Section 19 Node 1 Recollection Quest (4/6)

I'm sorry it took me so long to return, Master.

Hm...? What did I just say?

I feel as though I said something I couldn't possibly know...

Eh, happens to everyone now and then. Don't sweat it!

Besides, we've got much bigger things to worry about. Like bringing you up to speed on what's going on right now.

Fortunately, I already have a fairly good idea of that.

My memories are...a little muddled, but they remain unbroken.

Aśvatthāman's Spirit Core has given me the gist of everything that transpired while I was gone.

...It would seem the time has come to settle things.

...Kar...na...!

I'm afraid I'm not gonna be much help. As you can see, I'm all tuckered out.

That won't be a problem. Aśvatthāman lent me more than just his Spirit Core.

For the time being...I can also use Shiva's power, at least to a certain extent.

I see... So you inherited Aśvatthāman's traits when you took over his Spirit Core!

Of course, this power won't last forever.

But I should be sufficiently familiar with it by now to hold onto it for a while, after all those duels we had.

Well this is all great news, for sure. But we've still got a long way to go, given who we're up against.

...Speak of the devil.

...

Arjuna. We can do this down here, or up there. The choice is yours.

...

He came down!

...Karna... I know you. You're...Karna...

Yes, I am. And now, I'm going to defeat you.

...Why? Why do you...oppose me...?

You were there...too... You witnessed...that foolish war...just as I did...

I'm purging evil...from the world. Everything that is defective...and unnecessary...

That is...the blade of justice...I use...to guide this world...

My world...is proper and right...in every way...

？！

This is...the proof. The end...of the final yuga...when justice...reaches its apex.

A perfect world...of peace and harmony...is now...close at hand...

I have not seen for myself whether this world is what you say, so I will not speak to that.

I will instead let those whom I trust speak for me.

Short and to the point. I like it.

Hehe, well there's an interesting viewpoint. Maybe you could even say the same about people.

After all, someone who only knows what's right inevitably ends up doing the wrong thing.

？！

Allow me to refute your premise by substituting "the world" for "civilization."

Civilizations roots must logically lie in humanity, not gods.

This world may be refined as a result of you whittling away the people you deemed defective, but its civilization has not advanced one iota.

Any philosophy that would lead to what we see here has its priorities completely backwards.

I can't...understand... You speak...nonsense. You are defective, unnecessary...and therefore, evil...

Mmm... Indeed, indeed!

The time has clearly come for you to pass judgment on these wicked fools yourself.

Well, well, look who just couldn't resist putting in an appearance. I guess that was inevitable though, this god being your last bastion and all.

？！

Master...? Do you recognize him?

I'm quite certain he does.

That Servant matches the description of a hostile entity Mr. Fujimaru encountered in the parallel world of Shimousa.

Though looking back on it now, it would seem that Shimousa was actually a small Lostbelt in its own right.

At any rate, although that Servant went by Caster of Limbo...the one we see here now is an Alter Ego.

You there. I trust you are also a Disciple of the Foreign God, just like Rasputin?

I believe you said your name was Abe-no-Seimei, one of Japan's greatest onmyouji?

Mm. Mmm. Mmmmmm! What a dreadful thing to say!

No righteous Chaldean Servant should be quite so devious! You really should know better, Lord Detective.

It's one thing to joke, but quite another to merely play along with my using an alias just to put the screws to me.

Dreadful, simply dreadful. What was it again? Abe-no-Seimei?

True, that cowardly schemer is certainly an acquaintance of mine, so I'm not completely unfamiliar with his name...

But my name is simply Limbo, Lord Sherlock Holmes, and I would ask you address me thusly.

And yes, as you surmised, I am indeed one of the three Alter Egos who serve the Foreign God!

I am the one who made the first move to prepare for the coming of the Trees of Emptiness...

...and turned Shimousa into hell to test a pet theory of mine!

Then... That's the Servant who's been leading Arjuna down this path...?

Koyanskaya, can you tell us anything more about... Huh?

"Sorry, we've closed for the day☆ We look forward to your business in the future♡"

Koyanskaya's gone! The only trace she left behind is this note!

Indeed, indeed! I'm certain she had no other choice but to make her escape!

