intro.3-3

...I'm afraid so. Scáthach-Skadi has been defeated, and her Tree of Emptiness is gone, taking the Scandinavian Lostbelt with it.

Tragically, Ophelia didn't make it either... (Sniff, sniff)

...Spare us the performance, Koyanskaya.

It makes me detest you even more than Chaldea.

Oh my, you saw right through me? How embarrassing!

And here I was going above and beyond to pay my respects to a fallen comrade by turning on the waterworks to go with the lip service☆

After all, Ophelia was one of my most important clients.

That Jewel-rank Mystic Eye of hers was a real beauty...

Completely wasted on her, though. A textbook example of how one can have too much of a good thing.

If she'd only agreed to let me have that eye before it got ruined, I would have done everything in my power to help her stay alive.

I see. Well, then I suppose it wasn't a total loss.

Just the thought alone of you in possession of that eye is enough to turn my stomach.

My, my, Akuta. I'm surprised to see you grieving over Ophelia's death, given what a misanthrope you are.

Is this one of those "don't know what you've got till it's gone" things, or were you always secretly fond of her? Not that it is any comfort to her either way.

See, the thing about friendships between girls is, they're all about supporting each other, just as long as there is also something in it for them.

It doesn't matter how much she might have disliked me. I was at least there for her...once in a while.

I actually tried to help her with her problems, but you? All you did was sit back and watch.

So where do you get off, suddenly acting like she was so precious to you?

You didn't do anything, so you don't get to say anything. Isn't that common sense in human society?

Maybe you wouldn't have forgotten that if you hadn't shut yourself away all this time.

How dare you talk to me like that, you dirty little fox!?

All right, that's enough, girls. Save it for after we've all been wiped out, 'kay?

Come on, Akuta honey, you've worked so hard to keep your face as emotionless as possible. Don't let all that effort go to waste.

I'm surprised to hear you being so straightforward too, Koyanskaya. You usually play your cards much closer to the chest.

I guess it just goes to show how much Ophelia's death really hurt the two of you.

Ooh, wonderful. I love seeing the men trying to act all cool and stoic, pretending like it doesn't bother them.

Look at us, sharing our thoughts and feelings about the dearly departed... It's almost like a real funeral.

...Stop that. I don't have any words of condolence for her.

I only came here to report on my Lostbelt. I've done that, so I'll be leaving now.

Pepe. Kirschtaria. Just to be clear, I want nothing at all to do with that fox woman.

She's not good for anything but toppling nations. Don't you dare send her to my Lostbelt, not even by accident.

Damn, she really did just up and leave! Whatever happened to teamwork, huh?

...You sure about this, Wodime?

Koyanskaya's not the only reason Akuta was pissed.

She's furious at the loss of Russia and Scandinavia.

If Koyanskaya hadn't given her an easier target, she'd probably have taken her rage out on me.

I can almost hear her berating me for being useless...and she'd have every right to.

You know, now that you mention it, I think somebody ought to. Why not me?

I mean, sure. It's great you made it back here alive after Russia got taken out and all. You're one of us.

But here's a question: Why ARE you still alive, Kadoc?

It was your Servant who wrecked Chaldea, right? They ought to hate you more than any of us.

And here you are, without even a scratch? How the hell does that work?

Are they seriously that freaking stupid?

Or...maybe you were thinking about changing sides?

...

...

Hah. It's kind of a relief to see you're still a complete asshole, Beryl.

If I'd really gone over to Chaldea, I'd still be stuck in the Border trying to choke down that nasty prison slop they serve about now.

Trust me, they don't have enough resources to keep anyone nonessential around.

I'm just a pathetic loser who managed to escape death thanks to sheer dumb luck.

(...At least for now.)

I see... A loser, huh.

Beryl?

Ah, I'm just busting your balls, Kadoc! All I really care about is that you're still alive!

Gotta say though, it's a real shame you and Ophelia had such shitty luck.

Then again, maybe it wasn't that so much as Chaldea had good luck? They're certainly not getting by on actual skill.

I really can't get my head around their idiot Master still being alive.

How the hell does a third-rate amateur like that keep walking away unscathed?

Heehee, he's gotta be either incredibly lucky, or just getting carried! I've heard of flattery getting you everywhere, but this is nuts!

Well, don't forget that his defenses are perfect. Mash is his Servant, after all.

It only makes sense that a Shielder would ensure her Master is protected.

Well, well... So Mash has been keeping him safe, huh...

