Dashing Through One Thousand Li

...So what's our next move?

The first thing we should be doing is tracking down the Shadow Border, but...

...

We cannot leave. These people. To fend. For themselves. Qin Shi Huang wants. Them dead.

Right. And I'm pretty sure Qin Shi Huang's aware that the whole Operation Wall Drop thing failed.

It's no stretch to imagine Akuta and Xiang Yu being sent back to finish the job, only

Only they've gotta be guarding the Border now, seeing as that's the enemy's top priority.

Right. I don't see dropping chunks off of the Great Wall as something that gets done often or in rapid succession.

I'm sure Qin Shi Huang doesn't want to damage the land any more than strictly necessary.

That said...if we stay in one place too long, I'm sure the emperor will try it again, so we need to keep moving.

And you wanna take the villagers here with us?

That would. Put them. In the cross fire. Of our battle. Too dangerous.

What would you have us do, Fujimaru?

？！

My plan?

I agree with Senpai, Jing Ke. You're great at coming up with plans.

You think? Well, if you need my help that badly, I guess I'd better step up, huh?

...Our biggest problem is how Qin Shi Huang can keep tabs on us from the Great Wall. How many of Da Vinci's Bounded Field devices do we have?

She gave Senpai and me one each, and we also have a single backup unit.

Then we should split up in three directions.

The main group will go after the Shadow Border, and the other two will take the villagers somewhere safe.

Is there anywhere safe, seeing how Emperor Douchebag is lookin' straight down at us?

Fortunately, that the emperor can only look straight down may be our saving grace.

All that is needed to avoid such a gaze is something overhead, like a cave or a forest thick with foliage.

We won't know how well the camouflage devices work until we give them a shot.

And of course, if Qin Shi Huang loses sight of us, then I expect someone will come searching at ground level.

So we can expect the nearby areas to be crawling with those mechanical soldiers.

Then we'll have to kick the shit outta them every time. But how're we gonna keep a low profile if we do that? This land ain't exactly the best for hiding either.

Which is why each group will need a skilled fighter, since there will be no getting around the fact that we will all run into patrols at some point.

...Mordred, Nezha, I'd like each of you to guard half the villagers.

Mash, Fujimaru, and I will go after the Shadow Border.

What happens. When the. Villagers are. Finally safe?

Our ultimate destination is Xianyang, so we can hide out near there while we wait to rendezvous. How does that sound?

Works for me. Your plan's got more holes than a sieve, but that'll make it easier to adapt on the fly.

I too. Have no. Significant objections.

？！

...We were born in this village. We've been here all our lives. Now we have to leave it behind...?

I'm so sorry we dragged all of you into this. But if you stay here, your lives will be in danger again...

But, that's not fair! What did we do to deserve this!?

...

You didn't do jack shit. Qin Shi Huang just threw a tantrum 'cause you got to know us a bit.

None of this is your fault. This is just what happens to normal people during war.

You've just gotta think of it like a tornado or an earthquake or somethin' else outside your control.

This can't be happening!

I don't know. The idea of getting to go somewhere that's not here is kind of...how do I put this...

Yeah, it's like a...hot feeling in the bottom of your chest. It kind of makes me want to yell and shout and run around in circles.

I know, it's so exciting! This must be what Spartacus meant when he talked about "freedom."

Hell yeah, it is. And in our word, it's somethin' so precious people've risked their lives to protect it.

Ugh, what's with this stupid talisman!

How can they seal away my Spirit Origin with mere sage arts? It's not fair!

Well aren't you a sorry sight, Koyanskaya.

Akuta! You came to rescue me!

Come on then, hurry up and get this stupid thing off me.

I didn't think I'd have any trouble breaking free of these obsolete sage arts, but annoyingly, this talisman uses a spell made for sealing away gods.

As I am now, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do about it.

And I should help you...why, exactly?

Aww, don't be like that.

You and I are the only ones in this Lostbelt who can really count on each other.

Well that's odd. I could have sworn that the Disciples of the Foreign God were supposed to be entirely neutral in all of this.

Didn't the rules say that you weren't allowed to help any one Crypter in particular?

Don't be silly, of course I'd make an exception for you, Akuta☆ After all, we go way back, don't we?

...Yes, I suppose we do. Which is why I find it so surprising that you never realized this about me.

I have always utterly detested you. Well, maybe not you per se, but another fox woman just like you.

I don't know what made you end up manifesting like that, but you sure took your sweet time getting there.

Hmph. Don't you know it's rude to go babbling about a lady's past?

The point is, you and I are cut from the same misanthropic cloth, right? Don't you think it would only benefit us both if we played nice?

