Imminent Slaughter

Get the provisions to the storehouse. Quickly!

After that, I want you to sort them into perishables and nonperishables, and give the perishables to the children and elderly!

Noncombatants, boil some water and prepare to treat the wounded! I want the wounded in a single-file line!

I'm afraid I get a bit queasy at the sight of blood, so I think I'll go repair my golems instead.

I will also have some of my golems keep watch. I believe it would be best for all the Yaga to get some rest now.

Thank you, Avicebron. I appreciate that.

Think nothing of it. ...I must say though, it is rather odd, hearing you thank me.

What do you mean?

It's nothing. Let's just say I sensed fate at work.

...I do not understand that man.

I'm hungry...

Don't worry, I'll have some meat for you in no time! That'll make you feel better...!

？！

Master...

What are you muttering about!?

He ran away, and we didn't go after him! That's all there is to it!

Besides, any mage worth their salt should be used to betrayal! Don't be sad about that mutt running away!

Be sad you've lost your guide in this land, and how hard it'll be to replace him!

Yeah...but I don't think it's really that Fujimaru is sad necessarily. I think he's just trying to understand why he left more than anything.

I imagine he had his reasons. And of course, we owe him a debt for involving him in all this to begin with.

We will just have to hope that he is all right. There is nothing else we can do for him right now.

Now, what say we switch gears, Mr. Fujimaru?

It seems you have finished unloading the food. Perhaps you should inform Ms. Atalante?

？！

Good. Thank you, Fujimaru. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your help.

If it weren't for you and Avicebron, the rebel army would have been wiped out today.

...Or, barring that, we may have ended up massacring those townspeople...and we could never have hoped to atone for such a sin.

Thankfully, our own losses were minimal. At least, that is what I will tell myself to keep despair at bay.

At any rate, I am sorry to ask this of you so soon after getting back, but...I have another mission.

We learned something in our intelligence gathering for this operation. It did not pertain to the operation, but it is nonetheless very important.

It concerns the town of Yaga Tula...

Do you remember what I told you before, about the soldiers who came to join us and soon ended up leaving again?

I'm told that they made their way into Yaga Tula, ingratiated themselves with the local authorities, and now essentially run the town as their own.

Although they've been careful not to do anything that would incur Ivan the Terrible's wrath...

...unfortunately, it would seem the imperial court's mage, priest, or some such caught wind of those Yaga.

We have word that the Oprichniki and a Servant have been sent to deal with them, which has thrown the whole town into chaos.

...But this also puts one of our enemy's stronger operatives alone and unguarded in the field, not counting the Oprichniki, of course.

This represents an excellent opportunity to eliminate the Servant. Unfortunately, Yaga Tula is too far away to send a large force without it being obvious.

I am certain one of Avicebron's golems could cross that distance in no time...

...but if he goes with you, I'm afraid that would leave the golems here inoperable.

In that case, I will set them to obey your commands, Atalante.

I'm afraid they won't be able to handle complex instructions, but you should have no trouble telling them who to attack or what to carry.

That would be more than sufficient.

The rebel army should not be going anywhere for the time being. We will remain here to tend to our injured and continue our training.

？！

Yes, I heard the report. ...That sort of thing happens all the time.

Though it may have been a poor choice on his part to run away in Yaga Smolensk, of all places.

I only hope the Oprichniki have not killed him...

With all the traveling you are doing, you will soon know this land just as well as any Yaga.

I believe it would be in your best interests to rest for a while, but...if that is your wish, I will not stand in your way.

？！

Well, since you look to be goin' against another Servant, I reckon I'll tag along.

Atalante, you got any notion of who this Servant may be?

Yes. It seems he has not been at all shy about announcing his name.

He is called...Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Huh...!?

？！

(Huff, huff, huff...)

Dammit, what IS that thing!? I'd rather fight the Oprichniki any day of the week!

Fear me. My shriek shall shatter your eardrums and my claws shall slice the very darkness itself!

I shall execute you all, and see that your sins are punished! There is no refuge for evil in this world!

Gh...aaaaaah!

Another wrong made right.

It is unclear whether there is meaning to this justice, but as I am a Servant, this is how things must be.

Repent for your misdeeds, and rest in peace.

In this Lostbelt, death is the closest you will come to salvation.