Now I'm even more jealous. Imagine getting to play hero while hiding behind a piece of ass like that!

...

If we take Koyanskaya's report at face value, then I have no choice but to agree.

Daybit, what do you think of the Master of Chaldea?

Good question. It's hard to believe he's made it this far.

As a rule, people going off to war must bring a proven weapon.

This isn't something they do to protect themselves, or even to accomplish their mission. They simply do it because they are incapable of moving forward without the assurance that they are able to fight.

And yet, the Master of Chaldea continues to fight while fully aware he has no weapon to call his own.

He either has no sense of danger whatsoever, or

Or nothing. There's no other possible explanation.

He's a total joke of a mage. Hell, he doesn't even really deserve to be called a mage.

The only thing he can do is rely on Chaldea's Mystic Codes to convert his life energy into magical energy for his Servants.

And since there's no way to do that over a distance, he has to be as close as possible to his Servants to manage even that much.

He has no way of defending himself, and he's too stupid to command his Servants from a safe zone, like we can.

So he's only got one choice...

...and that's standing on the front lines like a goddamn moron.

And trust me, he's trying like hell to keep from pissing himself the whole time.

...

Koyanskaya, let me make sure I have everything straight.

You say that Chaldea didn't defeat Ophelia, but rather that she sacrificed her life of her own accord.

You also say that in order to stop Surtr, the Fiery King of Giants, the one hiding in the Scandinavian Lostbelt, before he could trigger Ragnarök...

...she used her Sirius Light, and acted not as a Crypter, but simply as Ophelia.

Exactly, Lord Kirschtaria. She abandoned her responsibilities as a Crypter.

Damn, seriously? What a twist! Guess that means your ass got DUMPED, Wodime!

Man, she was so into you, too. See, this is why I can't stand chicks. You just can't trust 'em.

I confess, I am disappointed. An overestimation of her abilities...

Scandinavia was a peaceful Lostbelt, after all. That she could not control even such a place...

...

Oh, that reminds me, Kirschtaria... I actually have a little question of my own.

You knew about Surtr all along, right? And yet you still entrusted Scandinavia to Ophelia.

In fact, weren't you the one who told her to keep Surtr around?

If so...something doesn't quite add up. Surtr was the natural enemy of the Scandinavian Lostbelt, you know.

Does that mean you left him there specifically so he would destroy it?

Is that what the Foreign God asked you to do?

Yes, I did advise Ophelia to keep Surtr around.

Given Scáthach-Skadi's nature, I thought it to be possible that she may sympathize with Chaldea.

I suggested she keep Surtr around as a sort of insurance against that eventuality.

Sadly, it seems even that was too much of a burden on her. I thought it would have turned out better.

Aha, nooow I see! So you were worried Ophelia wouldn't be able to handle it on her own!

You always knew what a weakling she was, even as you kept telling her how much you trusted her...

You're a devious one, aren't you, Lord Kirschtaria? In that case, I'm happy to forget the whole thing ever happened.

I'll make sure not to mention this to the Foreign God...or the other Alter Egos, of course.

I appreciate your faith in me, Koyanskaya. Though I always find it worrying whenever you add in bonuses like that.

Koyanskaya, you said you lost track of Chaldea around the North Sea?

I suppose they could have escaped with a Zero Sail, but given their lack of resources, I can't imagine they would be willing to do so for long.

In which case

They must have reached the Wandering Sea. How troublesome.

That was the one place the Foreign God couldn't touch. Or the place the Foreign God felt no need to bother with, at any rate.

And since the mages of the Wandering Sea have no interest in the future of modern mankind, we assumed they wouldn't interfere with our plans.

But perhaps our decision to ignore them was a mistake...

Huh? Not even the Foreign God could do anything about them?

Evidently not, since they clearly avoided being erased.

The Wandering Sea is an island unto itself, both part of and separate from the rest of the world. You can't take an eraser to something that already doesn't exist.

Anyway, this puts us in a pretty pickle. I have no idea how we'd find them now.

How about you, Koyanskaya? You can travel between Lostbelts at will. Can you track them down?

I'm afraid not...

I may possess Independent Manifestation, but I can't sneak into the Wandering Sea without knowing exactly where it is...

That makes sense.

Then I guess we'll just have to forget about Chaldea for now, focus on our own Lostbelts, and

Not happening, Peperoncino.

Between Kadoc and Ophelia, they've already taken out two of us.

