The Name of the Sun That Never Sets

...Please...

Please calm yourself, O Pharaoh. Even if this is only a simulation, it is still a part of the world.

Surely you can understand. The very air is shaking, uncertain of what to do.

If something isn't done, the program will falter, and Chaldea's processing capabilities will suffer.

As the embodiment of the heavens, I understand that my incompetence is partly to blame, but...but it is not solely mine.

The blame also lies with you, O Pharaoh.

Great Pharaoh Ozymandias.

If I may...if it is not overstepping my bounds by making bold to ask...

...what displeases you so?

... ...

...Hmph.

Pharaoh!

I will atone for my sins however you see fit! But if you do not tell me what bothers you, I cannot hope to

...Do not make me say it, Nitocris.

!!!

Indeed, I AM displeased.

My body, created by Ra and blessed by Amun, swells with rage like never before.

At first, I thought it mere coincidence, even an impossibility. Then I thought it must be fate, hard as that is now to believe.

... ...

But a third time? This can be neither coincidence nor fate!

Even now, he hides from me, lurking somewhere I cannot lay eyes upon him!

Haha. Hahahahahahaha! Do you not understand? Who am I!? I. Am. Ozymandias!

I am the guardian king of all Egypt, beloved by Maat herself! I am the bull of victory, the great commander who vanquished the traitorous rebels!

I am the Usermaatre Setepenre!

Usermaatre Setepenre...Keeper of Harmony and Balance, Strong in Right, Elect of Ra!!!

I am the King of Kings...the god-king Pharaoh!

Yes, great Pharaoh!

Now, Nitocris, as pharaoh, I have an order for you of utmost importance!

Y-yes, great Pharaoh! Name it, and it shall be done!

...Find the second hero, and bring him before me immediately!

...Hmm. Hmm...

This is bad... NOW what am I going to do...?

I know I told Lord Ozymandias that I would find this second hero, but... Hmm... Hmmmmm...

...I don't even have the slightest idea who he's talking about!

？！

Oh, my ally. Well...

Come to think of it, you overcame Lord Ozymandias's trials, right? That's why he finally accepted you as his Master.

In which case, you must understand what he wants! ...Tell me, my ally!

Do you know who the second hero is?

？！

...I see. Understood.

Very well then, as it seems I have no alternative...would you please accompany me?

I am sure we can overcome this new trial together!

The second hero, you say?

Hero...

Oh, yes, I do spend time with the Pharaoh regularly.

We often play the games of video together when he visits this area. Yes.

What sort of games? Let me see...

Ah, he prefers simulation games that allow you to build your own civilization and manage its population! He also enjoys games where you build your own buildings.

He is also skilled at strategy games where one commands an army, but he doesn't especially care for them...

Oh, yes. He enjoys the games one plays on a board as well. I believe you have even joined us on a number of occasions, have you not, Lady Nitocris?

Yes, yes. Of course.

I hope you will join us again sometime. The more the merrier, as they say.

...Yes? Hmm, let me see...

Oh, I know! HE might know something about this!

What is it, desert woman?

(Ugh. It HAD to be him...)

Hear me, O Golden King, ruler of a once great civilization. I have come before you to

Yes, yes, I know all about it. That Sun King of yours hasn't been himself lately, correct?

Yes, that's right!

Of course I know what troubles him...

...but I refuse to tell you.

What? B-but, why not...?

Fool! Tell her, Fujimaru.

Tell her never to seek answers from those with Clairvoyance!

!!!

One of the few paths to glory available to mongrels like yourselves lies in the struggle to gain knowledge, for that is how new paths are forged.

Do not discard your chance at glory in search of quick answers!

If you wish to unravel this mystery, then struggle! Persevere! Endure! Only then can progress be made!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...!

...I suppose asking someone with Clairvoyance IS like cheating...

I know it is taking a sort of shortcut.

But...what else can I do!? I no longer have the luxury of choosing my methods...

...(Sniffle)

So I'll have to seek Clairvoyance from someone else. And since I don't see that flower mage anywhere...

...I have decided to talk to Sir Arash, the great Hero of the East! He's always been friendly and approachable!

...I know I should be searching for the answer on my own. I truly do. But...I just...

？！

Yes, you're right. That's what I'll tell myself!

Really!? You might!?