Th-there he is! It's the Servant! Come on, shoot him! Quickly!

...!

Dammit, he's gone! Where is he!? Where'd he go!?

Maybe if we follow his scen

What do you imagine that will accomplish?

Ga...!

You Yaga certainly are resilient. Even I cannot kill you unless I cut off your heads.

I caught one.

Dammit, let me go!

Do not fret. I will. Just as soon as you tell me what I need to know.

Are you part of the rebel army?

Hell no we're not! Don't go lumping us in with those sissies!

As you are the ones who have ended up captured, I have to believe that they are the more capable bunch.

Shut up! Rrgh... Hand over...your food...!

If...if we don't eat...we're gonna starve to death...! Ghhh...!

...Tell me, have you ever heard anyone play the piano?

Huh? Piano...? What's that...?

...Put him out of his misery, Oprichnik. Those of his profession do not deserve such a grand reward.

H-hey, stop that! Get away from

Why... Why is there no music to be found here?

Why does no one even attempt to open their mind and lend an ear to the arts? To the poetry of sound? To the whispers of the heavens?

I suppose everyone who lives in this chilling hellscape is far too preoccupied with survival to appreciate the finer things in life.

... ...What are your orders?

...Are there any bandits still alive?

Yes. One.

Torture him as you desire, then release him.

Release an enemy of the Tsar?

You heard me. Release him, and he shall make his way to those with power.

...He will run to the rebel army for help, and thus lead us right to them.

I would ask why you couldn't think of something so simple...but I suppose that would be too much to expect of denizens of dreams such as yourselves.

Nonetheless, I know of what I speak when I say that letting this one go will help us eliminate the Tsar's enemies. Resist the urge to slaughter him now.

...Ahh, this blizzard batters my cranium. Why am I here? What purpose am I meant to serve...?

？！

Right. Be careful.

Oh, while you're out there, I would appreciate it if you could also deliver our manifesto to the villages you find along the way. Could I ask that of you?

The sooner we have enough power to attack the capital, the sooner we can be free of the Tsar's tyranny...

At the moment, though, we still have a great deal to do before we are able to free this world.

Hey, guess we won't be seeing you around for a while. You guys really saved our Krichat' bacon back there.

Bye-bye, Mr. Weakling!

Hey! Don't be rude to Fujimaru.

But, he's human, right? Aren't humans weak?

I heard that's why they all died out a long time ago, so I'm real surprised to see some now!

Don't be stupid! These humans are here BECAUSE they're strong.

So strong, they'll kill you if you keep mouthing off to them like that!

Okay. Sorry!

Yay! Thank you!

For us, the idea that the strong get to eat is absolutely everything. It affects every aspect of our lives.

I've had that idea imprinted on me ever since I was a pup myself, and I still basically agree with it.

？！

See you later! Bring me back a souvenir!

？！

I've finished making adjustments to your golem, Master. Thankfully, the blizzard is rather mild today, at least by this world's standards.

I believe it would be best to take advantage of that and make as much progress as you can.

And then there are the manifestos Atalante asked you to deliver.

Please make sure you're well prepared before you head out, Master. Don't forget to check your arctic Mystic Code!

Indeed. This cold is so severe that any slit in your Mystic Code could quickly lead to frostbite and necrosis on the affected body part.

Even with your magecraft protection, I do hope you will be careful out there, Master.

？！

...My goal was always to unite all the Servants summoned to this land and overthrow Ivan the Terrible alongside the rebel army...

And now, thanks to the Master of Chaldea, that goal actually seems attainable, rather than a pipe dream.

...

...My head is killing me. I suppose even Servants cannot always get what they want.

When my pipe dream becomes reality, I wonder if...I will wake from this dream, too.

Let me go, dammit...!

Hmm. So you are a survivor from the rebel army. Unfortunately, you were the only one I was able to capture.

The Oprichniki have a terrible time exercising control at times like this, you see.

In that sense, you should count yourself lucky. I hope you understand that much.

...Tch...

Just so you know, I'm only a new recruit. I don't remember anything.

I see. So you lack confidence in your memory, eh? I appreciate you telling me that before we begin.

Your kind are quite durable indeed. We could be out here all day if we take things one question at a time.

What was that...?