If you're going to bring up mutual benefit, Koyanskaya, I have even more reason to refuse.

How could helping you possibly be worth getting on Qin Shi Huang's bad side?

Oooh, you really went there, huh?

In this world, when it comes to business, you're either a client, or a product.

I was hoping to keep you as a client, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be...

...Goodbye, Koyanskaya. Knock yourself out trying to find an escape from this. You'll never succeed.

...She's really serious about him... That wasn't the look of a recluse afraid to put herself out there.

She must have found her nerve after running into him again so unexpectedly. Wish I could be happy for her...

...but all I can think about is how stupid this lovey-dovey stuff is. So ends another ancient, I guess.

Oh well, this just means I'll have to find another client! Aaand that means there's one more thing I can sell here now!

That's NFF Services for you; we never stop chasing our dreams!

...Yeah, these are tire tracks. They definitely came this way.

Fou, fooou!

Oh, yes. I guess I should've expected you to tag along too...

？！

You just focus on taking care of yourself right now, Fujimaru. How are you feeling?

？！

Unfortunately, we can't afford to go any faster. We need to conserve energy in case we have to fight.

That's true. But these tracks are old, so I'd say the enemy's way ahead of us.

Even if we can't catch up to them, we definitely can't afford to fall any farther behind.

The fact that they also took Da Vinci, Holmes, and the rest with them must mean that...

Yeah. They're trying to figure out how the Zero Sail engine works. If they can't work it out themselves, they'll need to make the ones who built it talk.

At least we shouldn't have to worry about them being immediately executed, but that will only last so long.

Once they've outlived their usefulness, it's entirely possible Qin Shi Huang won't want them as prisoners.

There's no sense getting too worked up about it, but we can't afford to take our time either.

I'm sorry, Fujimaru, but you'll just have to hang in there for now.

？！

...Wait! I'm seeing hostile figures at twelve o'clock! It's more of Qin Shi Huang's mechanical soldiers!

So I see. I did figure we were due to run into some, but I'd just as soon have been wrong!

The battle is over; no more enemies in the area.

There's even more of them than I thought there'd be. No way did they just happen to be here on patrol.

I think I might know why... Take a look at these remains.

Huh? That's odd. We didn't destroy these.

Exactly. Someone else must have fought them before we got here.

The ones we just fought may have been reinforcements who got here too late, or they might have come to investigate the battle's aftermath.

And it's a safe bet that neither Mordred nor Nezha came this way.

So does this mean there's someone else here butting heads with the empire besides us?

？！

That's very possible, especially since we just saw the Spirit Origin graph flare up. This can't be a coincidence.

Then, if we can manage to find them, we might just gain a new ally!

Or a new enemy, if we're unlucky. Either way, we'd better investigate further.

？！

Welp...I certainly won't be expanding my clientele anytime soon if I don't get out of this prison. I can't believe this talisman is the genuine article.

I never thought humans would be able to keep the sage arts working for over two thousand years, but I was clearly wrong.

They've even managed to advance them here. I really need to leave; this Lostbelt and I do NOT get along.

I mean, what was a mere human thinking, going all the way to Mt. Penglai to claim secret sage arts?

If you're going to go that far, you might as well have stayed there and become a sage yourself!

Where does this clown get off coming back to the human world and staying on as emperor!?

Ugh, just thinking about that stupid emperor and that stupid missing face pisses me off.

I can't believe I let myself get trapped like this all because I couldn't get a read on the emperor's expressions!

...

...Oh, it's you. I didn't think I would see you in a peaceful Lostbelt like this.

But I guess you show up just about anywhere. What is it, Foreign Priestess?

... ......

Oh for... I have no idea what you're saying. I wish you would hurry up and learn our language already...

I wonder if Kirschtaria already understands you.

Maybe he's even keeping a record of everything you've been saying and doing that involves us.

...

Well, none of that's any of my business.

After all, my contract is with the Foreign God, not you, even if you do speak for it.

But never mind that. Do you think you could peel this talisman off for me?

This Lostbelt's king is a tough negotiator. The other Lostbelt kings might be monsters that no human can control...

...but Qin Shi Huang pulls that off while still somehow remaining human.

Monsters that rely on brute strength are terrifying just by existing, but devious humans are terrifying because of what they actually do.

So I promise you, if something isn't done soon, the Crypters are going to lose their hold on this Lostbelt.

That archaic emperor might even end up cutting down the Tree of Emptiness before it can become your seedbed, you know?

Archaic, you say. Do tell, Yanyanski, exactly which part of us is archaic? Hm?

