Nitocris
Pharaoh Nitocris
Mash: Hmm? What's that...?
Ozymandias: Hmm...
Ozymandias: This is some cheap wine. Its vulgar body, perhaps fearful at the honor of passing through my throat, pales and fades into nothingness.
Ozymandias: I will at least acknowledge its grace, if nothing else.
Iskandar: Hah hah hah, perhaps you're trying to say cold wine goes down well? You sure say things in a roundabout way!
Mash: Is this a...party?
Mash: Look, Nitocris over there seems to be sober. She might be the most reasonable one here.
Mash: Let's try to talk to her, Senpai.
Nitocris: Oh, Master, Mash. What's going on?
Mash: We just happened to be passing through. Um...what are you doing here?
Nitocris: We're drinking, as you can see. What of it?
Nitocris: I was invited by the two pharaohs over there... Well, more like I volunteered myself to join them in their banquet.
Mash: But why here in the Command Room?
Nitocris: If you're asking about the location, Pharaoh Iskandar said this place is fitting for a king's banquet.
Nitocris: If you are inquiring about the purpose of this banquet...
Iskandar: Nitocris! What are you doing over there!? Drink. Empty your cup and drink some more.
Iskandar: This is a gathering of pharaohs. That includes you.
Iskandar: I called Cleopatra too, but she was so overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude and unworthiness that she passed out.
Iskandar: So basically, you're the only person that can act as a representative for female pharaohs in Chaldea!
Nitocris: ...With all due respect, that's how it is.
Mash: Now that you mention it, everyone here really does have the title of pharaoh.
Fujimaru 1: Really?
Fujimaru 2: Was Iskandar one too?
Iskandar: Oh? Master, Mash, I didn't realize you were there! Did the fragrance of the wine draw you here?
Iskandar: It doesn't matter! As our mutual friends, you have permission to join us! Drink up!
Ozymandias: Are you trying to cheapen this gathering of pharaohs? Besides, I recall they're at an age where they should avoid alcohol.
Ozymandias: ...Oh, very well. You're hardly even a pharaoh to begin with, and I do not intend to lambaste them for their age. I shall permit it. Drink up!
Iskandar: Haha, you're quite strict. But I do have a proper regnal name: Setepenre Meryamun!
Ozymandias: Is that so?
Ozymandias: I too am known by the name Setepenre. I'm sure it is a common name for pharaohs.
Ozymandias: The King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Usermaatre Setepenre... Son of Ra... Ramesses the Great... Amun's beloved...
Ozymandias: That is who I, the Sun Ozymandias, am! I shall allow it. Sear that name into your Spirit Core and Spirit Origin! Remember it!
Iskandar: By the gods! Then I suppose we're like brothers!
Ozymandias: No, we're not brothers. We're not, but...
Nitocris: I do believe the great king here is a pharaoh! ...I think that is what Cleopatra would say.
Ozymandias: Interesting. You dare go against my will?
Nitocris: N-No, great pharaoh, I would not! I just thought of what Cleopatra would say and I could not help it...
Ozymandias: Well, it is true she might say something like that. When did you get that close with each other?
Nitocris: Please...forgive my indiscretion. My only lord is the Sun King, and my only alliance is with Fujimaru!
Nitocris: Cleopatra is like... a troublesome little sister.
Iskandar: Hah hah hah. Don't tease her so much, Sun King. Cleopatra would indeed say something like that.
Iskandar: She was the last pharaoh on Earth. If so, she is like a granddaughter to us.
Ozymandias: True enough. Even if she's not related to us by blood, she was the last to inherit the title of pharaoh and its divinity.
Iskandar: Yes. But if that's the case—
Iskandar: Nitocris. You. Yes, you.
Nitocris: Y-Yes?
Iskandar: You're the oldest pharaoh among us. Wouldn't you be more of a mother figure, then?
Ozymandias: Truly an incarnation of the ancient Horus.
Nitocris: I-I-I am a mother!? To Lord Ozymandias!?
Nitocris: Does that mean I can do whatever I want? A mother does all sorts of things for her son...
Nitocris: She cooks for him, lets him sleep on her lap... Even tells old folktales and scary stories!