I said you Yaga have a high tolerance for pain, thanks to your dull sense of it. All the more so if you're prepared to give up your lives.

In my experience, you cannot make a Yaga talk whether you rip out his claws, break his limbs, or even toss him in a dark hole for a month.

The Oprichniki's methods of torture only ever end up killing you. It's a tremendous waste of time.

Is that so? If you're gonna kill me, then kill me already!

I can't do that, my young Yaga. As you can see, I am a man of the cloth, here to spread God's word.

I would like to avoid taking life unless strictly necessary. Besides...I have something else in mind.

There's a test of sorts I've been meaning to try out. Oprichniki, we will be taking this Yaga with us. Do be careful with him.

Yes, sir.

...What're you planning to make me do...?

I believe you said you lacked confidence in your memories? Then you have cause to rejoice.

I'm going to give you the shock of a lifetime.

□*# >"#$

...Sorry, we're back online!

I'm afraid our transmission is cutting in and out. It might be because of how fast you're moving.

Can't you track Master even without communicating with him?

Yes, of course. I'm monitoring him right now.

Perhaps we should slow down for a while and take a moment to make a report. Why don't we take a break, or even set up camp for the night?

Well that sounds like a fine idea. I confess, I'm about ridden down.

What do you think, Master? You must be tired as well, no?

Right! Okay everyone, please start getting ready to make camp.

...Incidentally, I believe we should begin by eliminating the nearby Demonic Beasts and securing the area.

We certainly wouldn't want them attacking us while we are asleep.

Hm? ...Ah, I see. There are Demonic Beasts nearby.

Then let us take care of them first.

？！

All right then, it's huntin' time!

Are you all right, Master? You're not too cold, are you?

？！

Seems you can make golems outta just about anything, huh, Avicebron?

Stones, trees, metal... You can just use all kindsa stuff, can't you?

You are correct, for the most part.

Well, there's no shortage of snow 'round here. Could you make a golem outta that?

...Snow golems, eh... Hmm...

Leaving aside what to use as a core, I imagine it would be rather difficult to accumulate and maintain the material.

Although, they would have an advantage in that they would be difficult to physically destroy, as they could always just reassemble themselves from all the snow around them.

...But no, it just wouldn't work. No matter how I run the numbers, the average core just would not be capable of accumulating sufficient quantities of snow.

Using more valuable materials for the core would only result in golems that, while nigh impossible to destroy, are otherwise exceptionally weak.

What do you think, Master?

Ah yes, I forgot that magecraft isn't your strong suit.

True, this temperature is low enough to freeze almost anything instantly. The resulting golems would still have limited capabilities, but that would be a better trade-off, yes.

？！

You really do love golems, don't you, Avicebron?

Oh, I wouldn't say that. I simply dislike humans.

Huh?

？！

...Oh, I don't mean that I DESPISE them. My apologies. I should have chosen my words more carefully.

I only meant that I find interacting with humans troublesome, and tend to avoid it as much as possible.

That is just the sort of person I am.

？！

Since becoming a Servant, I realized the error of my ways. At least in part.

So I decided I should continue to talk to others, no matter how reluctant I may be to do so.

Oh, if you find it unpleasant, we would be happy to keep quiet...

No, that would not do. That would not do at all, Mash.

While it is fair to say that I do not like humans, I did try to save them to the best of my ability.

I did so in life, and I continue to do so in death... But I'm still not sure WHY, and that troubles me.

Giants are supposed to be immortal; they must not be allowed to die. If they do, that will be my fault.

Avicebron?

...Apologies. I didn't mean to lose my composure.

At any rate, I feel as though I'm very close to a breakthrough. And if I'm to find it, I need to continue talking with all of you.

So don't worry how I feel about it. I WANT us to continue to talk freely amongst ourselves.

？！

Yes?

？！

...That's true. You make an excellent point.

Maybe so, but I'm still glad you told us. I think it was very important that you did.

Heroic Spirits may exist to protect humanity, but that doesn't mean they all feel the same way about it.

Some used to be human, some are descended from gods, some were never human at all...

Hmm, true. This may sound impertinent, but the fact is that we are indeed allies now. We are our own community.

That's true, Master. Now is not a good time to argue.

？！

Ah, that reminds me... Holmes? You around?