...Dammit.

Enjoying your conversation with the wall, are you? We see you must have finally "lost it," as they say.

Heh. I'm flattered you'd go out of your way just to peep on me in my little cell here, Your Imperial Majesty.

Teehee, that you can peep anywhere you want, yet you still can't see what's really important. What a joke.

...We have passed judgment on Chaldea.

Now, the time has come to properly assess your conduct as a visitor of our empire.

Has it now? Does this mean you've finally realized that Chaldea was your mortal enemy all along?

Indeed, we have. But that does not absolve you of your own, separate crimes.

Whatever do you mean? The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?

Chaldea is both your enemy and mine, Your Imperial Majesty. I'm certainly not the one who's been ruining your farms.

But you are the one who brought those Demonic Beasts that began eating our people around the time Chaldea appeared, no?

...(Crap. I'd forgotten about that...)

Oh, uh, well, that's strange. I guess they, uh, fell out of my pocket or...something?

But really, do you even have any proof that that was my mistake?

There's no difference between summoning Demonic Beasts and summoning Heroic Spirits, after all. How do you know Chaldea isn't just playing dumb?

Chaldea takes pleasure in disturbing my people's way of life. They would never kill them just for sport.

But you, on the other hand, take pleasure in nothing so much as messily devouring humans.

Thus, we hardly need conduct a thorough investigation to determine your guilt.

...I see. So you still have a record of my past self, even in this Lostbelt.

All right then, what are you going to do about it?

Do you even have time to waste now that you know that Chaldea is the greatest threat to you and your nation?

It is true that we do not. While we are quite adept at parallel processing, our greatest concern is indeed Chaldea.

We can only afford to dedicate our rare spare moments to dealing with you.

So we are afraid that your interim punishment will have to be somewhat...artless. Messy.

That talisman seals your powers, preventing you from fighting back, yes? Then we can delegate your punishment to these automata.

Wha...

As such, these puppets will torture you until we can see to your punishment ourself.

Huh? H-hang on! You're joking, right?

I mean, you're Qin Shi Huang, the great emperor of this domain! Surely you can't be so completely twisted!

We do not do this for our own enjoyment. It is our duty to see justice served.

W-wait... Please... Don't doEegh! Gaaaaaah!!!

We are sorry about this, but we simply lack the information...

...to determine how spirits such as Servants and Alter Egos behave in worlds that are not their own.

For all we know, destroying your body, accidentally or otherwise, may even set you free.

Neither can we afford to let you bury this place in sulfur.

Ghh... Aah... Ow, ow ow ow aaaaaah! Eegh! Gaaah!

But so long as you manifest here, you are bound to that physical body. This much we are certain of.

So we will keep you alive, but ensure you lack the strength to escape.

If we order your body drilled full of holes, day and night, never piercing major blood vessels, you should survive, but be unable to replenish your magical energy, and so have no choice but to behave.

P-please... Forgive me... Just let me go and...I promise I'll leave right...away!

I'll never come to this Lostbelt again... So please... Please, stop this...

Out of the question. Even if you did leave, you would only sow more evil in other histories, no?

Besides, there is more to you than meets the eye. You weigh far more than all the Servants combined.

Even I was shocked to see your soul...or rather, your Spirit Origin's mass, weighs nearly one hundred thousand tons.

...!

We are destined to rule all of the human world. That will never change, regardless of what time or fate itself may have in store.

As you are a sworn enemy of mankind, we have all the more reason to deny you your freedom.

So you even care about peace in the other Lostbelts...? You really are hopeless, aren't you...

Very well. Your torment in our land will continue until you turn to stone.

We can put you into eternal slumber once we devise a proper sealing ritual for you. Until that day comes, you will face justice for your crimes.

We suggest you spend this eternity of torture reflecting on the many people you have killed, and the pain and suffering you caused them.

Until I turn to stone? Who does this jerk think I am, Sun Wukong...?

Ah... No, please Gaaaaaahhh!!!

Pitiful. Everyone we meet here is so weak I can hardly stand it.

But then, these aren't people, are they? They seem to be mechanical puppets. How awful.

At this rate, I don't know when we'll ever get to form a contract with a Master.

Think it'd be a bit too much horseplay if I asked whether they're a Master before kicking them to death?

Not at all. In fact, that sounds like an excellent idea.

That said, anyone capable of ordering us around should be able to take a good kick from you without even losing their smile.

Fou, fooou...

Master, I see human figures up ahead!

No, wait. It's one human figure and one...equine figure? Except it looks like the horse...has a weapon?

It seems they've noticed us too. They're headed this way.

