The Queen of the Walled Village

Khh... Aaah!

Damn sacred beasts! Of all the luck, running into a huge pack of them like this!

It seems luck was not on our side today. I was hoping we could pass them by without incident, but oh well.

...■■■■■!

I-I'm so sorry. I was so close to them that I ended up drawing my bow in fear!

Don't worry about it. The blame is partly mine, for forgetting how it feels to hold a weapon for the first time.

I'll need to reevaluate both the technical and mental aspects of our training program...

At any rate, the rest of you hurry back to the village. I'll hold them off here.

B-but...!?

No buts. We can't risk leading them towards the village.

Besides, the more commotion we make, the more likely we are to be captured by the Lōkapāla we've been hearing rumors about.

The Lōkapāla are said to serve god directly, and have incredible power in their own right. The moment they find us, it's over. We can't let that happen.

I could manage on my own if it came to that, but if you or the village caught their eye, it would be disastrous.

So I want you all to head back to Dival ahead of me. And don't forget the supplies we collected.

But you can't possibly handle them all on your own!

Don't worry. My plan isn't to defeat them all. I'll just be buying us time...and I am well accustomed to trials of endurance.

Besides, I already told you.

I am not human. I am something else...something with the power of a thousand ordinary people.

A shadow of humanity who manifested in this land by the grace of the rightful gods!!!

I know this isn't the first time we've had to stay behind, but man, it sucks not being able to actually drive around in our vehicle. What's the point of even having it then?

Don't be ridiculous! If the enemy were to find and destroy the Border, the jig would be well and truly up.

Camouflage function or not, we still need to make sure we stay out of sight at all times!

That mad dash we made to pick up the field team during the Kali Yuga was under the most extenuating of circumstances! There will be no repeat performance!

Yeah, yeah, I was just grumbling. I know you're right on this one, Gordy.

Oh? Just a moment. Do you think you can stop and hide in that tall grass over there?

Yes. I'll set the Ortinax to silent mode. Please be as quiet as you can, everyone...

...Fooou...

？！

Luckily, they don't seem to have noticed us. Let's stay here and wait for them to pass.

They're certainly very pretty to look at. No wonder the people here call them agents of god.

They really are just like any other animal without any kali around, huh. I wonder what they eat. Maybe we could use food to tame them?

...

？！

Good. Then let's keep going. It shouldn't be much farther to our destination village.

Fou fou!

I see something. That must be it over there. Thank goodness we didn't run into any trouble on the way.

Hmm, I like the wall they've put up here. Gives the place a real freedom fighter vibe.

The mayor of Bichu did say they go around fighting kali here. If anything, I would be surprised if their village wasn't fortified like this.

...Hm?

Come on, hurry!

It's us! Open the gate, quick!

...Those people seemed to be in an awfully big hurry to get inside. I wonder what that was all about?

Looks like we were far enough away from 'em that they didn't notice us.

But did you see? They may have only been modified farm implements, but they were still carrying weapons.

They really do seem to be different from the people of Bichu. We may well be able to learn something new here.

I think you're right. Let's go see!

...Hmm. They're not opening the gate for us.

And they're not answering when we knock, either.

Heeey! Open the gate for us!

I'll have you know most nations would be thrilled to have me pay them a visit!

Let me see if I can hear anything from inside...

Who was that!? Is someone here!?

Oh no... Aaah! This is it! They found us! We're done for!

What do we do!? What're we gonna do!?

How should I know!?

There's no way we can fight them off on our own.

We'll just have to keep the gate closed until she gets back!

I'm not sure why, but they sound very...agitated...

Oh, I've got a bad feeling about this. And my bad feelings about this sort of thing have a way of always being right.

At least we know there're people inside.

And since we're Servants, we could probably just jump over the wall if we have to.

Of course, just 'cause we can doesn't mean we

You there! What are you doing here!?

Fou!?

...A Servant reading. Well, it seems luck is with you today, Master.

Of course, we aren't yet sure whether this is good or bad luck.

Whoever this Servant is, they're headed your way at top speed. Be on your guard!

They just jumped clean over us and landed on top of the gate!

It's a Servant we've never met before!

Well that's too bad. It would've made things a lot simpler if you already knew each other.

I hate getting chewed out by strangers. It's like a hundred times worse than when it's someone you know.

What I'm trying to say is, this lady looks really pissed off at us, so maybe do something about that?

That divine aura... Curses. Despite my best efforts, it looks like you finally found us.

You must be the ones who serve the false god... The Lōkapāla!

？！

Whoa, whoa, slow down. Us, the Lōkapāla? You must be joking.

Don't lie to me. It can't be a coincidence that you've shown up now.

