 10, 20...and more on the way!?
Da Vinci:
They didn't simply push in from out of range...it's like they sprouted right where they needed to be!
Taigong:
Spontaneous...
Taigong:
creation of life...programmed with orders to mobilize...
Taigong:
Hahaha, what a formidable Reality Marble! Are you able to manifest as many Lost Familiars as you wish, Daji!?
Koyanskaya:
Well, what do you think?
Taigong:
Everyone!
Taigong:
I will hold Daji off. Or rather, bring her down if I see a chance.
Taigong:
If the fine people of Chaldea would be so good as to deal with the herd of Lost Familiars!
Fujimaru 1:
You're sure you can do it yourself, Taigong?
Taigong:
Not to worry, Chaldean Master.
Taigong:
Whatever my expectations have thus overlooked, I will take any degree of responsibility.
Taigong:
More than anything else, I am a professional when it comes to Daji!
Taigong:
Everything is well under control!
Fujimaru 2:
Mash, Ibuki-Douji!
Mash:
Yes, Master!
Ibuki Dōji:
Okay, count on it!
Taigong:
Keep [♂ him /♀ her] and the others covered, Nikitich!
Nikitch:
That goes without saying! You just hold up to your duty, Taigong!
Taigong:
Of course.
Koyanskaya:
Have you concluded your counsel?
Koyanskaya:
I was just in the middle of a siesta. I'd rather go back to my bedroom, but...
Koyanskaya:
I have known you all for quite long enough. I'd like to bid my farewells to you just in case, okay?
Koyanskaya:
I'm aware you're accustomed to fighting ultra-exceptional units. As such, I'll play the "numbers game".
Koyanskaya:
In the natural world, quantity over quality is the most important survival tactic. Better to call it truth than law.
Koyanskaya:
—To be quite frank, I will crush you all underfoot with extreme prejudice.
Da Vinci:
Huge number of heat sources approaching from the perimeter! And so many, comparable to a military division!?
Koyanskaya:
Yes. You should know that I'm serious.
Koyanskaya:
Any further diversions will be an impediment to business. External enemies should simply be gathered in one place and exterminated.
Koyanskaya:
And with that, goodbye and good day. Oh, and of course, consider the charge comped.
Koyanskaya:
You and the rest of humanity have invented a torrential variety of violence...
Koyanskaya:
Please, take your fill to your heart's content.
Ibuki Dōji:
Hold on, Mash!
Mash:
—Heavy war-beasts ahead!
Section 10: Planet Songs of the Primate II
Mash:
...!
Ibuki Dōji:
Here I go!
Ibuki Dōji:
Come to me, fire and thunder!
Nikitch:
—Now, a diving attack!
Hiryuu:
Ooooooooooooooooooh!! Leave it to me, Milord!
Mash:
Destroying multiple light units of war-beasts, as well as multiple large units of Lost Familiars!
Mash:
Haah, haah—Four hours of battle, elapsed—
Ibuki Dōji:
...I've used too much of Master's magical energy. Time for a breather!
Ibuki Dōji:
How's your end, Mash?
Mash:
While their exact number is unknown...we must have cut down a significant number of enemy forces.
Mash:
But...
Fujimaru 1:
I know.
Mash:
...Yes.
Fujimaru 2:
There's more to come.
Mash:
Yes, many hostile readings. They're still coming!
Ibuki Dōji:
Mmm. Another big fish—
Mash:
Heavy war-beasts! And leading a mixed unit of light war-beasts and Lost Familiars!
Ibuki Dōji:
One after the other!
Ibuki Dōji:
They spring up one after the other like a swarm, ugh! I could use a drink!
Ibuki Dōji:
Yeah, when this is all over. Give me a stiff, chilled drink!
Meunière:
I'll find a whole bender's worth for you! Just hang on, everyone!
Ibuki Dōji:
Wow♡
Meunière:
This much firepower bearing down on us...is a job better suited for the Storm Border's battleship specs.
Meunière:
The bounded fields around the Shadow Border, sure enough, can't hold up under this onslaught!
Fujimaru 1:
Roger! Keep them in check!
Mash:
Yes!
Taigong:
... ...
Taigong:
...It was fortuitous to have met the Chaldeans. You've all done well, everyone.
Taigong:
Then I must finish my task as well, so I can show my face to almighty Yuanshi Tianzun and Xiwangmu.
Taigong:
Shadow of Daji, are you prepared for this?
Taigong:
You seem to have changed your aura considerably—
Taigong:
Maybe you've changed your perfume? Though I can't fathom why I would ask.
Taigong:
The time is ripe. Energizing ideational key-crest.
Taigong:
—The Kunlun Mountains are dedicated to Yuanshi Tianzun.—Fish tail crowned in gold, clad in cloth of crane plumage, joining the Heavens and the Earth!
Taigong:
—Imperishable conduct, purity of mind!—Xians of the Pure Land, to battle!
Taigong:
—These hands of mine are exactly like the twin treasure blades!
Taigong:
—I embody geography and astronomy, for the Bagua dwells within me!—That is to say, I am as a Xian attending to battle!
Goredolf:
Those chants...
Goredolf:
No, is that an incantation to begin with? Where are you on that?
Da Vinci:
It's probably a chant. There's definitely magical energy in his voice and words.
Da Vinci:
I'm not well-versed in the sage arts, or in ideological magecraft, but I can tell he's invoking some crazy stuff!
Meunière:
I-I'll say. I heard him mention something about the Xians!
Da Vinci:
He proclaimed himself as such. He's declared himself a Xian-class made manifest into the present world!
Goredolf:
What?
Goredolf:
Xian?
Goredolf:
Xians are...
Goredolf:
if memory serves me, Divine Spirits of Chinese mythology?
Da Vinci:
Yeah, that's them.
Da Vinci:
Gods themselves, rather than Divine Spirits—In other words, like the Norse Skadi or the Twelve Gods of Olympus.
Da Vinci:
A higher-order existence that belies mighty Mystery, endowed with an overwhelming Saint Graph higher than any other spiritual level.
Meunière:
Really? Taigong's bringing out the big guns!
Goredolf:
...Mm, Hmm. I should say so. From my viewpoint, it's no surprise.
Goredolf:
If Taigong's adventures in "Investiture" are true, then he is a man with combat strength on par with a Xian!
Goredolf:
He killed Gao Youqian, a later Grand Marshal of the Four Sages, with a single blow. He even defeated Wen Zhong, strongest sage of the Shang Dynasty.
Meunière:
Wow! Taigong's image seemed a lot more like a military strategist...
Da Vinci:
Where he uses tactics, he's famed for his strategies. As a Daoshi, a prodigal on the level of a Xian.
Da Vinci:
If so, it's most reassuring. But I still think his chant is at least a little alarming!
Da Vinci:
Since despite having a connection there, it's a declaration upon the highest mythological existence.
Da Vinci:
To me, that sounds like a pretty risky chant. Is this normal for him?
Da Vinci:
Or—
Da Vinci:
It might mean he has to push himself this far to subdue Daji!
Goredolf:
!
Taigong:
—I stand on earth as the embodiment of Yuxu!—I stand on earth as one who executes the divine investiture!
Taigong:
—Come. I, by destiny's gaze, rend the divine and lead the holy dynasty!
Taigong:
—Thousand-year fox spirit, your shadow stands consecrated!
Taigong:
—In the name of goddess Nüwa of the Three Sovereigns,—know that the true fruit of immortality is not of this earth, fox!
Taigong:
Great Demon Sublimation–
Investiture of the Gods!
Koyanskaya:
... ...
Koyanskaya:
(Snicker)
Koyanskaya:
Oops☆
Taigong:
Wha?
Koyanskaya:
I'm truly sorry. Hehehe, I couldn't help myself around so weak a Noble Phantasm seal.
Taigong:
Mm.
Taigong:
Hmm?
Taigong:
Huh. Uh? Nonsense. This is a farce.
Taigong:
Ahahah. I give up then!
Taigong:
That was the final Anti-Beast Noble Phantasm, especially for Daji's shadow, which also implemented the power of the Twelve Immortals of Kunlun—
Taigong:
It's having no effect!
Taigong:
How can that be!?
Goredolf:
!?
Mash:
What...
Fujimaru 1:
Taigong—!?
Fou:
Bfooooooou!?
Ibuki Dōji:
Seriously!?
--ARROW--
Koyanskaya:
Ha—
Koyanskaya:
Hahahahahahaha! Ah, this is hilarious, I should have brought the documentary squad!
Koyanskaya:
I was wondering what he was up to after that grand speech, but it turned out to be just a comedy act. He's quite the entertainer!
Koyanskaya:
I thought he was strange to begin with, but is he some type of court jester Heroic Spirit?
Koyanskaya:
I was going to use the children to crush him, but there's no accomplishment to be found in that.
Koyanskaya:
Since you showed me your trick, I guess I have to reply with something fitting, don't I?
Koyanskaya:
I have an act lined up as well. I'll play along with your farce.
Fujimaru 1:
This fog!
Fujimaru 2:
(This chill, it's the same as last time...!)
Koyanskaya:
This body, which thanks to you I had to unleash once, may be worn out but is more than enough for this occasion.
Koyanskaya:
After all, there's no sign of the great detective, nor do you have any Krilonomia from Athena and Ares.
Mash:
Magical Signature rising rapidly! It's identical to Olympus—
Da Vinci:
Spatial erosion confirmed! This is undoubtedly a true manifestation of the Beast Class!
Koyanskaya:
Your firepower, let's see...
Koyanskaya:
Hehe, the first one. I don't know who he is, but I can tell he's some type of jester.
Koyanskaya:
Your front-liners amount to, at best, the dragon rider and the dragon.
Koyanskaya:
The dragon...might have a troublesome sword, but doesn't seem to be able to exhibit its true value.
Koyanskaya:
And then there's that poor human-esque girl—
Koyanskaya:
Oh, and let's not forget...
Koyanskaya:
YOU.
Koyanskaya:
The Master is here, of course. You may not think so personally, but—
Koyanskaya:
For a weapon, the Black Barrel is so pleasantly disagreeable.
Koyanskaya:
As representative for NFF Services, I applaud you for your hard work...
Koyanskaya:
But as a Beast, you're the biggest piles of trash on the planet.
Da Vinci:
Magical Signature rising! Confirmed mass increase, instantaneous enlargement!
Da Vinci:
That's a ridiculous Saint Graph mass! Did we really fight against something like this in Olympus...!?
Taigong:
Energizing ideational key-crest!
Taigong:
—These hands of mine are exactly like the twin treasure blades!—I embody geography and astronomy, for the Bagua dwells within me!
Taigong:
Yuxu Embodiment -#### Investiture of the Gods!
Mash:
This is...!
Taigong:
My second Anti-Beast Noble Phantasm, this one applies to our own side. I sure hope it works this time!
Ibuki Dōji:
The confidence is gone from your words!
Taigong:
Well, naturally!
Ibuki Dōji:
Get a grip! —It's time to get serious!
Ibuki Dōji:
And so, it's Habenyan time! Let's go, Mash!
Mash:
Yes...! Habetrot, please!
Habetrot:
Okay, I've been waiting for this!
Habetrot:
That's the Beast? Wow, she's huge! But the fact that her bride power is zero is a drawback for sure!
Habetrot:
She may be scary, but I won't lose!
Habetrot:
The bond between Mash and Fujimaru is much, much bigger after all!
Nikitch:
The Beast is coming!
--BATTLE--
Ibuki Dōji:
Mmph!
Ibuki Dōji:
I don't know...that's such a strange feeling...
Ibuki Dōji:
Cotton candy is...no, that's not it at all...
Ibuki Dōji:
It's making me shudder, the way it's gotten so disgusting!
Ibuki Dōji:
Safe to say your second Noble Phantasm works!
Nikitch:
I can tell it doesn't agree with you. What's going on here, Taigong!?
Taigong:
...Yeah.
Taigong:
The power output is too meager. It's not even a tenth of what I predicted in advance.
Taigong:
And then there's this paltry response! That quadruped is no shadow of Daji at all!
Taigong:
It's called an off-shoot.
Taigong:
Simply an alter ego!
Mash:
!?
Ibuki Dōji:
I'm surprised you would share your strength, but I see! That's why I'm getting so antsy!
Taigong:
... ...
Taigong:
It's all I can do to hold up to the alter ego. And it's difficult too helping you recover quickly from your exhaustion.
Taigong:
That's my current situation.
Taigong:
But I'll be frank! Yes, somehow I've failed! I'm always the one who succeeds in this situation!
Fujimaru 1:
Everything would work out if things all held true!
Fujimaru 2:
We have to do something, Master Strategist!
Taigong:
!
Taigong:
...
Taigong:
...And I shall. Thank you very much, Master of Chaldea.
Fou:
Fou!
Taigong:
Yes, I feel and have felt the same way.
Taigong:
I am Taigong. A prodigy engraved into the Human Order, and a military strategist formidable enough to defeat a great empire.
Taigong:
And the matchless hope of the Kunlun Mountains! 3,000 years ago, I was once a Daoshi on par with the Twelve Immortals!
Taigong:
Of course! I will take care of everything!
Koyanskaya:
...is your little riot already done?
Koyanskaya:
Then goodbye. I'll leave the rest to the children, if you don't mind.
Mash:
Multiple hostile responses, back again!...in greater numbers than previously destroyed!
Ibuki Dōji:
Ah, that's rather crude.
Nikitch:
...Tsk!
Taigong:
I advise immediate withdrawal, Master of Chaldea.
Fujimaru 1:
All hands, fall back!
Fujimaru 2:
Retreat for now to the Shadow Border!
Taigong:
Leave that to me.
Mash:
...Ah.
Ibuki Dōji:
Yes?
Goredolf:
Woah, is that a shock! Suddenly we have a beautiful 3-meter woman on board!?
Ibuki Dōji:
So sorry. I got shot away just like that.
Nikitch:
Phew, I barely managed to bring my steed with me. Luckily, he made it back to spirit form in time.
Da Vinci:
"Simultaneous movement of multiple bodies! It's the Tudun technique, just like before!"
Taigong:
Director Gordolf, please take command of the Shadow Border.
Taigong:
Hurry away from this place please, preferably at top speed.
Goredolf:
Uh, yes.
Goredolf:
Now hold on, what about you? Are you really not coming aboard!?
Taigong:
...Well, actually...
Taigong:
I'll draw her and the hostiles away from you, so make all due haste to get away from here.
Taigong:
If you please.
Goredolf:
Now just one minute—
Koyanskaya:
An act of self-sacrifice?
Koyanskaya:
I thought we could speak to one another on equal terms, but I'm disappointed. There's no point to wrenching melodrama.
Taigong:
No.
Taigong:
Me, sacrifice myself?
Taigong:
Please, not in a million years. Do save the humor.
Taigong:
I am a tactician. For a strategist to die while leading their forces...
Taigong:
to leave behind a group still capable of fighting is beyond irresponsible.
Taigong:
It's irresponsible to every soldier still standing, not just here but across all the world.
Taigong:
So, fittingly—
Taigong:
This is an illusion.
Taigong:
Mass, vital signs, magical energy, any tell-tale signs a Servant leaves,
Taigong:
it's as though I were never even here.
Koyanskaya:
...My.
Koyanskaya:
Such formidable tricks. Hehe, you really were a clown somewhere, weren't you?
Taigong:
Ahaha. You may not be off the mark.
Taigong:
Let me warn you, Miss Beast. I could keep this up forever.
Taigong:
Every time you go after the Shadow Border, I'll bail them out the same way.
Taigong:
Oh, but surely you'd slip through the gaps in my technique and catch up after a few tries—
Taigong:
Don't even consider such a course.
Taigong:
I'm quite adept with Tudun. I can fashion more than 200 patterns for the technique.
Koyanskaya:
—Is there such a thing as showing off too much?
Taigong:
Ahaha.
Taigong:
Then would you like to try your luck?
Koyanskaya:
Let's not go to the trouble.
Koyanskaya:
It was only a whim that brought me here. I'm still rather indisposed, both physically and mentally.
Koyanskaya:
Have your respite if you're in no mood to play. I'll go home for my siesta.
Koyanskaya:
If you and the Chaldeans wish to drop by my headquarters, please feel free to do so.
Koyanskaya:
I ought to bar you access for coming to my office without an appointment...
Koyanskaya:
but for the "representatives of humanity", a Beast such as I cannot do so out of hand.
Koyanskaya:
I will entertain you personally at that time, and not through any familiars.
Koyanskaya:
With that, I bid you goodbye.
Taigong:
Yeah, I'll be seeing you.
Koyanskaya:
...
Koyanskaya:
Has anyone ever told you that you're a weirdo?
Taigong:
Haha. You're quite rude, Miss Beast.
Taigong:
Yes, I do get that a lot.
--ARROW--
Taigong:
No, this isn't funny at all!
Fou:
Fou, fou!
Taigong:
She left me alone, and the Anti-Beast Noble Phantasm I was so proud of has failed.
Taigong:
I'm sorry!
Fujimaru 1:
Raise your head, Taigong.
Taigong:
...my apologies.
Da Vinci:
Now now. I won't say I understand how you feel, but you don't have to shoulder all the responsibility.
Da Vinci:
The reason we were able to get away safely in the first place was because of your Tudun technique.
Fujimaru 2:
Well, we got away safely thanks to you!
Mash:
Master is right.
Mash:
All of us are safe thanks to your arts, Taigong.
Mash:
Thank you very much. And please don't blame yourself.
Da Vinci:
That fight shouldn't have gone on any further. You did good work, Taigong.
Goredolf:
Indeed. You should blame it on your opponent this time. After all, it was Koyanskaya.
Goredolf:
We didn't lose anyone, the Border took no damage, and we're able to hold this briefing without incident.
