The Price of Loss/Divine Judgment Looming

Not bad. Many of them are in good shape thanks to farming and hunting.

I doubt I can train them each to kill kali alone, but I am sure I can teach them to survive in battle!

All right, it's time for lunch! Just make sure none of you have too much to eat!

Here's your lunch, Father!

...Thanks.

Guess what? I helped make it today! Auntie even said I did a great job! Isn't that great!?

...Thanks.

Also, um... You know how the anniversary of my birth is coming up soon...?

...

N-never mind, it's nothing! See you later!

Oh, it's you! Hi, guys!

Hi, Asha. You brought your father his lunch? That's so responsible of you.

Hehe.

？！

Really different! It's so surprising! My father's spending a lot more time here now.

It feels really lively, too...though, in other places, it's really, um, quiet...

It looks like the town has been split cleanly in half.

There are more people who support fighting back against the kali now, but not everyone has joined in.

On the one side, we have the people from Dival, along with the people they inspired to join them...

...and on the other, there are the people who are still holding on to their old beliefs...

I've noticed a lot of people watching from a distance and whispering among themselves. Who knows what they might try to pull.

There are going to be even more kali as the yuga cycle goes on.

I'd like to think that more people will decide to join us once they see us fighting...

Our ultimate goal is to reduce Arjuna's power by getting people to realize how imperfect and unnecessary of a god he is.

So I certainly hope a bunch more decide to join us, or we'll be in big trouble.

We should be hoping to win over the rest of this town, then keep that momentum to win over other people here.

We can't devote all our time to convincing those holding out when we also need to train those who have joined us.

Whatever else may happen, we can't let anyone else be killed as long as we're in a position to help.

Looks like you're pretty much over it then, huh?

...I don't know about that. But I do know what it is I need to be doing right now.

What's more, I know now that there's something else I need to keep my eye on.

There is someone already walking the path I need to follow.

I may not fully grasp it, but I understand well enough to know that I no longer have the option of hedging my bets.

？！

Hold up! I think you're going to have to postpone the training for now!

I'm seeing a number of signals making their way towards the town... Looks like more kali!

It would seem they're all warmed up and raring to go, now that it's the final day of the Dvāpara Yuga. Here they come!

All right, everyone who's ready to fight, prepare for battle! But remember, your ultimate goal is to survive. Don't try to be a hero!

We'll be handling the front line, so there shouldn't be any issue with them joining us.

Preparing Ortinax for immediate combat... All systems green!

I'll try to draw as many of them towards me as I can. Awaiting your orders, Master!

Hmmm, I see. So they're going after faith...the Achilles' heel of every god that shows themselves before mortals.

How delightfully cold-blooded. It could be just the surgical strike they need.

Even if they don't have time to pull it off, it's certainly making things more interesting!

A god that nobody believes in is little more than a doomsday device, and one even ordinary people can destroy at that.

Still, I have to wonder...

Are they aware that everything they're doing may, ironically, speed up the whole paradise without people living here?

...There you are. Ugh, seeing you pisses me off.

Oh, hello, Aśvatthāman. What brings you here?

You know why I'm here, dammit. I'm here to clean up your mess.

You've been taking things Arjuna erased along with their owners at the end of the Kali Yuga...

...and putting them back to remind other humans that they existed, haven't you?

I have. What about it?

I was under the impression that I was doing exactly what your god would want me to.

There's nothing wrong with rooting out people holding on to unnecessary attachments to their defective past lives.

Granted, I won't deny I enjoy the look of despair they get when they realize they can't even remember who they lost...

But the point is, I'm helping to find undesirables so we can end the yuga cycles ahead of schedule.

I don't care how you get your kicks, but it's hard not to be pissed at how much more work you're making for me.

It'd be one thing if you were just defectively getting in the way, but now that you're making this much trouble for us, I was told to handle you directly.

Huh? Juuust a minute. Explain to me how my work is being anything less than helpful!

