Tristan
It Begins with Loss
Narration:
These are the things I let go of...the things I lost.
Narration:
I reach out, but the distance is infinite,
which only compounds my melancholy.
Narration:
And so I surrender, I stop my vain efforts,
and return to my own tasks.
Narration:
Ah...that is probably the beginning of my mistakes.
This hand is, truly...
Mash:
Is that a harp...?
It must be Tristan.
Fujimaru 1:
Somehow sounds even more sad than usual.
Fujimaru 2:
He's playing something different, isn't he?
Mash:
Yes.
Mash:
The music that he usually plays combines both cold vibrations and warm rhythms. But this...
Mash:
I can sense a heavy sadness, like someone is lost at the bottom of the sea all alone...
Bedivere:
Oh? It appears Sir Tristan is thinking of something sad.
Mash:
Bedivere...
Fujimaru 1:
Something sad?
Bedivere:
The music that the knight plays usually reflects his present mood.
Bedivere:
If he's happy, he plays a happy tune. When he's sad, a sad song. He can express even the most complex of emotions with his harp.
Mordred:
Aww, Bird Boy is sad again?
That's a switch.
Mash:
Mordred!
Bedivere:
Mordred, do you have any idea why Sir Tristan is so melancholy today?
Mordred:
'Course not.
...Ehh...maaaybe...
Mordred:
If that dork, a guy so dense he could sleep through a parade, is sad...
Mordred:
It's gotta be because of our king or some girl.
Mordred:
Either one of those'll set him off real fast.
Bedivere:
That's true...
Fujimaru 1:
He slept through a parade?
Bedivere:
Yes...
Bedivere:
After a victorious expedition,
we returned home in triumph with our king.
Bedivere:
We received a joyous reception from the citizenry.
Bedivere:
But...while we were riding through the fanfare...
Sir Tristan was asleep on his horse.
Bedivere:
Sir Lancelot obvious reprimanded him, but he may even have been sleeping through the lecture.
Mordred:
Eh, looking at that guy you can't hardly tell if he's asleep or awake anyway!
Mordred:
Unless something is REALLY serious, he's always got his eyes closed. Somehow he's still aware of his surroundings, though.
Bedivere:
I read somewhere that animals like bats and whales possess an ability called echolocation.
Bedivere:
Perhaps Sir Tristan is like that.
Mash:
That is...certainly a theory.
Mordred:
Well then, he's got to be a bat! We're already not sure whether he's a bird or a human anyway!
Bedivere:
Well, that is quite rude, Sir Mordred.
But Sir Tristan's nerves are truly mystifying.
Bedivere:
He possesses sensitivity, impudence,
transience, and incorrigibility...
Bedivere:
An animal that is tranquil, unreadable, but is said to shed tears at times...indeed, I suppose comparing him to a whale is appropriate.
Tristan:
...Sir Bedivere.
Sir Mordred.
Mordred:
Ack!
Mash:
Oh, Tristan.
Tristan:
I have come, Master.
Tristan:
I've heard my name bandied about with some unkind words.
Fujimaru 1:
It's those two.
Fujimaru 2:
Something about a bat or whale...
Tristan:
That is...hmmm. A bat is out of the question because they are lacking in eloquence, but I suppose a whale isn't so bad.
Mordred:
Eh? Seriously!?
Bedivere:
See what I mean?
That's what this whale-man is like.
Mordred:
What the heck!? Bats fly and they suck blood! They are SO much cooler than whales! They're freakin' badass!
Tristan:
...Ah, I am suddenly stricken with sadness.
So, a bad man is what you see as beautiful...
Tristan:
As knights, I believe we must change that perspective. The same goes for the heartless Sir Bedivere.
Tristan:
Haha...my fingers are itching to play music.
It's been a while, but shall I play some battle songs?
Mordred:
Um...it's time for my training!
See ya!
Bedivere:
And I remembered I need to return the books I borrowed from the library. I'm thrice overdue, so I must be sure to return them today!
Tristan:
...(Sigh)
Mash:
Tristan, are you mad?
Tristan:
No, not at all.
Tristan:
It's hardly news that Mordred is so...lively,
nor that Bedivere is so strict with me.
Tristan:
But I am not known as Tristan,
the Child of Sadness for nothing.
Tristan:
The sadness that I bear in my heart does not simply disappear so easily.
Tristan:
So during our next battle simulation, I shall stand against him and focus my attention on my target!