Nitocris: W-Would you be okay with that? I've never had a child...
Mash: N-Nitocris?
Nitocris: N-N-No, I am not worthy!
Nitocris: Yes, that is too much. And Iskandar–you are a pharaoh who has accomplished more than I have.
Nitocris: You are the King of Conquerors. You traveled far and wide, seizing many lands. I pale in comparison.
Ozymandias: What's so great about a king who focused so much on expansion and left nothing but destruction in his wake? I am a god. I am the sun. I am the true pharaoh.
Nitocris: Pharaoh Ozymandias! That is so obvious I need not say it!
Nitocris: You are the king of kings: the god-king.
Nitocris: You are so revered that I dare not even try to compare you with others. It would be far too presumptuous of me.
Nitocris: ...The same goes for Pharaoh Cleopatra. I didn't try as earnestly to protect the country as she did.
Fujimaru 1: Didn't Cleopatra...
Fujimaru 2: She destroyed the country, right?
Ozymandias: If you speak of destruction, the decline of Upper and Lower Egypt became inevitable as soon as I, the true pharaoh, was gone.
Ozymandias: Any reign other than my own would thereafter be imperfect, no matter who the pharaoh was.
Ozymandias: Just as the Nile flows, the final destination was inevitable. I never had my hopes up.
Iskandar: Hah hah hah. I feel I've said this before, but no country escapes downfall. Not even my Macedonia.
Nitocris: Yes. If countries are destined to fall, then all things considered, I believe she played her part of pharaoh well.
Nitocris: But I...
Nitocris: ...
Fujimaru 1: She seems kind of sad.
Fujimaru 2: Nitocris...
Mash: Yes, Senpai. I agree. She seems depressed.
Mash: For some reason she doesn't look like she's touched her wine.
Nitocris: ...I guess you can tell.
Nitocris: I'm... an inexperienced pharaoh.
Nitocris: When I see all these great pharaohs here... When I subject myself to their gaze...
Nitocris: I feel depressed... N-No, more like ashamed.
Mash: But Iskandar said that you're the oldest pharaoh in Chaldea, right?
Mash: In other words, you were alive in the Age of Gods. You're a pharaoh from the ancient times...
Nitocris: You think in terms of your magecraft. The older and greater Mystics possess more power.
Nitocris: But to me, time means nothing.
Nitocris: It's about how a pharaoh–the child of a god, a godlike king, a god incarnate–should be.
Nitocris: ...I don't know why I'm a Heroic Spirit.
Nitocris: Do you know why I was not taken to the eternal afterlife?
Nitocris: Ozymandias never chose it to begin with, but me...
Nitocris: Me... I'm sure I just never made it there.
Nitocris: Fujimaru, my ally... maybe I should talk to you about this.
Nitocris: I...
Nitocris: I am a foolish pharaoh. I closed off my own path to the afterlife.
Nitocris: I took my own life without preparing for what lay beyond. But I have no regrets.
Nitocris: I turned into a weapon for the sake of my brothers...
Nitocris: ...Those treacherous retainers who used pharaohs like puppets... Those fools who mocked the position of pharaoh...
Nitocris: I sent them all to the bottom of the Nile... Without mercy, without hesitation, and without regret.
Fujimaru 1: So you got your revenge.
Fujimaru 2: So that means... you killed them.
Nitocris: Yes, I slaughtered them with my own hands.
Nitocris: Perish, you foul creatures!
Nitocris: No one will hear your screams, your groans, or your cries for help!
Nitocris: I will kill you all! You should be happy to be embraced by the waters of the Nile as you die!
Nitocris: You used my brothers as puppets... You murdered them all...
Nitocris: I will never forgive you. You shall never be forgiven! Never! Never! I've been waiting for this day...!
Retainers: Why, Nitocris? We were the ones who helped you become pharaoh!
Nitocris: It was for this day. Everything. Everything I've done was to kill you all.
Nitocris: That has been my only reason for living. Just so that you would choose me as your next puppet...
Nitocris: I made you think you could control my dignity, my being, my body, my will.
Nitocris: And you fell right into my trap. When you heard I had a gift for you, what did you think it was?
Nitocris: A lavish banquet? A treasure of gold? Or maybe—Oh, you thought you could even have me?
