Sealed Polar Ice/A Drifting Soul

Listen closely to me, Grand Duchess.

We may possess some unusual abilities, but at our heart, we are still human, with human personalities.

Yes, we may be stronger and more capable than the average person, but that's arguably all we are.

However, at the same time, we are also empty shadows...expendable pawns.

What was it they call us in magecraft terms again? Ghost Liners, I think?

My point is, we are records, not living beings.

Our pasts are meant to inform our personalities, and our histories shape our abilities.

But that does not change the fact that we were newly born when we were summoned.

At least, that's one way to look at it.

What I'm trying to say is, you were born on that daythe day of your summoning.

So congratulations, Grand Duchess of Ice. The future is in your hands.

No...please... Get...away...

Run...Master...

What is it!? What's happening!?

I just hurried this way because I saw everyone else running in this direction! I don't actually know what's going on!

We just received word from one of the Nemo Marines of an emergency at the docks!

？！

Th-that IS bad news! Well? Don't just stand there, you two! Let's hurry!

Waaah, you're finally heeere!

I-is that...ice?

Yes! The ice was spreading all over the dock until just a minute ago!

I'm holding it back now.

？！

I-I see. So where did this ice come from?

Have you found a way to deal with it yet?

Not yet. I've had my hands full just keeping it under control, so I haven't been able to examine it closely.

But I can now that you're here, Master.

(You know, now that I think about it...)

(Being constantly surrounded by spells we could study all our lives and still never hope to understand...)

(...I can't help but worry that I'm being desensitized to some pretty important things...)

Okay, I know what's going on now.

There's a Servant in the middle of all that ice. It looks to be Anastasia.

？！

Y-you, um...

You don't think she's remembered what happened in that Lostbelt and decided to, um, rebel against us...do you?

？！

Master is right. There's no way she could have remembered something she never experienced.

The Grand Duchess from the Lostbelt and the Anastasia summoned here are two different people.

They may look alike, but that's all.

R-right, of course. I do know that intellectually, but still.

More importantly, we need to figure out a permanent solution. All I'm doing right now is holding her back.

While a Caster of my skill level should be able to maintain this seal indefinitely...

...I'd also be stuck here, unable to do anything else.

And that, of course, would mean we'd be out a viable fighter.

Well, we certainly would like to avoid that.

Chaldea's excellent Casters are arguably its very lifeline, after all.

Holmes!

Apologies for my tardiness.

Ms. Medea, do you suspect there may be external factors at work here?

Someone who somehow provoked Anastasia into doing this, perhaps?

I'm not sure.

This mini glacier here is almost certainly a result of her power going out of control, but I can't tell if the reason for it is external or internal.

All I can say for sure right now is that, the way things are currently going...

Anastasia's own life will be in grave danger if we can't figure something out.

Even with Novum Chaldea's backups, she'll demanifest if she continues burning all this magical energy.

?

I don't understand. Can't she just use her spirit form?

If that's all she did, yes.

But the problem is, she's still casting magecraft, even as we speak.

It would be great if using her spirit form let her reset whatever's causing this abnormality...

...but in the worst case, it could end up causing her to shut down completely.

You mean, as in die!? Well we can't have that! We definitely can't have that!

So then, what can we do to help?

...Good question.

Whatever the cause may bewhether internal or externalit's clear she's not in her right mind.

Which means our only choice is to go into her mind and help her from within.

Hmm.

There may be some kind of spell out there that would let us enter her mind and soul and read her thoughts directly...

But we don't need anything that advanced to help her here.

Especially since she's currently going berserk.

So I can come up with a spell right here that will let me project Master's mind into whatever dream she's having.

？！

Yes, I do. It could be dangerous, though. Are you willing to go through with it?

？！

Just like that!?

Come now, Fujimaru. At least take some time to think before you act!

...Then again, I suppose we may not have any other choice.

Well at any rate, surely you're not going to go in without a Servant, right?

Of course not. I'll be going in too.

...I'm afraid you can't. You and Anastasia just aren't compatible.

If you tried to enter her dream, you'd probably just be kicked out.

I-I see...

Then what Servant might be compatible with her, Ms. Medea?

Someone who can empathize with her? Someone who doesn't empathize with her?

And would it matter if they're male or female?

In the simplest terms, no. We need a nonhuman Servant for this.