Well, hello there. It's good to finally meet another Servant.

One who appears to be accompanied by a mage with Command Spells, no less. I must say, I'm rather jealous.

It would seem you have a Master with whom you have formed an official contract.

Does that mean you two don't have a Master?

No, we do not. If that Master of yours happens to be looking for new Servants, then it would seem this is a most fortuitous encounter indeed.

？！

Oh yes, we'd be happy to, as long as you all survive.

Um... What do you mean by that?

Why, I mean we're going to kill you now, of course.

Huh!?

Fou!?

Ah. So, it's gonna be like that, huh?

Y-you're okay with this, Jing Ke!? Why!?

We still have obligations to our lord from when we were alive, you see, so we make it a point to only swear loyalty to those who are truly strong.

The Flying General has a reputation to uphold, after all. We retainers must stay true to ourselves, no matter how many times our souls may transmigrate.

The Flying General... There's only one person in Lu Bu Fengxian's clan as eloquent as you. You're Chen Gong, aren't you?

Haha, so you figured me out that quickly, did you? Well, I'm just a tactician for the rear guard, so my True Name is hardly worth hiding.

But, if you mean to serve as our generalif we are to trust you with our livesthen we must be certain you are too strong for us to kill.

And so, we will try to do so now.

If you die in this battle, then our alliance was never meant to be!

Answer me this! Are you my Master!?

？！

On second thought, don't bother! Diiie!

All right, that's enough!

Well, Red Hare? I believe this boy is more than strong enough for us to serve. What do you think?

That was fuuun!

This Master's majesty and sheer presence would outshine even Guan Yu himself! I would be happy to let him ride on my back!

Oh, I'm Lu Bu Fengxian. Pleased to meet you!

？！

Yes, it is best you ignore that bit. It...really does not matter. At all. Moving on.

...Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to add Servants this strong to our lineup. What do you think, Master?

I'm not. I just figure these kinds of compromises are worth making, given we're in this for the long haul.

？！

Thank you, my lord!

As of today, I, Chen Gong, recognize you, Lord Fujimaru, as my Master, and swear an oath of undying loyalty.

Fooou...

...Uh-oh. Looks like getting to know each other is going to have to wait.

It looks like someone noticed our battle.

Makes sense. We weren't exactly keeping it quiet.

Hehe, what good fortune. It seems you needn't wait to give us a test run, so to speak.

Yeah. In fact, this might be the best kind of welcome party for a couple of war-loving nuts like you.

Yes! Let's DO this! Stand back now, Lord Chen Gong!

Me? Why? You know I have a great strategy I've been dying to test out.

You mean the "strategy" where you point to the enemy and say to me, "Go blow yourself up with them"!?

That would get people killed if they weren't robots, you know.

...Tch. (Clucking tongue)

Ahoy there! Can you hear me okay, Fujimaru?

？！

Fo!?

Da Vinci!?

Oh good, looks like we've got a clear signal.

I knew modifying our portable comms to use Void Space and give us some truly insane range would be a good out! My genius at work!

Um, yes, that's very impressive, but...

We...thought you'd all been captured?

Indeed. We are currently being confined some distance from you, at Ankang.

We would've called sooner, but we had a little too much in the way of supervision.

Anyway, it really sucks that they took the Border with them...

...but at least me, Holmes, Gordy, and the rest of the staff are all being held in the same place.

I'm surprised they didn't take your comms when you were captured.

Yeah, I thought that was pretty weird, too. I don't think it's because they're trying to get us to talk so they can monitor the conversation, though.

Indeed. Had their intent been for us to converse, they would not likely have put us in separate cells.

Aside from that, the security here seems pretty solid. They were lax on the comms stuff but they sure made a point of taking away all our weapons.

Hmm. Given how the guards have been treating us, I'd say they must not have noticed the comms.

Or, more likely, they just didn't suspect these devices could be used for communications at all.

Really? I'm surprised they would overlook something that important...

I imagine it simply never occurred to them that we might be carrying around communications devices.

But, these are prison guards, right? How could they be so careless and keep their jobs?

Remember, this Lostbelt's science and engineering have developed completely differently from our own.

That holds equally true for what it excels at as well as where it is lacking.

Aha! I recognize that tone. You've figured something out, haven't you, Holmes?

I surely have. Think back to Qin Shi Huang, who gained immortality by exchanging a physical body for a mechanical one.

Even if they've added to that body's functionality ever since, don't you find it odd that it has expanded to such absurd proportions?

Oh. Now that you mention it...

Then there's the enormous gap between the technology the emperor employs and the primitive way the farmers live their lives.