Mash:
(He's so angry!)
Tristan:
Though I have to admit...I am at least a little angry after hearing that conversation.
Tristan:
(Sigh)... Sir Bedivere really knows how to push my buttons...
Fujimaru 1:
By the way, that harp...
Tristan:
Ah, I see you've noticed.
...I was remembering the past.
Fujimaru 2:
Did something sad happen?
Tristan:
How direct of you. Yes...I was remembering something very sad from very long ago.
Tristan:
I was thinking of Iseult.
Mash:
Isn't Iseult your...
Tristan:
There were, in fact, two Iseults in my lifetime.
Tristan:
One was the Iseult I loved.
The other was the Iseult with white hands who loved me.
Tristan:
...Most people get the wrong idea about this story if I tell it.
Tristan:
They think of it as a story of an immoral two-timer, figuring that makes sense for a handsome man like me.
Fujimaru 1:
Well...
Tristan:
It's fine.
No need to sugarcoat your words.
Fujimaru 2:
Didn't you love them both?
Tristan:
Yes.
And that is the problem.
Tristan:
Ultimately, did I really love someone?
Mash:
Eh...!?
Tristan:
According to legend, my falling in love was the work of a love potion.
Tristan:
That mad, passionate feeling...I never once felt it with the Iseult with the white hands.
Tristan:
But that was just the effects of the potion. Could it have been a mistake...a fleeting dream one night?
Tristan:
Yes. And all this seems to come from the fact that I was never loved once, not from the moment I was born.
Tristan:
As I never knew love during my childhood,
perhaps I never learned to love others.
Tristan:
Thinking on such things immediately drags me down, and the next thing I knew, I was playing this music.
Mash:
No, I don't think that is true.
Mash:
Tristan, you're the sort who would never think twice about sacrificing his life for others.
Tristan:
Ah, that is simply how a knight should be.
But...ah, however...
Tristan:
As Sir Bedivere mentioned,
maybe I do fail as a human being?
Tristan:
As a melancholy dragon who never knew love, I can't help but to think I may well end up crushed under Martha's foot!
Fujimaru 1:
STOP!
Tristan:
But I'm not moving.
Fujimaru 2:
Calm down!!!
Tristan:
I am calm.
My heart is beating at a normal rate.
Tristan:
I can check my pulse if you would like.
Gawain:
Haha, Tristan's up to his old tricks. Once he gets started on a self-loathing rant, there's really no stopping him. He'll be at this for a while.
Mash:
Gawain!
Tristan:
Sir Gawain...
Tristan:
But...I'm sure even you would not understand my suffering.
Gawain:
Of course I wouldn't understand. Not so much your sadness as WHY you are always getting so sad.
Gawain:
Nobody can best you when it comes to loving someone...at least that's what I think.
Gawain:
Love is a shapeless thing to begin with.
Even loyalty is a type of love, wouldn't you agree?
Gawain:
It has nothing to do with physical lust.
The intensity of passion is also meaningless.
Gawain:
For example, let's say that there is a man who was weak and mild-mannered. He then took a woman to be his wife...
Gawain:
But then, a powerful entity threatened his life, unless he would trade it for his wife. And the man, sadly, complied.
Gawain:
Would you say that he did not love his wife?
Gawain:
Who are we, who are much better able to fight such a being, to say that such a man did not love his wife?
Tristan:
Well...
Gawain:
Love is not just about not wanting to let go.
It's not that you don't know love...
Tristan:
I...
Gawain:
...My apologies. I may have overstepped my bounds...
I got too aggressive, just as I do in battle.
Gawain:
Master. Please do not trouble yourself about Tristan's lamentations.
Gawain:
This cloud of sadness can simply be blown away by force. Working up a sweat in the simulator should distract him.
Fujimaru 1:
You're right.
Fujimaru 2:
Care to try, Tristan?
Tristan:
...I suppose.
Tristan:
It feels a touch impulsive and perhaps even brutish, but I suppose I should try Sir Gawain's idea.
Tristan:
Very well, then, Master, please give me your orders.
Tristan:
In my present wavering state, it's best if I ask you to make the decisions here.
Gawain:
Then use a simulation of me for his opponent.
Please make him as strong as possible.
Gawain:
After all, the intention here is to distract Sir Tristan from his perpetual melancholy.
Gawain:
His opponent should be a knight with all the force and power of the sun!
Fujimaru 1:
A full-power Gawain!?