？！

Hmm, the first hero, huh? In that case, I think I might know who you're talking about too.

Sir Arash!

I'm told he was alive during the same time period as Lord Ozymandias. And thanks to the knowledge I gained as a Servant, I'm familiar with his legend as well.

Arash Kamangir, the great savior, is said to have ended a long-running war with a single arrow from his bow, thereby saving the people of both warring nations.

He is more than worthy of being called a hero.

But...I still don't understand why Lord Ozymandias would be so interested in him.

Is it just because they come from the same time?

I don't recall any other heroes so famous during that period, so...

... ...

...And it couldn't be the holy man...

No. No more of that. I must not be rash.

Come, let us start by speaking with Sir Arash for ourselves!

...Hey, there you two are.

I've got a pretty good guess as to why you're here. Oh, and not because I peeked into the future or anything; it really is just a guess.

I figured his patience had to be near its limit.

Sir Arash...

Are you saying you know why Pharaoh Ozymandias is so upset...

...as well as the whereabouts of this second hero he mentioned?

Please, tell me. I need your help, or I shall never be able to show my face before the god-king again!

Easy there. Just relax.

Come and have a seat while I throw some wood on the fire. These woods get really cold at night, after all.

Ahh... It's so warm...

Oh, thank you. You didn't have to go to the trouble of laying out a blanket.

Oh, it's nothing. ...I know it isn't much, but it's the least I can do after the trouble I've caused you.

Huh?

That second hero Ozymandias mentioned?

I, uh...I'm the one who's been keeping them apart.

What!?

Th-then...you've intentionally been preventing Pharaoh Ozymandias and this second hero from meeting?

I'd like to say I was just waiting for the right time, but...yeah, basically. I'm sorry. Please forgive me.

...Mmm. I can see you're truly remorseful about this...

Please raise your head, Arash of the East. I presume you have your reasons for doing this?

Sure do.

...

...Well?

Uh... Right. Of course you'd wanna know. I...uh, I don't know how to put this...

I've never been too good with words, so all I can say is that I saw something bad.

(Clairvoyance...)

You and I could handle it, but it might be hard for Master.

？！

Yes, you, Master. This isn't immediately life-threatening, but it IS a lot of hassle.

???

That goes for you too.

...But I guess I can't beat around the bush anymore. If it was gonna come to this, I should've let them meet up back when there were a bunch of others around.

All right... I'm ready. I'll take you to him now.

This second hero is a travelerat least he is now. He likes to wander around even more than me.

But no matter how accustomed to traveling he might be, I doubt he'll have Rayshifted without you, Master.

(He might still be wandering aimlessly outside Chaldea, though!)

Anyway, he's usually hanging out somewhere in the simulator.

Hmm, I see. If we're just going to the simulator, I should be able to handle it.

Since I am always at my Pharaoh's side, I have become completely accustomed to the feel of it!

I have no problem fighting battles there, either. Rest assured, you will have nothing to worry about!

...All right then, let's get going!

Hmm. This place is rather...flashy, isn't it?

Shinjuku... Tokyo...

That's a major city of the Far East, as I recall. But the magical energy pervading this place is...

I see. But then, why is there so much magical energy pervading this place?

It feels very...strange...

？！

This is a recreation of an area from one of the Pseudo-Singularities.

You know how places like that are supposed to have gone a different way from normal history?

This one's a good example. It LOOKS like the same city I remember from 1999, but it's not.

...No, wait. That's not right.

Sorry, I was getting 1991 and 1999 mixed up. They both took place in an alternate world, after all.

Huh?

Just thinking out loud. Don't worry about it. Anyway... Looks like we've got company to deal with before we find our guy. That sure didn't take long.

!!!

This feeling...

Targets spotted. Exterminate them. Initiating combat.

？！

Hmm...!

So you would defy me? The incarnation of the sky god!? How dare you stand in a pharaoh's way!

Know your place, simulator AIs, and begone from my sight! Otherwise, I shall destroy you all myself!

(Huff... Gasp... Huff...)

...It's over... It may not have been as bad as the Rite of a Hundred Trials, but I'm still exhausted...

Nice work out there!

...Hmm, right. Got it.

You found the second hero!?

Nope! He's nowhere around here!

Aww.

Hahaha, you sound just like siblings.

？！

But he does have a deep connection to Tokyo. We all do, really, even the pharaoh guy.