Yes, I'm here. What is it?

I'm just a mite curious about what's goin' on outside Russia right now.

How's it lookin' out there?

I'm afraid we are not in a position to find that out just yet. There is an enormous storm wall that surrounds all of Russia, you see.

That said, the Paper Moon did show us what Earth currently looks like when we emerged here.

It's become a smooth, perfectly round planet. Not a single sign of nature exists to be found, to say nothing of civilization.

There may be some slight variations in elevation, but there are no mountains surpassing a thousand meters that we have seen.

The only things remaining on this now empty world are seven abnormal regions, each of roughly the same scale as this version of Russia.

I'm afraid that's all we know right now.

Well ain't that just perfect. Guess Russia ain't the only place that's changed more'n a bit.

My memories are all still a blur, but there's one thing I know to a certainty.

I'm damn sure the place I lived my life was a nice, easygoin' world, where there weren't no trouble that couldn't be solved with a bullet!

Now then, before we continue on our way tomorrow, I believe we should stop at the nearby village and hand out the manifesto.

Go away, Servants. Leave now, and don't come back.

...Oh? May I ask why?

If you know that we are Servants rather than humans, then why do you speak to us like that?

I know that you Servants are inhuman monsters. That's why I want you to go away.

If that still isn't enough for you, then go ahead and kill me first.

Are you that scared of Ivan the Terrible?

You lot see our neighbor village on that map of yours?

？！

Go there, and you will see a sign of the Tsar's power. Then I'm sure you'll understand.

...So long as that reminder is there, we could never even dream of defying him.

...Well, that was certainly not the warmest of welcomes. Nonetheless, I am curious about this sign of the Tsar.

I suggest we head there now, and see what we can learn from it.

Very well then. I wonder what we shall find...

...Well, I suppose it's all right with me, but I gotta tell you, I got a real bad feeling about this. But sometimes you gotta just charge into the lion's den.

？！

I ain't too keen on stickin' around this village any longer than we gotta. Let's get a move on.

？！

Did an earthquake hit here? Maybe a twister...?

How terrible... What a horrible disaster this must have been...

This is downright awful.

What is it? We can't see anything on our end.

？！

Very well, I'll try to fix them.

Are you TRYING to break our equipment, old man!? Looking for an excuse to replace it or something?

In case you somehow FORGOT, we can't just go buy a new one here. If you break it, I'm bringing a replacement from YOUR quarters.

You dare talk to your commander like that!? Mash! Use your Demi powers to give Meunière the spanking of his life!

Weakened or not, you ARE still a Servant, aren't you? Then get in there and shatter his coccyx.

I-I'm sorry, Director, but I can't follow an order like that!

(...How...WHY would you ever even think to do something like that...?)

Very well, if you would be so kind as to describe the scene for us, I should have no difficulty piecing together what happened.

...I ain't rightly sure, Holmes. Not a lot to describe. Can't say much more than the place's been just about completely obliterated.

There are, of course, no survivors to be found.

Does it appear to have been burned to the ground?

What do you think, Billy?

Hmm. Don't look that way, no. No scorch marks on what's left of the houses or anything like that.

'Sides, I got a feelin' fire don't take well to the conditions around here. Don't see much burnin'.

True. Likely not the work of the Oprichniki, eitherthey would have no need to destroy these homes.

...Tell me, Mr. Fujimaru, is there anything that strikes you about this scene? Anything at all?

Hmm. Given that this is a scene of horrendous destruction...

...you have almost certainly seen its like on your travels to prevent the Incineration of Humanity.

Why don't we briefly recall each of your destinations?

Fuyuki... Orleans... Rome... Okeanos... London... America... Camelot...

Camelot? Aha, now I see. Perhaps this puts you in mind of a Holy Selection crater?

Yeah. Are you talking about that explosion that was observable all the way from London?

They say it was caused by a meteor, but no impact crater has been found like this one.

？！

Y'know, now you mention it, it DOES look like somethin' crushed those houses from above.

But it still somehow wasn't enough, so we got a crater here. Well? What're we dealin' with here? Some kinda space rock, or somethin' else entirely?

Whatever the case, this is the power we face by opposing Ivan the Terrible. The Yaga here all died instantly, without even a moment to be frightened.