The particulars aside, it should be exactly in line with what Arjuna wants!

Your thickheaded god who's so drunk on his Divinities that he's forgotten what human feelings are SHOULD be complimenting me like:

"What an incredibly capable woman you are! You're the goddess I've been searching for my whole life!"

Your Alter Ego friend told Arjuna all about how your actions are directly fueling the resistance movement that has been gaining traction.

That's really the one bit where I sympathize with you. It sucks having your friends sell you out.

...

Now I see what's going on here. So that's how the monk wants to play this.

What an ugly, petty man. That's the difference he'll never make up between him and the other onmyouji.

Putting aside the question of whether it's more trouble to deal with an arrogant bastard who'd knowingly keep a deadly parasite around just because he can...

...or a rotten parasite himself who will try to murder you outright in an ambush...

A mere Servant, thinking he can kill me? The idea is so infuriating it's almost depressing.

He calls himself a destroyer, just because he was able to take out the other gods and order around a few regent Servants? Ridiculous.

I would never lay down and die for a being who can't even truly become a pure destroyer of worlds, let alone one of his pathetic lackeys.

That emperor who embodied all of humanity was one thing, but I can destroy a mere warrior like you with just a few bites!

...Well, whadda ya know. Guess you've got a bit of rage in you yourself.

Fine by me! Go ahead and get as mad as you want! I'm pretty furious that I've gotta put an end to someone I have no desire to kill!

As your friend must have put it, Arjuna's all we need to end this world... There's no room for a walking disaster like you here!

It's the Kali Yuga again. I hope we can escape in the Border with more room to spare this time.

Agreed. But I expect things will be okay.

This town knows how to do more than just pray now. We will help them all we can, then make our escape when the time is right.

They should be more than capable of surviving until the next yuga cycle begins by then.

Oho, speaking of kali... Here comes another wave now. But I'm sure it'll be fine. Like you said, these people have all been training

Wait. Something's not right.

？！

What the hecking heck? They just merged into a new giant kali!

What the hell is that!? I've never seen a kali like that before!

Why is this happening!? Are they making themselves stronger because we decided to fight back...?

...

...Stay back, Asha.

O-okay... Be careful, Father...

This isn't good. We only taught these people how to handle normal kali. That giant one is in a whole other league!

It's a shame we won't be able to help them with the other kali...

...but we're the only ones here who can handle that giant. Let's go!

There, it's dead! How are the people doing!?

Hrn!

There's nothing more I can do. Let's get out of here.

O-okay!

...? Father, over there!

Aaah! Please, h-help me... My leg got stuck in the rubble!

Please, god. I'll pray to you as much as you like, I promise...!

...

...Goddamn ulloo!

Th-this isn't my fault... I-I know! This is all the god's will... It has to be...

Gnnh...

Father! Fatheeer!

...Don't cry. It's no big deal. I'll just have to get used to limping for a while.

No point in me trying to fight anymore. Lets go find a place to hide.

Hold onto me, Father! I'll help you walk!

...

Are you okay? Does your leg hurt?

...You've really grown up, haven't you.

Huh? Well sure I have.

I guess that makes sense, seeing how you turn four thousand days old tomorrow. We'll have to celebrate...

(He remembered!)

Good, you're finally awake. I didn't know you slept too.

I know this is short notice, but I need a new power.

...?

It's like I told you in my report. Yama's power wasn't helpful at all.

Come to think of it, it's probably because he's similar to Hades. I may have spent my time hating him without realizing it.

So I need you to lend me another Divinity. Yama alone isn't going to cut it.

Of course, this would be strictly to help me with my research...and to help me uphold the laws of this just world.

So you can understand that my request is completely justified, right?

...A trivial matter...as all things are...

Dammit, I didn't expect him to give me another job as part of the package.

...Oh well, I guess I can't really focus on my research until they're taken care of, anyway.

Does that mean I can trust you to deal with them?