Besides...I heard you planning to invade our village by jumping over these walls!

I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding! I only mentioned jumping the wall to rule it out as a bad ide

So, you continue to lie to me.

Very well. If you have finally learned of my existence, and the existence of this village that seeks to end the false god's cycle, then so be it.

I will run and hide no longer. If the time has come to fight, then I shall rise to the challenge.

Prepare yourselves, Lōkapāla. You will not be taking anything from me this day.

Even if I must face a god...this time, I will make sure to defend my home to the very end!

Mmm...

Yes, I'm aware. I'm well aware indeed. The fox woman is up to something, isn't she?

Then if I may, allow me to tell you something. Something of great importance.

...

Oh, no, no, no. Of course I would leave the decision of what to do with this information entirely in your capable hands. All I would humbly ask of you is your attention.

That said, I must stress that depending on how things turn out, matters could grow very serious indeed.

Why, what if my colleague, one of the Foreign God's Disciples ostensibly sent here to help you...

...were to become the very sort of thing you cast out of your world...?

Please, listen to us! The Lōkapāla are our enemy as well.

We only came here in the hope of finding allies who could help us fight against them!

Talk is cheap. I've lost track of how many times someone claiming to be my friend betrayed me.

Hey, look! She's back! And she's fighting to protect us!

We're saved!

Then those ARE Lōkapāla! Dammit, they finally found our village...!

Please, my lady, help us! The Lōkapāla showed up right after we got back to the village. We've been barring the gate and holding out until you arrived!

There, you see? I knew you couldn't be trusted!

Argh, what did I tell you!? Misunderstandings only invite further misunderstandings!

I've seen this sort of thing before. Back in the Clock Tower... No, all of my life, really...

I would look around one day and realize everyone had forsaken me, even though I didn't do anything wrong...

Well, maybe that's not entirely accurate. There was this one time I

Sorry, hon, but your life story is gonna have to wait, mmkay?

The circumstances being what they are, she doesn't seem to truly be trying to kill us...but she's certainly very hardheaded. Her movements are as firm as her beliefs, it seems.

Hey, Rama. Are you feeling this too?

I am. It's faint...but she definitely has the air of a Divine Spirit. Maybe she's a Pseudo-Servant, like you?

Good grief. I knew India had an expansive pantheon, but that can't be the answer for everything, can it?

One does not generally run into a Divine Spirit at every corner, so to speak.

Forget that! How do we get her to listen to us!? We'll never get anywhere if we don't clear up this misunderstanding!

？！

Fou...

Well? Aren't you going to try to scale these walls? You'll need to do better than

...? Is that...!?

？！

...

She seems to be looking at something far away... What's going on?

Well, this is certainly less than optimal. I know you're in the midst of a battle, but I strongly urge you to take note of your surroundings, particularly what is behind you. Immediately.

？！

What!? Sacred beasts!?

Huh!? Wait, this pack looks kind of familiar... Are these the ones that passed us by earlier?

Those were going in a different direction, and I'm pretty sure they didn't notice us at all.

Maybe there's something here that lured them this way?

A different group from the sacred beasts we encountered earlier? Of all the times for them to show up...

No, this is no coincidence. It only makes sense that the Lōkapāla would have the means to control them.

They must be trying to make their way into our village and "cleanse" it. Especially since one of our elderly died this morning.

...?

Begone, foul agents of the false god! You will not be claiming our dead today!

My, my. She does make for quite the striking figure, doesn't she?

She certainly does.

She must be the manifestation of a noble Heroic Spirit, here to guide the people of this place along the right pa

!?

What happened!? Did something knock her off the wall!?

No, um... It looked to me like she just...sort of...lost her footing.

Now she's wriggling around where she fell... It looks like her feet're stuck in some hole in the ground.

Curses. I can't believe I fell right into one of the pitfalls we dug to prepare for the next kali attack...!

...

Give me a moment. I'll be out of here in no time.

Looks like they're pissed off about all the dramatic tension evaporating! Though I could just be projecting there!

We can't let the sacred beasts hurt her while she's incapacitated. Let's take them down and keep her safe, Master!

？！

Fooou!

All hostiles in our vicinity, eliminated. Well done, everyone.

...

Well? Now do you understand we aren't your enemy?

...Yes, I do. I'm not so foolish as to insist otherwise at this point. I see now that I was gravely mistaken.

No one who would fight against the sacred beasts could possibly be allies of the false god.

I am truly, sincerely sorry, and I thank you for your assistance.

Please, tell me why you have come here. No, on second thought, it's only right that I tell you about myself first.

Yes, you have a point. All right then, let me first ask you this: Are you a Divine Spirit?