No wonder that other village was so terrified. ...It would seem there is little to be gained by handing out the manifesto here.

Yeah. S'pose we might as well just head straight for our destination then.

Well, no time like the present.

Let's go find out if this Mozart fella is the sorta monster we can beat, or the sort we can befriend.

However the chips fall, my six-shooter'll help see us through!

...Here we are.

Fujimaru, would you mind pulling your hood lower to hide your face? One cannot be too careful, after all.

I'll just go ahead and use my spirit form, then.

It does seem lively here, despite the late hour.

It would be much easier to acquire information if Patxi were still here with us...

...but since he isn't, the best we can hope to do is eavesdrop. Wait just a moment, please.

Oh, sure. ...Um, may I ask why you're putting your hand up to the wall?

Why, to eavesdrop, of course.

The Tsar's

Long live the Tsar!

The Oprichniki killed

Not enough Demonic Beast leather

There's a monster

I've been hearing strange sounds lately

Speaking of sounds, the Tsar

...not joking! He said he saw an old-fashioned human with his own eyes!

(...Ah. Here we are.)

Said they were at the old church! You know, the one up north!

If we beat them, we've still got a shot at winning...!

Don't be stupid. Even if that's true, we're talking about someone the Oprichniki take orders from!

We can't possibly beat someone like that! Nothing good can come from defying the Tsar!

Don't give me that crap now! I'm sick of the damn Tsar!

He pawns everything off on the Oprichniki, and when HE goes out on his own, all he does is wipe another village or town off the map!

And when he's not doing that, he doesn't even TRY to help us! WE'RE the ones who built this city! The Tsar didn't do shit!

Yeah, but so what? You know how strong the Tsar is!

...!

...That's what it all comes down to in the end. We know that in our bones.

There's not a single thing we can do in the face of such monstrous power...

...The only hope we've got is that he doesn't wake up.

As long as he stays asleep, we can manage to get by.

...Damn the Oprichniki. They're nothing but the Tsar's dogs!

Do we have no choice...but to kowtow to them...?

...There we go.

I just learned that a mysterious Servant is supposedly staying at an old church.

？！

All I did was apply my golem spell in a different manner.

In truth, the technique does not lend itself very well to finding specific information. It was simply good fortune that I happened to find what we sought.

That alone demonstrates how many Yaga are talking about this. In any case, shall we pay this church a visit?

...So this is the church. I don't detect any movement around there...

Indeed. Nor do I see anything out of place that a Servant might have left behind.

Same here. It just looks like an ordinary neglected church.

What do you think, Holmes? I imagine a detective of your caliber may find something we cannot.

Well, it's a bit difficult to get a clear picture over the monitor, but...

...yes, I do see signs that a Servant was here.

It seems the Servant in question used this church as a base of operations.

I believe this place served a similar function to a Caster's workshop. He must have felt very much at home.

Well ain't that something. You really are a great detective.

That was MY analysis at work, thank you very much! All Holmes did was look at the summary!

？！

Drat. I've been found out. I suppose I got a bit carried away.

I'm afraid I've been under a great deal of stress lately, since I haven't been able to make many biting deductions. Hahaha, I do apologize.

Hmph, that's rich coming from you, Detective Happy-Go-Lucky. As if you've ever had a stressful day in your life.

You wound me, Goredolf.

There are some mysteries that simply cannot be solved. That alone is a great source of stress for me.

Very well then, if the Servant is staying here, why don't we wait for him to return?

I agree with Avicebron, Master. It must have been exhausting, coming all this way in only two days.

This seems like a good opportunity to rest up, and I urge you to take it.

These benches may not make for the most comfortable of beds, but I suspect they will be considerably better than simply sitting down.

Then by all means, get as much rest as you can.

Of course, Master. I'll wake you up if anything happens.

？！

No way. You really have NO idea? Never mind their magecraft alignments! You don't even know their NAMES?

You're kidding! I didn't know you were so coldhearted, Fujimaru!

In that case, you really can't blame them if they wake up pissed off at you, can you? After all...

...you stole everything from them. Their jobs...their purpose...even their place at Chaldea.

Come now. You really don't know?

All the miracles you performed are about to be destroyed at the hands of the very paragon of mediocrity.

...ster! Master!