Mash:
...I'm having trauma flashbacks, too, Senpai!
Mash:
For Tristan's sake, let's give him all our support!
Fujimaru 2:
Good luck Tristan!
Tristan:
Yes, I am well aware of how terrifying a full-powered Sir Gawain can be.
Tristan:
I shall set aside my inner anguish for now and concentrate on fighting!
--BATTLE--:
Mash:
Good work, Senpai.
Mash:
...He was strong.
Tristan:
What a brute. So much so that I nearly lost the melody that has been in my head this whole time.
Tristan:
Fortunately, that let me concentrate on the battle.
Tristan:
Still, I can hardly believe the pain that even a Servant can feel!
Tristan:
No wonder others call this a second life.
Fujimaru 1:
Don't get too hung up on it.
Tristan:
I will try.
Tristan:
I cannot forget that if I become a burden to my Master,
I am a failure as a knight.
Tristan:
I shall set my sadness aside.
Fujimaru 2:
If you want to talk...
Tristan:
Yes, I know I can come to you, Master.
I have no intention of keeping secrets from you.
Tristan:
My song has a certain bounce to it now.
It seems tonight I will be playing a pleasant tune.
Tristan:
Good night, Master.
May we both have pleasant dreams.
Narration:
...I dreamt I became a bird and flew through the air.
Narration:
I've always felt that dreams of this sort are philosophical in a way.
Narration:
Something about seeking freedom.
Or something like a bird is dreaming about you.
Narration:
But that is not possible.
Narration:
My name is Tristan. A Knight of the Round Table...
No, I am a Heroic Spirit. A Servant. An Archer.
Narration:
I open my eyes with conviction.
I know Master is before me.
Narration:
Master does not look bewildered.
[♂ He /♀️ She} looks straight at me.
Narration:
[♂ He /♀️ She} is not strict like my king,
but also not gentle like a saint.
Narration:
I was captivated by those intensely human eyes.
Narration:
Master, am I dreaming?
Narration:
In response, [♂ he /♀️ she} nodded.
Tristan:
I see.
So we're in my dream.
Fujimaru 1:
That's how this usually goes, yeah...
Tristan:
I see.
Tristan:
In brief, this is more the inside of a Servant's mental world than it is a dream.
Tristan:
I had no idea that you fought for any purpose other than restoring humanity, whether in or outside Servants' dreams.
Tristan:
You work so much, Master.
So hard and so tirelessly.
Fujimaru 1:
Not really.
Tristan:
Is that so?
Tristan:
But when you do awaken,
please use me as you would a manservant.
Fujimaru 2:
This is actually fun.
Tristan:
...What? Your mental fortitude is enough to cause even me to open my eyes in shock.
Tristan:
No...could it be that after so many harsh battles,
you are simply always mentally prepared for more?
Tristan:
That is impressive all on its own. I should like to be so strong, but that is a difficult thing to be...
Tristan:
So this grassy plain is my mental world?
It's peaceful, but boring.
Tristan:
...No, I'm being too harsh.
Tristan:
If there is some entity lurking in my psyche,
then danger is sure to be nearby.
Tristan:
We must cautious, even of something so small as a rabbit. After all, even a tiny, innocent rabbit may turn out to be the dreaded vorpal bunny.
Tristan:
Its got sharp...well, it bites HARD! Even the eleventh of our number, Sir Bors, was decapitated by a single attack from the dreaded vorpal bunny.
Tristan:
Under the light of the sun, Sir Gawain was forced to use all his strength to hold the rabbit down while Sir Lancelot beat it with Arondight!
Tristan:
And then Sir Mordred darted in and kicked it viciously! And Merlin just...kept talking about the king like a broken record.
Tristan:
And, finally, we defeated this greatest of foes!
Fujimaru 1:
That's...really a thing?
Tristan:
...
Tristan:
My apologies, Master. I may have embellished a bit.
I was just trying to lighten the mood.
Fujimaru 1:
Keep your day job, Tristan.
Tristan:
How odd...
Sir Bedivere always found that story hilarious.
Tristan:
Could it be...that he was faking it?
Fujimaru 2:
I-is that so...?
Tristan:
During our next Round Table discussion,
I will definitely try to make Master laugh.
Tristan:
Ah, it seems the real beast has come upon us while we were japing.
Tristan:
Is that a beast within my heart,
or is it my malicious thoughts given form?