It is absolutely unforgivable to side with Chaldea, no matter the circumstances!

That said, I am not entirely heartless. I see no need to go out of my way to report her misdeeds to the Foreign God.

Now that she is nowhere to be seen, there is no proof that she helped you.

Mmm, I think we can leave it at that.

(I suppose it was inevitable her injuries would heal now that she's had time to rest... Oh well.)

(I'll have to think of a way to capture her for good some other time...)

Very well then: Limbo, you must be the Servant who has been serving as Arjuna's military advisor of sorts.

Now that you're showing yourself after hiding away all this time...

...does that mean you no longer had any other choice?

Hardly. My appearance here is merely a matter of courtesy.

It is not yet time for me to get my own hands dirty.

Although...

If you absolutely insist, I think I can manage a few tricks of my own!

Humbled as I am to be the opening act to this world's god, if I must, I must! Hahahahaha!

Looks to me like you want to keep clear of danger as much as possible.

Oh no, no! All I want is to see what's about to happen up close and personal!

Hehe, hehehehehehe!

(This world's sudden drastic change must be due to its situation making significant forward progress...)

(Either that, or it's starting to come apart at the seams now that the end is near!)

(If Limbo's goal is to see what happens after that, he may even have been pulling Arjuna's strings up to this point...)

...No, never mind that. Right now, all I can say for sure is that we have no time to waste.

We need to eliminate Arjuna and Limbo as quickly as possible.

Should we fail to do so, this world will play host to a dreadful, fatal event.

And it is clear from Limbo's barely restrained delight that there will be no coming back from whatever it is.

I believe we can leave Arjuna to Karna. The rest of you, please focus on Limbo!

I can use the...kali...to keep the nearby...sacred beasts away.

？！

Of course. Now that I've come this far, I finally understand...

The kali are both a part of this world, and its last form of resistance.

They are creatures apart from god, born to fight against order.

Perhaps that is the reason why I...why Alakshmi was summoned here.

So that I could help them.

Heh... Some queen I turned out to be. Once a rebel leader, always a rebel leader!

We'll handle the sacred beasts. The only enemies the rest of you need to worry about are those two.

I'm counting on you, Fujimaru!

Arjuna is no longer a god we can only look up at from afar.

He's now destruction incarnate, and we have to stop him no matter what! Let's go get him, Master!

What incredible power. Even with Shiva's godly strength, I still can't manage to harm you.

Godly... Yes. For I am...god.

I have consumed all other Divinities, and brought them together to become a single, perfect god.

Karna... Son of Surya, wielder of Shiva's strength...

If you wish to stand in my way...that is fine.

As a truly perfect god, it will be simple for me to trample over you...

...You claim to be perfect? Then let me ask you this.

Why did you consume the gods in the first place? What did you want with so much power?

I am sure you sought to create a just world, but I know that Arjuna would never choose such an inhumane path towards it.

Someone else must have done so instead. Who?

...!

You need not answer. I know that, too.

The king of the Yadavas, Vāsudeva, was not the same man as the Krishna who was an avatar of Vishnu...yet they shared a name nonetheless.

On that day, it was not Arjuna, but the dark Krishna inside him who aimed that arrow at me.

The same is now true for you, isn't it? Deep down, you are not Arjuna, but that dark Krishna, aren't you?

...

I don't know why it happened, but I can see that your inner qualities were somehow inverted...

...and what you are now is the result of that avarice taking control and greedily consuming all the other Divinities.

When I look at you, I do not see a perfect god. Far from it.

You have been irrevocably altered into a man who is both Arjuna, and not Arjuna. Nothing more.

Ghh...I'm...?

That got to him. Could this be the last push we need?

I don't know. It doesn't look like he's gonna make it that easy for us!

Oh, no, no, this won't do at all. Calm yourself. To be a perfect god, one must have power above all else.

You became what you are by following your greed. It is only right that you continue to do so.

If you have concerns about your godhood, then allow me, your humble servant...

...to present you with new power from the truly right and proper god.

Now then...shall we begin?

...

Arjuna's run off!

There is no question of where he is heading. There's only one thing left that he could rely on for help.

Get in the Border, guys! We're going after him full speed ahead!