They may enjoy the benefits of this Lostbelt's advanced medicine and biochemistry, but their machinery has not advanced beyond the medieval era.

No doubt that is part and parcel of the emperor's attempts to maintain perpetual ignorance throughout the empire's citizenry.

This is to say that while this Lostbelt may be highly technologically advanced, the sole beneficiary of those advancements is its ruler.

By design, these technological advancements will never spread to the masses.

Yeah, Edison would go nuclear if he heard that.

Remember how we were also told that most of the wheat grown here is used for fuel rather than food?

This also means that all the astonishing technology here runs on old-fashioned combustion engines.

Yikes... Now that you mention it, I guess it would, wouldn't it...

This may seem preposterously inefficient with regards to fuel from our standpoint...

...but if Qin Shi Huang, and the capital of Xianyang to which the emperor is attached, are the only ones using said fuel...

...I imagine that they are still able to meet their energy needs regardless of that inefficiency.

Even the environmental cost of harvesting such massive amounts of biofuel is unlikely to become a serious problem without anyone else making use of electricity.

I see. I suppose you could get away with it, then, so long as you'd taken the entire planet. Which the emperor has done...

Now then, let's try a little thought experiment, shall we?

In a situation where there is no incentive whatsoever to develop technology for mass production and widespread use, what would be most neglected?

Oh, I know. Miniaturization and optimization, right?

Precisely. Technology only sees widespread use once it is sufficiently compact and affordable.

But in this Lostbelt, neither of those concerns are a factor.

Qin Shi Huang's ability to monitor everything within the empire simultaneously is a remarkable feat...

...but I cannot imagine a way to maintain it at that scale without massively inefficient labor costs.

However, if Qin Shi Huang is the only one using such a system, any concerns about cost effectiveness would be moot.

The idea for integrated circuits would never occur to the emperor, nor would there be any concern about cost when the entirety of the nation's resources exist for Qin Shi Huang's sole personal use.

Sounds like a pharaoh ruling from high atop their pyramid.

I doubt it would even occur to this world's inhabitants to carry around machines for personal use.

There certainly isn't any need for them to carry individual communicators, as they can converse with their emperor wherever they may be.

For that matter, in this world, the very concept of long-range communication is the emperor's sole domain.

There is no real need for private communication between individuals over a distance here, nor would it even be permitted.

So that's why the idea that we might have some way to communicate with each other like that

？！

That said, I also thought Qin Shi Huang would be so blinded by pride in their own superiority to Proper Human History that our technology wouldn't really get any notice.

For the most part, I believe you were right, Da Vinci.

Certainly the emperor took interest in the Shadow Border's Zero Sail technology, but it would seem nothing else was worthy of attention.

Then we will just have to exploit every such arrogant blind spot to win.

At any rate, I'm glad we know where you all are now.

We should be able to reach Ankang in about a day or two from our current location.

Yes, I would encourage you to move with all possible haste. You see...

？！

Oh, Gordy's asleep. Well, actually he's grown so weak that he's passed out.

What!? But why!? He should still have plenty of time left!

Is it the poison? He didn't seem that weak the last time I saw him...

The worst thing about Koyanskaya's poison is that it has different effects on different people.

I think it has something to do with the victim's karma. The more, well, bad stuff they've done, the more they're punished.

In Fujimaru's case, the effects haven't been any worse than a bad cold...

...but Gordy's already had his digestive system fail.

？！

You know, I thought it was weird too.

I haven't seen tubby stuffing his face once since we got here!

So he wasn't able to keep anything down at all.

He was only getting by thanks to an IV drip I was giving him discretely while we were on the Border.

Sorry I didn't say before, but he insisted I keep it secret. It was his way of trying not to make you worry.

Poor Director Goredolf... I had no idea he was struggling that badly...

...Kyu... Baco-kyu...

？！

So once we got tossed in here and I couldn't treat him anymore, his condition got real bad real quick.

And it doesn't look like the guards have much interest in helping either.

Qin Shi Huang's only interest is in Da Vinci's mind. Goredolf's health is really not a concern.

Indeed, I hardly think the emperor cares if the other prisoners survive at all.

This is terrible, Senpai! We need to hurry there and rescue them right away!

Please do. That said, I do have one spot of good news. It turns out a surprise guest is staying here with us.

Dammit, Holmes, knock it off. This isn't the time for your usual coy nonsense.

Ah, yes. Quite right. Let me come right to the point, then.

It seems Koyanskaya is being held here in the same facility.

Really!?

If we can all rendezvous here, we will have a very real opportunity to turn things around and capture Koyanskaya ourselves.