Yes and no. I am a Servant, but right now, a goddess resides within my body, sharing her power with me.

When I was first summoned to this land, she was already there inside me.

Hmm. There've been plenty of cases where a Divine Spirit would inhabit a person from the past to become a Servant...

And since Heroic Spirit Servants are technically people from the past, I guess it makes sense that a Divine Spirit could inhabit one of them, too.

Though I definitely haven't heard of many cases where it happened quite like this.

I expect it's because this god and I happen to share the same name.

I believe having words, sounds, and names match is very significant when it comes to magecraft.

Then again, I was originally given this name in the hope of receiving her blessing, so perhaps it isn't much of a coincidence after all...

You don't say. Okay, that makes sense.

？！

...

...Lakshmi.

And I am the Rani of Jhansi, a land which once existed in India, who was named for her...

My name is Lakshmi Bai.

Fou fooou?

？！

I would like to think that anyone would be a bit embarrassed to recount the history of their own life...

...no matter how proud of that life they may be.

So that's why Holmes has been so unusually quiet... (Sigh) All right then, I guess I'll

...Lakshmi Bai is a hero from nineteenth century India known for her role in the Indian Rebellion.

Oh? ...Hehe, thanks for jumping in, Captain. Why don't you take it from here?

Despite being born to royalty, she took up a sword and led a small rebel army in order to protect her nation of Jhansi.

She was known far and wide for her leadership and charisma.

...At the time, revolts were breaking out all across India, under all manner of different circumstances.

When one small state tried to revolt, the neighboring nations would often end up siding with the British...

...isolating the rebels and cutting them off from working with like-minded people in other regions.

But the Jhansi rebels managed to hold out till the very end.

And it was all thanks to their exceptional leader, Lakshmi Bai.

...I wouldn't call myself exceptional. I was just flailing around trying to hold everything together as best I could.

Between Kunwar Singh, Tatya Tope, and many others I could name, there were no end of leaders more talented than me.

All that aside, you sound like you know a lot about our struggle. Are you Indian yourself?

...I'm nobody. Just another Nameless. It doesn't matter where I'm from. I'm done now. Over and out.

...While we're at it, we should probably also go over your Divine Spirit, Lakshmi.

Though I'm sure Ganesha and Rama know a lot more about her than I do.

In Indian mythology, Lakshmi is known as the goddess of fortune, prosperity, beauty, and

And the consort of Vishnu... Right. That's right!

Then...could it be...?

I am an avatar of Vishnu, and Sita an avatar of Lakshmi.

Sita, are you in there? I'm sure if you are, I'll be able to feel your presence!

...Hmm.

I'm guessing this is clear to all of you as well, given that her grip on my skull is strong enough the bones are starting to crack...

...but unfortunately, I sense no trace of Sita inside her.

Who is this man, advancing on a woman he's never met before as if to propose to her? Do you mind if I break him?

I-I understand how you feel, but please go easy on him! Rama has his own complicated history!

I see... I suppose I can't blame him for misunderstanding. I should have been more precise.

The goddess Lakshmi exists within me more as a power source than anything else. I can barely sense her consciousness at all.

It's almost as though her heart has been implanted in me to provide me with energy.

I doubt my output can measure up to that of an unadulterated Divine Spirit.

So I'm afraid I am not a manifestation of the goddess Lakshmi so much as my core is that of the human, Rani Lakshmi Bai, with small elements of the goddess.

Then...Sita really doesn't exist inside you, as I suspected. Right. Of course she doesn't.

Now that I think about it, if she had, I would have sensed her well before you introduced yourself.

But I was not even able to tell that the deity within you was Lakshmi.

You must have only her divine power and nothing of her consciousness.

Ganesha didn't realize who you were either.

Of course, that might be 'cause he was never very close to you, seeing as how you're just as up there in the pantheon as his mom, Pārvatī.

Ganesha? ...Yes, now that you mention it, I do sense a divine presence inside you...one I would never in a million years have guessed by looking at you.

Yeah, I know, but it's true. Believe me, I've spent pretty much this entire time wishing all this were just some weird joke.

And I am Rama, the King of Kosala. Surely you've heard of me, as well as my beloved Sita?

Oh, of course! There's not a soul in India who doesn't know your name.

Forgive me. I thought you were just an, um, unusually youthful young man who hadn't yet learned how to behave around women.

？！

Good point. We have a bunch of things we need to tell you about.

Who we are... How we got here... What we're trying to do... It's a long story, but I hope you'll bear with us.

...And I think that about sums it up.

Hold it, hold it! What about me!?

I thought you were saving the most important figure in our group for the end so as to make a lasting impression!