Tristan:
Either way, Master.
Let's fight together.
--BATTLE--:
Tristan:
They were not so tough.
Tristan:
If that is the evil that dwells in my heart,
it is...unimpressive.
Tristan:
But I thought all would be resolved when we defeated those enemies...
Fujimaru 1:
We're not waking up, though...
Tristan:
I'm terribly sorry.
It's almost nightfall.
Tristan:
How odd for night to come even in my dreams.
Tristan:
You must be tired.
Let's find an inn so you can rest.
Narration:
But to be honest,
I'm not sure where we are in the first place.
Narration:
We have no choice but to wander aimlessly. Aside from the beast we encountered, we haven't come across a single living being.
Narration:
Troubling.
Narration:
I asked Master whether a ritual of some sort was needed to wake us up, but [♂ he /♀️ she} did not have a definitive answer.
Narration:
Rather, [♂ he /♀️ she} asked if anything rang a bell to me.
Narration:
I was asked, so I thought.
Something necessary to wake up...
Narration:
I thought of two options.
First was suicide.
Narration:
In other words, if I slit my own throat, I would probably wake up. However, I doubt that was the answer to our troubles.
Narration:
If this was, by chance, an illusion established by the enemy, I would be a fool who abandoned my master.
Narration:
The second option: find my true enemy.
Narration:
It was hard to believe that that beast was the enemy who dwelled within my heart. There must be an entity...a source...that had given life to that beast.
Tristan:
...Hm?
Fujimaru 1:
Is that...a city?
Tristan:
Let's check it out, Master. That may at least spare us having to camp outside for the night.
Tristan:
It's...empty...
And this city is...
Narration:
A faint memory seems to be stirring...
Narration:
My instincts were screaming,
warning me not to set foot in this place.
Tristan:
Master. Let's get out of here immediately.
This city is dangerous.
Fujimaru 1:
But...
Tristan:
You are right in thinking this place is deserted,
but that is precisely why it is so dangerous.
Fujimaru 1:
Isn't this Camelot?
Tristan:
...!!!
Tristan:
How...do you know the name of this city?
No, I guess it's obvious.
Tristan:
We are in the Singularity...Camelot.
It should have been restored already...
Tristan:
...But that person is not here!
Tristan:
Even if they were here, I would...
Fujimaru 1:
Choose.
Tristan:
...Master?
Narration:
It is surprising how much can be learned from the sound of breathing alone.
Narration:
It can tell us whether someone is calm, angry, or sad...whether they are lying, happy, or even waiting for a chance to strike and kill.
Narration:
But the breath that you, Master, just drew when you spoke, was not that of a human being.
Tristan:
You are not Master.
If you are not Master...
Tristan:
YOU were the one who was dwelling within me!
Gawain?:
Hahaha. You, sir, get overeager and make a terrible mistake at the crucial moment.
Tristan:
!?
Gawain?:
See, this is what happens when you abandon your attack to simply wait and see what happens.
Gawain?:
You wouldn't be in this mess had you already taken down the unknown entity disguised as Master.
Tristan:
You are...no, not Sir Gawain.
Tristan:
To take his form disgraces us all.
You must disappear immediately.
Lancelot?:
Ah, Sir Tristan.
What led you to that conclusion?
Lancelot?:
You have no basis for saying so. We are mere Servants who are not even Heroic Spirits.
Lancelot?:
We are degraded imitations that manage to establish our existence with Master acting as an anchor.
Enforcement Knight?:
...But that is not the case for you.
Enforcement Knight?:
You are the Knight of the Round Table himself. You have sworn your loyalty to a certain individual.
Tristan:
Shut up.
Bedivere?:
No, I will not.
Bedivere?:
The more you wish to silence us,
the more we must speak.
Tristan:
...Nnngh!
Tristan:
Do not talk of our brotherhood!
Do not slander our loyalty!
Tristan:
Every time you change forms, you besmirch the honor of the Knights of the Round Table!
Agravain?:
Then tell us your name.
Tristan:
Tristan. Tristan of Sadness.
What of it?
Mordred?:
Yeah, that's right. But you're missing something, dumbass. You're a Knight of the Round Table.
Tristan:
That's right. A Knight of the Round Table.
Though in the end, I relinquished that seat...
???:
And by relinquishing that seat, you must have renewed that vow of yours. Vowed that you would offer your everything to THAT person...
Tristan:
That's...
Narration:
It was like opening up an old wound.