Goredolf:
It's nothing to be worried about. We're just grateful to have such a famed Daoshi as you, Taigong.
Fou:
Foufou.
Nikitch:
Way to go, Taigong.
Nikitch:
Dropping the ball after all that big talk! Ahahahahaha!
Nikitch:
If you had been a bogatyr of Kiev, you would have died in a rage over how sorry you were to the Sun Prince!
Nikitch:
Lucky for you that you're not!
Taigong:
...a-ahaha.
Meunière:
Ouch...
Ibuki Dōji:
What's this? Is Taigong in pitiful mode?
Taigong:
... ...
Taigong:
...everyone.
Taigong:
I've made a mistake and my credibility has dropped like a rock, but let's discuss this again.
Taigong:
Precisely because I have been mistaken up to now, I can declare one more thing.
Da Vinci:
What is it?
Taigong:
About her. Tamamovitch Koyanskaya.
Taigong:
The Golden White Face beast. The calamity that brought ruin to the Shang dynasty 3,000 years ago—
Taigong:
The thousand-year fox spirit Daji, one of the Evils of Humanity, Class Beast.
Goredolf:
According to one theory, she is the origin of one of Japan's three great demons, Tamamo-no-Mae.
Mash:
Y-yes. Tamamo-no-Mae denies it herself though, but...
Da Vinci:
Let's drop her for now, otherwise things are going to get way too complicated!
Taigong:
Thank you.
Taigong:
I've been assuming the true identity of the woman you call Tamamaovitch Koyanskaya...
Taigong:
...to be that which became a Heroic Spirit after the death of Daji.
Taigong:
I came into this world with that expectation, with a special Anti-Beast Noble Phantasm as my trump card.
Taigong:
However...
Nikitch:
While the second Noble Phantasm was effective to a degree, the first had no effect at all!
Taigong:
It should have worked on her, both inside and out. The first for her innards, the second for her exterior.
Taigong:
However, only the second took effect. What's more, it was at less than 10% of the intended output.
Fujimaru 1:
A Noble Phantasm designed for Daji's shadow...
Fujimaru 1:
It didn't work on her insides at all...
Fujimaru 2:
It worked somewhat against her exterior...
Mash:
So that means—
Taigong:
Yes.
Taigong:
The second one may have had some effectiveness because of the similarities, but the first didn't because her origin was completely different.
Taigong:
If that is the case...
Taigong:
—That beast is not the shadow of Daji after all.
Taigong:
It may look like her, but she has nothing to do with Daji.
Taigong:
It's something else.
Section 11: Second Coming of Cherishment
Narration:
—How beautiful, I thought.
Narration:
Of my fated enemy, of the enemy I must slay.
Narration:
A fearsome beast that delights in committing atrocities, slinking into the declining Shang dynasty and leading King Zhou's heart astray piece by piece.
Narration:
The Golden White Face that went beyond the goddess Nüwa's expectations, growing mighty and ferocious, as it attempted to devour the human realm.
Narration:
A great beauty, considered to be a monstrous evil that disrupts the harmony of the world by even the foremost of the Xians, such as Yuanshi Tianzun and Xiwangmu.
Narration:
A willful calamity. A beast.
Narration:
I was resolved to fight her.I was resolved to slay her.
Narration:
An enemy I was not sure I could seal, even if I should put my life on the line to do so.
Narration:
An enemy I must fight to the death amidst fire and lightning, wielding my two treasured swords and Bagua.
Narration:
I knew it all, and yet.
Narration:
"Fufu."
Narration:
"Fufu, fufufufufu."
Narration:
"I shall kill them now."
Narration:
"Yes. Yes. That's right, I will kill them."
Narration:
"To defy me is to defy King Zhou. Therefore, you must be a renegade who has turned against the realm."
Narration:
"You shall die."
Narration:
"You, your parents, your siblings, your spouse and your children. Everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone."
Narration:
"As gruesomely as possible,and as slowly as possible."
Narration:
"You shall die."
Narration:
"Fufu. Haha."
Narration:
"Hahahahahahahahaha!"
Narration:
"Hahahahahahahahahaha—Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
Narration:
Raucous laughter and derision. Tyranny and butchery.
Narration:
The tragedy that ensued...the sight of those great atrocities was so far removed from reality
Narration:
that I even pondered whether I was in a nightmare.
Narration:
The river of fresh blood that overflowed looked as though it were poised to swallow up the earth itself.
Narration:
And in the heart of all that crimson, reeking of blood, oh. She laughed and laughed a shrill laugh—
Narration:
After laughing to herself for a while,
Narration:
"Ooh."
Narration:
"That was fun,"
Narration:
was what she said.
Narration:
As for me,
Narration:
when I saw her speak those words, I thought to myself.
Narration:
How beautiful—
Narration:
That beyond the evil that has thrown aside all morals and reason—
Narration:
there exists a lone flower, so exquisite and beautiful.
Narration:
That there exists a flower that blooms only within that river of blood.
Narration:
And before that woman, that beast, whose head I will sever in time, I—
Narration:
could not help but think of her beauty.
--ARROW--
Taigong:
...Excuse me, but allow me to reconfirm.
Taigong:
You said that she took on the power of Cernunnos in the British Lostbelt, correct?
Taigong:
May I hear that story from you again?
Taigong:
... ...
Taigong:
...Hmm, hmm.
Taigong:
So while her reasons aren't clear, she shielded Chaldea from the power of Cernunnos?
Taigong:
And that she seemingly did so on purpose, not due to bad luck or the like?
Mash:
...Yes.
Fujimaru 1:
(Nod)
Taigong:
...Yeah.
Taigong:
Yeah, it really is my mistake!
Fou:
Mis-fou!?
Taigong:
Once again, I beg forgiveness.
Taigong:
No matter how trivial it was, I should have paid better attention to the strange feeling I had about this.
Taigong:
For her to suffer in order to protect those other than herself, even it were happenstance or from the outcome of some providence.
Taigong:
I found myself thinking that might have been the case...
Taigong:
But no. No, not a chance.
Taigong:
However thin the shadow is cast, Daji would never do such a thing!
Taigong:
And so...
Taigong:
Dear me, what a disgrace! Taigong has totally failed!
Taigong:
Tamamovitch Koyanskaya is something else. She is not Daji!
Taigong:
Her existence should be as a counterfeit of the Golden White Face.
Goredolf:
...Wh-What?
Goredolf:
Th-Then what is the juvenile Beast-class that we've been closing in on?
Goredolf:
You think Tamamovitch Koyanskaya has no connection to the nine-tailed huli jing who is the Golden White Face fox?
Taigong:
Yes.
Taigong:
It's true that they resemble one another, but I think they are fundamentally different existences.
Mash:
!
Goredolf:
S-So that's where we're at...
Da Vinci:
3,000 years ago, Daji was behind the ruin of the Shang dynasty. There's no question she was the Golden White Face, true?
Taigong:
Undoubtedly so, she was a thousand-year fox spirit.
Taigong:
Lady Nüwa had decreed a hasty eradication for the Shang, but that demon went on to torment the people according to her evil nature.
Taigong:
The beast fatale, a powerful and ferocious thing bearing nine tails. For that was Daji.
Taigong:
...Then I came here.
Taigong:
I was certain the reason for my coming to this world was to eradicate the beast fatale.
Taigong:
To consign the shadow of Daji to death, in accordance with Lady Nüwa's wishes from the Empyrean realm.
Taigong:
Or so, I had come to earnestly think—
Taigong:
What other purpose was there!?
Fujimaru 1:
So you mean,
Fujimaru 1:
Tamamovitch is...
Fujimaru 2:
not a Tamamo...?
Mash:
Senpai, you recall hearing from Tamamo-no-Mae herself that she isn't Daji.
Goredolf:
Hm? What are you talking about? How does one taxonomically classify the Tamamos?
Goredolf:
I would appreciate you not confusing me any more than I already am...
Da Vinci:
You don't look so good, Director. Just calm down a little.
Nikitch:
Here, drink some water.
Goredolf:
O-Oh...
Goredolf:
(Gulp, gulp)
Goredolf:
Pwah...Oh, that's good...
Nikitch:
Water, drawn from the clear waters of the Life Zone.It's cold, and so clear that it shimmers under the sunlight.
Nikitch:
One sip will make you feel better. Have another.
Goredolf:
(Gulp, gulp)
Goredolf:
Pwah...Oh, I feel somewhat calmer...
Nikitch:
I should say so.
Ibuki Dōji:
(Stares unblinkingly)
Nikitch:
What?
Ibuki Dōji:
Nothing, just that you make a good caretaker. Almost to a motherly degree.
Nikitch:
I can do most things, you know.
Nikitch:
...that leaves room for the few that I can't.
Fou:
Fou!
Nikitch:
Oh, you want some water too? Here.
Fou:
Fou fou.
Da Vinci:
Okay, that's all well and good. The Director seems to have settled down, so shall we move on?
Taigong:
Yeah, let's straighten things out.
Taigong:
Firstly, we are certain—she is not some alter ego or bunrei of Daji.
Taigong:
Nor anything along the lines of a figure exaggerated to the height of a Heroic Spirit.
Taigong:
I am adamant on that point. Despite that, and towering over these facts...
Taigong:
Koyanskaya is imitating the Golden White Face, that much is certain.
Da Vinci:
We have enough on which to base this, right?
Taigong:
Yeah.
Goredolf:
We're counting on you this time, Heroic Spirit Taigong. This is no place to formulate a plan on shaky grounds.
Taigong:
Let me try to redeem myself for that mistake. Yes, my arrival should somewhat be evidence.
Taigong:
Her personality and behavior, the differences in effect my arts had on her. Not to mention,
Taigong:
the tail.
Ibuki Dōji:
And what a tail.
Ibuki Dōji:
(Shaking)
Fou:
Fou fou.
Taigong:
Speaking first of the amount of magical energy in her possession, it's strange for her not to have already reached a mature form.
Taigong:
The alter ego and familiars we've fought have made use of that much power.
Taigong:
Yet she has not yet reached maturity. But why is that?
Taigong:
Because the model case for her self-evolution is the Golden White Face, whose nine-tailed form is her ideal body—
Taigong:
Therein is my rationale.
Goredolf:
Oho...
Da Vinci:
Aiming to be the new nine-tails...Yes, that might be convincing reasoning.
Taigong:
... ...
Taigong:
...On top of that, and this is just a theory.
Taigong:
The tails she collected could very well be the Lostbelts themselves.
Fujimaru 1:
Yagas or Kalis could've stood in as tails?
Fujimaru 2:
She used the Lostbelts to gather her tails?
Taigong:
Yes.
Taigong:
The process of turning the life forms of the Lostbelts into her familiars would render each existence—every piece of foreign intelligence into tails.
Goredolf:
Wh-What do you mean?
Da Vinci:
We might be jumping the gun here. Would you care to explain?
Taigong:
That's how it seemed from the alter ego, with a ludicrous mass to her Saint Graph.
Taigong:
From what I could tell, it currently weighs hundreds of thousands of tons. A mass like a gargantuan monster.
Fujimaru 1:
That much...!
Fujimaru 2:
A giant monster...!?
Taigong:
It's not so easy to gauge at a glance, like power from the amount of magical energy...
Taigong:
But that mass is her weight of existence!
Taigong:
Isn't it possible that she's been extracting the information of the six Lostbelts via her Lost Familiars, making it into tails, and expanding?
Fujimaru 1:
Six Lostbelts?
Fujimaru 2:
We counted five tails before.
Da Vinci:
If you're talking about the alter ego that emerged at Olympus, it wouldn't be so strange for it to have five tails.
Da Vinci:
Her main body may still only have five tails.
Taigong:
Oh?
Da Vinci:
One of them was lost in Britain.
Da Vinci:
The fight at Britain's Lake District.
Da Vinci:
Since Muramasa said that one of the spiritual cores was destroyed there by Mélusine.
Taigong:
Mm-hmm.
Taigong:
Although, even with the Beast Saint Graph...it stands that her growth stage had already reached the count of six tails.
Taigong:
Still, these assumptions notwithstanding...
Taigong:
A Saint Graph of so huge a mass will takeproportionate effort to utterly kill and burn out.
Taigong:
Which isn't to say it's equivalent to destroying six Lostbelts, but it will take spending a good amount of resources.
Fujimaru 1:
...I see...
Mash:
...
Goredolf:
Hrm...so we need firepower of that degree?
Goredolf:
I'm disappointed we haven't finished the Excalibur Cannon. I even prepared new sunglasses for the occasion...
Fujimaru 1:
Taigong?
Taigong:
Yes?
Da Vinci:
Oh, you've only now noticed?
Da Vinci:
Your expression looks strangely better, Taigong. Could it be you still have a card yet to play?
Taigong:
Well...
Nikitch:
Say it, Taigong.
Nikitch:
I know you're afraid to reveal anything after you made such a terrible blunder.
Nikitch:
Even so, I think you should reveal anything you've kept secret!
Taigong:
I-I'd hate for you to talk about me like some kind of schemer...
Taigong:
... ...
Taigong:
...Yes. Yes, I do, after a fashion!
Taigong:
There's definitely a way to stop Koyan!
Ibuki Dōji:
Wow, there is!
Fou:
Fou fou!
Da Vinci:
If you have the means, then it's uplifting!
Da Vinci:
I was honestly conflicted since she can generate unlimited war-beasts and Lost Familiars.
Da Vinci:
It's turned out that she can mobilize them one after the other, right? In such a situation...
Da Vinci:
Continuing to head for the center of the territory will only play into her hands.
Da Vinci:
I honestly wondered if we should abandon that strategy, and considered leaving the territory with all our power.
Da Vinci:
That made me hesitate—
Goredolf:
Morningstar! Reset the Border's course for the center of the territory!
Meunière:
Already laid in! I knew that would be in line with your habits, Commander!
Goredolf:
Mm.
Goredolf:
...No, hold on. Wait first for your commander's orders before you act, all right?
Taigong:
As for me, I don't want to run away from this. I need to go to Koyanskaya's castle.
Taigong:
The first Anti-Beast Noble Phantasm was a total dud, and the second not much better.
Taigong:
But I promise, I will lead you to the solution!
Taigong:
There is a way!
Goredolf:
Mm. If you say as such openly, can we rely on you?
Taigong:
Please leave it to me.
Taigong:
I removed certain properties of the Anti-Beast Noble Phantasm based on targeting Daji's shadow...
Taigong:
But there are countermeasures for any monster, no matter how mighty or huge beyond reckoning!
Taigong:
It's still a juvenile body. There are ways to plan for it.
Taigong:
Even if you don't know what it is, measures and countermeasures are always possible.
Taigong:
Though, I don't know for sure how well it will work—
Taigong:
—the means are there.
Taigong:
Serious face! (Serious face)
Fujimaru 1:
He even announced it!
Taigong:
Heh heh!
Fujimaru 2:
(Serious face)
Goredolf:
Ooh...that's some magnificent confidence!
Goredolf:
Even I felt convinced through my carefully-layered pessimism!
Fou:
Fou, fou!
Nikitch:
To strike with all our strength.
Nikitch:
You mean to say, that's generally how most things can be dealt with?
Taigong:
Not all things work out that way. That's the way of the world, Nikitich.
Nikitch:
...?
Nikitch:
I can't follow what you're saying. You're being too vague.
Taigong:
Not to worry, this will stay between us. I simply need to lay down several deductions.
Taigong:
Ladies and gentlemen, lend me your ears. Here, huddle in closer.
Mash:
Y-Yes.
Fou:
Fofou.
Goredolf:
I don't think he meant you, furball...but no matter!
Da Vinci:
Fou's one of the team too, you know. We can't leave him out.
Taigong:
Quite right. Furthermore, let's put up a voice-cancelling ward.
Taigong:
...At any rate, we are within a Reality Marble.
Taigong:
According to the Clock Tower in the west, a Reality Marble is one apex of magecraft that varies radically. As they have no shared characteristics,
Taigong:
it's said no two are equal, but there's no such thing as too much caution.
Taigong:
Judging from her words and actions before, it seems she can monitor all events inside the Reality Marble.
Taigong:
... ...
Taigong:
...Yes, the Reality Marble.
Taigong:
My final move rests on the fact that this is a Reality Marble.
Taigong:
Now, once again.
Taigong:
Mumble, mumble, mumble...
Meunière:
Okay, we're about to enter the Dead Zone.
Meunière:
All combatants, intercept approaching war-beasts at your discretion.
Goredolf:
Huh?
Goredolf:
Can't we go take the safest possible way through the Life Zone?
Goredolf:
We've concluded the analysis of the Lost Familiar patrol routes, and can make a breakneck charge through there.
Meunière:
Look at the operations map!
Meunière:
The center of the territory lies within the Dead Zone! Charging the long way will stretch us too far.
Meunière:
There you have it, Fujimaru and Mash!
Fujimaru 1:
Roger!
Mash:
Yes!
Taigong:
The Shadow Border must maintain its speed, please. If there are any war-beast throngs that stand to impede our way,
Taigong:
I'll send our combatants ahead by fangshu, then recall them to the Border by the same means.
Taigong:
And repeat as necessary...
Da Vinci:
Okay, then we can make for the center without halting our speed.
Da Vinci:
I like it. Tudun is quite convenient!
Taigong:
Hahahaha, that's one way to put it. It's no exaggeration to call my Tudun a fangshu of strategic calibre!
Nikitch:
Gone back to your old cocky self...
Ibuki Dōji:
Ahahaha, well, don't you think it's time he did?
Nikitch:
Mm. Now let's go, everyone! The enemy is a pack of war-beasts!
Mash:
—Yes!
Meunière:
Woah! They responded as if on cue! Multiple hostiles, 500 meters from our position!
Meunière:
War-beasts. And big ones too, I hate to say!