I know I brought some sacred beasts along with me, but I can't let the kali run rampant either.

Part of our job is making sure the judgments are handled impartially. Any imbalances need to be corrected.

Especially seeing how there's a whole new giant kali I've never seen before now. Maybe he's the alpha or something?

Suit yourself. You're staying outside the town, right? It's none of my business what you choose to point your crossbow at.

Hehe. Actually, I'm tired of picking targets off at long range.

It feels like it dulls my instincts, you know? I just can't seem to get in my usual hunter mood that way.

I've remembered that taking shots from extreme distance isn't my thing. I'd much rather stay at a comfortable hundred paces or so.

Are you sure those aren't the aftereffects speaking?

Huh?

I may have perfectly healed your physical injuries thanks to my medical expertise and his abundant magical energy...

...but even I can't help with your mental ones.

The memory of your precious arrows failing to find their targets...

The abject defeat you suffered as an Archer unable to land a single shot on your intended target...

Those are the kind of things that leave a deep, permanent mark on your Spirit Origin. Much as I hate to admit it, even I can't cure that.

I don't know... I've never been an especially sensitive hunter. I just think sticking to my preferred range'll make things easier for me.

At any rate, I'll take care of the kali in town and come back you up when I'm done.

Honestly, now that I have the power of two gods to work with, you hardly need to bother.

This is like being able to do two different operations simultaneously. I can handle even the most difficult patients and hum at the same time now.

By the way...there's something I've been wondering for a while now.

What is it?

It's nothing major, mind you. I was just curious why I was the last Lōkapāla summoned, is all.

He already had Nezha, the son of the great Chinese hero Li Jing, and you, the legendary god of medicine from Greek mythology.

Not to mention Aśvatthāman, the heroic half-incarnation of Shiva from the Mahabharata, was here even before you two.

So with all those amazing mythical figures around...why would he pick an ordinary guy like me as his final Lōkapāla?

Beats me. Who knows what a god that pure could be thinking.

Besides, we don't even know if he summoned you on purpose. You'd have to ask him or the Alter Ego about that.

There is every chance that you were only summoned by sheer coincidence. Don't worry about it.

Yeah, you're right. You're absolutely right. But, in case it wasn't a coincidence...

...there was just something about your posture that told me now might be a good time to think about it.

My posture? What are you talking about?

You know, I don't even know myself. I guess it's just hunter's intuition.

There really are a lot more of them on Kali Yuga. And that's not all...

Sacred beasts!

Yes. And they seem to be even more worked up than usual. Does this mean...

Of course it means one of us will show up, though not the same one as last time. But, as I have already been compensated, I suppose I can make a house call.

That's Asclepius! I know Greek heroes have difficult names, but you've at least got to try!

？！

Arjuna's quite generous as gods go. All I had to do was ask, and he gave me a new Divinity.

A new Divinity!?

That's the same one you were using before!

And now...there's this.

I still have issues with the idea of gods, but at least this one isn't Greek.

If it'll help me keep making progress, I won't hesitate to use whatever I can.

Is that...water?

Water... Oh no. He's got Varuna, the god of water! That one might be an even better fit for him than Yama!

Varuna was the Regent of the West...and was famous for using medical science to save people!

He's using that water to enhance the sacred beasts' strength. It must have some sort of medicinal properties.

Oh, great. So he's doping his attack beast-things with divine steroid water.

I bet it's going to give them some completely broken regen ability or something... This is going to be a huge pain in the ass, I can tell already!

Look, I enjoy a brutally difficult grind fest as much as the next gamer, but at some point it gets too hard to even bother with!

Stop whining!

The people of this town have finally found the will to fight back. I'm not going to let these things ruin that!

...Not on my watch.

We need to prove that neither this false god, nor his underlings, are invincible. They can beMUST be defeated.

We're the ones who showed them this path, and started them along it. Now we have to show them what lies at its end!