I'm sure there must be at least one around here somewhere.

？！

... ...

How did you get him to come along!?

？！

Yes, he should work. Now, here's where we get to the real problem.

You mean we still require more in the way of personnel?

Ideally, I'd like to have another Servant here who can melt this ice.

I could do it with my other hand, but I wouldn't be very accurate about it.

Accurate?

Imagine trying to pacify a raging bull with one hand while threading a needle with the other.

I see. Yes, that does sound rather difficult.

... ...

... ...

You two. I see you are eager to prove you can melt this ice.

But I'm afraid both of your flames are a little too strong.

Sorry, but you two will just have to sit this one out.

？！

I see. So that's where I come in.

However, you should know that my Noble Phantasm represents the sun, not fire.

As such, I'm afraid it could take me a long time to melt through that ice.

I know. Which is why I'm going to have another Servant help you.

I see.

So Geronimo will weaken the ice, then HE will break through the rest of it all at once.

If the girl's life is in danger, then I will do whatever I must to help.

Medea, Geronimo, I will let you two decide when I should bring down my staff.

I will simply devote myself to shattering the ice as needed.

Great. Then it's settled.

？！

Oh, that? I'm going to embed the spell into you right now.

There. All done.

Impressive! And with one hand, no less.

I thought entering another's dream required a fairly advanced spell, yet you cast it as easily as a simple enhancement...

I have a great deal of experience, you realize.

？！

The spell will handle that. All you have to do is touch her.

Hmm... Maybe a kiss?

Bwa!?

...Then again, just holding her hand should work, too.

I leave it to you to decide which.

？！

(Are we sure this is a good idea?)

(The Demi-Servant's mental health IS rather important, after all...)

(As they say, Director, some things are better left unsaid.)

All right, here goes. Releasing Noble Phantasm.

O merry coyote. O terrible sun. Lend me your strength along with this smoke...

Tsago Degi Naleya!

Yeow! It's so hot!

I-it feels like midsummer in here now. Now I wish I was back in Hawaii...Hmm... That WAS Hawaii, wasn't it?

I will have this coyote embrace the ice without attacking it.

Once he is no longer able to endure the cold, that is where you will come in, Tsar.

Understood.

... ...

Geronimo, do you think you can hurry it up? Anastasia is burning through magical energy fast.

If we don't get to her soon, there might be nothing left of her to rescue!

Will do.

？！

I know. Don't worry, Master. I have this under control.

Remember, your part is coming up. Stay focused.

... ...

Lobo!?

？！

...All right, that's enough, coyote! Now, Tsar!

Understood!

Hear me, my God. Hear me, my staff. Come to the aid of this distant descendant!

Shatter!!!

The ice is reconstituting itself faster than I expected! Hurry!

？！

... ...

I hate them.

I'm so sad.

I'll never forgive them.

I don't care either way.

Even so...I still love people.

And above all...I can't stand people anymore.

That's why I fight.

That's why I kill.

I'll fight for you, Master. I'll fight to protect humanity.

I'm not doing this for you, Kadoc. I'm doing what I want to do.

？！

Lobo will track her scent.

？！

This is a dream, and hardly the strangest thing to happen in a dream.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like Lobo here will speak...

But fortunately, I can chat enough for three people.

Now then, what do you say we get started by taking care of these things!?

Let's go!

So, they melted away. Well, we shouldn't be surprised. As I said, this is a dream.

All right, Master, let's start tracking her scent.

？！

He says, "Follow me."

？！

I'm not sure if this is just what her mindscape looks like, or if this land holds some deep significance to her.

Either way, I'm jealous. Neither of us can even remember what our homelands looked like.

Not to say I exactly MISS my homeland, I suppose.

I'm afraid I'm MISSING only one thing, and it's far more important!

Can you guess what it is?

My head!

？！

A Dullahan without a head is like a cat without toe beans.

Don't you think?

I can't eat like this. I can't talk like this. I can't even point out anyone's overgrown nose hairs!

Not that I have any desire to look at people's nose hairs, of course.

Oh, right, I just remembered. When this is all over, could you give Nursery a message for me?

Tell her that Halloween coming up soon is no excuse for sticking a pumpkin where my head should be!

The worst part is that she carves it into a jack-o'-lantern and sticks a candle in it! Not at all pleasant!

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No, not at all. I fight purely on instinct.