Taigong:
Then it's time you were off. Tudun technique!
--BATTLE--
Meunière:
Wooooah, we managed to break through–!
Meunière:
I see it! That's our destination. 60°55' north latitude and 101°57' east longitude!
Meunière:
What on earth is that—
Goredolf:
What do you see? Let's have a look.
Goredolf:
...ohh.
Fou:
Foou, foufoou!
Meunière:
Suddenly, modern architecture...?
Da Vinci:
No hostiles in our vicinity. Looks like there aren't any hostile signals in our sensory range either.
Da Vinci:
I thought her headquarters would be guarded by a swarm of war-beasts,
Da Vinci:
but it's rather quiet. There's nothing here. No magical signatures corresponding to Lost Familiars either.
Taigong:
She protected Chaldea from the Calamity brought about by Britain's enshrined deity. In which case,
Taigong:
she should be completely spent...likely in a state where she'd seek to rest up somewhere quiet.
Taigong:
Though this is merely guesswork.
Nikitch:
Doesn't matter. If there isn't anyone guarding that fort, that just means we can waltz right in.
Nikitch:
That's all there is to it. Hey, Dragon!
Ibuki Dōji:
Anytime you're ready!
Nikitch:
Mash! Fujimaru!
Mash:
Y-Yes.
Fujimaru 1:
We're ready to go!
Nikitch:
Right, that's a good response. Now then, Si Bu Xiang!
Si Bu Xiang:
Mo. Momo.
Goredolf:
Woah!? D-Did we always have this critter with us...?
Taigong:
Forgive me, I usually keep her in spiritual form. But it'll make things smoother if she accompanies us to the final battle.
Nikitch:
Doesn't look like my steed can enter. Oh well.
Nikitch:
Alright, looks like our front-liners are all present. Prepare yourselves now!
Nikitch:
For the fort is before us! And within it lies its lord!
Nikitch:
In which case, we shall make haste toward the throne! —Let's go!
Nikitch:
Bogatyrs, charge!
Ibuki Dōji:
Let's do this!
Narration:
Looming over this desolate land—
Narration:
is the throne of the beast that rules it. A grand palace that presides over the zones of slaughter and survival.
Narration:
60°55' north latitude and 101°57' east longitude. The epicenter of the Reality Marble.
Narration:
The epicenter of the great explosion that wiped the forest clean of life. In other words, this is ground zero.
Narration:
A colossal tower, looming ahead. Its name is—
???:
Welcome, esteemed guests.
???:
To the NFF Headquarters building—
???:
Welcome to the Nine Fox Foundation's headquarters building.
???:
I have been assigned the role of a guide by our CEO, as the only pseudo-life form capable of speech in this territory.
???:
My name is PB. It is a pleasure to meet you.
Ibuki Dōji:
... ...
Fou:
...
Nikitch:
... ...
Taigong:
...
Mash:
...umm. What?
Nikitch:
What an unexpectedly polite gatekeeper. Nikitich was not expecting this.
PB:
May I have your names, esteemed guests?
Fujimaru 1:
...A bunny?
Mash:
Y-Yes, Senpai. He appears to be an anthropomorphic...
Mash:
rab...bit?
Taigong:
I'm glad to see we can communicate. Far better than those silent Lost Familiars and war-beasts.
Taigong:
Pleased to make your acquaintance, PB. I am Taigong. And these fine folks are from Chaldea.
Nikitch:
And I'm Dobrynya Nikitich!
PB:
Understood.
PB:
Esteemed guests from Chaldea, Master Taigong, and Lady Dobrynya Nikitich.
PB:
It would appear you have not made an appointment...but I shall confirm this with the CEO.
PB:
This way, please.
Ibuki Dōji:
Oh, okaaay.
Fou:
Foou!
Si Bu Xiang:
Mo. Momo!
Da Vinci:
I didn't expect this...but I assume this means we can enter without a fight?
Goredolf:
Or they could be setting up a sudden ambush while making us think that. Don't let your guard down, folks.
Fujimaru 1:
It doesn't feel like an ambush though...
Mash:
I suppose so...
Ibuki Dōji:
Flexibly adaptable, even on the battlefield! Yeppers, as expected of Master and Mash.
Ibuki Dōji:
Our role is to be constantly ready for battle.I'll leave the dialogue with PB to you.
Mash:
Understood!
Nikitch:
Hmm. You say some nice things from time to time, Dragon.
Ibuki Dōji:
Ahahaha. Have you fallen for me, by any chance?
Ibuki Dōji:
I'm probably a bit of a dangerous woman, so you're in for a world of hurt if you fall for me that easily~.
Nikitch:
Haw-haw-ha.
Fou:
Fou-fou-fo.
Ibuki Dōji:
Ahahahaha.
Fujimaru 2:
Let's keep our guards up for the time being
Taigong:
Yes. I must ask that you remain vigilant.
Taigong:
While it is nice that dialogue is on the table, Lord Gordolf also has a point.
Taigong:
I'll cast a few defensive spells, just in case...
Nikitch:
You're such a worrywart, Taigong! Well, I guess that's to be expected after such a massive blunder.
Taigong:
...my thanks.
PB:
Is anything the matter? This way, please.
Mash:
Y-Yes. We'll be right along.
PB:
Thank you for your understanding. Please use the main entrance of the headquarters over here to enter.
PB:
We are, in a way, an armed group providing the services requested of us by our customers.
PB:
The defenses our headquarters building boasts are nothing short of flawless. Especially the gun-beasts of various sizes, embedded within the construction materials, around the front entrance.
PB:
They are capable of delivering firepower equivalent to a battalion of tanks. So please make sure to not leave my side.
PB:
If you approach them without permission, well, we would have a horrible accident on our hands.
Fou:
Fouu...
Ibuki Dōji:
Oh? On closer inspection, there are magical signatures all around the main entrance!
Da Vinci:
He said something about gun-beasts being embedded in the construction materials...I assume he's referring to the war-beasts.
Mash:
That would mean...as soon as we assume an aggressive stance, countless guns would spawn from these walls...?
Fujimaru 1:
Woah.
Mash:
That's a scene I'd much rather not imagine...
Fujimaru 2:
Sounds rather brutal.
Nikitch:
Mmm...(Admiring the design concept)
Goredolf:
T-The outward appearance is one befitting a first-rate company, yet the design concept is unforgiving towards invaders.
PB:
Right. If you would kindly form two rows.Yes, that will do.
PB:
Now then, we will be entering the headquarters hall from the main entrance—
PB:
This way, please.
Fujimaru 1:
(Those fancy footsteps...)
PB:
Our CEO tends to be in her office for the most part.
PB:
She is eschewing movement as of late for a certain reason—
PB:
I have, however, informed her of your visit. And received word that she will be meeting you in this hall.
Taigong:
Hmm.
Mash:
There was no indication that they had been in touch. I wonder if it's a form of telepathy?
Taigong:
Yes. PB is, in all likelihood, a familiar of hers.
PB:
—We have arrived.
PB:
We are at the center of NFF HQ's main hall. The CEO will be seeing you now.
PB:
Please wait here. I pray your negotiations with the CEO will brighten the future of the world.
PB:
Well, not that I have much in the way of sentience and self-awareness...
PB:
Now, if you'll excuse me, PB shall be taking his leave.
Ibuki Dōji:
How courteous. We'll meet again if fate should will it, PB.
Fujimaru 1:
Thank you for being our guide, PB.
Fujimaru 2:
Goodbye, PB.
PB:
Thank you very much. Farewell, humans.
Koyanskaya:
Truth be told—
Koyanskaya:
I am a little surprised.
Koyanskaya:
You are aware that you're inside a Reality Marble, right? I can spawn as many familiars and as many beasts as I see fit.
Koyanskaya:
In fact, I did just that. And you all had no other choice but to scamper away.
Koyanskaya:
The difference in strength between us is as clear as a financial statement. The fact that you boldly waltzed in here regardless means—
Koyanskaya:
That you're here to show off some fresh idea?
Taigong:
No, no. First comes gratitude.
Taigong:
Thank you for starting this with a dialogue. And we too are surprised.
Taigong:
Of course, we are surprised that you're here to converse with us like this. But also surprised by PB's existence.
Taigong:
To think you would create an entity capable of human speech in this domain.
Taigong:
I figured that you—
Taigong:
That you loathe everything about humanity.
Koyanskaya:
Yes. That I do. However, disgust and appreciation are entirely separate matters.
Koyanskaya:
They will receive some respect from me, regardless of what lies inside, so long as the business they conduct is satisfactory.
Koyanskaya:
Well, such a case is extremely uncommon. Hence, PB.
Koyanskaya:
I would also like to thank you for conversing with him as an equal.
Koyanskaya:
PB happens to be a favorite of mine.
Fujimaru 1:
(An extremely uncommon case...)
Fujimaru 2:
(I wonder who that is...)
Mash:
(It's hard to imagine it, but I am curious...)
Fou:
(Fooufoou...)
Taigong:
An extremely uncommon case, is it? I see.
Taigong:
It's rather disappointing that I'm not this person, Miss Tamamovitch Koyanskaya.
Koyanskaya:
Oh my—
Koyanskaya:
Have you come to refer to me as Koyanskaya? I could've sworn you were using another woman's name to refer to me.
Taigong:
Yes. I was mistaken.
Taigong:
I must have unwittingly insulted you.
Taigong:
Taigong Lü Shang formally offers his apologies, Miss Koyanskaya.
Koyanskaya:
Oh, dear—
Koyanskaya:
Those heartfelt words of apology are touching indeed. However—
Koyanskaya:
As one hand reaches out to me, the other reaches for the gun hidden behind you, am I wrong?
Koyanskaya:
For that is how humans hunt. For that is the hidden nature of man. Isn't that right, Mister Taigong?
Taigong:
There is no hidden nature. To miscall one is to disrespect them.
Taigong:
I have heard that a fellow Chinese hero committed this same folly before, though he was of a Lostbelt.
Taigong:
I cannot speak on his behalf...but we truly have given you a hard time.
Koyanskaya:
...very well.
Koyanskaya:
I accept your apology. Courtesy is one of the few virtues that humans possess.
Koyanskaya:
No matter what may come after this, I will not desecrate the dead.
Taigong:
...
Koyanskaya:
Oh, is something the matter?
Taigong:
One of our few virtues. That may be so.
Taigong:
We humans may have reigned as primates on this planet, but the cost of maintaining our culture and civilization is beyond imagination.
Taigong:
We snuff out many lives just by living and going about our business.
Taigong:
If monsters consuming far beyond the speed of their own reproduction are to be humanity's true nature. If that is to be our sin...
Taigong:
then the virtues brought about by civilization, society, and cultural exchange are far too small in comparison.
Koyanskaya:
Yes. Those few accomplishments hardly make up for that true nature.
Koyanskaya:
Apes who transformed their ecosphere from a circle of circulation into one of consumption...
Koyanskaya:
No, that would be an insult to apes. As far as they are concerned, humanity may as well be alien life forms.
Koyanskaya:
You who feel guilt towards the higher order of animals that call this planet home, yet mark them for consumption all the same without exception.
Koyanskaya:
...well, the fact that the opposite is also true is what makes humanity incorrigible though...
Koyanskaya:
They truly are loathsome, considering both their virtues and vices.
Koyanskaya:
Seeing how you've traversed this world, I'm sure you already know.
Koyanskaya:
The reason I exist?
Koyanskaya:
Of what I do behind the Alien God's back while I supported its invasion?
Fujimaru 1:
You long for humanity's downfall.
Koyanskaya:
...Fufu.
Fujimaru 2:
You want to witness the extinction of humanity.
Koyanskaya:
Oh, spot-on☆
Koyanskaya:
My objective, my ideal, is without a doubt the "total annihilation of humanity".
Koyanskaya:
But if I were asked whether I wish to annihilate them with my own hands, I would say no.
Koyanskaya:
I'll leave the hard work to the Alien God.
Koyanskaya:
I could not care less about Pan-human History and the Lostbelts.
Koyanskaya:
I simply want to watch and enjoy.
Koyanskaya:
A swarm of conceited, paltry egos screaming, whimpering, and floundering—
Koyanskaya:
Being whittled away without ever achieving anything, until the last of them dies in tears.
Koyanskaya:
To see that with my own eyes is my wish. Aesthetics, shall we call it?
Koyanskaya:
After all, I wouldn't be able to make an assessment otherwise, would I?
Koyanskaya:
Of how empty, small, and revolting the last thing humanity leaves behind is.
Koyanskaya:
Creatures who will expire in a few millennia despite gaining wonderful technologies and knowledge.
Koyanskaya:
Multiplying without caring for their brethren, without healing the earth—
Koyanskaya:
An ecosphere where the ignorant strong ultimately trample on the ignorant weak.
Koyanskaya:
I will record its final moments and put it on auction for everyone else in this universe.
Koyanskaya:
"Just how much worth does this civilization have?"
Koyanskaya:
Isn't it just exciting? I wonder what its final price will be?
Koyanskaya:
A trillion? A hundred million? Ten thousand? A thousand? No, I can only hope to get any value out of it.
Koyanskaya:
In the end, trash is trash. Is there someone who would pay even a single yen for it?
Fujimaru 1:
(Stare silently)
Taigong:
... ...
Fujimaru 2:
(Silently bite lip)
Mash:
Senpai...
Goredolf:
...H-Hmm.
Da Vinci:
Good grief, this is—
Nikitch:
Aha!
Nikitch:
From what I've heard, you're an extremely heartless fiend.
Nikitch:
I thought I could find common ground with you after seeing what life was like in the Life Zone,
Nikitch:
But you're just—just—
Nikitch:
How do I say this? You're just mocking the failures of others, hu—
Nikitch:
No, I won't say that. In any case! Even a starving dragon has better things to do!
Koyanskaya:
...who is this person?
Nikitch:
I'm a bogatyr of Kiev. I came here to save the land of Russia.
Ibuki Dōji:
And I'm Ibuki-Douji. I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?
Koyanskaya:
Thank you for the courtesy.
Koyanskaya:
I did check, but it was too much of a hassle to ask for each name, so that helped.
Koyanskaya:
Mister Taigong. And dignitaries of Chaldea.
Koyanskaya:
Shall we wrap up our conversation here?
Koyanskaya:
I am tired after what happened with Cernunnos, but you played nice with PB, so...
Koyanskaya:
I was touched by that, and so I ended up playing along with this conversation.
Koyanskaya:
But this is as far as that goes.
Koyanskaya:
It is true that our relationship thus far has been that of "friends", but let's end that here too.
Fujimaru 1:
—Huh?
Fujimaru 2:
Friends...how come?
Koyanskaya:
Oh dear...to think you hadn't realized.
Koyanskaya:
Your priority is to excise the Fantasy Trees. My priority is to collect life forms.
Koyanskaya:
We were never enemies.
Koyanskaya:
I was living it up in the Lostbelts as a tourist. In that regard, we are cut from the same cloth.
Mash:
—
Koyanskaya:
But not this time. You all came to this world to kill me.
Koyanskaya:
Words were unnecessary from the start. That peculiar Heroic Spirit over there threw me off pace, but...
Koyanskaya:
Humans should be as humans.Beasts should be as beasts.
Koyanskaya:
Let us slaughter one another without any mutual understanding, shall we?
Koyanskaya:
You had plenty of opportunities to escape.You had plenty of time to learn your lesson.
Koyanskaya:
Is it barbarism or arrogance? In either case, that was a bad call for those calling themselves primates.
Koyanskaya:
It will no doubt be a fitting end for ones who have erred repeatedly like you.
Koyanskaya:
I shall only respond to ephemeral actions with ephemeral games.
Koyanskaya:
Oh—there is no need to cry out the Beast's name.
Koyanskaya:
For it is out of spite that I name myself before humanity.
Mash:
...magical energy levels, rising rapidly!
Taigong:
This is where the real deal begins. The nature of her magical energy is completely different from the shadow earlier!
Taigong:
The spell protecting my Saint Graph is being corroded...it corrodes all that belongs to the Human Order. Is it going to devour even a Xian-class defense!?
Nikitch:
Here it comes, huh?
Taigong:
She should have manifested in her six-tailed state! I won't be able to tell you how formidable it is without seeing it firsthand, though!
Taigong:
I will cast a spell to shield the mind, so please don't lose your wits!
Taigong:
It is a Beast meant to kill humans. Everything about it, including its appearance, will be a lethal weapon!
Fujimaru 1:
(Don't look away)
Fujimaru 2:
(Harden resolve)
Da Vinci:
Magical energy, rising! Readings are off the chart!
Da Vinci:
The Shadow Border's meters can't measure it, but those magical energy levels are comparable to that of a Divine Spirit!
Da Vinci:
As for the mass its Saint Graph is endowed with, it's just as we mentioned earlier!
Mash:
Even though it has yet to fully mature, this distinctive...erosion of space...
Mash:
Even though we're inside her own Reality Marble, space is being corroded—
Mash:
This pressure is that of the Beast class! Master!
Taigong:
Yet it's still not fully developed—it's in its pupal stage, so to speak.
Ibuki Dōji:
That's more than enough power! This, of course, applies to its magical energy. But all in all,
Ibuki Dōji:
This power! Is amazing!
Koyanskaya:
—The fourth Beast. Its position is mine.
Koyanskaya:
—Should the Beast of Comparison be absent, it is inevitable that the Beast of Cherishment shall take its place.
Koyanskaya:
Compassion. Providence. Affection.Contempt. Murder. Love.
Koyanskaya:
At times bringing fire to slaughter and exterminate, at times reaching out with her hands to cherish. Retribution and an answer for that antinomy.
Koyanskaya:
—O cruel humanity. The wild has long since been lost to you.
Taigong:
—!
Nikitch:
Those things on her head, are those huge horns!?