Even if he does have a new Divinity at his disposal now, it's still no more than a tool...something more or less tacked-on, to use the modern parlance.

Even if this new Divinity does pertain to healing, the damage to Asclepius's own Spirit Origin is not the sort that can be recovered from in a day.

Not when Asclepius himself has Divinity of his own.

In brief, it is eminently possible that he has not recovered from damage he sustained in your last battle. That could be just the advantage you need.

I wish I could give you some more helpful instructions, but I'm afraid that's all I've got this time.

That's more than enough, Holmes.

Master, we're up against Asclepius and his two Divinities. I know he's a formidable enemy, but...

？！

Fooou!

You're welcome to try, foolish patients.

At this point, I've both conquered death and gained the power to heal people with godlike power, despite not being a god myself. I've never been more capable!

Maybe now, I can cure that idiocy of yours just as well as I can everything else!

What's wrong, sacred beasts!? I know you can keep going! Come on, get up! I'll keep healing you!

Ghh...!?

What's going... Guh!

In short, you are neither a Pseudo-Servant in a special vessel...

...nor a naturally occurring Divine Spirit amalgamation. That made all the difference.

...I remember what happened with Nezha.

Nezha intentionally chose to overload her Spirit Origin, but you've done a decent job of it without even trying.

Not only are you bearing the brunt of two Divinities in a single Servant body...

...but one of them is boosting your already perfect healing abilities well beyond their limits.

You've obviously been pushing yourself waaay too hard.

And since you don't have some special background that lets you handle that kind of load, like Arjuna does...this was only ever going to end with you destroying yourself.

I'm pretty sure Arjuna knew that too.

What!? That can't be right! Why would he do something like

...A trivial matter...as all things are...

Dammit... So that's what he meant. He didn't care what might happen to me. I'm as completely inconsequential to him as anything else!

That damn fool didn't appreciate the value of medicine any more than the other idiot gods did!

...there was just something about your posture that told me now might be a good time to think about it.

...I see. So that's what he was going on about.

Maybe I have been the idiot all this time...

It's ironic, Asclepius. You sought a world where one would never die just for excelling.

And now, you've excelled so much in your pursuit of power that you brought about your own death.

Tch. I can't believe I forgot something so fundamental... Even medicine can be harmful in excess.

I neglected to walk that line, and now I'm paying the price. What an embarrassing mistake.

...Speaking of things I forgot...

Hey. Before I go, just tell me one thing. Do I seem that strange to you?

All I want is to advance medicine for the good of all mankind. Women, children, the elderly... Everyone should be able to benefit from getting the treatment they need.

All I want is a world where you won't be an outcast just for excelling. Excellence shouldn't be a crime.

...You're not wrong. There's nothing strange about your stance.

I think any hero would feel much the same as you do.

But, even so...I'm not quite sure how to describe this, but...

You don't get to talk about that kinda thing when you're working for the jerks running this world. Least, that's how it feels to me.

'Course, my feelings are also Ganesha's feelings right now, so they do carry plenty of divine weight.

The more a god thinks such things without any reason, the worse that is, huh... Hmm... That's possible. Maybe that lack of self-awareness is what I need to treat...

We won. Though I don't know what he kept muttering about even as he disappeared... What an odd man.

...Asclepius's Spirit Origin has completely vanished. We've beaten him.

We did it, Master!

Fou fooou!

Ah damn, they got him, huh.

Well, I've just wrapped things up with the kali here. Guess I may as well go and avenge him.

Father fell asleep after I took him to the healer... That means he'll be okay, right...?

I wonder if...there's something I can do to help...

You want to help? I don't know, you're still just a child... We can't give you a sword, and there aren't any other weapons you could use safely...

You can pray, of course! Go on, close your eyes and pray as hard as you can for our god to help!

Nnn...

Look out, Master! It's William Tell!

Oh? So you're coming to face us yourself this time?

Actually, that's about the distance I prefer to operate from. Besides, this is the climax of the hunt.

