Dear Little Sister

All right! We won!

Yes. We have exhausted the enemy forces and suffered minimal casualties ourselves.

...So...we won...

We sure did! Nice job out there, Ms. Lancer!

(Hey, missy. You seeing this?)

(Yes. She seems to be a bit...)

(Yeah. She's kind of...off her game? Like her mind's somewhere else.)

... ...

？！

Oh, yes. I'm fine, Master.

Thank you for your consideration, but there's nothing wrong with me. I'm operating within normal parameters.

At least...I thought I was...

...No, you're right. I'm sorry.

I have had difficulty concentrating in battle. I am worried that I have been holding you all back.

Would you mind if I took a leave of absence, Master?

I see. So she asked for some time off, huh? That IS pretty unusual.

Servants ARE supernatural beings, but their minds are still essentially human.

We're waaay more durable than any human physically, but that doesn't mean we're immune to stress or exhaustion.

Plus, she's been doing her best not to bring up Sigurd lately... So that might be related.

Nothing good comes of repressing your feelings like that, you know.

？！

I mean comparatively. You know how much more she used to bring him up.

... ...

I only know what it's like to be a Demi-Servant, so my experience may not quite match Brynhild's...

Even when I was regularly Rayshifting to Singularities, I was always very glad to have some time off...

Talking with Senpai... Eating meals together...

Chatting with Dr. Roman during my checkups...

I enjoyed every moment of it.

I don't know how much that downtime affected my magical energy or vital signs...

...but it was very important to me, and I'm sure it did me a lot of good. So...

？！

Right, Senpai.

Remind me... Is she spending her time in her room right now?

Yes. She's been there ever since she returned from the Rayshift.

I just so happened to overhear your discussion and I must say that it does seem Brynhild would benefit from something of a tune-up, as it were.

A tune-up, he says! What a delightfully tactless way to ignore everything we just said about even Heroic Spirits needing rest. Truly, you are a detective without equal.

Still...I guess Holmes does have a point.

Brynhild's Spirit Origin is something of a special case even as these things go, since she was created by the Allfather of the Norse gods, Odin.

She may have managed to fit into the Servant container now, but she's still technically half Divine Spirit.

Frankly, that she's materialized like this at all is a miracle.

A miracle...

That's true... They may not make up a large number of the Servants we see, but...

...Ishtar, Ereshkigal, and Gorgon are all Divine Spirits as well.

？！

It's easy to lose sight of this now, but the fact that there are so many of them is still miraculous. I suppose it's also true that Chaldea's system for summoning Heroic Spirits is pretty special too.

...I would say so. They ARE Ghost Liners, after all!

That term refers to Heroic Spirits, a type of superior spiritual entity whose existence is comprised of records tied to humanity.

Harnessing their awesome power is one of the most difficult spells imaginable, even compared to the Clock Tower's evocationsah, summoning spells, in layman's terms.

Not to mention that such power is a far cry from something like low-level Demonic Beast or ghost summons. Heroic Spirits are indeed rare and powerful.

And from there, when you delve into how their ether bodies are given form and personality nearly identical to their living selves...

...how could one call the results anything BUT miraculous?

...Well now, you certainly know a lot about this, don't you, Mr. Holmes?

Well, I can't take TOO much credit. It is one thing to know, but quite another to act on that knowledge.

I see. So you don't deny it, huh... You never change, do you?

But we digress. Getting back to the topic at hand... The short of it is that Brynhild is special even by our rather odd standards.

A good Master would be wise to pay some attention to her.

And while I'm at it, I think I WILL give her Spirit Origin a tune-up. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary at her last checkup, but you never know.

Ho ho ho. I see you're in quite the predicament.

Th-that voice!

？！

That's me. Ho ho ho! Just Santa Claus passing by.

...I see. Say no more. I understand.

There is something amiss with that one, is there not? It seems she's found herself in a difficult position.

It happens to everyone sometimes. I think.

That is why I am here now! Yes, even though it is not yet that time of year, Santa Claus is coming to town!

？！

Please don't ask about that... I'll go back to my old self if I lose my concentration.

Please be nice. I'm trying very hard to remember what it was like in this Spirit Origin last time.

Besides, I need to save my strength for you-know-what.

Please help me, Fluffy Master?

Master! Altera!

I turned on the simulator like you asked, but...um, what do you plan to do in there?

We'll hunt and enjoy the winter wonderland, of course. But first, I need to recharge my Santa Power!

？！

Don't think too hard on it, young man. You just need to believe in Santa. And be careful not to get hurt!

Now, we can start by getting me accustomed to this body again! The first step is reclaiming my Santa Power. Or, at least, so I'm told.

I take it this means she wants to adjust her Spirit Origin to Santa Claus Archer?

Now, let us be off! I shall soon fill my cane with dreams! Assemble, rainbows, and fly across the sky!

...Hmm.

I'll need more Santa Power if I'm going to give Brynhild her present!

I think I'll stay here a little longer and try to gain more Santa Power.

But we shouldn't push ourselves too hard. Let's take a break, Master. I'll make an igloo so we can warm up.