We can't ignore this Chaldean remnant any longer. We need to crush them. Quickly.

Right, Wodime? There's no reason to keep eyesores like them alive any longer than we have to, is there?

...

Oh, come on. Don't tell me you're siding with Pepe on this! You're going to let them get away with this?

Then again, I guess you're already pretty much set, aren't you! No one could ever hope to cross that sea of yours, after all.

All you've gotta worry about is which bottle of champagne you're gonna open after you win by default!

But for us mere commoners...this is a matter of life and death.

Isn't that right, Daybit?

How am I supposed to enjoy my manhunts when I know Chaldea could stab me in the back at any time?

Come on, Koyanskaya. This is your jurisdiction here.

I mean, there's three of you Alter Egos, so can't you figure out a way to take care of them as part of your job, O great Disciples of the Foreign God?

Hmm, let me think...

Rasputin's team is out fighting a group of Proper Human History Servants in the Grecian seas right now.

And I don't know what it is that creepy onmyouji loves about India so much, but he refuses to budge from there, sooo...

...I guess I have to handle this one myself, even though it's not in my contract.

So you want me to get rid of those pesky Chaldeans for you? Oh, all right!

...Just like that, huh? Can you really pull it off?

I mean, I thought you just said you couldn't sneak into the Wandering Sea.

Oh, don't worry about that. We pros have our ways♡

That said, eliminating all of them is going to be one expensive job. I doubt you could afford it.

So I trust you won't mind if I take a more...cost-effective measure?

Oh? What'd you have in mind?

The important thing is to neutralize the threat Chaldea poses, right? Won't be a problem.

They only have one Master to spare, after all.

So you just sit tight while I go assassinate him before anyone even notices I'm there.

...Looks like Koyanskaya's warped away again. You really think she went to the Wandering Sea?

Considering that neither the Foreign God nor the Disciples have been able to locate it...

...I have difficulty imagining even Koyanskaya will be able to infiltrate it anytime soon.

Though, knowing her as I do, I expect she must have some sort of plan to reach her destination.

Shit, she can actually warp to the Wandering Sea? And I was just screwing with her!

Guess it really does never hurt to ask. But also, where can I get that kinda warping juju? 'Cause hot damn!

Anyway, I know she'll make good on her word. I also like her pick of going the assassination route.

Guess I'd better make sure I stay on her good side from now on.

That way, I know I'll have a ticket out of my Lostbelt if everything goes to shit.

Why so pessimistic, Beryl? Is your Lostbelt really that horrid?

Eh, let's just say it's all going to plan. Right, Wodime?

...

Oops! I've said too much! Time to go!

Later, Kadoc! You enjoy that Greek nightlife since you've got nothing to do but live it up!

Oh, and save me a few drinks! If I screw up too, we can have a losers' night out on the town!

...As if he wasn't treating me like a traitor just a few minutes ago. The worst part is, he meant it.

Whatever, this meeting's done, so I'm heading out too. Besides, I only just got to this Greek Lostbelt.

You said there's a few different poleis here, right? I'm gonna check them out while I heal up.

Teehee. I'm glad to see Kadoc doing so well.

He's still as angsty as ever, of course, but he's so much more brazen now than he used to be. It's wonderful!

Anyway, I think I'll be going now too. ...Kirschtaria? Daybit?

This may not be my place to ask, but aren't you two at all sad about Ophelia's death?

...

Good question.

I can't say I've spent much time giving Ophelia any real thought from the beginning...

...but for what it's worth, I do feel her loss.

I see. Looks like I'll be the only one bringing flowers to her figurative grave then.

But that's okay. Flowers are the one thing my Lostbelt has plenty of. It might not line up with her beliefs, but I can still hold my own little funeral for her.

I'll be sure to add some flowers for you too, Kirschtaria, since I've not seen you so much as smile since you sat in that chair.

...Your indefatigable positivity never ceases to impress me, Pepe. I'm lucky to have you around.

...But you needn't concern yourself with me.

Losing the Scandinavian Lostbelt is no more than a minor setback.

That we no longer have Surtr as a fail-safe if things take a turn for the worse was a strategic loss, however.

Still, if there's anything I regret...

...Ophelia. We only knew each other for a few years, but I knew you were a kind and gentle woman at heart.

Did you see me as some sort of great figure?

...I will strive to live up to that.

I will end Proper Human History in order to write a new one, and build new truth in its wake.

You may try to resist, members of Chaldea, but in the end...it is we Crypters who will prevail.