Nitocris: But this is the end. I will end it all for you. The hubris of trying to control a pharaoh... It stops here!
Retainers: Stop it! No! We don't want to die! Save us...!
Nitocris: Make your pleas to my dear brothers! To the ones you killed without any mercy!
Nitocris: You will not travel to the eternal afterlife. Ha, ha, but rest assured. I am the same. I will follow you soon.
Nitocris: I will find you in death and torment you for eternity!
Nitocris: I killed them... and then myself.
Nitocris: ...After putting up with so much, I'd finally taken my revenge.
Nitocris: Come to think of it, maybe I'm so short-tempered as a Heroic Spirit because of my deeds in life.
Nitocris: I am a puppet of a pharaoh. At best, all I ever accomplished was revenge.
Nitocris: That's why I've tried to be as proper as possible.
Nitocris: I punished them for their impiety in attempting to control the position of pharaoh. I tried to restore honor to the pharaoh name.
Nitocris: The pride I have as pharaoh does exist within my heart, but even still...
Nitocris: If I compare myself to the other pharaohs, I shiver just thinking how small I am...
Nitocris: I'm so pathetic... I can't even bring myself to face them...!
Ozymandias: ...
Iskandar: Hey, small one.
Iskandar: Let's see. How's this? (Beep, beep.) There.
Iskandar: Difficulty setting? Oooh... “Sparta Mode.” That's got a nice ring to it. Must mean it's as strong as them. That settles it, then...
Mash: Iskandar? What are you doing in front of that console...?
Dr. Roman: Huh? Hey! Helloooo?
Dr. Roman: The training program just activated. Are you guys doing something?
Iskandar: Of course we are! The wine has warmed our bodies. How about we swing our swords for a little entertainment!
Iskandar: By the way, I'll be assisting the enemy.
Nitocris: ...!?
Ozymandias: I am tired of all the cheap wine. It might be fun to play along with you!
Ozymandias: Rejoice, pretenders! Rather than eradicating you, I will shine from on high.
Ozymandias: Even those who are not truly alive weep tears of joy. Sear the light of the pharaoh into you!
Iskandar: I see. That puts Master with Mash and Nitocris. A good team.
Mash: When did we say we were all joining in!?
Dr. Roman: I don't really get what's going on there, but am I right in assuming there's going to be a fight in the simulator?
Dr. Roman: Well, just don't get hurt, okay?
Nitocris: I... I have to fight a proper pharaoh? That would just be too disrespectful...
Iskandar: I won't forgive desertion. If you run, you will face the consequences.
Iskandar: What do you think, Sun King?
Ozymandias: Escape and defeat are not fit for the divinity of the pharaohs! Thus...
Iskandar: That's right. If you run, you must renounce the title of pharaoh.
Nitocris: ...!?
Iskandar: Never address yourself that way. Never use the name. And...let's see... Say you're sorry for being a pharaoh up until now.
Nitocris: I-I can't...do that...
Nitocris: I am a pharaoh, no matter how short my reign was! I just can't renounce that fact!
Iskandar: Then you must fight. I don't have to say this, but you'll face the same consequences if you lose. It'd also be boring if you threw the game.
Iskandar: On the contrary, if you win... we'll give you some sort of reward.
Ozymandias: You speak too much, King of Conquerors.
Ozymandias: Nitocris, even after receiving my endless splendor, will your mirror still reflect darkness, or won't it?
Ozymandias: If you're a pharaoh, then withstand it! If you can't, you will fade away. That's all there is to it!
Mash: Looks like...we have no choice but to fight!
Nitocris: Fujimaru! My ally!
Nitocris: I'm an inexperienced pharaoh. But the fact that I am still a pharaoh is my pride.
Nitocris: If I'm going to lose that, then I can't afford to run or lose!
Nitocris: I must win this fight no matter what! Lend me your power! No, PLEASE lend me your power!
--BATTLE--:
Nitocris: (Panting)
Mash: That was intense!
Dr. Roman: Y-You guys won. You won against three pharaohs that symbolize an era!
Iskandar: Heh, heh... Ha, ha, ha! We lost! We lost!