Narration:
Every accusations they throw at me reminded me I was back in that Singularity.
Enforcement Knight?:
Why do you quarrel, sir?
Didn't that massacre feel good to you?
Tristan:
Quiet!
Gawain?:
“Nightless.”
Lancelot?:
“Fierce.”
Mordred?:
“Rampage.”
Narration:
I'm dizzy.
I feel like throwing up.
Narration:
Don't remember...remember... You should have forgotten. No, a partial image must still be burned into your mind.
Narration:
“Reversal.”
Narration:
Irrevocable massacre. Devastation beyond hope of repair. Crime beyond hope of redemption...
F：???:
You want to have another taste of it.
Look, you're laughing.
Tristan:
...!
Narration:
I unconsciously covered my mouth after hearing those words. And at that moment, I was crushed by a darkness of great pressure and intensity.
Tristan:
...ter...
Tristan:
...ster...
Tristan:
...Master...
Tristan:
How many times...must...I commit this...mistake...?
How can I...atone...for these...sins...?
--BATTLE--:
Gawain:
We heard this was an emergency,
so we came as fast as we could!
Lancelot:
Hm, I'm second?
Lancelot, reporting for duty.
Bedivere:
Did you call for us, Master?
...This is...
Mordred:
Hey, what's going on?
Did you call the whole Round Table?
Mash:
Okay, let me explain the situation!
Mash:
Tristan...Rayshifted somewhere and has disappeared.
Mordred:
Huh?
Without Master!?
Gawain:
Wait, we can Rayshift without permission?
Gawain:
I thought we could only Rayshift when accompanied by Master?
Da Vinci:
Well, there are few tricks you can pull,
but nothing like whatever's been done here.
Da Vinci:
It was as if he was kidnapped...
Tristan's Spirit Origin just disappeared...
Da Vinci:
And next thing we know,
there's a weird new Singularity.
Da Vinci:
Well, it's not exactly a Singularity. It would hardly show up as even a tiny stain on the tapestry of history.
Da Vinci:
It's more like a little piece of lint. Even the faintest breeze would blow it off of the fabric of history.
Da Vinci:
On the flip side...
Da Vinci:
It means that Tristan is in the most dire of all situations because he's in a place that could disappear at any moment.
Everyone:
...
Fujimaru 1:
Want to come with me?
Gawain:
Obviously.
Lancelot:
Leave it to us, Master.
Bedivere:
I'll accompany you.
Mordred:
...
Mordred:
Pass. You've got plenty of help.
Should be fine.
Gawain:
Mordred...I see...you're not quite in top form because you...ate something strange...
Gawain:
No matter how wild and strange of an animal you may be, you are still a member of the nobility...and so I can understand why you've responded as you have.
Lancelot:
By God!
Lancelot:
Sir Mordred. Are you not feeling well?
Did you eat too much ice cream this summer?
Bedivere:
Or are you still angry at Sir Tristan for accidently shooting you the other day?
Bedivere:
That was an unfortunate accident. You know Tristan makes foolish mistakes like that sometimes.
Mordred:
You're all wrong!
Shut-up, tri-fold-man!
Mordred:
And Bedivere!
Is THAT what happened the other day!?
Mordred:
I knew something was funky when I felt like something was cutting into my back...
Mash:
So she didn't even notice...
Bedivere:
(Ack, I put my foot in my mouth...!)
Mordred:
Actually, I have a bad feeling about this.
Gawain:
Hm. Sir Mordred's animalistic instinct has never led us astray...which means this will be difficult.
Gawain:
Remember how you were lucky enough to run into me while I was in terrible shape because I hadn't fully healed after Lancelot?
Gawain:
I'd normally beat you without even breaking a sweat, even at night. That defeat was due entirely to my own bad luck.
Mash:
...!
Mordred:
That wasn't bad luck. You're just a freakin' idiot. You were the one who let the king go without even arguing the point.
Mordred:
If you had two brain cells to rub together under all that muscle, I might not've had such an easy time defeating you.
Gawain:
Oh?
Gawain:
Oh, so you say that might've made it harder, hm?
Tell me this: Would you have a harder time fighting me without your head!?
Mash:
U-um...excuse me...!
Mordred:
...Calm down, Mash.
Mordred:
We're not gonna fight...
We're all just messing around! Round Table jests!
Fujimaru 1:
Jokes at the Round Table are not for the faint of heart...