Oh? It seems someone's there.

？！

No, I'm not her.

...? Where's Alexei?

Alexei is taking a break. He wasn't feeling well.

...Then I'll go pay him a visit.

He must be lonely all by himself.

Hey, no fair. I want to ditch this party just as much as you do.

Then you should have said something first.

...Oh, fine. Just trade places with me when you come back.

And you'd better come back, okay?

Yes, yes. I will, Sister.

Viy.

Please, show me more. Let me experience more of this.

Let me enjoy this moment of bliss for as long as I'm asleep.

What else did you expect? I hate people, after all.

I hate the soldiers who killed me, and the citizens who resented me.

And I hate the politicians who decided to let me die, too. I hate them all so much I can barely stand it.

Because it was what my beloved Master wanted. My dear Master's wish.

Thank you. I despise you from the bottom of my heart, too.

？！

It doesn't matter who I am. I just want to save her.

That's why you're here in this dream too, right?

Well, yes, we did indeed come to save Anastasia. But, who exactly are you?

Be warned: if this is a trap, either I will cut your head off, or Lobo here will bite it off.

Though I promise I won't do anything grotesque like stick it on my own shoulders if I do. Mercenary's honor.

？！

... ...Alexei.

You really have no idea who I am!? I'm Ana's little brother!

Uh, mind keeping your voice down, kid? It kind of riles him up.

Oh okay. Sure thing.

...Gaaah! Monsterrr!!!

That's right. I guess you really do know your stuff. Well, I'd hope so, seeing how you're her Master!

You've got quite the chip on your shoulder, don't you, Alexei?

Buzz off! I've got every right to!

...Aaah! Monsterrr!!!

？！

Hahaha, sorry for scaring you. Anyway, why don't you tell us exactly what we need to do to save your sister?

...O-okay.

Ana's shut herself away in that castle.

She's lined up a cast of characters, and she's been directing them to act how she wants.

I'd say it probably feels to her as though two years have passed in there.

？！

Yes, she does.

And she knows that if she keeps this up, she'll not only disappear, she'll never be able to be resummoned again.

Then why is she doing this?

...Because she used to be another Master's Servant. You get it, right?

？！

Yeah, yeah. I know you said all the right things when she came along.

But Ana also knows...

...that you were scared.

？！

I don't blame you. Anyone would be.

If you can get over it by telling yourself these things happen with Servants, that's all fine.

But...

Ugh, dammit. This is all your fault.

This never would've happened if you hadn't been so nice to her.

...Tch. So she's even got the Oprichniki out in force.

As you can probably guess, I can't fight worth a damn, so I'm counting on you guys to handle this.

Okay. I'll just stay out of this.

It's all up to you now.

What, you want some help? Fine, but just a little.

Activating Mystic Eyes. Now...be dazzled!

？！

Good grief. So much senseless bloodshed, even in her dreams. What's going on with her, anyway?

What do you expect? This is just a defense mechanism.

Human bodies try to purge foreign elements they don't recognize too, right?

？！

No, I don't, sadly. I just borrowed that power from Ana.

I wasn't a mage. Well, she wasn't either, actually.

Why does she regard us as her enemy?

Because you're literally invaders who came here to destroy her dream?

That's all your fault too, Fujimaru.

？！

...Ask Ana herself. Come on. We're almost there.

？！

He's on guard, but...he's not sure why.

Something just isn't sitting right with him.

That's probably Viy, the Mystic Eyes Elemental.

Be careful.

Remember, no matter what you see or hear here, they're not Ana's true feelings.

No, even if they are...there could also be more hidden beneath the surface.

？！

...Do you really? Well, whatever. This is as far as I go.

Now that I'm back in the castle, I'm just another character.

I've been cast as the poor youngest child who Ana has to take care of.

...Before I go, I'll give you one last piece of advice.

This is Ana's dream, which means she has absolute control here.

There's no point in fighting her, whether directly or indirectly, because even if you win, you won't accomplish what you came here for.

You're just going to have to trust her.

All right, the rest is up to you guys now. Good luck.

Hmm. Then I guess we'll just have to track her scent, like we originally planned.

Still, the boy did have a point. What do you think, Master?

Do you think we have the right to destroy this dream?

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You're right. We absolutely don't.

So then, why are we attempting to do so, anyway? Do you have an answer for that?

？！

...But now, you're here. Why?

As if he was capable of separating his feelings like that.

Oh my, how intimidating.

Then I suppose you won't mind if I go kill him, will you?

...Yes, exactly. Okay then, I'm going to go get my revenge.

You just stay here and wait for the good news. ...Or would that be bad news, as far as you're concerned?

...So, you're here.

Oh good, we found her. Then let's bring her back andWhat is it?

？！

Hehehe.

If you'd all come at me at once, I could have put you out of your misery with a single spell.

I can't tell if this makes you fortunate or unfortunate.

What's going on? She our enemy or something?

That's right, nameless monstrosity. I'm the Grand Duchess of the Beast Nation, albeit without my darling Master.

Here in this dream, Anastasia rules all.

So now, I'm going to kill you, and you're going to accept the truth.

Namely, that a Servant called Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova never existed in the first place.

？！

Indeed, it isn't. I've talked to our own Master about this, and I know exactly what it is we're here to do now.

And I'm happy to help him!

...I see. Then I suppose Viy and I have no reason to hold back, either.

There is no way you can defeat a dreamer inside their own dream.

But since you evidently can't accept that simple truth, I guess I'll just have to beat you over the head with it until it becomes clear.

Now, prepare to relive that day of despair!

Here she comes! Looks like this is going to be a hell of a fight.

Huh? Since she's a beast too, you're willing to go all out?

Master! Lobo says he's willing to go all out!

？！

I thought cutting off her head would have ended this!

Sorry, I'm afraid I'm still here.

？！

This is a dream. It's impossible for me to die here.

Now, it's time for you to meet your end underneath a mass of ice.

Master! Get behind me!

？！

Huh?

I'm

That's enough from you. Just go away.

A second one!? ...No, wait. Is that the real Anastasia?

It is? I knew it.

Really? Are you sure about this, Anastasia?

I'm an Innocent Monster made to absolve you of your sins, right?

Your poor heart might not be able to take it if I were to disappear, you know.

...That's okay. I want to have at least one proper talk with him before I go.

I see. Then before I go, let me just say this.

I still hate you just as much as ever.

I see. Then I guess we're even, because I still can't forgive you.

Master...

？！

...Okay.

... ...

Why did you come here? I don't want to be rescued.

...I see. That's just like you, Master.

Please don't. I don't deserve it.

？！

I have no right to claim a place in your heart.

I can never repay what I owe you. I don't deserve to be near you.

After all...to you, I'll always be the Grand Duchess of the Beast Nation.

？！

Yes, it is! It is, it is, it is!

There's no way I could ever hope to make amends for what happened!

And yet, despite that, you always smile at me! You always welcome me with open arms!

...I know you must secretly fear and despise me, but you always try not to show it!

The worst part is, I let myself feel relieved by that. I even let myself lean on you for support!

And I absolutely hated myself for it!

Stay away from me! Don't talk to me! Don't hold my hand!

I...I can't do this anymore. Please...just let me die!

？！

Ah! M-Master...? P-please...let go of me...

？！

Ahh...

But...you're scared of me, aren't you?

？！

Yeah...?

？！

...!

...You know, Master, I suspect I'm very high-maintenance.

I'm wishy-washy, and morbid, and selfish, and I can be very clingy, too.

I'm moved by what you had to say, but I know my personality won't just change overnight.

I could easily end up doing something like this again.

So, even knowing all that...will you still protect me?

？！

...Thank you, Master.

...I see.

Personally, I have no idea what you see in him.

No, I'm sure you don't.

Much the same way I can't conceive of why you'd ever prefer your Master to mine.

So I guess that makes us even.

...Farewell forever, Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova.

Farewell.

May you never rise again, Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova.

...Good morning, everyone. I, um... I'm very sorry...

...So now I've been confined to the simulator for a while.

Still, I can't blame them, after what I did.

？！

At any rate, thinking back on everything now...

... ...I was amazed at how much Hessian talks.

？！

He said that was only because he was in a dream, and that he usually has nothing to say.

...Maybe he meant he can't say anything, because he doesn't have a mouth.

？！

Hehe... You know, it's nice making small talk sometimes.

Hey, Master?

Please stay with me. Don't let go of my hand.

I don't want to lose anyone I care about anymore, but I also want to stay close to those I care about just as much.

？！