We do? Really?

You mean you didn't know? We all fought each other once in a Holy Grail War in another world.

We did!?

Th-then... Pharaoh Ozymandias, and you, and five other Servants...once fought each other to the death for your respective Masters...?

Yup. All to help our Masters get their hands on one of those wish-granting Holy Grails.

Now we all share a connection, whether we like it or not. And we didn't just fight once in Tokyo. We fought there twice.

...

？！

Aw, don't look at me like that, Fujimaru. It's all in the past for these Spirit Origins we've got now.

I... I had no idea...

Pharaoh Ozymandias never speaks of the battles he's fought, even those from when he lived...

Not about his parting with the holy man, nor his glorious battle against the Hittites...

Now I see.

I get it, really. I don't like to talk about my own battles unless it's absolutely necessary either.

...But I guess if we're talking about who he meant by "hero" then I guess this is one of those times.

Someone who accomplished something amazing while he still lived? A great man who was around at the same time the pharaoh guy was?

That might be the case for the first hero, but I'm pretty sure it's not for the second.

？！

Nailed it.

...

Doesn't really do much to help us find him, though! Haha. Oh, wait, I shouldn't be laughing at that. Sorry.

I figured we'd have a good chance of finding him here, but I guess he's not as sentimental as I thought.

In which case...

？！

That's right! I thought the whole reason we came to the Far East was because you used Clairvoyance to find out he was here!

... ...

...I'm sorry. I've...got my reasons.

(Gasp)

No, I'm the one who should apologize, Sir Arash. Please, don't give it another thought.

I'm sure those with Clairvoyance must have concerns and reasons for their actions that others could never hope to understand.

Thanks. I appreciate that.

At any rate, I'm pretty confident about this next place we're headed. After all...

...I saw it by accident!

Accident!?

H-hmm. I GUESS I could see that sort of thing happening...

Hm? Oh, no, Clairvoyance isn't usually quite so unreliable.

You know the flowery mage and the Golden King? They know how to use it a lot better than I do. I just...

Yes?

...Let's just say I can be kind of clumsy, and leave it at that.

It's nice to see a desert again. I haven't seen one for some time.

So this is where we'll find the second hero?

I think so. Last I saw, he was out walking there past the dust clouds.

It was quite a sight. He was walking around cool as you please, even in that heavy armor of his.

Actually, y'know, I think he was wearing a coat or something, too. He had a...thing over his head and I'm pretty sure it wasn't a helmet.

Hmm, I see... Then we might find him somewhere past these dust clouds...

...(Staaare)

...(Staaare) ...(Staaare)

...Oh, I see something! I think I can sense magical energy that way too!

One...

Two... Three...?

Gah! They growled!?

Sorry! That's not him!

They're hostile AIs. They don't give off the same aura as a Servant. Guess we'll just have to do something about them first.

AGAIN, Sir Arash!?

Yup, again. Sorry about this, missy. For what it's worth, I'll fight them myself this time. Master!

？！

Right on!

Hold it, Arash Kamangir! Did you just call me "missy"!?

Yup! Go ahead and sit this one out, missy!

Oh, oka

I mean, no! NOT OKAY!

How dare you speak to me that way!? Hmph, you'll pay for your insolence...later, Sir Arash!

Okay, that's the last of those strange creatures. Phew!

Sir Arash, you will think VERY carefully about how to address me in the future!

As I've had time to calm down, I will refrain from punishment THIS time, but never forget that I too am a pharaoh, and will brook no disrespect! Is that clear?

(He didn't hear a word I said...)

At...at any rate, it doesn't seem the second hero is around here, either...

Hm? Now hang on just a minute. It's much too soon to say that for sure.

It is?

Hmm...

... ...

Yup, he's definitely here somewhere. Can't you feel that? That's a Servant aura if ever I sensed one.

Oh! Now that you mention it, I DO sense a Servant out beyond those clouds somewhere.

And this time, only one, thankfully.

So that must be...

Those magical energy signatures all vanished in an instant. I had a feeling you might have been responsible.

I take it you've been searching for me, Master?

...Along with the great Hero from the East, and the lady pharaoh of ancient Egypt.

...And that should explain what has happened up till now.

King of Knights, who hails from another world, wielder of the sacred sword...

...if you are truly the second hero the great Pharaoh Ozymandias spoke of...