Taigong:
That would be the case, considering these magical energy levels and the scale of that Saint Graph. She's overdoing it. The curse is still present, and she doesn't have enough tails!
Ibuki Dōji:
Overdoing it?
Taigong:
Yes. She's forcing herself to completion!
Taigong:
But in the end, it's merely rapid growth that won't bear fruit. The contents within are still developing...the point is that this is a chrysalis, a chrysalis!
Nikitch:
Moments before eclosion. So that's what it is!—Beast of Cherishment!
Fujimaru 1:
—
Mash:
...Senpai.
Fujimaru 1:
Koyanskaya!
Fujimaru 2:
Even if it's a contradiction—
Fujimaru 1:
I don't think it is evil to love. And...
Fujimaru 1:
From my view, you also seem to be cherishing something.
Taigong:
Ideational key-crest, energized!—The Kunlun Mountains are dedicated to Yuanshi Tianzun!
Taigong:
—These hands of mine are exactly like the twin treasure blades!—I embody geography and astronomy, for the Bagua dwells within me!
Taigong:
Yuxu Embodiment –#### Investiture of the Gods!
Taigong:
As before, this is my second Anti-Beast Noble Phantasm! She has modelled herself after the Golden White Face, so this will work on her somewhat!
Taigong:
It won't seal the deal, but it'll be a force to be reckoned with to the very end!
Ibuki Dōji:
Yep, thanks a bunch! I'll happily accept it!
Ibuki Dōji:
And now, here comes my serious mode!—I'm bringing out the Orochis too!
Mash:
Habetrot! I'm counting on you!
Habetrot:
Okay, let's get down to business! I'm gonna keep the Black Barrel at maximum firepower!
Nikitch:
Taigong! You sure you want your last move to be that Noble Phantasm just now?
Taigong:
No, of course not...Actually, didn't I tell you secretly!?
Taigong:
The effect remains the same as ever! Of course I can't just change it willy-nilly, can I?
Taigong:
More importantly, do something about that anger of hers.
Taigong:
If it...keeps rampaging about wildly like that, my trump card won't work!
Nikitch:
Is that so? Then I'll be counting on that last move of yours!
Ibuki Dōji:
Right, right! I'm counting on you!
Fou:
Fooufoou!
Si Bu Xiang:
Mommo!
Fujimaru 1:
We're counting on you, Taigong!
Fujimaru 2:
I'm all excited, you know...!?
Mash:
Yes! I have high hopes!
Habetrot:
What's with this trend? Umm, yeah, I'm counting on you!
Taigong:
Ahaha. U-Umm, please leave it to me!
Taigong:
(That's a lot of pressure!)
Taigong:
(No, no.)
Taigong:
(They're doing it on purpose for me. So that I won't get worked up on the final stretch.)
Taigong:
(You truly are blessed, Taigong!)
Taigong:
(In the past, it was Yang Jian, King Wu Cheng, and the Twelve Immortals!)
Taigong:
(Now, it's Nikitich and everyone from Chaldea!)
Taigong:
(Allow me to live up to their expectations then. For that is what makes me a great and exceptional tactician!)
Taigong:
Now then, folks—
Taigong:
First of all, please force her to stay put!
Nikitch:
So you're basically telling us to hit her!
Nikitch:
Sometimes, a misbehaving child needs a good scolding! Come, my steed!
Hiryuu:
Got it, Milord! Ahh, it's so hot. It's hot, and there's this monster there!
Hiryuu:
This one looks to be stronger than that bastard Gorynych! You'll lose if you let your guard down, Milord!
Nikitch:
Of course, I'd lose! I'm punching above my weight with this one!
Nikitch:
That's why we're working together like this! Even if I alone am no match for this formidable foe—
Nikitch:
Nothing is impossible for a bogatyr with allies!
Nikitch:
Have at you!
Hiryuu:
Don't fall off now, Milord!
Nikitch:
Let's go, soldiers! Know that this will be the final battle!
Fujimaru 1:
—Mash!
Mash:
Yes, Master!
Mash:
Ortenaus, combat activation. Raising output to the limit while maintaining auto-tuning function!
Habetrot:
—Black Barrel, barrel reinforcement complete! Go get 'em!
Mash:
Raising output to 100%! Black Barrel, blaster mode!
Mash:
Ready for combat!—I'm ready to go, Master!
Fujimaru 1:
Commence anti-Beast maneuvers!
Mash:
Roger that!
Section 12: The Only Neat Thing to Do
Narration:
In the beginning—
Narration:
In the beginning, there was light.
Narration:
Then came the heat.
Narration:
Followed by the impact.
Narration:
And finally, there was a sound.
Narration:
The prayers offered up by the animals of the Tunguska forest, their roars that signal the abrupt death carved into their souls,
Narration:
intertwined with the great impact of the meteorite that plummeted down from space—
Narration:
Diffusion and condensation. Implosion.Defiled remains that warped space and time.
Narration:
That is how this beast came to be.
Narration:
Not due to legend, not due to history.
Narration:
But a conglomeration of prayers and roars begotten by disasters, nature, and man.
Narration:
A Nature Spirit entirely unrelated to the Human Order despite possessing a natural Saint Graph.
Narration:
The disaster that befell this land triggered her genesis.
Narration:
She smiles a wicked smile amidst the flames, with that unsightly form of hers. The Saint Graph composed of screams and anguish felt pleasant.
Narration:
It's the same. It's all the same. Death by disaster and death by plunder, it's all the same.
Narration:
—It's just all so fun. The beast smiled as a matter of course.
Narration:
The voices of the animals who continue to fall prey to man were like raindrops washing the filth off her body.
Narration:
Humans don't keep their promises. They never do.
Narration:
Killing in the name of survival, using it to live. All of it is so that a better cycle may be established.
Narration:
The animals born on this planet were aware of it from birth, as inhabitants of this planet.
Narration:
That this is the way nature works. That the longer a species lasts, the more life they consume.
Narration:
But humans have forgotten that promise. They have forgotten their responsibility.
Narration:
Of all things—they coexisted with animals for purposes unrelated to the advancement of their species.
???:
Then, for what purpose?
Narration:
For what reason did the earth suffer such bloodshed?For what reason did so many species go extinct?
Narration:
There is no answer. Of course there isn't. Humans never had any semblance of a purpose in the first place.
Narration:
She feels no anger. Neither does she feel any sorrow.This Saint Graph was borne of a disaster.
Narration:
There is no point siding with either humans or animals.
Narration:
However, she did feel it was awfully inexcusable.
Narration:
Coexistence not for the sake of proliferation, but for the sake of happiness.
Narration:
Procreation not for the sake of preserving the species, but to share joy.
Narration:
Cherishment. As a living being, that love is a paradoxical one.
Narration:
In nature, love is what those who nurture their offspring possess.
Narration:
But, for the beast—for me, emotions nurtured for the sake of rapture are nothing short of incomprehensible.
Narration:
However.
Narration:
"You who have scarred the earth. You, borne of an earth cleansed of life."
Narration:
"O beast of curses."
Narration:
"Those who rejoice at your birth may be few."
Narration:
"However,"
Narration:
"you may at least have a name."
Narration:
"Yaskaya."
Narration:
Did someone name me?Or was it a name I gave myself?
Narration:
Ya...skaya...
Narration:
Yan...skaya?
Narration:
Koyanskaya. Koyanskaya.
Narration:
Koyanskaya—
Narration:
I understood, at that moment, that these feelings were evil.
Narration:
They defy the law of nature. It is still too early for life to possess them.
Narration:
Even a divine being would fail to rein in these feelings.
Narration:
These feelings will surely warp all life born on this planet.
Narration:
Just as there were humans who loved animals,and were felled by those same animals.
Narration:
Just as there was a god who loved humans,yet was renounced by those same humans.
???:
—I see. Then I shall take on that form.
Narration:
In 2017, the seat of the fourth was vacated, and so I incarnated in its place.
Narration:
If to cherish is to be evil, then I shall abide by that logic as an Evil myself.
Narration:
I shall follow in the footsteps of the god who was once denied that love.
Narration:
Without a biological father, without a biological mother.
Narration:
Nothing to inherit from a father, nor born from a mother, I became a solitary existence.
Narration:
To what end?
Narration:
—To understand true love, of course. A mother's love.
Narration:
However, I lack a mate. On this planet, my existence is one of a kind.
Narration:
Therefore—
Narration:
I decided to adopt children.
Narration:
I travelled the Lostbelts, rounding up grotesque children befitting the grotesque me.
Narration:
The children I adopted were brought into my tails where they would offer up their souls and genes.
Narration:
It did not come naturally to me. It was based on a legend handed down to this Saint Graph.
Narration:
"The nine-tailed fox gave birth to many lives from its tails. Evil spirits from all over Japan were born in that moment."
Narration:
A legend of one endowed with the traits of a beast, just like me.
Narration:
A nine-tailed beast. A Golden White Face.
Narration:
I imitated its nature. I decided to obtain nine tails and nine children.
Narration:
However, I was particular about the children I chose. They must not be from a land dominated by the Human Order.
Narration:
For I do not belong to the Human Order. Because I reject humanity—
Narration:
Therefore, neither should my children be a part of human history.
Narration:
So I looked to the Lostbelts.
Narration:
Worlds far removed from the Human Order, living yet dead.
Narration:
Grotesque creatures that can only live in such worlds are the ones worthy of becoming my children.
Narration:
—The first.
Narration:
—The second.
Narration:
—The third.
Narration:
—The fourth.
Narration:
—The fifth.
Narration:
—The sixth.
Narration:
I birthed many lives using the information I acquired as their basis.
Narration:
Before I knew it, a forest had formed.Before I knew it, a river had formed.
Narration:
They will not be killed by humans.For not a single human will be born here.
Narration:
They have no need of an ego.They have no need of self-awareness.
Narration:
Under the guidance of the law of the jungle, within the ceaseless circle of life,
Narration:
the animals will live as they will, then die, then live, then die and then live—
Narration:
And someday—
Narration:
May I—
--ARROW--
Nikitch:
Ooohhhhh!
Nikitch:
I. Can. Do. This!
Taigong:
Si Bu Xiang!
Si Bu Xiang:
!
Nikitch:
And here comes my Noble Phantasm—keep up with me, my steed!
Hiryuu:
Understood!
Nikitch:
May the sins be cleansed, gaze up at the sun. I beckon thee, three-headed dragon!
Nikitch:
The wicked dragon cometh, belching sins–Zmei Gorynych!
Nikitch:
O glittering draconic flames of the scoured three-headed wicked dragon! Have a taste of hellfire!
Nikitch:
Follow suit, Taigong!
Taigong:
Activating all 84 seals!
Taigong:
Come forth, smiter of gods.Come forth, old armament of mine.
Taigong:
May the skies be torn asunder!—And fall.
Taigong:
Dashen Bian!
Da Vinci:
The fog is clearing up...!
Da Vinci:
Nikitich's maximum firepower! And Taigong's maximum firepower, enhanced by his anti-beast specialty!
Da Vinci:
Not even a Beast can shake off a sustained, widespread attack of this calibre!
Taigong:
One more shot! I'm counting on you, Chaldea!
Fujimaru 1:
Mash!
Fujimaru 2:
I order you with my Command Spell!
Fujimaru 1:
Muster up all the firepower you can—!
Mash:
Haaaaaaaa!
Koyanskaya:
...above me!?
Mash:
Point-blank discharge!—Bunker Bolt!
Ibuki Dōji:
Way to go, Mash! A single flash, a Bunker Bolt during her rapid vertical descent!
Nikitch:
You blundered, beast, when you failed to notice I had flung Mash!
Nikitch:
Also, the high ceiling of the hall helped a lot!
Mash:
Thank you for your cooperation, everyone!
Koyanskaya:
...
Mash:
...magical energy levels in the target are attenuating. The expanded mass of her Saint Graph is also deflating.
Da Vinci:
We can observe it from here as well. Yep. Not too shabby.
Da Vinci:
The exterior of her humanoid form remains the same as ever, but her combat capabilities have deteriorated somewhat.
Da Vinci:
That attribute unique to the Beast class—that forced corrosion of the surrounding space, appears to have ceased.
Da Vinci:
The mass of her Saint Graph is...ugh, it's still over 200,000 tons, but...
Ibuki Dōji:
So far, so good? Then...
Ibuki Dōji:
For starters, can I assume this means the battle is over?
Habetrot:
In that case, I'm punching out first. I'll catch you later in Chaldea!
Mash:
Yes, see you later!
Nikitch:
Well done, troops. Slow and steady wins the race!
Koyanskaya:
Win—?
Koyanskaya:
My spiritual core remains intact, and all you did was whittle down my magical energy by a small margin.
Koyanskaya:
Applying the concept of competition to all of creation, how excessively conceited of you.
Koyanskaya:
Oh yes, especially considering that nothing is over yet.
Mash:
!
Mash:
Sen—
Koyanskaya:
Too slow.
Nikitch:
A swarm of war-beasts!?
Ibuki Dōji:
From under the ground—no, war-beasts are also spawning from the walls!
Koyanskaya:
You're slow on the uptake. Your instincts are dull. It's too late for your tactics. And above all else—
Koyanskaya:
You realize, all too late, that it's already over for you!!!!
Taigong:
...!
Taigong:
(999 war-beasts filling up the hall! Muzzles and gunports spawned solely to slaughter humans!)
Taigong:
(This is unfortunate!)
Koyanskaya:
Do excuse me, this is a hobby of mine and my authority as a Beast. Nega-Weapon.
Koyanskaya:
They can wield those weapons, mankind's inventions, better than anyone else. For they have been killed more than anyone else has!
Taigong:
(She's going for—)
Mash:
Senpai...!
Nikitch:
Give me a boost! Hurry up, Fujimaru!
Fujimaru 1:
...!
Fujimaru 1:
(Raise Command Spell without looking away)
Nikitch:
Oohhh!
Nikitch:
Radiant White Dragon Slayer Armor - Belza Damask!
Mash:
Are you alright, Master!?
Fujimaru 1:
I'm fine, I'm not hurt!
Fujimaru 2:
Nikitich shielded me!
Ibuki Dōji:
Nikichi!
Mash:
Nikitich! Got riddled...with all those bullets...!
Nikitch:
This first Noble Phantasm of mine is this Conceptual Weapon armor. It may have been shattered in an instant...
Nikitch:
...but somehow, I did pull through.
Mash:
!!
Taigong:
Nikitich!
Nikitch:
Haha. Such a terrifying aptitude for slaughter...to think she could wield the weapons of man better than man himself could...
Nikitch:
Yeah. That right there is a sad and ironic ability befitting an Evil of Humanity.
Nikitch:
...but what about it? Killing humanity is all that's good for.
Nikitch:
That power is not absolute when it's up against Heroic Spirits. This is especially true for ones who are already close to nature in the first place.
Nikitch:
In other words, its effectiveness is halved against me!
Nikitch:
But...what's brutal is brutal...
Nikitch:
Woah, sorry about that. How should I put it...
Nikitch:
Even with the support of a Command Spell, I can't pull it off a second time.
Fujimaru 1:
Thank you, Nikitich.
Nikitch:
Haha, come now.
Nikitch:
I have established a temporary contract with you, Master. Therefore, I shall protect you as if I were protecting the Grand Prince of Kiev.
Fujimaru 2:
I'll channel my magical energy into healing!
Nikitch:
Not now!
Nikitch:
Never mind me...it's still not over yet, got it...?
Nikitch:
Taigong!
Nikitch:
I'll leave...the rest to you.
Mash:
Nikitich!
Ibuki Dōji:
Her spiritual core appears to be intact. Yep, she'll wake up soon, considering how sturdy she is.
Ibuki Dōji:
For now, I'll leave Nikitich to you, Mash.
Mash:
Understood!
Ibuki Dōji:
—If you'll excuse me, Koyanskaya.
Ibuki Dōji:
I take it you know what this means? If you try anything funny, your head's going to slide off your body.
Ibuki Dōji:
End this battle, for your own good.
Ibuki Dōji:
So, what say you?
Koyanskaya:
—
Taigong:
... ...
Taigong:
(We've incapacitated Koyanskaya for now.)
Taigong:
(So far, so good.)
Taigong:
(We are in her Reality Marble. A beheading may indeed kill her...)
Taigong:
(But what happens should she not die?)
Taigong:
(It either results in an infinite number of Lost Familiars spawning, or an infinite number of giant war-beasts firing their guns at us.)
Taigong:
(I may not be able to protect Fujimaru this time around.)
Taigong:
(If we lose [♂ him /♀ her], the reclamation of Pan-human History will end as a pipe dream.)
Taigong:
(We'll need to seize her before that!)
Taigong:
(Calm yourself, stay calm. Energizing ideational key-crest. Deploying technique—)
Taigong:
(Tamamovitch Koyanskaya. O wavering beast, establishing a sanctuary in spite of your loathing for humanity.)
Taigong:
(What exactly are you?)
Taigong:
(Remote contact with the target's spiritual core. Successful. Real time analysis of the target—Initiated—)
Taigong:
(An untamed paradise overflowing with life, like a sanctuary. And,)
Taigong:
(the depths of hell where hatred towards humanity accumulates.)
Taigong:
(A Reality Marble is, as they say, the mindscape of the user.)
Taigong:
(In which case, this right here is your veiled heart.)
Taigong:
(You are—)
Fujimaru 1:
Taigong.
Taigong:
I know, please leave it to me.
Fujimaru 2:
Do you think our last resort will work?
Taigong:
Of course, it will.
Taigong:
I ask of you, Tamamovitch Koyanskaya!
Taigong:
I ask of the one who stands at the center of this world! Tamamovitch Koyanskaya, what are you!?
Koyanskaya:
What, you ask? Now, of all times?