Da Vinci:
Yeah, fighting and holding grudges doesn't work so well for a team dynamic.
Da Vinci:
Just accept them as jokes that KILL.
Mordred:
Anyway, I'm still giving this one a pass.
Mordred:
I got this feeling that I need to stay right where I am.
Gawain:
...I see.
Lancelot:
Then we three shall go...
Bedivere:
Yes.
Bedivere:
We shall save Sir Tristan and remove this piece of lint from history!
Da Vinci:
The lint thing is just a metaphor!
Fujimaru 1:
Anyway, let's go.
Mordred:
Yeah, have fun everyone!
I'll be by to pick up your corpses later!
Da Vinci:
If Fujimaru ends up dead,
the world will be in real trouble.
Da Vinci:
Anyway, get in your Coffins.
The Knights of the Round Table, go rescue Tristan!
Fujimaru 2:
Let's go save Tristan.
Da Vinci:
...I knew you'd say that.
I went ahead and prepared the Rayshift for you.
Lancelot:
You're amazing, Miss Da Vinci.
Da Vinci:
It's all good as long as I can still do whatever the heck I want! Okay, time to head out!
Gawain:
This is...!
Bedivere:
...
Lancelot:
Yes...it's Camelot, the holy city.
But it's empty.
Mash:
I'm not detecting any enemies nearby.
Mash:
I am getting a Servant reading up ahead, though.
Gawain:
Wouldn't that be Sir Tristan?
Mash:
Actually, the Spirit Origin values are fluctuating. Whatever it is, it's not stable.
Mash:
Please be careful, everyone.
You too, Master.
Lancelot:
No point standing around.
Let's go see if we can talk to him.
Lancelot:
Let's go...!
Gawain:
!?
Lancelot:
Ugh...!
Bedivere:
What!?
Tristan:
...I have been waiting for you all.
Mash:
Tristan...!
Fujimaru 1:
This aura...
Fujimaru 2:
Something's...different about him.
Tristan:
Master.
I...I'm no longer just.
Tristan:
The moment I deemed that killing innocent citizens was fine, I should have ceased to exist as a Heroic Spirit.
Tristan:
The gift of Inversion is simply an excuse.
Mash:
Tristan, are you saying that your memories from the Sixth Singularity have...!?
Fujimaru 1:
That wasn't you!
Tristan:
No, THAT was the real me!
Fujimaru 2:
But you were reversed!
Tristan:
What of it if I was reversed!?
Tristan:
It was still me!
Bedivere:
I don't quite understand the situation...
Bedivere:
But Sir Tristan, open your eyes. No matter how terrible your actions, there is no sin that cannot be redeemed.
Bedivere:
So long as you are truly remorseful...even if you are never forgiven, you still have a chance at atonement.
Tristan:
Sir Bedivere, my comrade.
You do not know.
Tristan:
Moments ago, I experienced the reversed version of myself.
Lancelot:
...!
Gawain:
What!?
Tristan:
I now understand why I know nothing of love.
Tristan:
A monster so evil as me should never be loved.
Tristan:
I should be killed.
Please, destroy me!
Tristan:
A fool like me deserves no more than having his comrades lop his head off.
Gawain:
That is absolute nonsense, Sir Tristan!
That is no reason for us to draw our swords against you!
Tristan:
Then I shall kill Master.
All Three:
!!!
Tristan:
There's no cause for surprise here.
Tristan:
As I said before... The inverted me is my true self.
It is only natural that I should drown myself in malice.
Lancelot:
...!
Lancelot:
Master.
Lancelot:
I don't understand what's happened,
but we need to stop Tristan first!
Gawain:
That's right. Sir Tristan, we may be at least partially the cause of your madness...
Bedivere:
Honestly...
Bedivere:
Master, please get behind us.
This...may turn into an astonishingly violent battle.
Bedivere:
My Airgetlám knows no mercy.
I shall destroy that sinister harp's sadness at its source!
--BATTLE--:
Lancelot:
Ungh!
Gawain:
Even after the beating we've given you, you're still standing! Where are you getting this endurance?
Tristan:
In addition to my Gift of Inversion, I have also been given the Gifts of Nightless and Rampage.
Mash:
Who gave them to you!?
Mash:
It certainly shouldn't be the Lion King.
She should already have disappeared!
Tristan:
I do not know myself.
It must be some cruel and unfathomable being.
Tristan:
But even that bit of ridiculousness made me realize something: I am truly a monster.