Uh, yes, this is Goredolf Musik, who I absolutely, positively, definitely didn't forget to introduce. Nope.

As you can probably tell from his sheer girthI mean, his dignified stature, he's our commander in chief☆

Hehe, indeed I am. A stout build is the mark of a true elite, after all! As the commanding officer here, I expect you to treat me with all due respect.

I have one question for you. Are you British?

Hm? Uh, no, I'm not.

What about you?

Me? Oh, hehe. That would be telling, hon. You've got to get to know me better first.

I suppose I can at least tell you that no, I'm not British either. Though I did spend a good bit of time at the Clock Tower.

Hoo boy... Well, there's one last person in our group I should introduce you to.

Sorry Holmes, the jig is up. You can't keep hiding forever.

I assure you, I was doing no such thing. I was only waiting for a more opportune moment once things had settled down.

Good day, Ms. Lakshmi Bai. Sherlock Holmes, detective, at your service.

Are you British?

Yes, I am.

...

？！

The Indian Rebellion was... Well, it was a war for India's independence against its colonizers, the British.

And since Lakshmi Bai lost her life in that conflict, I imagine she has some strong feelings about it.

(Though I do get the impression there's someone else here with some connection to that...)

...

(Oh well, guess it's not my place to say anything here.)

I was only a few years old when that war broke out, so while I can't personally apologize for my country's actions

...No, it's all right. I'm sorry. That was rude of me.

There is little sense in my asking that. It's just an old habit... One I can't seem to shake.

You have nothing to apologize for. It's not for me to say whether you should or shouldn't feel that way.

Nor is it for me to say whether you should hold onto those feelings, or try to forget them.

All I can say for sure is that our countries' histories are intertwined. Certainly neither of us can pretend otherwise.

If this hadn't come up now, Fujimaru would no doubt have noticed the air of discomfort between us...

...and gone on to learn what happened between our countries for himself.

...If there is any meaning to be found by having people from the past come together like thisbesides the role we play as Servants, of courseI suspect it lies there.

...Agreed. I will think of you as no more than a man by the name of Sherlock Holmes.

Besides, under these circumstances, the more allies we have, the better.

Then...does that mean you consider us allies?

It was difficult to convince the people of Dival of the wrongness of this situation...but once I did, they agreed to work together to forge their own destiny.

Their village here is now the base for all such like-minded people.

As you are warriors fighting against god, just like us, I would be honored if you fought at our side!

？！

Fooou, fou!

I guess the Counter Force must've summoned you too. Have you been here long?

Yes. I'd say it's been at least ten days since I arrived.

Then you must have been caught in the world's recreation a number of times. How did you survive?

God or not, remaking this entire Lostbelt is a major undertaking.

Arjuna wouldn't change how he goes about it just because a Servant's been added to the mix.

So long as he doesn't think of you as unnecessary or defective, I expect he'd just bring you back along with all the other people.

Ugh. It just galls me thinking how our very survival in this Lostbelt...

...is completely dependent on his absurdly arbitrary standards.

It's natural for gods to be somewhat self-centered given their immense power, but Arjuna definitely takes it too far.

Oh, speaking of which, you should know he's already got his eye on us.

So if you join us, you're sure to wind up with the whole "evil" label, and you won't be able to survive the world being remade anymore.

That's fine. It could only have been a matter of time before he took notice of me anyway.

Besides, you have a way to evade the destruction, yes? So if it comes to that, I'll be counting on your help.

You mean the Border? Yes, of course you'd be welcome to join us in there. ...Wouldn't she?

The Border is the last bastion of hope for all of humanity. We can't just go letting any old Servant we meet on it.

...Er, under ordinary circumstances, anyway. But in this case, I suppose we do have a fair handle on her True Name and background.

And it would be a shame to lose a valuable ally so soon after finding one... Very well, I'll authorize your entry into the Border in case of emergency.

...You have my gratitude.

Of course, ideally, I hope to be quite finished with this place long before he even uses that preposterous Noble Phantasm of his again.

You said it, honey. Fortunately, he only ever does that at the end of the Kali Yuga.

So it would be just peachy if we could put a stop to all this before then.

So, now that we've got a new ally and all...what's our next step?

I've already got something in mind for that. There are risks involved, naturally, but the rewards should be significant.

Now that we're in the middle of the first, relatively peaceful yuga, and especially now that we have more allies, this would seem to be the perfect time to investigate one thing in particular.

？！

Hehehe. Remember that thing we've been wondering about ever since we came to this Lostbelt?

It's the biggest, most mysterious thing here by far, and it's got to contain some useful information. Now, we want you guys to finally go and investigate it.

...God's Skyboulder!