Taigong:
The nine-tailed fox.
Taigong:
Nay. You are not the shadow of Daji. There is not a single trace of the Thousand-Year Fox Spirit in you.
Taigong:
An Evil of Humanity through and through—Just like the Golden White Face, yet not the fox with the Golden White Face.
Taigong:
Then why are you a Beast?
Taigong:
Why here? Why do you resent mankind?
Taigong:
Why are you the way you are?
Taigong:
Why, why, why—why are you here!?
Koyanskaya:
—
Taigong:
(Yes! Why are you—)
Taigong:
(Why here?)
Taigong:
(At the site of that explosion long past.)
Taigong:
(You, a beast who mastered the aptitude of human slaughter.)
Taigong:
(It's almost like you're aiming to achieve nine tails like Daji—)
Narration:
"Are she and the explosion somehow connected?"
Taigong:
(Gotcha!)
Narration:
"At times bringing fire to slaughter and exterminate, at times reaching out with her hands to cherish. Retribution and an answer for that antinomy."
Narration:
"And from my view, you also seem to be cherishing something."
Taigong:
(Analysis complete!)
Taigong:
(—Technique resolved. Cancelling remote contact with target's spiritual core!)
Taigong:
I'll ask you one more time, Koyanskaya.
Taigong:
—I take it you are the one who plummeted down from the skies?
Koyanskaya:
—Oh? What makes you think so, Daoshi?
Mash:
From the skies...
Taigong:
No, allow me to rephrase that for accuracy's sake.
Taigong:
You are...
Taigong:
You are the power of the explosion that pierced the land of Tunguska. You are the lamentations of the animals that perished.
Taigong:
You are the pain that nature felt. You are its scream. You are the wailing of an abrupt death.
Taigong:
You are, so to speak, the curses and anguish seared into the land of Tunguska.
Taigong:
You are the beast formed from their union.
Taigong:
—Miss Tamamovitch Koyanskaya.
--ARROW--
Taigong:
You are, so to speak, the curses and anguish seared into the land of Tunguska.
Taigong:
You are the beast formed from their union.
Taigong:
—Miss Tamamovitch Koyanskaya.
Mash:
The explosion of Tunguska...then that means that she's...
Mash:
The embodiment of a concept...?
Goredolf:
The Tunguska event made flesh!?
Goredolf:
N-No, well...it is hard to rule that out entirely.
Goredolf:
There have been cases of concepts becoming Heroic Spirits, and it can even be said that tinkering with concepts is the ultimate goal of magecraft.
Goredolf:
You can call it a phenomenon all you want, but as far as human history is concerned, a colossal disaster of global scale is not an event it can afford to ignore—
Goredolf:
In other words, it wouldn't be a stretch if it became a Ghost Liner!
Da Vinci:
Yep. The director's spot-on. There's no doubt that Koyanskaya is a Servant.
Da Vinci:
The fact that she's an Alter Ego is proof of that, since they're modelled after a "different aspect" of a preexisting Heroic Spirit.
Da Vinci:
That is, of course, assuming Taigong is correct. Though I do believe he's certain of it, considering he's made this sort of assertion...?
Taigong:
Well, I guess I am.
Taigong:
That is the answer I grasped from the spiritual core of her Saint Graph. It was a technique with plenty of irksome activation conditions,
Taigong:
but I did manage to trigger it. I mean, it scared the daylights out of me.
Taigong:
Oh, by the way, Fujimaru was the one who gave me the final hint.
Fujimaru 1:
?
Fujimaru 2:
Did I do something...?
Koyanskaya:
...since when did you take up magecraft?
Taigong:
It's called fangshu. You could also refer to it as sage arts.
Taigong:
It is rather unlike Western magecraft in terms of versatility. It requires a lot of effort, but depending on how you set it up, well. You see,
Taigong:
quite a lot of things can be done with it.
Koyanskaya:
Huh. Like eavesdropping on a lady's secrets?
Taigong:
Yes, indeed.
Taigong:
I had a look at your true nature.
Taigong:
Let's give you an example, Miss Koyanskaya. You—
Taigong:
don't give a damn about humanity, do you?
Mash:
!
Ibuki Dōji:
Heh.
Goredolf:
...w-wait. That can't be right.
Goredolf:
That atypically savage cruelty! It is a show of sadistic obsession with humanity!
Goredolf:
I-If she doesn't give a damn, then why would she...
Taigong:
Yes. It's precisely because she couldn't care less that it becomes a routine for her.
Taigong:
I'm sure she does hate and loathe humanity. But not to the extent that she will act personally to cause human extinction.
Taigong:
She will mess with it, at best...of course, that in itself will result in a lot of bloodshed.
Taigong:
But when push comes to shove, finding amusement in witnessing humanity's downfall is all the interest in it she can muster.
Taigong:
That's because the truth is that she couldn't care less.
Goredolf:
...
Goredolf:
...s-so what's the truth? What do you have to say for yourself, Tamamovitch Koyanskaya!
Koyanskaya:
...
Ibuki Dōji:
Oh dear, giving us the silent treatment?
Goredolf:
Grngh.
Taigong:
—In 1908 AD, a massive explosion occurred in the Tunguska forest zone.
Taigong:
Light and heat came as a result of the great explosion. A shockwave. Those final moments that came all too suddenly...
Taigong:
I'm sure there must have been animals who believed it was gunfire brought about by human hands.
Taigong:
But the truth of it was that their lives were snuffed out by that explosion.
Taigong:
Those grudges against humanity simmering deep within you. They are, simply put, residual thoughts that clung to you...
Taigong:
Nothing more than a texture.
Taigong:
That is why you cannot bring yourself to be serious about human extinction.
Taigong:
Anyone who lays eyes on this ecosphere will understand what you long for.
Taigong:
That's right. You have something that takes precedence over human annihilation.
Taigong:
I'm sure you understand it too, don't you, Fujimaru?
Fujimaru 1:
...Yeah.
Fujimaru 2:
...It's probably because of that incompatibility—
Koyanskaya:
...Honestly. The Human Order's Counter Force, I take it?
Koyanskaya:
I have perused the records of the Seventh Singularity. It was truly repugnant.
Koyanskaya:
It had the gall to prepare all these Heroic Spirits to use against me.
Koyanskaya:
Or is that diversity, by any chance, Pan-human History's greatest asset?
Taigong:
Yes, I do feel sorry about that. After all, it has been over 10,000 years.
Taigong:
We have all the right people in the right places on our side. A whole assemblage of specialists to ward off calamities.
Koyanskaya:
It would appear so. I was on the receiving end of that, and I lost.
Koyanskaya:
Good grief. I suppose I reap what I sow and am getting my just deserts. My fault for incurring a needless curse and dragging my feet.
Koyanskaya:
I knew that if I wanted to kill you all, I would've had to do it in person.
Koyanskaya:
...oh well.
Koyanskaya:
It's not as though I've suffered a loss or anything. So I hold no regrets and feel no bitterness over that.
Fou:
...
Koyanskaya:
...the fourth Beast.
Koyanskaya:
Now that Primate Murder is no longer with us, I figured I'd be able to take root as the fourth Beast,
Koyanskaya:
but that turned out to be an ephemeral dream.
Koyanskaya:
Could it be that this planet has it out for me?
Koyanskaya:
I yearned to be a Beast, but I couldn't make it. My dreams were shattered and I ended up being trampled by all you fine people from Chaldea...
Koyanskaya:
Yes, I'm about to lose it with all this frustration and wrath♡
Koyanskaya:
Alrighty. Now that it's come to this, I guess I'll self-destruct and blow up the whole territory☆
Mash:
!
Goredolf:
Woah, woah, woah! That's bad news! You may be saying it cutely, but I know you're serious, Koyanskaya!
Goredolf:
This woman is the type of lady who embodies the spirit of dragging everyone down with her!
Fou:
Foou, foooou!
Taigong:
Hmm.
Taigong:
If I may offer a suggestion—
Taigong:
Shall we put an end to this? This Beast candidate and Alien God apostle business. All of it.
Taigong:
This hounding Chaldea and human history business too. We'll put it all behind us.
Koyanskaya:
Huh?
Goredolf:
Hmm?
Taigong:
I hereby propose a third option, one that does not demand the death or extinction of either party.
Taigong:
So I invite you to accept this, Miss Koyanskaya.
Taigong:
After all, you couldn't care less about humanity, do you?
Taigong:
Do you not think it's absurd to stake your life over something you couldn't care less about?
Goredolf:
... ...
Goredolf:
...I see. You have a point.
Meunière:
Old man!?
Goredolf:
N-N-No, that's not what I meant. I am definitely not referring to how my feelings have changed or anything!
Goredolf:
I simply came to this conclusion as a result of valuing my own life! The entirety of this domain is Koyanskaya, is it not?
Goredolf:
If she self-destructs, we'd have nowhere to run! In that case, reconciliation ought to be a viable path!
Goredolf:
Besides—besides,
Goredolf:
...this is not a Lostbelt. It's not a Lostbelt.
Goredolf:
Our interests aren't mutually exclusive. There's no reason why we ought to be killing each other...
Goredolf:
There's no need to come to blows...if we can settle this through dialogue.
Goredolf:
Isn't that right, Fujimaru? No, young Master of Chaldea.
Goredolf:
Not a ruthless magus by birth, but an ordinary person bearing a heavy burden forced upon him by circumstances.
Goredolf:
You, of all people, should understand this...probably...far better than anyone else.
Fujimaru 1:
—Director Gordolf—
Fujimaru 2:
...Yes...Yes!
Ibuki Dōji:
Hnn. I get it, Goffie.
Ibuki Dōji:
Waging a war to pulverize the enemy can be such a pain in the ass!
Goredolf:
There must've been a better way to phrase that!That just now was probably one of the three high points of my life, wasn't it!?
Ibuki Dōji:
Sorry, sorry. Looks like being straightforward isn't a strong point of mine.
Ibuki Dōji:
But I was serious about that, okay?
Ibuki Dōji:
The effort outweighs the reward, and all that remains are piles of corpses and rivers of blood. That's what a war of eradication is, no?
Ibuki Dōji:
That's what this proposal is, avoiding it, right? I didn't say anything wrong, did I?
Koyanskaya:
—
Koyanskaya:
—Now this is a surprise.
Koyanskaya:
Although I believe His Excellency Gordolf harbors double or even triple the grudge against me, does he not?
Goredolf:
I do! The mistakes I made at Chaldea, the countless crimes you committed! I will never forget them!
Goredolf:
But that is irrelevant! I will punish myself for my own foolishness!
Goredolf:
And you can settle your sins on your own!
Koyanskaya:
How cold of you. You were third-rate to the very end, Your Excellency.
Koyanskaya:
I speak of you as a magus, of course.
Koyanskaya:
Well, losers can't be choosers. Do what you will, whether that's killing me or sealing me.
Koyanskaya:
It's a half measure, either way. Even if you get rid of me, a second and a third—
Taigong:
No. I'm telling you we have a third option in store.
Taigong:
Pan-human History is cruel, that is a fact. There's never enough tickets to board the ship.
Taigong:
I have a good eye for this, so I'm well aware of all that.
Taigong:
Chaldea has no other path except that of killing these nonexistent lost probabilities, then moving forward.
Taigong:
But that does not apply here. That is because your world does not belong in human history to begin with.
Taigong:
... ...
Taigong:
...Yes.
Taigong:
Yes. That's right, you really ought to accept my proposal.
Taigong:
There is no need to kill each other. It's a simple matter.
Koyanskaya:
...I don't get it. I have already planted my roots in Tunguska.
Koyanskaya:
It is the cradle for my eclosion into a mature Beast, and it will remain immobile once it has been laid out. Until I eclose.
Koyanskaya:
Yet here I am. Utterly defeated.
Koyanskaya:
As long as I don't reach maturity, I cannot move a single inch from here.
Koyanskaya:
The Human Order. Pan-human History. Even if you reclaim those silly things...
Koyanskaya:
This world of mine, sitting in a corner of Siberia, may cause an error in the restoration of the Human Order and get in your way, you know?
Ibuki Dōji:
...Uh-huh.
Da Vinci:
That makes sense. As for the details of reclaiming and restoring Pan-human History,
Da Vinci:
there is room for argument. However, that remark of hers remains a possibility we cannot deny.
Ibuki Dōji:
So what do we do? Should I lop her head off, after all?
Ibuki Dōji:
Should we pull a do-or-die move and try beheading her?
Ibuki Dōji:
Hmm, did you not get the message? I meant this girl's head.
Ibuki Dōji:
If my Master orders me to behead her, then I—
Fujimaru 1:
I really don't want anyone's head.
Fujimaru 2:
Taigong, didn't you say you can do something?
Nikitch:
You heard him. Calm yourself, Dragon!
Ibuki Dōji:
...fiiine.
Ibuki Dōji:
Wait a minute, you're up and about already? You're a tough one, Nikichi.
Taigong:
Nikitich, what about your injuries—
Ibuki Dōji:
You see, Mash used the salve that was in her shield on Nikitich.
Fou:
Fou fou.
Si Bu Xiang:
Mo. Mo.
Hiryuu:
Heheh, she's pissed.
Hiryuu:
But that's what I like about you, big sis Ibuki.
Taigong:
If I may, folks—
Taigong:
This world is a Reality Marble—
Taigong:
These are sceneries shaped by your mindscape, Koyan. This is your inner world itself.
Taigong:
It possesses neither the distortion of the Holy Grail nor a demise comparable to a strange tale.
Taigong:
In which case, this world is capable of surviving.
Taigong:
Causing an error during the restoration of the Human Order? I see, that is indeed a possibility...
Taigong:
So why not elsewhere?
Taigong:
—That's right. Elsewhere.
Taigong:
A place not of this planet. What about the furthest reaches of that vast, borderless and infinite sky?
Taigong:
Do you truly believe that there is no place for you?
Koyanskaya:
...!
Mash:
A domain that won't cause an error in Human Order restoration...! You speak of a venture into space!
Mash:
Theoretically speaking...I do not believe it's impossible.
Mash:
Given the capabilities demonstrated by the exterior of the domain, even the harsh vacuum of space
Mash:
should pose virtually no threat!
Mash:
Regarding the preservation of the atmosphere, we could offer you a Formal Wear with a unique technique woven into it...
Fou:
Fou, foou!
Ibuki Dōji:
Wow. You've turned into a motormouth, Mash...?
Nikitch:
Woah, woah. Calm down there.
Taigong:
Yes, well.
Taigong:
Things will work out, as I have mentioned. Listen well—
Taigong:
This world is a Reality Marble—
Taigong:
These are sceneries shaped by your mindscape, Koyan. This is your inner world itself.
Taigong:
It possesses neither the distortion of the Holy Grail nor a demise comparable to a strange tale.
Taigong:
In which case, this world is capable of surviving.
Taigong:
Causing an error during the restoration of the Human Order? I see, that is indeed a possibility...
Taigong:
So why not elsewhere?
Taigong:
—That's right. Elsewhere.
Taigong:
A place not of this planet. What about the furthest reaches of that vast, borderless and infinite sky?
Taigong:
Do you truly believe that there is no place for you?
Koyanskaya:
...!
Mash:
A domain that won't cause an error in Human Order restoration...! You speak of a venture into space!
Mash:
Theoretically speaking...I do not believe it's impossible.
Mash:
Given the capabilities demonstrated by the exterior of the domain, even the harsh vacuum of space
Mash:
should pose virtually no threat!
Mash:
Regarding the preservation of the atmosphere, we could offer you a Formal Wear with a unique technique woven into it...
Fou:
Fou, foou!
Ibuki Dōji:
Wow. You've turned into a motormouth, Mash...?
Nikitch:
Woah, woah. Calm down there.
Ibuki Dōji:
That's right, Mash. Woah there.
Ibuki Dōji:
Wait a minute, you look all fine and dandy, Nikichi! You really are tough!
Hiryuu:
As expected! Heheh, that's what I'm talking about.
Taigong:
Nikitich, what about your injuries—
Ibuki Dōji:
You see, Mash used the salve that was in her shield on Nikitich.
Fou:
Foou!
Nikitch:
Woah there, Mash. Woah there.
Fujimaru 1:
Calm down, Mash.
Fujimaru 2:
Let's hear the rest of the proposition.
Mash:
Y-Y-Yes.
Mash:
I just got so excited after suddenly hearing a statement overflowing with romance...!
Taigong:
No, that's quite fine. That sounds about right!
Taigong:
This is the third option I am proposing. To temporarily freeze her in space and time, then launch her into space!
Taigong:
Needless to say, we will set the technique such that it will automatically undo the space-time freeze once you have reached a safe haven!
Goredolf:
No, no, hold on just a minute! What are you prattling on about? Space-time freezing and space travel and—
Goredolf:
Especially the former. You do realize that's the domain of True Magic, don't you!?
Taigong:
Allow me to answer!
Fou:
Foou!
Taigong:
I understand your misgivings, Director. Common sense dictates that having an entire swath of land travel through space is impossible!
Taigong:
However, this is a Reality Marble. In the end, it is but the inner world of one life form.
Taigong:
So, what does this imply?
Mash:
That if we stop this forced expansion towards the surface occurring at this moment, and revert it back down to its original, humanoid size...
Taigong:
Yes!
Taigong:
I'm certain the mass itself won't change. But the size is, well, crucial.
Taigong:
Nevertheless, it is beyond my power to launch her into space like this.
Taigong:
So I'll tinker with this space a little and shrink her down further. Down to palm size, to be more specific.
Taigong:
And then I'll launch her into space!
Fou:
Foufoou!
Taigong:
Now, about the space-time freeze, the fact that this is a Reality Marble works to our advantage.
Taigong:
Rather than meddle with space and time itself, we will merely slow the processes of a singular life form down to their utmost limit.