...I would humbly request that you present yourself before him. Please. I beg of you.

So that's what this is all about...

I was hoping to put off facing him until the last possible moment. I doubt we'll just be exchanging pleasantries. And, well, he's a fierce one.

I'm concerned that one wrong word on my part could lead to Chaldea itself suffering the fallout.

...Still, now that I think on it...I realize that Master will be present as well.

Ah, and of course Archer, and you, the beautiful queen of Ozymandias's own land.

More importantly, now that things have gotten to this point, delaying our meeting further would only make things worse.

Very well then. I will meet with him.

Yay!

？！

Yes. Yes, you're right! There's no time to waste!

...So this is the throne room hidden in the innermost chamber of this massive temple complex.

I knew this room existed, of course, but I've never seen it for myself.

Very impressive.

Haha, I felt the same way the first time I saw it too.

I couldn't believe I was walking around inside the same place I was once so desperate to destroy.

I imagine it's a lot like that for you too, right?

The innermost chamber. I never dreamed his throne was quite this...vast...

Oh, that? The size and arrangement of everything can vary, by a lot. That's why you never saw the hall we fought in on the way here.

So that's how it works.

Yup. That's the scoop.

...Lord Ozymandias! Lord Ozymandias!

Child of Amun, and god-king born of Mut. I have brought the second hero as you wished!

I was assisted by Fujimaru, the Master you yourself have deemed worthy of your services...

...and Arash Kamangir, the great Hero of the East.

O great Pharaoh Set-Aapehti, if you could spare but a word...

...would you tell me if this Saber is indeed the second hero you sought?

...Hmph.

So, wielder of the sacred sword, you've finally shown yourself here in this world.

I have seen you several times before, but I did not expect you to delay our reunion quite so long.

I see... You, the Archer with the great red bow. This is your doing, is it not?

Uh, should've known you'd figure that out... Sorry about that, pharaoh guy.

I WAS going to help you guys meet up, but I kinda changed my mind! Then I covered it up!

You are forgiven!

I am sure this is not the first oddity your sharp eyes have witnessed. Therefore, I forgive you. Rejoice in my magnanimity!

But not you, wielder of the sacred sword!

...That's kinda harsh of you, Rider.

No. It is kindness. I may be a descendant of the god of war, but I am nothing if not benevolent.

After all...

...it is only through my generosity that you yet draw breath.

(Huh!?)

(Whoa there, keep it down, missy. You too, Master.)

I thought you had relinquished the sacred sword...and yet there it is in your scabbard.

That can only mean you remain its wielder, even in this world.

Hmph. As though you could ever be anything else.

You claim to be a different King of Knights, visiting from another world? That you are a hero of the fifth century? That you will one day return to the Land of Fairies?

No. No, no no. All that is but one side of you, not the whole picture!

What are you doing here? Would you have me believe that Chaldea's summoning system simply plucked you from the ether?

Or could it be...

...that you have seen signs of evil descending upon this world!?

...Unfortunately, I don't have much in the way of hard evidence, so I cannot say a great deal.

Poorly chosen words can have terrible consequences, after all.

I am here now because I still have yet to discover either the miasma of L, or the lingering scent of R.

...

...What a disappointment you are.

How dare you appear before me looking like that?

...How dare you!?

Did you not save the world!?

Have you turned coward, wielder of the sacred sword!? Are you not one of the great heroes of another time, another world?

To think the sacred sword would be wasted on you! Hahaha! You may as well put an end to your journey and sulk back to the Land of Fairies now!

I am a merciful pharaoh, so I shall bring this burdensome journey of yours to an end here and now!

Hahahahahahahaha! Take up your sword, Saber!

Pharaoh Ozymandias! Please, calm yourself!

You're making the very air crackle! The simulator is starting to fail!

Silence!

Gyah!

At last, we now have both heroes present! What better time to reenact the past!?

For too long has your insolence, your impudence, your intrepidness gone unpunished! Now you must wipe that slate clean with your sacred sword, if you can!

...I am Rider, the former Servant of the fifth rank! My True Name: Ozymandias! Have at you!

...I did not come here to fight.

But...if there is no other path forward, I will not hesitate.

...Saber, the former Servant of the first rank! My True Name: Arthur Pendragon!

If you would challenge me to battle, then you shall face my sacred sword!