...According to legend, Brynhild and Altera were family.

It is said that Brynhild was the younger sister of King Atli, who many believe is based on Attila the Hun.

I've heard stories to that effect before, but I can't speak to it myself.

One of them said I married a princess after her husband was killed. I think his name was Siegfried? Sigurd? Something along those lines.

No, I really don't remember any of that. I am a fighter, not a lover.

I can barely remember my wife at all, and I'm not even sure whether I had a sister or not.

I do recall the elder Huns worrying about my successor...

...but I don't know anything about it myself.

...Something about this doesn't make sense.

Altera, you're Attila the Hun, a figure from the fifth century.

But the Norse legends from the Saga and the Edda, including the one Wagner wrote about Brynhild, all came much later...

...so the timeline doesn't really seem to make sense.

？！

Right. There's no way to reconcile the legends and stories.

First of all, Norse mythology has a legend regarding the end of the gods: Ragnarök.

It was said to be the last battle waged between gods and monsters. This battle would bathe the world in fire and smash the ground down into the sea.

And by the end of the war, gods, monsters, and giants would all cease to be.

You could call it another sort of ending to the Age of Gods. In time, the Norse world began a new age of humans, rather than one of gods.

But it's unclear even now whether Brynhild's legend takes place before or after Ragnarök.

Yep. If the story of Brynhild and Sigurd and her death took place after the Christian era began...

...that is, if it took place after the end of the Age of Gods...

...it would mean that she and the other Valkyries would have been collecting souls for a war that was long over.

You've heard of the Valkyries before, right? They were a group of female warriors tasked with collecting the souls of fallen heroes to serve in the final battle.

So you'd think that must mean Brynhild came from the Age of Gods, before Ragnarök, right? But as it turns out

...Yes. A number of contradictions emerge there, specifically Altera, aka Attila the Hun.

There is just no way that a story about a king of the Huns from the fifth century...

...would appear in a story that takes place during the Age of Gods and still make sense.

So...

Well, you shouldn't take myth and legend at face value. You've gotta go digging for the truth in them.

For that matter, even in the world of magecraft, which is all about finding secret truths, opinions are mixed as to when exactly Ragnarök happened.

The most plausible theory puts it at around 1000 B.C.

It says that the eruption of Mt. Katla at that time was actually the fires of Muspelheim rampaging across the earth...

...and that in turn kicked off Ragnarök, the chain of events that led to the extinction of the Norse pantheon of gods as well as the giants.

...The fall of Norse civilization, huh?

If we consider the Age of Gods to be a sort of civilization, then yes, you could say that.

On the other hand, there's nothing in the geological record about a large-scale eruption of Katla taking place prior to A.D. 930.

But then, how could there be with an entire texture missing!

And by texture, I mean an entire layer of reality...the thin membrane covering this planet where our ecosystems exist.

That's why the Saga from the ninth century is the oldest known document we've got.

Humanity took a long time to collect those stories depicting the Norse Age of Gods in the Saga and Edda

...Hmm. That does seem to be what they say in the world of magecraft.

It took quite some time for mages to investigate and turn up anything about the eruption's aftermath and the end of the Norse Age of Gods.

And there is yet a great deal of uncertainty about even that. Between all the conjecture and inference necessary to arrive at that conclusion, the extent to which it is factual is still very much in doubt.

(I'm impressed you were able to follow along with them, Senpai!)

(M-me too, Senpai!)

？！

(I know I brought this up, but I actually lost track of things somewhere around Muspelheim...)

Well sure, if the lost carrier of the gods were to suddenly show up, that'd certainly upend the general scholarly consensus on the subject.

But that's just how most of these Age of Gods things go. You could count the ages we've been able to verify on one hand, and you wouldn't even need all of its fingers.

Indeed.

...Brynhild might know something about that time period, but she refuses to talk about it.

More often than not, that's how it goes with Heroic Spirits and Divine Spirits. Not that I'm one to talk.

Hahahaha.

What's so funny? You're certainly no better, you know! Worse, even!

Phew. The truth is difficult to discern, as always...

R-right...

Hmm, what a difficult topic. But then again, it seems like the real problem is the timelines not lining up.

？！

No, not really. More of a hunch than anything solid.

A hunch?

... ...

I can't say this for sure, but...I'm guessing my origins have something to do with it.

Your origins? You mean, Attila the Hun's...?

Oh?

I don't really have a clear grasp on it myself, so it's hard to explain, but I believe you could think about it like this:

Santa Claus is the Valkyries' big sister.

Santa flies across the sky with his reindeer, and if am not mistaken, the Valkyries fly around on winged horses.

They're so similar, it can't be a coincidence! There, I have just overturned the consensus!

(That was Jeanne Alter Santa Lily levels of ridiculous...!)

？！

Never mind that. Replenishing my Santa Power comes first. There! I see more enemies!

That's it, Christmas fairies! Help me remember the spirit of Christmas!

It's more than a little embarrassing to be wearing an outfit like this and not be at all feverish.