Taigong:
We will have her enter a state that is similar to a space-time freeze!
Taigong:
What do you say, Miss Koyanskaya?
Koyanskaya:
What do I...—
Taigong:
Humanity will, of course, be nonexistent beyond this planet.
Taigong:
Humanity will be nonexistent, but you are free to either aim for Beasthood or expand your own world.
Taigong:
Or you can be a little braver and bestow your children with self-awareness.
Taigong:
The problem right now is that the planet's atmosphere is encircled by the branches of the Fantasy Trees—
Fujimaru 1:
In that case, we just have to open up the sky.
Taigong:
Yes. Please do so.
Mash:
In other words...
Mash:
We will cut down the Fantasy Trees and restore the Human Order, prime the timing for just ahead of the Human Order restoration,
Mash:
and launch this world into space during that process—Right?
Taigong:
Spot-on! Now then—shall we begin?
Goredolf:
Hold on a minute here! Hold on, hold on, I said hold on! I'm being left behind as a spectator again!
Goredolf:
Space-time freeze!? Space travel!?
Goredolf:
And we're not launching a rocket or a space shuttle, but a whole Reality Marble into space!?
Goredolf:
That's a funny joke you've got there...
Goredolf:
Or not! Calm down, ladies and gentlemen!
Goredolf:
Even if you shrink her down, that's little more than window dressing! Taigong himself has said that her mass wouldn't change!
Goredolf:
The sheer energy it would require to launch an area of this scale into space! If reaching another celestial body is the objective here, you'd need light-speed travel!
Goredolf:
Even a generous donation of three magical energy cores from the Storm Border wouldn't be enough to cover it, alright!?
Taigong:
It is possible. There is a precedent!
Taigong:
Would you all happen to be familiar with the story of Noah?
Mash:
Noah...
Taigong:
You know, the one with the ark...
Ibuki Dōji:
Oh, so close! I'm so close but I can't put my finger on it! My head's all fuzzy!
Ibuki Dōji:
Then there's this raven that shows up at the end...!
Mash:
I take it you are referring to Noah from the Old Testament?
Mash:
It is said that he built an ark and survived a great flood that engulfed the world, along with many other lives—
Ibuki Dōji:
That's him!
Fou:
Foou!
Taigong:
Frankly speaking, the two of us are fellow Grands. I've learned a great many things from him!
Nikitch:
Is that so?
Da Vinci:
Ahaha. So that's how it is! It sounds a lot more feasible when you put it that way!
Goredolf:
Seriously!? Am I the only one feeling like I've been bewitched by a fox!?
Ibuki Dōji:
Ahahahahaha. By those nine tails? How smooth of you, Goffie♡
Goredolf:
T-That's not what I meant!
Taigong:
I may not be as good as Noah is—
Taigong:
But for what it's worth, I am still a direct disciple of Lord Yuanshi Tianzun! I am Taigong, one who stood in life as the equal of the Xians!
Taigong:
Let's give it a try, shall we? Even if it should prove impossible!
Taigong:
Nevertheless, I will require your cooperation.
Taigong:
I will require you to stay put as I cast the spell.
Taigong:
How does that sound, Miss Koyanskaya? Will you accept this proposal?
Koyanskaya:
...of course I won't. Have you gone mad?
Koyanskaya:
I don't give a damn if you'd like to wallow in narcissism and self-pity, but don't drag me into it.
Koyanskaya:
I still have a means of dragging you all down with me. If accepting your silly proposal is all I have left, I'd much rather play that card.
Fujimaru 1:
No. You'll accept, Koyanskaya.
Fujimaru 1:
Because this transaction will benefit both sides, right?
Koyanskaya:
... ...
Koyanskaya:
...Jeez, I must've cozied myself up to your rabble a bit too much. I would've never guessed you'd take advantage of my sole principle.
Koyanskaya:
Very well. I'll go along with that plan.
Koyanskaya:
The first Beast lies beyond dialogue.The second Beast lies beyond parting.
Koyanskaya:
And the fourth Beast will find a mutual answer, without ever taking up arms.
Koyanskaya:
—Congratulations, you have successfully subdued a Beast. This fox's tail lies tucked between her legs.
Koyanskaya:
Of course, that's done with great reluctance.
Taigong:
Fujimaru, I must once again ask you to channel your magical energy into me—as much as you can muster!
Fujimaru 1:
Take all of it!
Fujimaru 2:
OK, give it your best shot!
Nikitch:
Rejoice, Taigong! For I will applaud you while we're at it!
Nikitch:
I'm just basing this on my gut instinct here, but this is one of those techniques that'll make you go splat if you fail, right?
Taigong:
Ahaha. How sharp of you! I'll be counting on everyone's support.
Hiryuu:
Leave it to me, mysterious slit-eyed man!
Taigong:
Eh~...
Ibuki Dōji:
It's fine, it's fine. I'll help you if push comes to shove!
Taigong:
I doubt I'll be in need of your assistance, but thank you for the vague sense of reassurance, Lady Ibuki-Douji.
Si Bu Xiang:
Mo. Momo!
Mash:
Umm...I'm not exactly familiar with the sage arts...
Mash:
But please do your best, Taigong!
Taigong:
—Understood!
Taigong:
The Kunlun Mountains are dedicated to Yuanshi Tianzun. Fish tail crowned in gold, clad in cloth of crane plumage, binding the Heavens and the Earth!
Taigong:
Imperishable conduct, purity of mind! Xians of the Pure Land, to battle!
Taigong:
These hands of mine are exactly like the twin treasure blades!
Taigong:
I embody geography and astronomy, for the Bagua dwells within me! That is to say, I am as a Xian attending to battle!
Taigong:
And as proof of that—
Taigong:
Before me stands the King Father of the East, to my right stands the Flame Emperor Shennong.
Taigong:
Behind me stands the Queen Mother of the West, to my left stands the Tai Sovereign Nüwa.
Taigong:
Everlasting Zhulong, know that the Jade Emperor has passed the imperial decree in the radiance!
Taigong:
—Special domain - connection imposed!
Taigong:
The Heaven of Jade Clarity stirs, vigorating the Heaven of Highest Clarity, filling the Heaven of Greatest Purity! Reaching unto the great overarching sky!
Taigong:
I hereby dedicate unto the origin, Taiji!
Taigong:
Let's just get on with it!
Taigong:
Send the resources!
Mash:
This is...—
Fou:
...foou. Foooou!
Narration:
A small light fluttered about.
Narration:
The particles of light, perhaps the result of the spell cast, filled the hall...
Narration:
They will surely permeate the entirety of this domain.
Narration:
There was a trace of warmth.There were traces of life.
Narration:
The particles of light eventually enveloped her body—
Koyanskaya:
Quite...the irreverent use of a great sage art.
Koyanskaya:
To think you'd go to such absurd extremes to hammer the sky open.
Taigong:
I wish I could accompany you until the launch, but seeing how that is a pipe dream, I have set up a program.
Taigong:
On top of placing this zone—the entirety of this Reality Marble of yours in a state of pseudo space-time freeze,
Taigong:
space will be compacted until it is little more than an "egg".
Taigong:
To a state similar to the World Egg spoken of in Indian and Oceanian mythology.
Taigong:
The sky will open up one day, as the restoration of the Human Order commences.
Taigong:
The World Egg will then be launched simultaneously...
Taigong:
In time, you will reach a safe haven. This may be in the vacuum of space, or it may be on a different celestial body.
Taigong:
The rest is up to you.
Taigong:
It won't matter where you choose to settle your world, and it is none of our concern what you choose to do once you get there.
Taigong:
Neither the Human Order nor humanity can stand in your way.
Koyanskaya:
I can only hope it goes that well. I do believe there's nothing quite like space exploration when it comes to consuming budget and time.
Koyanskaya:
...why, though? Why did you choose to spare me?
Koyanskaya:
I am not the Golden White Face.I am not the Evil you fell for.
Taigong:
Yes, that is indeed most disappointing. It would appear I have been deceived by my handler.
Koyanskaya:
...heh.
Koyanskaya:
These insentient flesh puppets that neither grow nor evolve are my children.
Koyanskaya:
From your perspective, these feelings of mine must appear twisted, do they not?
Koyanskaya:
For such a world...for me...
Koyanskaya:
Slaughtering tens of thousands of beasts, snuffing lives out with irrationality far beyond man—
Koyanskaya:
Screaming these grudges against mankind, acting like I speak on behalf of the beasts—
Koyanskaya:
A person like me, whose kingdom has no future, who never bestowed them with sentience and self-awareness.
Koyanskaya:
Why would you do this for a liar like me?
Taigong:
...that's enough complicated stuff out of you.
Taigong:
I did so because I wished to do so.Oh, did I not tell you?
Taigong:
I happen to be an egoist.
Taigong:
I am not one to say liars ought not to be rewarded. After all, I happen to be good at taking the easy way out.
Taigong:
Besides...
Taigong:
It is our natural obligation as humans to do what we can for your kind.
Taigong:
Nothing surpasses humanity when it comes to evil.
Taigong:
How many species have we driven to extinction since the dawn of human history? All of that at the hands of one species...
Taigong:
One after another after another, we eagerly went around driving other species to mass extinction.
Taigong:
We killed and killed and killed and killed and killed and killed, we did our best to kill and ruin them...
Taigong:
Countless lives have we snuffed out. We acted as we pleased.
Taigong:
We've got to balance the books. Even if it's impossible for now.
Taigong:
In due time, it will occur at the hands of someone with the power to do so. As luck would have it, now is that time.
Koyanskaya:
—Is that so? Thank you for that loathsome answer.
Koyanskaya:
Now allow me to return the favor. You didn't come up with this plan of yours on the spot, did you?
Koyanskaya:
I'm certain you meant to use it for someone else. Yet you've chosen to use it here.
Koyanskaya:
—Oh, that's right. To all you fine people from Chaldea,
Koyanskaya:
I may have gone with the flow, causing things to end up this way,
Koyanskaya:
but don't make the mistake of thinking this is the end.
Koyanskaya:
Should I ever conclude that Chaldea is incapable of opening up the sky...then you understand what happens, don't you?
Koyanskaya:
I will gnaw my way through the shell of the World Egg from within and my world will instantly take root in Tunguska,
Koyanskaya:
devouring humanity wholesale.
Koyanskaya:
Keep that in mind...
Koyanskaya:
And don't ever forget.
Mash:
...Yes. I won't forget.
Fujimaru 1:
I'll keep that in mind, Koyanskaya.
Fujimaru 2:
Like I could ever forget.
Taigong:
...
Koyanskaya:
What's with that funny face you're making?
Taigong:
Just thinking about how you're acting tough and all.
Koyanskaya:
Oh. Now that really ticks me off...☆
Koyanskaya:
But, well...
Koyanskaya:
Never mind that. I will sleep for the time being.
Koyanskaya:
Well then, I bid you all good d—
Nikitch:
Where's the "thank you"?
Nikitch:
You ought to thank people when they do you a favor, little Yaskaya.
Nikitch:
Where's the "thank you"?
Koyanskaya:
...
Koyanskaya:
...what's the cat-ears there saying...?
Koyanskaya:
Getting in the way of my sleep and all. Is this flight really going to be okay?
Nikitch:
Say "thank you".
Koyanskaya:
I won't.
Fujimaru 1:
You don't have to.
Fujimaru 1:
Let's meet again someday, somewhere.
Fujimaru 2:
Goodbye, Koyanskaya.
Koyanskaya:
Sigh...
Koyanskaya:
I swear, you are all such good people, so much that it gives me the shivers—
Taigong:
As the legend of a distant land goes!
Taigong:
The world we live in was once an egg!Just as we draw breath,
Taigong:
so too shall the world be born!
Taigong:
Therefore, here lies the egg! Therefore, the World Egg shall drift within its cradle, harboring everything!
Taigong:
—The Heroic Spirit Taigong Lü Shang hereby proclaims to the gods of Heaven and Earth!
Taigong:
She requires not your divine protection.She requires not your blessings.
Taigong:
For this World Egg who has concluded she is incompatible with the Human Order...
Taigong:
I simply pray for her safe journey! May you encounter no hardship on your journey to that distant sky!
Taigong:
I pray that my flight path calculations are flawless! No, well, they should be flawless anyway!
Taigong:
World Egg Koyanskaya! You who harbor a sanctuary and a hell!
Taigong:
You who loathe humans!You who mock humans!
Taigong:
O bizarre monster, infant born of Tunguska!
Taigong:
May your journey be—
Taigong:
—!
Section 13: Love is The Plan, the Plan is...
Narration:
—The old Tunguska forest region.
Mash:
The blanked earth—
Fujimaru 1:
It all looks the same...
Mash:
Yes, Senpai.
Mash:
NFF HQ and the Dead Zone...the lush green forests of the Life Zone and the murmuring of the clear streams...
Mash:
Not a trace remains of what used to be there.
Mash:
...no.
Mash:
If we assume the blanked surface is the current default state of the planet,
Mash:
I suppose it would be more accurate to say...it has reverted to its original appearance.
Fou:
Fouuu.
Nikitch:
Hmm. Looks like not a trace of it remains.
Nikitch:
Taigong, where is the World Egg?
Taigong:
Hidden in space and time. Not as far as Imaginary Number Space though,
Taigong:
but enough to ensure it can't be tinkered with under normal circumstances.
Taigong:
When the time comes...and the roots of the Fantasy Trees vanish, opening up the sky,
Taigong:
the World Egg will automatically be launched. Without anyone being the wiser.
Ibuki Dōji:
Tamagovitch, eh? I get it, it just kind of hit me.
Taigong:
Hahaha.
Taigong:
Whew. I'm wiped though...
Fujimaru 1:
You did great, Taigong.
Taigong:
Yes. Likewise.
Taigong:
I'd like to believe we managed to settle our affairs without either party incurring heavy losses...
Fujimaru 2:
Thank you for helping us with Koyanskaya.
Taigong:
It's nothing you ought to thank me for. On the contrary, I'm grateful for your company, and...
Taigong:
Hahahaha. In any case, I'd like to thank you for that.
Fujimaru 1:
...
Mash:
Senpai?
Fujimaru 1:
...thing is, something's been on my mind.
Taigong:
Oho. What would that be?
Fujimaru 1:
There's no Evil of Humanity without love for humanity.
Fujimaru 1:
That's what Abe-no-Seimei said, if I recall.
Mash:
A record...from our previous operation in Heian-kyō.
Taigong:
Seimei, that is to say, the Abe-no-Seimei who is famous for his talent? I see.
Fujimaru 2:
So why did Koyanskaya become a Beast—
Taigong:
Oh, I see.
Taigong:
A fair enquiry. Allow me to answer.
Taigong:
I believe I told her that she cares nothing for humanity.
Mash:
Yes. You said you saw through her with your sage arts...
Taigong:
Yes. I saw right through her! That true nature of hers!
Fou:
Fou!
Taigong:
...how should I put it. That "you don't give a damn about humans, do you?" remark of mine.
Taigong:
That was just an easy way of putting it.
Mash:
!?
Fujimaru 1:
An easy way—
Fou:
Fou...!?
Si Bu Xiang:
Mo. Mo.
Ibuki Dōji:
Come now, Fou, don't act up now. You're startling Si Bu Xiang.
Nikitch:
...
Hiryuu:
Umm. Master Taigong, I take it that means you lied?
Taigong:
Indeed it does.
Taigong:
(Serious face)
Fou:
Foufoou!
Taigong:
Owowowow! No, I didn't mean it in a bad way!
Taigong:
It was by no means a malicious deception!
Taigong:
The end justifies the means, as they say.For real, in this case.
Mash:
The end...justifies the means?
Taigong:
Yes, it does indeed. It is true that she did loathe humanity,
Taigong:
so I used that as a starting point and, well, I cajoled her.
Taigong:
Still, truth be told, she didn't seem like she cared much for humanity, did she?
Taigong:
Both in words and actions.
Taigong:
As for her not caring, that is the truth and yet an untruth, both a lie and a fact...
Taigong:
She loathed humanity, and in fact, she had been looking forward to its extinction.
Taigong:
Nevertheless.
Taigong:
Considering her history—
Taigong:
she must have loved them, in truth.
Taigong:
People. Humans. Humanity.
Taigong:
No matter how many forests they burn, no matter how many species that drive to extinction.
Taigong:
Even if she should conclude that our existences are incompatible, the primates known as humanity...
Taigong:
are no more than a species that lives among nature. One that she loves.
Taigong:
...and there are animal species that seek to deepen their bonds with humanity.
Taigong:
She did not deny that, she did not pluck that away either. And she did not ignore that.
Taigong:
In other words, she loved humanity.
Taigong:
...and that makes her grudge all the more fierce. Her words and deeds longing for the ruination of humanity are nothing less than indisputable truth.
Taigong:
The existence of the Dead Zone, an aggregation of hatred and bloodlust directed at humanity. The acquisition of her aptitude for human slaughter and the manifestation of her authority.
Taigong:
They are all genuine.
Taigong:
You do remember, don't you? She had even grown great horns indicative of her status as a fully developed Beast.
Fujimaru 1:
She did have those horns—
Mash:
...that's right. We did confirm the formation of large horns on her head.
Fujimaru 2:
(Nod silently)
Taigong:
Thus, we can conclude this!
Taigong:
—Koyanskaya harbors a love for humanity within her!
Taigong:
Yet at the same time! She also harbors hatred and bloodlust! To the point she herself has grown sick of humanity!
Fou:
Foufoou...!
Taigong:
Love in spite of hatred. That dichotomy is by no means uncommon.
Taigong:
It is not one exclusive to Beasts, for we humans often possess the same.
Taigong:
You may or may not be aware of it though.
Nikitch:
...
Mash:
...Yes.
Mash:
The Beasts we have encountered so far...
Mash:
have at least had such an inclination.
Fujimaru 1:
—
Fujimaru 1:
So you're saying that Koyanskaya
Fujimaru 1:
no longer wished to hate anymore?
Mash:
No longer wished to hate—
Mash:
Yes. I feel like I understand, Senpai.
Fou:
Fou?
Mash:
She no longer wished to hate anymore. I believe that is why she chose to leave for the sea of stars.
Mash:
Not for the sake of humanity...
Mash:
...no, for the sake of all animals, including humanity.
Taigong:
Oh, there's my cue.
Fou:
Foufoou!
Taigong:
Dear me, you're bidding me farewell? How cute.
Si Bu Xiang:
Mo. Mo.
Taigong:
Yes indeed. I will be sure to return. Hahahaha, of course I wouldn't do something like using underhanded tricks to stay behind.
Taigong:
It's impossible with this Saint Graph anyway...
Taigong:
But in the end, with this kind of timing, it's hard to tell which one it is.
Mash:
Umm...?
Fujimaru 1:
What do you mean by hard to tell?
Taigong:
I will be heading back to the Throne. But for what reason?
Taigong:
A stray Servant, walking around without a Holy Grail...even though the special territory has been eliminated.
Taigong:
Has the Human Order finally called for my retrieval?
Taigong:
Or is it simply because I used a Xian-class greater sage art, causing the spiritual core of my Saint Graph to shatter?
Taigong:
Which one is it, I wonder?
Ibuki Dōji:
Hmm...
Ibuki Dōji:
No way to tell! You've got a point, this kind of timing makes it hard to know.
Taigong:
Well, I accept it either way. I have to uphold my duty, you see.
Taigong:
Tamamovitch Koyanskaya. She...
Taigong:
if she happens to have modelled herself after Daji...the nine-tailed Golden White Face,
Taigong:
then our cultural region is partly to blame, all things considered.
Taigong:
I have to take responsibility for that. In any case, I'm glad I managed to do something about it!
Fujimaru 1:
(Nod vigorously)
Taigong:
Farewell! Next time,
Taigong:
if you manage to summon me in the Caster class, there's a chance that I'll be a Grand—
Fou:
Fou...foou!?
Nikitch:
You idiot. You've got to prepare these unsummoning lines in advance!
Nikitch:
Woah, looks like my time's up too. Naturally, I already know what I'm going to say.
Nikitch:
It was a battle well fought.It was a fine adventure.
Nikitch:
Yep, it was a ton of fun hitting the road with you guys!
Mash:
Likewise! Though it was a hard-fought battle—
Mash:
I was able to see something beautiful. That is how I feel.
Fou:
Foou!
Mash:
Yes. So I feel the same way! It was fun!
Fujimaru 1:
Let's go on an adventure again some day!
Fujimaru 2:
Thanks for all the fish, Dobrynya Nikitich!
Hiryuu:
So long, Chaldea! Live long!
Nikitch:
Farewell!
Ibuki Dōji:
...and they're gone.
Ibuki Dōji:
Aww, it kind of feels lonely.
Ibuki Dōji:
Heroic Spirit Taigong and Si Bu Xiang.Heroic Spirit Nikitich and beloved steed.
Ibuki Dōji:
In the end, my memories remained vague. But this is an experience I don't want to forget.
Ibuki Dōji:
Even when we're back in Chaldea. Okay?
Fujimaru 1:
You won't forget.
Ibuki Dōji:
Yeah, I guess so.
Fujimaru 2:
If you do, I'll tell you about it again from the start.
Ibuki Dōji:
That's sweet of you. Hehe.
Fou:
Fou!
Ibuki Dōji:
Oh, what's this? Are you comforting me?
Fou:
Fou...
Ibuki Dōji:
Hehehe!
Ibuki Dōji:
Farewell! Ye heroes who were as invigorating as the wind!
Ibuki Dōji:
Let's see, should fate bring us together again...I'd like to drink with you!
Fujimaru 1:
I'll join you with a soft drink.
Mash:
When the time comes, please allow me to join you too!
Fujimaru 2:
I'm sure fate binds us, we'll see them again!
Mash:
Yes, that's right!
Fou:
Foufou, foou!
Mash:
Senpai! It's the Shadow Border!
Meunière:
Oh! I finally got through!
Da Vinci:
I see you're both safe! Ibuki-Douji too!
Da Vinci:
We're safe too! Rest assured, the Shadow Border moves just fine!
Da Vinci:
We've gotten in touch with the Storm Border and they should be here soon to pick us up—
Goredolf:
So make sure to stay put at those coordinates. Understood?
Goredolf:
And...although I intend to say this again after you return,
Goredolf:
I'll say it now anyway. Well done on your mission!
Goredolf:
The Koyanskaya Subjugation Operation is considered a success. Be sure to write up your operation reports with that in mind, both of you!
Fujimaru 1:
Roger that!
Mash:
Yes. Mash Kyrielight, over and out!
--ARROW--
Narration:
—O beautiful beast.
Narration:
O beast. O woman, more beautiful than anyone or anything, who remains a beauty even after trampling the world and its people.
Narration:
You were powerful.
Narration:
I lost many friends and many comrades.
Narration:
I will never forget the battles we fought to defeat and capture you. On many occasions, I feared I had lost favor with the heavens.
Narration:
Eventually we won, the Shang dynasty fell and you were ensnared by the Demon Binder.
Narration:
You continued to thrash about.
Narration:
You were the epitome of tenacity itself, clinging to life even if it meant being revoltingly mired in mud—
Narration:
You begged for your life, time and time again.
Narration:
You cursed the world and its people, time and time again.
Narration:
But in my eyes, even that conduct seemed beautiful.
Narration:
Yes, even in your final moments—
Narration:
"...farewell."
Narration:
"Daji, the Thousand-Year Fox Spirit. Unsurpassed in beauty and terror."
Narration:
"Yes, farewell."
Narration:
"To you I despise above all else. To you I adore above all else."
Narration:
"I hope you die suffering. More than anyone else."
Narration:
"Alas, I will not die. I will return to the Kunlun Mountains and become a Xian thereafter."
Narration:
"Yes, that you will—"
Narration:
"That you will. That..."
Narration:
"...eternal life I could never obtain, no matter how dearly I longed for it."
Narration:
"You will surely obtain it. Oh, how hateful. Oh, I loathe you so, so much."
Narration:
"..."
Narration:
"Fine then."
Narration:
"In that case, you shall live. Cursed by all the beasts, you shall live."
Narration:
"Cursed, you say?"
Narration:
"Yes, that's right."
Narration:
"Until you scoop up every drop of blood shed from my severed head..."
Narration:
"you will forever remain a damned man."
Narration:
"Fufu."
Narration:
"Fufufufufu."
Narration:
"You will dance with those everlasting regrets forevermore in your everlasting life."
Narration:
"..."
Narration:
"...how fearsome you are."
Narration:
"Didn't you know?"
Narration:
"Yes. Yes, indeed I am! I am Daji. The beast fatale, the living calamity, and an Evil of Humanity!"
Narration:
"I will always, always—"
Narration:
"continue to hate, curse, and deplore you."
Narration:
The story goes that,
Narration:
at the twilight of the Shang dynasty, Taigong Lü Shang became so engrossed in calligraphy
Narration:
that his wife sought to divorce him. And so it was that she left Lü Shang.
Narration:
Thus the days went by—
Narration:
And the Shang dynasty, no longer favored by the heavens, collapsed. When the Zhou dynasty rose in its place, Lü Shang
Narration:
was granted Qi as his fiefdom for his meritorious achievements as a tactician of the Zhou.
Narration:
Then his former wife appeared before him and sought reconciliation.
Narration:
Lü Shang then poured water from a bowl and said this,
Narration:
"Return this water to its bowl. If you can do this, we shall reconcile."
Narration:
Needless to say, the spilt water won't ever go back into its bowl—
Narration:
That which has passed will never return.What a heart-rending story.
Narration:
Hmm?
Narration:
What actually happened?
Narration:
Well, about that—
Narration:
Hahaha. What can I say—
--ARROW--
Narration:
...Oh?
Narration:
Where am I?
Narration:
... ...
Narration:
I don't get it.
Narration:
I've heard that Heroic Spirits are supposed to be in the Throne, and the Throne has the records of the Human Order and such.
Narration:
This blue sky is, well, what I can say, like a dream...
Narration:
Otherwise, it would have to be an illusion.
Narration:
Those fun-looking festivals over there are also—
Narration:
Hm. Festivals?
Narration:
Do you perhaps mean those?
Narration:
The bogatyr Dobrynya Nikitich won't be coming back anymore, and since we have no choice but to consider him dead,
Narration:
we must wed his young wife, who continues to wait for him, to a new husband. Not content with making such an absurd proclamation,
Narration:
they even went as far as to plan a wedding resembling a grand festival!
Narration:
Do you mean those accursed and abominable things!?
Narration:
No. That would be strange. Jeez, how far back are we talking?
Narration:
But wait, hold on.
Narration:
The hero has set out indeed this time. To save the Human Order, or rather, to save the land of Russia.
Narration:
Hm? Heroic Spirits...don't leave the Throne entirely, do they?
Narration:
Oh well. Umm, the point is—
Narration:
In which case...
Narration:
Not again. Another incident with Nikitich's wife while he's away!?
Narration:
Repeating the same thing over and over. What are you even getting at?
Narration:
Good grief. I'll be damned.
Narration:
Nonetheless...
Narration:
If Russia is in danger, I must save it, no matter what.
Narration:
Nikitich, ever the young warrior. After all, Nikitich can handle most anything.
Narration:
... ...
Narration:
...well.
Narration:
...aside from parenting, that is.
Narration:
That's right, in 1908—
Narration:
In 1908, Dobrynya Nikitich was summoned in Russia.
Narration:
As a bogatyr of the Sun Prince, he is not wholly unrelated to the goddess of the sun.
Narration:
The luminous goddess of the Orient gently celebrated that newborn life.
Narration:
O grotesque life, there is nothing to be afraid of. O screaming life, there is nothing to be afraid of.
Narration:
"Even if you fall short of the sun in the heavens, you were born of the light. Therefore, you are a child of mine," she said.
Narration:
Yeah. I see, that makes sense.
Narration:
And so went Nikitich. To the heart of that great explosion—
Narration:
Overcoming all obstacles and enduring all hardships.
Narration:
Distorted by the power of the fragment of rock that scorched the land of Tunguska,
Narration:
there lay an incomprehensible creature. Uncertain of whether it was a dragon or an insect, he cut it down. And atop the scorched and fallen trees—
Narration:
Nikitich met you, a newborn child.
Narration:
Gave you a name...gave you flesh...
Narration:
You were together for a while, but in the end, Nikitich was little more than a shadow. A Heroic Spirit.
Narration:
In the end, I couldn't raise you. I came up short.
Narration:
I couldn't accept your curses,I couldn't accept your screams.
Narration:
Bearing witness to your end was all I could do.
Narration:
...
Narration:
Forgive me. Forgive me, Yaskaya.
Narration:
"I'm sure she'll forgive you."
Narration:
Oh, it's you. My beloved spouse.
Narration:
"You can find out for yourself someday."
Narration:
"Yaskaya might just forgive you."
Narration:
Is that so? Is that so?
Narration:
I doubt that. I do, but,
Narration:
Oh...
Narration:
Oh, but it would be great if she did...—
Epilogue
Narration:
- Human Order Security Clock December 31, 2017 -- Internal Chaldea World Clock December 31, 20XX -
Narration:
- 9:30 PM at the dock -- Access restricted within Chaldea Base -
Mash:
...Senpai. What do you think is happening...?
Fujimaru 1:
Yeah...
Fujimaru 2:
It looks like a lockdown...
Goredolf:
What is the meaning of this? Are we not the heroes who vanquished a Beast?
Goredolf:
You would think there'd be a reception either at the dining hall or the control room...
Goredolf:
Why are we being held up at the dock?What do you mean "briefing"!?
Goredolf:
Where is Sion Eltnam? Why is she not here!?
Nemo Baker:
I'm sorry, Commander. Sion's orders.
Nemo Baker:
I'm also itching to provide hospitality here...
Nemo Baker:
But you cannot use the facilities within the base today. Everyone, please return to your rooms.
Nemo Baker:
The Marines will be there to receive you in no time. I'm sure you will get an explanation then.
Nemo Professor:
It's the end of the year eve~nt. In short, the base is undergoing major cleanu~p.
Nemo Professor:
Sion can be particular about these matters,
Nemo Professor:
I believe she wishes to start the New Year afre~sh.
Da Vinci:
Eh? Professor, where's Holmes?
Da Vinci:
He was forced out by Koyanskaya's Reality Marble. Has he rematerialized back here?
Nemo Professor:
Yep, without a hitch.
Nemo Professor:
The Saint Graphs have gone back to normal too once Beast IV's signal vanished.
Nemo Professor:
I believe he is currently in the control room with Sion, going over your combat lo~gs.
Da Vinci:
I see, that's just like him. Well, I suppose we should follow the instructions too.
Da Vinci:
Should I head for the control room while the Chaldea personnel return to their rooms?
Nemo Nurse:
No, Da Vinci. Would you kindly return to the Border's computer room?
Nemo Nurse:
It seems Sion has some urgent paperwork that needs doing.
Da Vinci:
Oh, that doesn't sound pleasant. No matter, I got off easy this time.
Nemo Nurse:
Now then, I must ask everyone to return to their rooms.
Nemo Nurse:
You all did well with your battles thus far.
Mash:
A major cleanup...I take it the Marines are cleaning the common area?
Mash:
Once I've returned to my room, I would like to help out.
Mash:
Please have a good rest, Senpai. It's been a long battle.
Fujimaru 1:
I guess...I'll take a nap...
Mash:
I believe that's a good idea. I'll see you tomorrow in the control room!
Fujimaru 2:
No, I'll help out too after I catch my breath.
Mash:
Then I'll see you in an hour in the dining hall. But please don't push yourself too hard.
Fou:
...
Fujimaru 1:
(Fou's been staring at the ceiling this whole time...)
Nemo Marine:
Excuse me! I'm here to help you pack!
Nemo Marine:
Here you go, a storage container! Please put your personal belongings in here!
Fujimaru 1:
Excuse me?
Fujimaru 2:
What do you mean by "pack"?
Nemo Marine:
Eh? Haven't you heard? Everyone's moving into their new rooms, aren't they?
Nemo Marine:
That's why everyone's packing their bags and assembling at the dock once they're dooone!
Nemo Marine:
You have 30 minutes! Oh, you don't have to clean your roooom.
Nemo Marine:
Sion said "You won't be using them anymore either way!" Alright then, let's hurry!
Nemo Marine:
Captain also said "Be punctual" with this stern look on his face!
Sion:
So, you've made a safe return to Chaldea Base without a single casualty.
Sion:
Congratulations on your successful Beastextermination.
Sion:
Great news all around! That takes care of one of my worries!
Sion:
Now we just need the decisive spell employing the essence of the Holy Sword that you obtained in Britain—
Sion:
If we can devise a method of attack that's geared toward anti-Alien God usage, we'll finally be able to challenge our enemy on their home turf!
Holmes:
Hmm. Miss Sion, when you say home turf,
Holmes:
do you mean to say that the Alien God will deploy a Reality Marble-like domain, much like Koyanskaya did...?
Holmes:
That this prediction is your other worry?
Sion:
Oh, did I mention that I only had one other worry?
Sion:
I had every intention of keeping it a secret. I didn't even let Captain in on it.
Holmes:
Come now, anyone could have ventured a guess from your tone.
Holmes:
You made no comments on the contents of Chaldea's operations, yet you had some rather strong opinions on our operational methods.
Holmes:
It was all so that you could herd us into resolving those worrisome predictions only you foresaw, one after another.
Holmes:
And now the greatest "obstacle", Beast IV, has been ousted.
Holmes:
I had figured that Beast IV was your final worry...
Holmes:
However, now that you claim there is "one more", I may have misunderstood that last one.
Holmes:
There can't be that many factors that exceed Beast IV.
Holmes:
In which case, is it not natural to assume there is but one factor left?
Sion:
Spot-on, broadly speaking. As expected of Sherlock Holmes.
Sion:
There is only one factor left I wish to sort out before we confront the Alien God.
Holmes:
What might that be? To shed light on the Alien God's true identity and nature?
Sion:
No. That can only happen when we do confront the Alien God.
Sion:
This "last worry" of mine is something far simpler.
Sion:
It can't be helped if you don't understand!
Sion:
After all, this is a matter even you have overlooked, Holmes.
Sion:
I mean, I can't help but laugh. There's just no way you could've seen this.
Sion:
Since it slipped past even SHEBA's eyes, this is a problem neither of us could have done anything about!
Holmes:
...?
Sion:
...welp, this is hardly the time to be cachinnating in despair.
Sion:
I'll leave the transport of the Saint Graphs to you, Holmes.
Sion:
On the off chance something happens, I'm certain you can carry them to the Border, unlike me.
Sion:
Right now, Chaldea Base is in an extremely perilous state.
Sion:
I cannot guarantee your safety with my Thought Acceleration and Memory Partition alone once ten minutes have passed.
Sion:
Please hurry over to the Border and deliver the graphs to Da Vinci.
Holmes:
You cannot guarantee my safety...would that mean your personal computing power is unable to ascertain the future?
Holmes:
In which case, why not use TRISMEGISTUS II, the far more powerful computing unit?
Sion:
I can't use it. The machine behind me is just a paper tiger.
Sion:
I've already moved its contents elsewhere, and they're currently being rebooted.
Holmes:
—! Then moving the Saint Graphs means...!
Sion:
It's exactly what you think it means. I'm glad you're quick on the uptake.