See, this is exactly why I've been putting this off... But I guess it was gonna happen sooner or later!

Don't worry, we'll be fine. We've got Master on our side!

And not just any Master! He's the one who teamed up with this pharaoh guy in the first place!

But it's true, Fujimaru!

It is very reassuring to hear tha I-I mean, of course you do!

？！

C-come, my ally! We have no choice but to fight!

I'm certain the god-king has his reasons for doing this, and they must be far beyond our ability to comprehend. But as we cannot understand his ways, all we can do now is stop him!

This is a trial, Fujimaru! If you are to continue as Pharaoh Ozymandias's Master, you must find a way to overcome his anger!

Good. Good! Hahahahahahaha! So I shall face not one Servant, but three! And joined by Master, no less!

Then all is as it should be! At times, my fury is roaring thunder, at others, the storm itself!

Now face my wrath!

Heh.

Hehe, haha, hahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Good. Good! Excellent!!!

Well done!

I must confess, it can be cathartic to truly "explode" once in a while.

We may have stressed the simulator more than I expected, but there seem to have been no significant effects on Chaldea.

Well done, heroes. Well done, Nitocris. Well done, my Master.

Hehe...haha! Hahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Pharaoh Ozymandias...! No...!

...Wait.

Right.

Within my Noble Phantasm, Ramesseum Tentyris, my body is immortal! I cannot disappear here, even if my Spirit Core is destroyed!

？！

...Hmm, Seal Thirteen?

Unfortunately not. This battle doesn't seem to satisfy its conditions.

That's for sure. Same here. I just can't be bothered to actually fire off a meteor either.

(Anxious)

Besides...

？！

Haha! Exactly!

Oh! Y-yeah, we are, aren't we! I was so focused on Pharaoh Ozymandias's momentum...

...but of course! This IS the simulatorits main purpose is for training. The haptic feedback certainly hurts, but it cannot kill you!

Don't tell me you forgot, queen of the heavens?

Haha. Then again, I suppose that is no surprise, given my perfect performance! I will forgive you. I forgive everything, Nitocris!

Yes, great Pharaoh!

Now, to the next battle!

Eep!

...All that said... Sacred sword wielder.

I may not have meant every word I said earlier, but neither was it merely for show. I trust you understand?

Of course.

I am certain the time will come when I can reveal why I am here, and what I did following our battle.

I hope, until that day comes, you can be patient.

Hmph. Do not keep me waiting too long.

...Now then. Nitocris. Fujimaru.

Y-yes, O Pharaoh?

I am in an excellent mood. I even made use of resources I would ordinarily never touch.

Indeed...

...I am very much aware of my recent behavior.

Mine was an admittedly selfish request, but the both of you worked hard to fulfill it.

...Under any other circumstances, this gathering would not have been possible. Not only do I still retain my memories of the Holy Grail War we fought in that other world, but so too do the two heroes from that war.

What's more, we've all been summoned here to serve the same Master. Such a thing would be quite impossible under the constraints of a Holy Grail War.

It is nothing short of a miracle. Chaldea's summoning system should be lauded for this triumph.

Furthermore...

...No, that is enough. To say more would be in poor taste!

Suffice to say that you have served me well, Nitocris! And you, Fujimaru!

Thank you, Pharaoh! I am happy to have been of service!

？！

Indeed. Now, I shall reward your efforts directly.

Yes, I believe this should do nicely.

？！

Wait, what? Was that... Pharaoh! Was that...the Sphinx...Awla

Oops, not that one. A slight mistake. Haha, it was nothing, Nitocris! Just forget you ever saw it!

B-but

Now, I shall reward you properly this time. However, since it will take time to recover my resources...

...I shall regale you with a story! Hmm...

Did I tell you the true meaning of my beloved Nefertari's name? Or how I obtained the crown I presented to Hathor, the goddess of love?

If not, then I shall tell you now. What say you?

Or perhaps you would prefer I read from the Book of Thoth? No, wait, I gave that to Blavatsky...

Er, uh, y-yes! I would love to hear them! All of them!

I would love to hear about Lady Nefertari AND the Book of Thoth!

I see. I see! Very well then. But first...a little something to liven this up!

To quote from the sonnet penned by Percy Shelley, said to have been inspired by Diodorus Siculus's "Bibliotheca historica"...

...My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings!