A Certain Chivalrous Man's Death

(Gasp, gasp, gasp)...

How does it feel to die?

...It sucks.

Hey, do you know who I was?

... ...

You were

Our connection is holding strong, Master. Let's go over the situation one more time.

The Shinjuku Singularity has already been repaired.

So no matter what might be going on here, it won't have any effect on humanity...

Still, we don't know why a single Servant decided to Rayshift here.

The Assassin of Shinjuku. True Name: Yan Qing...

I'm afraid all we know right now is that he Rayshifted here.

Yes.

We were tracking his Spirit Origin up till he disappeared here.

However, there were some, um, irregularities with the tracking data, so I don't know if we can trust it entirely.

？！

Hassan of the Cursed Arm and Geronimo have come along to serve as your guides.

Thank you both for doing this.

I am pleased to be here.

Well Master, where shall we begin our search?

We'll never find him without a plan. I think our only option is to follow his magical energy.

I agree. And we do have tracking data that should help us with that.

The problem is that Yan Qing's trail went cold here.

Maybe he interfered with our observational equipment somehow, or maybe...

Yes. He may have been injured or killed.

Oh, sorry, my apologies. Worry not, Lord Fujimaru.

Lord Yan Qing is as tough as they come.

What's more, I imagine he feels especially at home in an urban setting like this. He will not die easily.

Indeed. I don't even need to read his fortune to assure you that he is alive and well.

All right, I'll begin by searching the perimeter.

Once I have the lay of the land, we can begin a thorough investigation.

Very well then, we'll wait here until you return.

I would like to resolve this quickly, given Master's physical limitations.

Haha, a good point. Then I will be back as soon as I can.

You are too kind, Master. But worry not. We Hassans blend into shadows as naturally as breathing.

？！

All right, let's wait and see how

I found him.

Wha...!?

？！

Yo, lady!

Can I get one of those mystery meat buns?

Thanks.

I could hardly believe my eyes. I've never seen such a lazy Assassin.

...We will just have to ask him once we've caught him.

？！

Oh, hey Master. What's up?

？！

?

...Oh, yeah, right. Guess I kinda left without saying anything, huh.

Sorry about that. And I'm sorry about this, too...

...but there's something I gotta do here, and I'm not leaving till it's done.

So I'm afraid I can't let you bring me back!

You know it.

I can't let myself be caught, no matter what! So you better believe I'm pulling out all the stops!

Hmm, this could be a problem. Now, what to do about it...

？！

It would seem he's quite desperate. In that case...

...the only way he'll listen to reason is if we knock some into him. Let's do this, Master.

Okay everyone, prepare for combat!

Sorry, the answer's still no. Later!

A smoke bomb...!

He must have taken it from someone while we were fighting.

N-now what do we do?

He did say there was something he had to do here...

...We can't let him do it, whatever it may be. Let's go after him, Lord Fujimaru.

Oh? Does that mean you know what Yan Qing is up to, Cursed Arm?

I do, for it concerns me personally.

Now, let us be on our way. We may not know what that way is yet, but no matter.

We will just have to keep looking until we find it. For a Hassan, it is, as they say, business as usual.

Going after Yan Qing is all well and good...

...but how are we going to find him when he could be anyone here?

Any ideas?

Yes, actually. I snuck a cursed scent mark onto him during our battle.

It has been passed down our clan for generations, and should let me know when I'm drawing near him.

Oho, you don't say. Quite clever.

In that case, Cursed Arm, I think it's best if you lead the way.

Is that all right with you, Master?

？！

...Hmm. It's faint, but I can smell the scent nearby.

We may have tracked him down sooner than I thought. Come, this way.

In the meantime, let's think about what Yan Qing may have meant earlier.

I mean the thing he said he needs to do.

That's right.

What does he hope to accomplish by coming back to Shinjuku?

？！

What do you know about this, Cursed Arm?

...Hmm.

I'd rather not discuss it, but under the circumstances, I suppose I can share.

You see, Lord Yan Qing actually came to apologize to me once, back when we were still at Chaldea.

Indeed. You have an excellent memory, Master.

The incident in Shinjuku, most likely.

？！

'Sup, Cursed Arm. Got a minute?

Why, if it isn't Lord Yan Qing. What brings you to my humble room?

Uh, I just wanted to say I was sorry.

Sorry...? If you've done something to wrong me, I can't say I'm aware of it.

It sounds like I did you a real disservice back in Shinjuku, so, you know.

...Now I see. Yes, I do recall reading about that in the Shinjuku report.

I looked it over after I heard my name was mentioned, and there is nothing for you to apologize for.

Spies like us are quite used to disguises and betrayal. It all comes with the territory.

Yeah, maybe. And honestly, I don't even remember doing it.

But there's this little voice in my Spirit Origin that keeps nagging at me.

Says I'll never be able to move on if I don't apologize to you first.

And that, if possible...I need to go back to Shinjuku and finish what I started.

Finish what you started...?

Yup. You know what they say...

If you commit the crime, you gotta do the time.

...But, have you not already done your "time" by fighting alongside Master?

I see no reason why you need to seek further redemption in Shinjuku.

...Yeah, true. Fair point.

Now that I think about, I feel pretty damn silly! Just forget I said anything, all right?

...

He never brought it up again after that, so I never chose to pursue it further...

But now that we're here, I'm reminded of how empty his smile seemed back then.

I think Lord Yan Qing is still trying to make amends.

Amends, huh.

However, whatever the Assassin of Shinjuku may have done here, it has nothing to do with Yan Qing.

No, I'll go further: it would be wrong if it did. That would mean the sins we commit would pile higher and higher every time we were summoned.

The heroes from the Age of Gods may be able to endure such a burden, but that is far too much for an ordinary person.

That is why our actions are recorded independent of our memories.

As a Demi-Servant myself, I don't have any of his memories...

...but if I did, I agree that the mental burden of such a thing would be overwhelming.

？！

...No more talk. We've found him.

That Hornet over there is Lord Yan Qing.

？！

Aw crap, you already found me!?

Yan Qing. Are you here to seek redemption?

Or perhaps, retribution for your sins?

...It's not a matter of seeking it out, Geronimo. I HAVE to be punished for what I did.

Otherwise, I won't be me anymore.

...Please just let me do this, Master. Please... I'm begging you.

I have to die for what I did.

I'm afraid that is a crude and contradictory way of seeing things, Yan Qing.

You fight to take on sins that can only be paid for with your own life... That is a manner of thinking with which I am all too familiar.

But you are woefully wet behind the ears if your only concern is wiping your regrets away, as mine once was.

...!

What would you have us do, Master?

If you are willing to accept his sins, we can return to Chaldea right now.

...Hehe, I see.

Sorry, but I really don't have time to talk!

？！

...Dammit, I shoulda known it'd come to this.

Sorry, Master, but if this is how it's gonna be, I'm not gonna make it easy for you!

Hmm, I see has no small skill in multiplying himself.

Um, I think he just called in reinforcements...

Ahem. At any rate, entering combat mode...now!

He must have run off while we were fighting the other Hornets.

Still... Hmm. Are you sure about this, Cursed Arm?

About what?

Are we truly doing the right thing here?

...Of course. That is why I came here, after all.

？！

I will explain the next time we encounter Yan Qing.

He needs to hear this just as much as you do.

How does it feel to die?

There you are. I knew I'd find you here, Hassan of the Cursed Arm.

That's right. You're the one I've gotta apologize to. You're the one I killed.

No... That's not right. You killed me.

...No, wait. Please, wait. My head...my memories are all a mess... I can't tell what's true or not!

Enough of this. It's time you accepted your fate.

... ...

We can't ever atone for our sins.

...That voice... No, wait...

Are you me?

Let me answer your question with one of my own.

Who do you think you are?

？！

Hey there, Master! Sorry 'bout this!

I definitely meant to trick you, but not like this!

Hmm. It would seem you are the real Yan Qing.

And yet, your Spirit Origin is indistinguishable from this Yan Qing.

...That can only mean one thing.

The other Yan Qing is a doppelgänger.

Ah... A-ah...

Aaahhh!

Whoa, whoa, calm down, other me! Ah crap. I knew it was too soon to pull back the curtains!

Is that...a Servant? No, now they're...Christine? And Hassan, and Yan Qing...

They keep transforming into all sorts of different enemies!

It doesn't matter who he turns into. We just gotta get him to calm down, Master!

You got it!

We hit him real hard!

Well, that's certainly straightforward.

？！

All right, lost other me, it's time for us to go back where we belong.

There's no one left here you need to make amends to.

So if we don't put an end to everything here... we're both gonna be left behind for good!

Khh...

We've got you now, Hassan-i Sabbah.

...So it would seem. Very well, go ahead and take my head.

Your head? Oh no, I don't want you dead just yet.

I need to copy your Spirit Origin first. Otherwise it'd be such a waste of material.

...!

Yep, that's right. I'm gonna use your form to pull the wool over those Chaldea chumps' eyes whenever they manage to get here.

...So, you are plotting ahead to ensure you can fully deceive your quarry. You truly are an Assassin born.

Very well then. If that is how it is to be, I will not go down without a fight. I can do no less after being summoned here.

Oh? You want a piece of me?

What an honor, facing off with one of the biggest names in the assassin world.

I thought I was about to die, powerless to do anything...

...but it is exactly when one can do nothing that new options open up.

What...?

...Zabaniya!

Hah, nice try! But there's no way you can copy my heart and crush it before I can stop you!

Indeed, I cannot. Which is why it is fortunate that I have no need to copy you.

What...!?

Hehe... Good. It worked.

You crushed your own heart? Why?

You know exactly why.

If Chaldea comes to save this city, as I trust they will...

...then it is my duty as a Servant to help them however I can.

Wha... Huh!?

You're freakin' nuts! What the hell are you thinking!?

You're just throwing your life away for these people without even knowing for sure they're coming!?

Of course.

I was summoned here as a Rogue Servant.

It is therefore my obligation to try and save this city.

It was my fate...nay, let's just say my duty. So I have no qualms about laying down my life.

...!

With me dead, your imitation of me will be imperfect.

...A small stone laid upon your path, but one you may well trip over.

Farewell, savior of this city, whomever you may be. Good luck!

D-dammit!

The hell was that guy's problem!? The hell was wrong with him!?

It'd be one thing if he was dying for his master, but for someone he'd never even seen...!?

How the hell could anyone go out like that!?

Dammit, dammit, dammit!!!

...So that's how it is. That "me" both is and isn't me.

He's my doppelgänger. A Phantom Spirit who wasn't even supposed to exist.

That's why it was so easy to track him down.

Especially since he's been haunting me.

Cursed scent mark? Sorry, I was just bullshitting you.

Does this mean...you and he did not originally share a body then?

Nah, he's pretty much just a copy of me.

I used to be the Assassin of Shinjuku, using my doppelgänger power to turn into anyone and anything.

...But I gradually forgot who I really was, and ended up losing to Master.

This guy's just the remains of that version of me, but he ended up sorta linking with the version of me that got summoned to Chaldea.

...Yeah, that's it. We were linked. Connected.

That's why you heard I'd Rayshifted here. He got all mixed up.

He started thinking he was, well, me, and decided to come back to Shinjuku.

That's why I couldn't forgive myself for what I'd done.

Instead of a gangster who took over Shinjuku, I ended up reverting back into the chivalrous vigilante I always was.

I mean, you've seen for yourself how surprisingly strong my sense of justice is, right?

Wahahaha. Thanks for playing along, Master!

That's cool, I guess. They're both badass!

？！

Ahh... Ahhh... I can never atone... I can never make amends...

I've always survived by...piling up regret after regret... I hate that...about myself...

That's why you wanted to die, and why you tried to kill us.

Because you thought trying to kill us would end with you getting killed instead. Am I wrong?

I... I... I'm everyone...and no one...

I can be anyone at all, since I lack a core self...yet I also can't be anything, since I have neither goodwill or malice.

I'm nothing more than a hapless wraith who can only survive in the space between darkness and rumor...

Which is why...I at least wanted to make amends...

And yet...I didn't want it to cost me my life...

So now...I don't know what to do...

Come with me then. Hell, that's the whole reason I'm here: to invite you to join me.

Oho. So you want to add a Phantom Spirit on top of all your other personalities?

Sure about that? It might do some damage to your sense of self.

Nah, I'll be fine. I know who I am. Isn't that right, Master?

Right!?

Once he has made up his mind, there is no stopping him, huh.

？！

A-are you sure? Is it really okay... if I come with you?

Sure. You'll help make me stronger.

Just don't forget how you feel right now. How desperately you're longing for justice.

Long as you hold onto that, you'll make a great chivalrous vigilante yet.

A vigilante...

People who are loyal and considerate to a fault, but with strong enough senses of morality and self to even defy a king...

That's what I...want to be...

I've confirmed that the doppelgänger has...not vanished, but became part of Yan Qing.

His Spirit Origin readings are stable.

See? Told you I'd be fine.

Even so, this is quite unusual.

You should have Da Vinci take a look at you as soon as we get back.

Yup, will do!

... ...

A doppelgänger who did horrible things in Shinjuku, all because he lacked a personality of his own...

...yet who also attempted to do the right thing once he finally had one...

It's a miracle that he existed. No doubt it was only made possible thanks to humanity's current precariousness.

So I hope you will remember him, Master, even if no one else does.

It is through your observation that his small tragedy and struggle will live on forever.

And for him, there could be no greater honor.

Yeah.

Thanks for believing in me right to the end, Master. I appreciate that.

As long as I'm here, Fujimaru... I'll keep fighting for you and you alone!