Sion:
...just between you and me. During this mission,
Sion:
Chaldea should have suffered heavy casualties according to TRISMEGISTUS II's prediction.
Sion:
...it even went as far as to conclude that "the end result is defeat". Does this ring any bells, Holmes?
Holmes:
...of course it does. Reading those logs earlier chilled me to the bone.
Holmes:
Beast IV was harbouring a minus when it eclosed. It was the curse it incurred in Britain.
Holmes:
That curse drove Koyanskaya into a corner, forcing her to undergo "rapid maturation"...
Holmes:
Yet their defeat was inevitable. And by that, I do not mean they were unable to defeat the Beast.
Holmes:
They were destined to be annihilated the moment [♂ he /♀ she] set foot in that domain and fought at its epicenter.
Sion:
Correct. Beast IV was ready to annihilate the entire domain. "The hunters shall die with their prey"—
Sion:
That was the nature of the trap it had set up.
Sion:
If survival means victory, Chaldea should have lost. However...
Holmes:
Yes. The Heroic Spirit Taigong and Director Gordolf's personal feelings.
Holmes:
And a decisive word from the Master, Fujimaru.
Holmes:
Those miracles were what stopped Koyanskaya from self-destructing.
Holmes:
—And so "mutual slaughter" turned into "peaceful dialogue". As a result, there were no winners or losers.
Sion:
Yep. A wonderful ending. Just what I expected of Chaldea!
Sion:
But...
Sion:
...according to TRISMEGISTUS II's prediction, Chaldea will be annihilated today.
Sion:
A truly inevitable doom. Because the "defeat" comes after this.
Narration:
"Warning. Warning."
Narration:
"Gravitational fluctuation confirmed 3,000 meters above the Wandering Sea."
Narration:
"Corresponding phenomenon sample: Olympus.Corresponding entity prospect: U-Olga Marie."
Narration:
"A pseudo-black hole formed via the manifestation of the Alien God."
Holmes:
!
U-Olga Marie:
An island that drifts along with the imaginary sea. A shadow cast by isolated space and time.
U-Olga Marie:
—Hmph. An impressive idea, by Earthling standards.
U-Olga Marie:
Even an omniscient vision capable of observing the world of subatomic particles would fail to detect something that does not exist in this era.
U-Olga Marie:
They were never in the palm of my hand to begin with. Scouring the seas was naught but a meaningless endeavor.
U-Olga Marie:
In Earthling terms, it would be akin to unauthorized use of radio frequencies...or perhaps, stowing yourselves away in an attic?
U-Olga Marie:
However—
U-Olga Marie:
This is the end for that wretched hideaway of yours! You see? It takes me but three seconds to find you, when I desire it!
U-Olga Marie:
It's little more than losing face, but I will still make you pay dearly for defying a god.
U-Olga Marie:
Fleas who have played with fire.O unsightly hornet's nest.
U-Olga Marie:
You will sink and vanish into the sea here!This is my decision as Prime Minister!
Narration:
"The presence of the Alien God has been confirmed above the Wandering Sea. A gravitational sphere has been established."
Narration:
"The annihilation of the Wandering Sea is expected within 15 minutes. Evacuate the base at once."
Narration:
"Chaldea personnel are urgently requested to board the Shadow Border standing by at the dock."
Narration:
"I repeat. The presence of the—"
Fou:
Fou, foou!
Meunière:
You've got to be kidding me! Isn't the Wandering Sea supposed to be impregnable!?
Meunière:
The gravitational sphere means that thing, right? That pseudo-black hole from Olympus, right!?
Meunière:
The Wandering Sea's a goner if that thing gets dropped, you know!? What'll happen to our base!?
Fujimaru 1:
...!
Fujimaru 2:
Is everyone here!?
Mash:
The Chaldea personnel are all accounted for! Everyone's on board the Shadow Border!
Mash:
Holmes and Sion aren't here yet though—oh!
Holmes:
I apologize for the delay, but the situation is dire. I will explain later.
Holmes:
I have the Saint Graphs. Let's leave at once.
Goredolf:
I would like nothing more than that, but where is Sion Eltnam!?
Goredolf:
I will blame her later for failing to foresee this while prattling on about "predicting the future",
Goredolf:
but she is now Chaldea personnel! We cannot leave her behind!
Holmes:
Hmm. I'd love to have her hear that line just now, Director Gordolf.
Holmes:
But let's prioritize our escape for now. Miss Sion has also suggested as much.
Holmes:
It appears she will be joining us later.
Holmes:
"I will keep the Five Gates firmly sealed. Such is the responsibility of one who has rented the Wandering Sea."
Holmes:
She said it would take her 20 minutes to do so.—I take it you understand the meaning of this?
Mash:
Mister Holmes. That's...
Fujimaru 1:
We have to go get her...!
Holmes:
There's no need for that, Fujimaru. This is what she said to me.
Sion:
Chaldea should give priority to escaping. I'll be sure to catch up with you.
Sion:
Well, not right away. But I will be sure to make it in time for the final battle.
Sion:
After all, that's why I left the Atlas Institute.
Sion:
Everything so far is, dare I say it, just as I calculated.
Sion:
I may look like this, but I am still a gamer. There's absolutely no way I'm going to die before I get to see the ending, lololol.
Holmes:
Those were the words of an alchemist of Atlas. I consider them to be truthful.
Holmes:
Here we are as proof of that, well-prepared and boarding the Border.
Holmes:
Da Vinci and Captain are already on the Storm Border, ready to depart.
Holmes:
From the start, she knew this would happen.
Holmes:
In which case, she should have made preparations for her own escape as well.
Goredolf:
H...Hmm. You do...have a point...
Goredolf:
I'd been wondering why we were suddenly told to pack...
Goredolf:
But I suppose it's high time the enemy also got serious, considering there's only one Lostbelt left.
Goredolf:
This would have happened to us, sooner or later...
Holmes:
Yes. We would have had to leave the Wandering Sea at some point. That is why the Storm Border came equipped with living quarters.
Holmes:
She intended on making the Storm Border our base from the start.
Holmes:
She said that Chaldea ought not to be affiliated with any faction, not to be under the protection of the Wandering Sea,
Holmes:
but an organization composed of those who live in the present, dedicated to preserving the Human Order.
Goredolf:
...not affiliated with any faction...an organization composed of those who live in the present...
Goredolf:
...hmm. That's it. That's exactly it, Administrative Advisor.
Goredolf:
Meunière! Fujimaru! Kyrielight!
Goredolf:
Board the Shadow Border at once! The other personnel are already on board!
Fujimaru 1:
—Roger that!
Sion:
Gate of Perpetuation, Seren, line disconnected. Gate of Progress, Eren, line disconnected.
Sion:
Gate of Preservation, Genon, line disconnected. Gate of Servility, Fusilka, line disconnected.
Sion:
Gate of Rebirth, Ganu, line—
Sion:
Hmm?
Sion:
How may I help you, Professor? Did you perhaps forget something?
Sion:
—Actually,
Sion:
what brings you here?
Sion:
What would bring a magus of the "True Wandering Sea" before a magus of the modern era?
Mage:
You find it strange? This is, after all, our final meeting.
Mage:
I believe a direct, face-to-face greeting is common courtesy, no matter the era.
Sion:
Oh...that's right. That is the case.
Sion:
Unfortunately, our institute has been standalone for quite some time...
Sion:
The culture of meeting in person has all but died out. Replaced with meeting via screens, mirrors, threads, and the net.
Sion:
I, too, am a heretic at the Atlas Institute. The techniques imparted by the Eltnams...
Sion:
Spiritron threads that directly hijack and access the brains of others...Etherlite, as it is called.
Sion:
And perhaps because my doting father spoiled me every chance he got,
Sion:
I've come to find meaning in "skinship with other people".
Sion:
As a result, I've become a positive person who refuses to use the all-too-convenient Etherlite technique.
Sion:
So your concern is most appreciated.
Sion:
I am grateful for this opportunity to exchange words with you in person.
Sion:
You're in THAT era, are you not? Shouldn't the cost of communication be absurdly high?
Mage:
It is indeed. It consumes enough magical energy to wipe out an entire continent.
Mage:
But there was no other use for it regardless.
Mage:
I have received permission from my mentor to splurge at least once for the future's sake.
Sion:
Mentor...would you be referring to one of the magi who created the "True Wandering Sea"?
Sion:
I had heard Ganu no longer has anyone left. But it turns out there were two remaining, including you.
Mage:
When it comes to these strange tales,
Mage:
the Gate of Rebirth ought to remain cut off from your era.
Mage:
In any case, the Wandering Sea of 2017 will now vanish.
Mage:
Whether or not I exist has nothing to do with Chaldea.
Sion:
Oh, so you won't scold me despite that my renting this place led to the island's decimation?
Mage:
Of course not. There is no such thing as decimation for the Wandering Sea. In the ancient past—
Mage:
they built a workshop on a lone island in a distant sea to isolate themselves from the reach of both gods and mankind.
Mage:
Thus, the entire zone vanished from the universe.
Mage:
Drifting astray in space and time. Or you could say it went missing for eternity. No one can observe or interact with it.
Mage:
Except—for these Five Gates.
Mage:
The Wandering Seas that manifest in each era are merely shadows cast by "the Wandering Sea that once was".
Mage:
Even if the Wandering Sea of 2017 should collapse, that will only be the case for 2017.
Mage:
It will have no effect on either the past or the future. Nor will it affect the true form which has vanished.
Sion:
I see. I once thought that individual workshops lie beyond the Five Gates—
Sion:
But they are in fact Time Gates, are they not?
Sion:
Gates that allow communication between the Wandering Sea prior to its disappearance and any era.
Mage:
Correct. I too was once a magus who lived in the Common Era. Much like you.
Mage:
I was beckoned by my mentor through the Gate of Rebirth and became a denizen of the other side.
Mage:
You called yourself a heretic of the Atlas Institute. In other words, there is no place for you in this world.
Sion:
...
Mage:
The number of magi endowed with the teachings of the Wandering Sea are few.
Sion:
I am aware. It is said that applications are permitted only once a year, and only one applicant is selected.
Mage:
Yes. However, there are not many who meet the standards required to join us.
Mage:
But if one manages to be present when the gates open, if Mystery and fate align with them, anyone could make the grade.
Mage:
At present, the gate to the Wandering Sea is open—Sion Eltnam.
Sion:
No. While I am grateful for your words, I still have something I must do here.
Sion:
Rest assured, I will ensure the gates are closed. Please feel free to return, Fabro Rowan.
Sion:
For you and the Wandering Sea, the Alien God may be an irrelevant matter far in the future...
Sion:
But for myself, [♂ him /♀ her], and Chaldea, this is a problem we must solve no matter what.
Sion:
So now is not the time for me to go there. If the gates are fated to open only in this very moment...
Sion:
I must conclude it was simply not meant to be. I'll try my luck with something else next time.
Sion:
Thank you for all your cooperation.
Mage:
I see. Then I will leave the cleanup to you.
Mage:
...one last thing.
Mage:
We did not offer shelter to Chaldea.
Mage:
We offered you an opportunity, Sion. For that bizarre plan of yours.
Sion:
—
Mage:
May you have a good journey, Sion Eltnam. Proceed as you wish...no, proceed as you have foreseen.
Mage:
Girl born of the black earth. Like a lone bird soaring across the underworld.
Sion:
...? What an odd metaphor...I have nothing to do with birds or the underworld...
Sion:
Well, I suppose I'll find out someday. I'd better get started on my work!
Sion:
There is no beauty in simply being destroyed. None at all! If we are to be destroyed either way, then self-destructing is the way to go. Self-destruct, it is!
Sion:
Now then—
Sion:
Let's see how durable the manifestation of the Alien God is!
Nemo Marine:
Wowow, the surface portion of the Wandering Sea is getting sucked into the gravitational spheeeeere!
Nemo Marine:
This is it, Captaaiin! If we wait any longer, we'll lose out on speeeed!
Nemo:
I know!
Nemo:
Tomarin, Kawata, Octavia, Chin, Kayan, Elrond, Marcus, Meunière,
Nemo:
Fujimaru, Mash, Fou, Gordolf, and Holmes are confirmed aboard!
Nemo:
Storm Border, scrambling! We will hereby leave these waters at full speed!
Goredolf:
T-That is fine and all, but what about that Olga Marie!? Won't she chase us!?
Goredolf:
Why don't we launch a preemptive attack!? I mean, look at her. See how defenseless that little girl looks!
Nemo:
No, the ship's armaments at present are not enough to damage the Alien God!
Nemo:
If she chases us, then so be it! We'll outrun her!
Nemo:
All hands, take your seats!
Nemo:
Professor! Shipboard inertial protection at maximum output!
Nemo:
Bow, transfer the temporal flow of the dimensional drilling to the stern. We'll use the gap recoil to accelerate!
Nemo:
This is going to be the fastest takeoff we've ever had! I'll leave the steering to you!
Nemo Professor:
Yep, got i~t. I've already done the calculations, so we're good to go~.
Nemo:
Fire four Triton Engine units in parallel! Storm Border, taking off!
Fujimaru 1:
...what happened...?
Fujimaru 2:
...did we pull out...?
Nemo:
Yeah. No pursuit from the Alien God either.
Nemo:
The ship has now left the North Sea and is headed towards the center of the Eurasian continent.
Nemo:
We will continue to hold course eastward and head for the Pacific Ocean.
Nemo:
Da Vinci, Holmes. Do you have any other questions?
Holmes:
What happened to the Alien God? As we left, there was this intense flash of light...
Da Vinci:
That was the Wandering Sea's...no, Sion's counterattack.
Da Vinci:
Just like how the Alien God compresses ultra-dense matter to create a gravitational sphere,
Da Vinci:
she compressed the Wandering Sea to an infinitesimal degree, released it, and launched the resultant energy at the Alien God.
Da Vinci:
Did the Alien God not pursue us because of that damage,
Da Vinci:
or did it not realize we escaped? I can't tell for sure.
Goredolf:
I see. So she did not simply take it lying down, as expected of an alchemist of Atlas.
Goredolf:
But what do we do now? Sion Eltnam will be back, won't she?
Goredolf:
Without her, we can neither maintain the Storm Border nor plan our operations with TRISMEGISTUS II, can we?
Sion:
Fear not, TRISMEGISTUS II has already been ported over to the Storm.
Sion:
That's what the major end-of-year cleanup was for!
Sion:
Well, it's nothing short of romantic having a massive computer inside an airborne warship!
Goredolf:
Huh?
Mash:
Huh!?
Fujimaru 1:
Sion—!?
Sion:
Thank you for the "we thought you exploded with the Wandering Sea" reaction.
Sion:
Apologies, but while I may look like this, I'm actually a vam—no, let's just say I have a unique constitution.
Sion:
I shut the Wandering Sea gates and activated the self-destruct sequence! Then I rendezvoused with the Storm Border on my own.
Sion:
Well, I suppose you could call it existential probability manipulation. Please consider it in the same vein as Yu Mei-ren's dispersion.
Holmes:
I see. Alchemists who live in numbers do not see self-destruction...no, self-sacrifice as a good thing.
Holmes:
What ought to be prioritized is not the subsequent result, but the calculations occurring in the present.
Holmes:
I take it...all your actions are done with self-interest in mind?
Sion:
Yes. The good you do for others is good you do yourself, as they say!
Goredolf:
Lead with that, damn it! What an effective way of painting yourself in a positive light!
Goredolf:
Don't make me worry for nothing! I, no, I am an ironhearted commander, so it's not as though it hurt me.
Goredolf:
But you should consider the feelings of the other personnel, seriously! We don't want to see any more sacrifices!
Sion:
Oh. Is that so, folks?
Fujimaru 1:
Yep. Reflect on that.
Fujimaru 2:
For real.
Fujimaru 1:
But I'm really glad you're okay.
Mash:
...that's right, I think everyone else feels the same way.
Mash:
I'm very glad to see you return safely. Good work on the dismantling of the Wandering Sea, Sion.
Sion:
—Are you serious?
Nemo:
...well, I knew all along though. Sion's sturdier than the average Servant.
Nemo:
More importantly, let's go over our plan now that we've calmed down.
Nemo:
From now on, Chaldea's operations will be conducted from the Storm Border.
Nemo:
The Storm will fly haphazardly across the earth so that we won't be spotted by the Alien God.
Nemo:
We will make landfall only for refuelling and maintenance.
Nemo:
The Storm may be an outstanding vessel, but even it will reach its limit eventually without a port.
Nemo:
One more large-scale operation's the limit. I'd like you to keep that in mind.
Holmes:
Understood. There's only one Lostbelt left either way.
Holmes:
Once the decisive anti-Alien God technique is complete, Chaldea will assault the seventh Lostbelt.
Holmes:
—We will engage U-Olga Marie, the self-proclaimed "Alien God", in combat.
Holmes:
Will that do, Commander Gordolf and [♂ Mister /♀ Miss] Fujimaru?
Goredolf:
M-Mm. So we're finally in the endgame.
Goredolf:
Very well, let's do it! But only after we've made every preparation possible!
Da Vinci:
Of course.
Da Vinci:
While the tuning of the Holy Sword is no doubt important, we mustn't forget to analyze the Alien God either.
Da Vinci:
Is the Alien God really Director Olga Marie? What is up with that form?
Da Vinci:
Right now, "defeating" her is the only option we have. But as we deepen our understanding of the enemy, other options may present themselves.
Da Vinci:
Just like they did with Koyanskaya. Isn't that right, Fujimaru?
Fujimaru 1:
Right!
Da Vinci:
In that case, we'll have to get used to our new surroundings.
Da Vinci:
Let's split up and work to make the Storm Border a better base than ever before.
Da Vinci:
It looks like Sion's built us a new facility too, no? Things are sure to get busier from here on out~.