Tristan:
And I never even realized it, all while I lamented over my own origin, crying about my own inability to understand human emotion!
Tristan:
That's why...I could never be loved.
Mash:
That's not true!
Tristan, you're...
Fujimaru 1:
Mash, it's no use.
Mash:
...Tristan, I believe in you.
Fujimaru 2:
You're wrong, Tristan.
Tristan:
Then in order to prove my villainy...
Tristan:
I shall...I shall lop your head off...Master!!!
Bedivere:
Tristan!!!
Mordred:
What the hell are you whinging about, Bird Boy?
Tristan:
!?
Mash:
Mordred!?
Mordred:
Yo, Tristan.
Tristan:
I see you did not come with the party.
How unlike you, wild dog that you are, to cower in fear.
Mordred:
Okay, everyone, STOP CALLING ME A DOG!
Mordred:
Ugh. Fine. If I'm a dog, what's that make you?
A little bug?
Mordred:
A tiny bug buzzing about...
A pissant that doesn't know what love is?
Tristan:
As ever, your provocations are the most grating of insults.
Mordred:
Oh, I got plenty more for you when you get back.
Mordred:
You're given all those gifts, then you bitch and bitch and bitch, then fall into some desperate madness!? What a damn wimp! Pathetic!
Tristan:
What would you know?
Mordred:
Hell if I know.
Mordred:
But now I know the reason why I didn't tag along.
Tristan:
...?
Mordred:
The real expert in self-flagellation is the damn king.
Mordred:
Your quibbling and all that whining would REALLY piss her off!
Mordred:
And if SHE's going to put in an appearance, all I could do is stay the hell away, or we might all end up killing each other.
Tristan:
What are you saying...
No...impossible...
Tristan:
It can't be!!!
F：???:
I have come in answer to a call from afar.
F：???:
Sir, I see you are lost.
Tristan:
...King of the sacred lance!
Tristan:
Even for you, I will not compromise!
Altria:
Then as your king, I will have your submission,
even if I must beat it into you.
Altria:
I am a king, but also a member of the Knights of the Round Table.
Altria:
Should my knights disagree,
I am fully prepared to handle their quarrel.
Altria:
Sir Tristan, show me your bow and its infinite arrows. With my sacred lance, I shall annihilate the source of your melancholy.
Tristan:
...Very well.
Tristan:
Sing, my Failnaught.
Sound the melody of my lament!
Altria:
Sacred lance, removing restraints.
Altria:
Master of Chaldea, I ask of you:
please take temporary command.
Altria:
I need to give this thickheaded knight a moment of silence and reflection.
Fujimaru 1:
Of course!
Altria:
I appreciate your willingness to help.
Altria:
...Let's go!
Fujimaru 2:
Thanks!
Altria:
No need to thank me.
Altria:
After all, this is my duty.
Now, let's go!
--BATTLE--:
B：Tristan:
Ungh!
My King! You do not understand me!
Altria:
No, it is you who does not understand yourself.
Altria:
No... It's not that you don't understand,
but that you refuse to.
Altria:
The light of Rhongomyniad will pierce through your blessings. And then...
Altria:
Master will destroy your hesitation.
Altria:
Master of Chaldea.
Do you know of Tristan's legend?
Altria:
While he did learn what love is, deep in his heart, he averted his gaze from it.
Fujimaru 1:
Tristan...
B：Tristan:
I...
Fujimaru 1:
Love and guilt are two different things.
Fujimaru 2:
Didn't you want to love?
B：Tristan:
!
B：Tristan:
I...I...
???:
It's a black sail, Sir Tristan.
Narration:
Even as my eyes grew dim from poison,
my hearing did not fail me.
Narration:
I heard a trembling voice,
a whisper like one confessing their crimes.
Narration:
Regret, sorrow, hatred. And yet another pure emotion remained, untainted by them.
B：Tristan:
Ah, I see. It was inevitable.
Narration:
I was truly very sorry.
Narration:
I must have hurt her so much...enough that it compelled her to say those words.
Narration:
Iseult. My Iseult with the white hands...the one who was by my side as I died.
Narration:
As my wife, you were loyal even while I was not.
And now the only thing I can do is believe.
Narration:
Yes. The black sail must have come.
Narration:
There was gratitude.
There was compassion.
Narration:
There was atonement.
Was there...ever love?