Ozymandias: I had no intention of holding back. Perhaps that cheap wine and my arrogance came back to bite me.
Cleopatra: ...
Nitocris: Why are you all...
Mash: (Cleopatra's here too. When did she join the battle!?)
Iskandar: That's not the face a winner should make.
Iskandar: I did not hold back. Your determination was just greater than ours.
Iskandar: Listen up. You fought and defeated multiple pharaohs—myself included.
Iskandar: O Queen of the Mirror who lived in the ancient world... You're a perfect pharaoh in your own right.
Iskandar: I tell you this on my honor. You should be thankful for this reward.
Nitocris: ...!?
Cleopatra: That's right, Queen Nitocris. I witnessed it myself. It's just as you said.
Cleopatra: I saw your pride as a pharaoh...
Nitocris: Cleopatra...
Nitocris: (Huh...? How long have you been here?)
Iskandar: That's something I lack, to say the least.
Iskandar: In that respect, I think you're a better pharaoh than I am. There's nothing to be ashamed of.
Ozymandias: A better pharaoh!? Such a useless distinction! Just being a pharaoh is enough!
Ozymandias: It's pure arrogance to wish for any more than that.
Ozymandias: After all, it's established fact that I am the best and most venerable pharaoh. Anything more is fighting for scraps!
Ozymandias: You could be known only for your dark, vengeful acts... or for your numerous conquests... You could be the last of your kind...
Ozymandias: You could even be a young pharaoh who only reigned for a few days...
Ozymandias: No matter what kind of pharaoh you are, to me, there is very little difference!
Ozymandias: But that is why I understand your admiration towards me. It may be arrogant, but I do understand.
Ozymandias: Humans still extend their arms to the sun, even knowing they can't reach it. They attempt to touch the gods.
Ozymandias: There is nothing as meaningless as hanging your head in despair because you cannot reach me. That would be true arrogance.
Iskandar: Hey, you. You just counted me as a pharaoh, didn't you? It feels like I finally got my certificate of authenticity or something.
Ozymandias: ...Hah hah! This is some cheap wine! I'm not thinking properly, but my mouth keeps going!
Ozymandias: Let's go somewhere else and keep drinking, Rider. This time get me some wine that will at least let me talk properly!
Iskandar: You're a Rider too, you know? We can keep drinking, but there's not much in the way of wine around here...
Iskandar: Oh, but I do know a king with a big attitude whose wine happens to be very good.
Iskandar: All he'd need to do is fetch some more from the storeroom... I wonder where he is?
Mash: He left...
Nitocris: ...Were the pharaohs... trying to...
Nitocris: ...tell me that...all along?
Nitocris: ...Fujimaru.
Nitocris: I was a fool who, unable to make it to the eternal afterlife, eventually became a Heroic Spirit.
Nitocris: I thought it was a punishment by the gods, but...
Nitocris: But then I met Ozymandias and the other pharaohs. And not just them– I met you too. The best ally I could ever have.
Nitocris: This isn't a punishment. It's...
Nitocris: ...No, never mind.
Nitocris: I was just blurting out nonsense. It was just my imagination. Let's just forget it. Forget it!
Dr. Roman: I know I'm not really good at taking hints, but let me say this.
Dr. Roman: Since you guys fought at full force, the simulator's all messed up! It's...pretty tough to clean it up, you know...?
Fujimaru 1: Just let us do it.
Fujimaru 2: Us two will do it.
Mash: Yes, Senpai. That's true.
Mash: We'll take care of it, Nitocris, so go on ahead. Wherever you'd like.
Nitocris: ...Are you sure?
Mash: Of course.
Nitocris: ...(Bowing)
Mash: ...Pharaohs... Rulers of Egypt... I'm sure there is some kind of special bond between them...
Mash: Especially since it was such a long-lasting tradition.
Mash: ...Now then, Master. Let's do our best to clean up.
Mash: However, no matter how you look at it, this isn't a two-person job. I recommend calling for some help.
Mash: Doctor, you are listening, right?
Dr. Roman: ...I see. So when you said you two would do it, you were talking about me as well...
Dr. Roman: Hah... The pharaohs sure do everything on a grand scale... including affecting the simulator system... (Sigh)