I can't just pass up a chance like this, when my quarry's already weak and exhausted.

A hunter doesn't feel bad about bringing down their prey. We feel accomplished.

We are in a difficult position, having fought so many kali and Asclepius. I would much rather we had time to recover before our next showdown with William Tell.

I'm sure you'd like that, but the thing about hunters is that we don't let our quarry escape.

Traps, wind, climate, scents, bait... When we decide to bring down a target, we make sure to use whatever it takes.

And if we let a wounded animal get away, well...there's no greater shame than that.

When that happens, we just have to accept it's god's will, and resign ourselves to going to bed with an empty stomach.

？！

Right. We'll just have to settle things here and now, Master!

If he has yet to fully recover from the last battle, you should still have a chance, though it won't be an easy fight by any means. Hang in there!

Well, at least we don't have to worry about him sniping at us from extreme range now...

...but he can still control the wind as he likes thanks to Vāyu.

Keep your guard up, Fujimaru. There's no telling how he'll try shooting his arrows at us next!

Dammit! None of my attacks are landing!

Every time I think we have him, he slips out of reach again! He's just too damn good at controlling the positioning of this fight!

I can't read his arrows' trajectory! It's taking everything I have just to defend against them!

He must be using the wind god's power to control their flight path. We can't even tell where he's firing from.

This must be what it is like to be a cornered animal, but we can't let him bring us down.

It bears asking, I think... Can you draw his fire toward you like you did before?

I don't think so. The situation is too different.

(At this point, there's no way I could reverse-concentrate all the different possibilities, no matter how hard I pushed the goddess's Divine Core...)

I see. I'm not sure why that is, but I'm glad to hear it all the same.

At least now, we won't have to rely on a cowardly strategy where you end up hurt...

...and all I can do is stand back and watch, angry at myself for being so helpless.

There you go again...

Hang on, Lady Lakshmi! I'll help you!

Stop! That won't work on him! Any non-Mystic attacks will just

Argh...

Damn, sorry about that. I wasn't ordered to hurt any civilians...

...but I couldn't help the reflex to return fire when he shot at me.

I have to say though, that's pretty impressive for a homemade crossbow.

Even so, you shouldn't go around firing it at a real hunter.

Dammit! There has to be some way we can defeat him!

...?

Argh...

Huh!? Is that

Oh no! Asha, stop!

Hmm? Someone else foolish enough to shoot at a seasoned hunter? Time to show them what happens when...

(Huh!? I can't pull the trigger...)

？！

Yeah! We all know your story!

Come on, William, don't you remember your son?

Don't you remember how you had to shoot that apple off his head to save him from that jerkwad of a Vogt!?

Listen, I'm a haaardcore gamer, so I may not know much outside of my wheelhouse, but I know this:

Shooting a kid is the one thing William Tell should never, ever do!

Huh? My...son?

...What are you talking about...?

Nnn...?

(I can't believe it... His memories must have been deemed useless and erased!)

I-I don't know what's going on, but at least he finally stopped moving around! Now's our chance! Don't worry about Asha! My impressive girth can function as an even more impressive meat shield!

This is the opportunity we've been waiting for! Come on, Master! It's time to finish this!

Khh...

You failed to shoot the quarry you were huntingour Masterand you almost shot a child instead.

What a shame. You are no longer William Tell, the heroic Archer engraved in the Throne of Heroes.

You are nothing more than an ordinary hunter at the mercy of a god.

Begone, William Tell, before you are past redemption!

Ghh... Arghhh!

(What an awful fate, having only your "defective" memories erased...)

(I don't even want to think about what I'd be like if that had happened to me.)

This battle isn't over just yet! Finish him!

I'm well aware!

Huh!?

Ugh... This really pisses me off.

I'm still not done with my last job, but I couldn't just ignore all this crap.

Dammit all, it makes me real angry that you guys had the bad luck to be here when you have nothing to do with the beast I was chasing!