Narration:
My thoughts grow calmer. Is an inconstant man like me truly worthy and able to love such a good woman?
Narration:
No. I realized that at the moment of my death.
Narration:
That wild, passionate love I felt was the product of a love potion, not something within me.
Narration:
But I believed that was love. I believed it, and so continued to betray my Iseult of the white hands.
Narration:
I am truly a monster that does not know love.
Narration:
I was only ever loved by others,
never able to love another myself.
B：Tristan:
...No. That can't be true. I remember.
At the time, I was thinking...
B：Tristan:
“It would be my greatest regret if I died right here...”
B：Tristan:
“While leaving the most gentle woman I know to be so lonely and sad. I want to apologize to her...to talk to her...to tell her...”
B：Tristan:
“And I want to ask her: 'May I love you?'”
Narration:
And without having a chance to ask that myself, I made her tell me those words.
B：Tristan:
That's right...I...
B：Tristan:
I should have asked my question.
Even if the only answer would have been a curse or insult.
B：Tristan:
Even had it led to me losing my love,
I would have accepted that as just...
Altria:
(...The evil Gift has disappeared. But...the fairy princess, my older sister...does this mean she has manifested somewhere...?)
Altria:
Sir Tristan. I ask of you:
Do you still think you have never loved anyone?
Tristan:
...No.
Tristan:
What I lacked in life was not love, but courage.
Tristan:
I was constantly fearful of losing love, and therefore could not allow myself to love anything.
Tristan:
I loved two women. And that is fine.
And I will not discuss what that led to.
Tristan:
Thank you, Master.
And my king.
Tristan:
I can finally awaken from my dream.
Altria:
Gawain, Lancelot, Tristan...and...
Altria:
You must continue to dedicate yourselves to restoring humanity. Never forget to be proud of being Knights of the Round Table!
Mordred:
Oh, good, she's gone. Okay, Tristan.
I'm gonna give it to you straight:
Mordred:
Iseult of white hands and blondie Iseult? I'm pretty sure they'd have kicked a two-timing ass like you to the curb given half a chance.
Mordred:
Before you died of that poison, you should've gotten a big damn smack to the face!
Tristan:
Ha... I never imagined you of all people would be the one to point out the truth.
Tristan:
It's quite vexing, so remember this one thing when we get back:
Tristan:
I shall rain limitless arrows upon your unnecessary and demeaning personal attacks!
Mordred:
Yeah, firing off a buncha arrows while running away like a bitch is pretty much the definitive Archer move.
Lancelot:
Heh. Hold it right there, Sir Mordred.
There's still one last thing that Sir Tristan needs to do.
Lancelot:
Yes, a very important thing.
Mordred:
Huh?
What're you...
Tristan:
...?
Gawain:
Haha, yes, indeed, hahaha.
Gawain:
He was beyond confused...only able to snap to his senses after our king attacked him...he even attacked us with his Gift.
Lancelot:
And even the King was so focused on lecturing Sir Tristan, she only glanced toward us at the very end.
Lancelot:
No, no...
It's not that that made us jealous.
Tristan:
Sirs?
I mean, guys?
Tristan:
Are you...super pissed?
Tristan:
Well, okay, this did get out of hand enough that everyone had to get involved...
Tristan:
But at least...at least the conclusion was heartwarming, right...?
Fujimaru 1:
I understand how they feel...
Bedivere:
Indeed. All sins can be atoned for, Tristan.
Whether you will be forgiven is another matter.
Tristan:
...
Tristan:
Master.
Fujimaru 1:
Yeah.
Tristan:
Please...see to my funeral...
Fujimaru 1:
Is that another Round Table joke!?
Tristan:
Not a joke...!
All Three:
Brace yourself!
Mordred:
Sorry I took over.
Mash:
Oh, I don't mind. But do you think Tristan and the others are all right?
Mordred:
What do you mean, all right?
They're all set to come back whenever.
Mash:
Um, I mean...is anyone holding a grudge?
Mordred:
Grudge? 'Course not.
Mordred:
It'd be different if we went after each other all serious and stuff.
Mordred:
But they're just bickering with each other.
Just playing around.
Mash:
Playing around?
Really?
Mordred:
Yeah.
Wanna bet on it?
Mordred:
By tomorrow night, the four of them will be rolling around on the floor like a bunch of morons laughing like this was the funniest damn thing ever.
Mordred:
Honestly, the Knights of the Round Table are all complete nutjobs!