Are you all right, Master? You looked like you were having a nightmare...

？！

Thank goodness. For a moment, I was afraid one of your dreams had taken you to another world again.

Has that really happened before?

Yes, several times. At any rate... Avicebron.

I know. ...He's here.

Well then, time to answer that age-old question:

To pull the trigger, or not to pull the trigger?

？！

Yes, it is.

The Servant we believe to be Amadeus is standing in front of the church.

He appears to be keeping his magical energy restrained.

...But he's also not moving from his position.

Guess he's callin' us out.

What will you do, Master?

Understood!

You certainly like to go with the flow, as they say, at times, don't you?

？！

Watch out! Above you!

Whoa there.

Well that was a rather rude way to introduce oneself.

Is that...Amadeus...!?

Well, well. Here I am, waiting for more filthy rebel soldiers to show up, and who should I meet but the Chaldeans!

There is no place for you in this Lostbelt, Chaldeans. Your only escape now is death at my hands.

(Lostbelt... Is that what he just said? ...Aha, that's it!)

(And if this land's textures have been overwritten, that WOULD make this a belt!)

(Ah! This is the final piece of the puzzle I needed to complete my hypothesis!)

Whooee, look at you, all duded up. That some kinda suit, or would you call it armor?

You tellin' me THAT'S Amadeus?

...I can't get a good reading on his Spirit Origin!

He could be Amadeus, but he could also be someone else!

Regardless of who he is, the spirits seem to agree on one thing: he is very much a harbinger of death.

God's love is nowhere to be found here. ...There is only the hunt.

As I am no longer human, I shall grant you the gift of death!

...Ah, aah, aaah!

Don't you DARE say that name!!!

...Silence! Silence, silence, silence! My name IS Amadeus!

It must be or else... God will never forgive me!

？！

Hey, ■■■■■■■. Don't take this the wrong way, but...

...What is it?

Did you really kill him? I mean, I'm sure you didn't kill him directly.

But come on, you know...there's all sorts of indirect ways to kill someone, right?

...You think I killed him? Don't be stupid.

R-right, of course... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that.

No, I really mean it. Don't be stupidof COURSE I killed him.

Yes, I killed Amadeus myself. I am the one who requested the Requiem in D minor.

It was I! I am the reason the great prodigy is dead!

...Preposterous. How fortunate I would be if only that were true.

I COULDN'T kill him. I just couldn't.

Not because we were good friends, or even acquaintances, but because I couldn't bring myself to snuff out the life of one with such God-given talent.

That is who Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was.

And yet, the world, myself included, cannot but seek someone to blame for the death of one such as he.

So we told ourselves that some fool must have driven him to the depths of hell, all because they envied his divine symphonies!

And all so that we could avoid facing the most hellish truth ourselves: that even a composer of his incredible talent could die as easily as anyone else!

That is how I was remade. Yes, remade!

But that's okay! That's how it should be!

I loved him. I envied him. I yearned for him. I respected him, admired him, looked up to him...

So...to bear the honor of being the one to kill that great prodigy, I could ask no greater gift of God!

Still, that said...

...I feel like...he once told me something... Something...much more important...

？！

There is nothing for us to discuss...!

...Gotcha, you masked bastard!

Gah...! Dammit...!

...It's not him!

That's... That's not Amadeus at all! He doesn't look anything like him, and his Spirit Origin is different!

Not even being an Alter could explain this much difference!

Who are you, really...!?

I... I'm...

I'm...not Amadeus...! Dammit... I'm...NOT Amadeus...!

!

Mr. Fujimaru, look out! It's an ambush!

You guys must be working with old-fashioned radar. That explains why it was so easy to sneak up on you.

Huh!? That voice...!

Stand by, Oprichniki. This is the one I've been waiting for.

Hmm... Looks like the court musician isn't doing so hot. Well, that's okay. I wasn't gonna need him much longer anyway.

Goodbye, Salieri.

Salieri... So that was Antonio Salieri.

Kadoc...? Is that you...!?

Mash Kyrielight...? Oh, you're just on comms.

...Now then.

I know it's kind of clichéd, but some things just gotta be said, you know?

We meet at last, last Master of humanity.

My name's Kadoc Zemlupus. I'm the Crypter in charge of this Lostbelt.