Now I'm counting on you fairies to blow that embarrassment right out of me!

...There, that should do it.

I was worried that without Doomzy here, I might just be my normal self in this strange costume...

...but fortunately, I was able to restore both my Archer Spirit Origin and my Santa Claus power.

At least...I think.

You think!?

At any rate, my Santa Power should now be more than sufficient to bring Brynhild her present!

Now let us be on our way! This is where Santa's work truly begins!

...Hm? Is she out?

Oh, there you are. Why are you just standing in the corner like that? It's very strange.

In any case, Brynhild, I am sorry it took so long, but Santa Claus has finally come to town.

...

I'm so sorry. You came all the way to my room, and I didn't even bother to greet you.

Master. And you

Ho ho ho. Santa Claus is here even out of season! I never did bring you a present, so I am here to remedy that now.

And lucky for you, young lady, I have just the thing for a very beautiful, very sad woman.

I...I already made my decision. I will not let myself be a bother to Master any longer.

I may not be able to stabilize my existence, but I can at least make sure I don't get in everyone's way.

That's why I asked for a leave of ab

Denied!

... ...

Not to worry. Whatever is wrong with your Spirit Origin, I'll fix it.

Ho ho ho. I may once have been known as the Whip of God...but today is different!

Today, as I am even Santa Claus off-season, I'm here to smack you with the Whip of Love.

Or, more accurately...

...I'm going to punch you.

？！

Oops, scratch that. I mean whap you with my cane. Just a little bonk on the head; nothing to worry about.

Once I smack you with my cane, there'll be some stars, and you'll feel better right away.

B-bonking? Stars...!? That sounds like...something out of a comic book...

But, Altera, how can just hitting someone be anything but!

Don't worry. She and I have much in common, so I know how she feels.

She looks like a delicate flower, but she's actually very tough at heart.

Since she's focused her skills and stats on combat, she should eventually remember her true Spirit Origin if we fight her in earnest!

That's okay. I'm not completely sure either!

Don't worry. I have no plans of destroying her!

？！

...So we're going to fight?

If you command me to fight, Master, I will obey. I have this form solely to be your Servant.

Whatever your orders, I will obey. Yes, I will follow you to the ends of the earth.

I am happy to fight by your side, Master. I am happy to be your opponent, too.

Use my skills however you must, Master.

I-if you insist on fighting, at least go to the simulator! Our rooms are NOT designed for combat training!

Da Vinci, would you mind prepping the simulator right away? I think we're about to have a battle!

I had a feeling we might, so it's all warmed up. Come on down whenever you're ready!

R-right. Senpai!

？！

Very well, let us be off! Brynhild, this is your chance to truly cut loose. I can take whatever you throw at me!

My cane's rainbows shall soon set you free from the unease that weighs upon your heart!

...There we go.

I'll admit I was a bit worried when you broke out the runic flame, but I'm glad to see you have returned to your former sharpness! Ho ho ho.

That is as it should be. Your spear is free of uncertainty.

Lady Altera...

...Uh-huh.

I'm so sorry, Valkyrie. I wish I could remember your name and face, but I cannot.

... ...

But...

...though it may only be a hazy fragment of something much larger now...

...if there truly was once a great Norse god we both worshipped...

...and if I truly was a big sister to you and the other Valkyries...

...then I think that would make me happy. And proud.

Brynhild. My sister.

Live in beauty, battle maiden. Please, don't go around looking so forlorn.

Hold your head up high. You and the others may have met tragic ends in myth, but I think THAT is what makes you so beautiful.

I am sure you lived a full life. If I close my eyes, I can see you so clearly, running across grassy plains.

So please...please don't feel so ashamed.

...

Divine Spirits, Heroic Spirits, Servants...we all feel out of sorts at times.

So when you have a problem, don't be afraid to ask for help. There is nothing wrong with that.

I promise you, our Master, and the rest of Chaldea, are more than strong enough to accommodate any difficulties that Servants may be having.

He won't crumble beneath the weight if some of us must lean on him for support. Right, Master?

？！

...Master...

Of course, I'm here too. And I think we'll need to keep talking about this, sister.

Otherwise, when your beloved makes his way to Chaldea one day...you might not be able to make full use of your spear.

And that would be a terrible waste, wouldn't it?

... ...

...You're right, Lady Altera.

Thank you so much. I promise I'll shape up. I see now that I must do better.

Yes. I'd almost forgotten who I really was.

One day...one day, I know I will take my beloved Sigurd in my arms and kill him with my spea

？！

...Right. I don't want to make trouble for you, Master. I only want to be useful.

So I will continue to do my best. Next time, I'll do better.

From now on, I'll always make sure to be completely open with you about what is happening. I will neither hide, nor run away.

Er, as long as that's okay with you...Master.

？！

...There we go. I'd say that's another case closed.

Yes. The battle is over now. I'll return the simulation to its default settings.

Master, Brynhild, Altera. Great work today!

I just made a fresh pot of coffee, so why don't you all come have a cup!

？！

...Yes, Master. As you wish.