intro.5-3

...That's all I've got to report. Any other questions?

...This isn't like you, Pepe. Didn't you always used to tell us we should act our cheeriest when we've lost?

Unless, of course, you don't consider the Indian Lostbelt disappearing a loss at all?

My, my. I see that at least your sharp tongue has managed a full recovery, Kadoc.

Alrighty then, let me rephrase!

Not only did I get in a fight with my Lostbelt's king, my very own Servant washed his hands of me...

...and I had to run all the way here with my tail between my legs after Chaldea, our SWORN ENEMY, saved my life! I'm clearly the best Crypter!

But at least the roasted bananas were suuuper yummy!!!

Never mind, I take it back! You're just as cheery as ever! Now shut up already, will you!?

Now that's our Peperoncino! Besides, it's still too soon to declare yourself a loser.

Knowing you, you must've really gotten in their good graces, right?

There's more to a death match than just slipping a knife between the other guy's ribs. Getting your opponent attached to you's a pro-level long game move.

So the way things are going, I'm betting their next destination'll be their last. Am I right?

Oh yes, this next one will settle things once and for all. They won't be going to your Lostbelt.

I mean, now that they have a ship, they're all but certain to come here...

...even though that practically guarantees their demise.

Well damn, that's real brave of them. Gotta give 'em props for that.

Hats off to you, Chaldea!

We couldn't've asked for a better guy to fill in that last seat! Uh... What was his name again?

Ah, who cares! Like it makes any difference to me anyway! Point is, this next drink's for you, Master What's-His-Face!

You must be feelin' reeeal good about yourself now that you've strangled four innocent Lostbelts in their proverbial cradles!

...Hmph. We can't be sure the Chaldeans'll come to the Atlantic Lostbelt yet. Who knows? Maybe they'll end up gunning for you next, Beryl.

So if you've got time to be making shitty, tasteless analogies, maybe you ought to spend it getting ready for them.

Huh? You serious, Kadoc? You really think I might be next? Are you feeling okay?

What are you talking about? I'm just saying it's possible that

Oh. Kirschtaria hasn't told you?

Well hey, since all the Alter Egos aren't here at the moment so we don't have to worry about them, you mind if I tell him myself, Boss?

No, this directly concerns the next phase of the plan, so I'll fill him in myself.

Seyfert, the Tree of Emptiness in Beryl's English Lostbelt, has already been felled.

I secretly asked Beryl to see to it that the English Lostbelt would go away on its own accord.

It's already been felled? Then...you're saying the English Lostbelt doesn't exist anymore?

Nope. It ought to fall apart and disappear real soon now. And, for the record, you have no idea how hard it was to pull that off.

The English Lostbeltor the British Lostbelt, as THEY like to put it...

...has like a thousand Phantasmal Beasts for every one of the few humans there, and you can easily find yourself in a whole different world with completely different rules if you go just a little way down the path.

It's a hellish wonderland, and coming from me, a guy who was raised in the UK, that's saying something.

So it wasn't easy sweet-talking them into cutting down the Tree of Emptiness themselves.

They're probably cursing my name to hell and gone for tricking them right about now, not that it's gonna do 'em any good.

Is that true? Because unless my eyes are playing tricks on me, I'm pretty sure I can still see a wall of light up around the English Lostbelt.

Yes, I've seen it too. But even so, the English Tree of Emptiness is most assuredly gone.

Once the Trees of Emptiness grow tall enough to reach the stratosphere, their branches start to interfere with one another, resulting in a kind of network.

And we haven't seen a single signal from Seyfert for a few days now.

I doubt it will be long before that accursed wall of light, the World's End, follows suit and disappears as well.

...All right then, next question. Why'd you get rid of the English Lostbelt like this?

I thought our Lostbelts were only supposed to fight each other once their territories made contact.

It just goes to show that there are exceptions to every rule, Kadoc.

This may be difficult for you to understand, since you have no way of knowing how deep London'sthat is to say, the Clock Tower's abyss runs...

...but the English Lostbelt is the only one that cannot be allowed to remain.

Nothing good could ever come from it. Not for us, and not for the Foreign God.

However, the Foreign God knows nothing of this planet's history, and we have no way to explain.

We can't even say anything to the priestess, as her role is purely observational.

All that aside, Kadoc and Peperoncino, the fact remains that I should have told you about this, and I didn't. For that, I'm sorry.

...No point apologizing about it at this point. I still don't like it, but at least I'm in the loop now.

Same here. Besides, I'd already figured out that Beryl was up to something.

But you know, Kirschtaria, all that said, does that mean your Tree of Emptiness is the only one still operating?

Don't be ridiculous. Have you forgotten about Daybit's Lostbelt? That leaves two.

I guess. Only problem with that is, I can't see anything that looks like a Tree of Emptiness anywhere around South America.

So I take it that means all the branches connected to that canopy covering the sky are from the Atlantic's Tree then?

...

Good grief. I really can't get anything past you, can I, Pepe?

That's correct. My Tree of Emptiness is the only one receiving the blessings of the Foreign God's Earth-covering canopy.

What's more, my Tree of Emptiness has also grown to complete maturity.

Once we confirm the English Lostbelt's disappearance, our plan will enter its final stage.

The canopy hasn't only been absorbing the Earth's mana. It's also been soaking up all manner of cosmic raysthe kind that the Earth's magnetic field usually deflects.

We will focus the entirety of that combined energy onto a single point, thereby enabling the Foreign God to descend upon this planet.

From there, the changeover should be swift and all-encompassing.

The old world will perish, a new order will be established on this planet...

...and I will be the last human left.

(...Hmph. There he goes talking a big game again.) You sure that's all gonna go off without a hitch, Wodime?

The more time you spend grandstanding like some kind of puffed up royal, the more chances they'll have to show up and ruin everything.

I'm well aware of that, Kadoc. Chaldea has always taken keen advantage of their opponents' negligence and pride to turn the tide in their favor.

Which is why I've sent out all the strongest forces at my command to the Atlantic. That's also why you haven't seen Caenis here.

I-I wasn't worried or anything. Knowing you, I figured you'd have all your bases covered.

So it would seem, wouldn't it? Then we might as well just sit back and see what Kirschtaria's got.

In that case, I think I'll keep mooching around here, just like Kadoc's been.

How about you, Beryl? If you stick around in the English Lostbelt

Hey, you don't gotta tell me. If I'd stuck around there, it'd just be a matter of time before they came for my head.

Beryl!? When did you

My, my, so you'd already long since flown the coop! I should've figured you knew exactly what you were doing!

Right!? But seriously, I was downright terrified out there!

I was all like "I can't take this crazy island anymore! I'm getting out of here while I still can!"

Then I jumped off a cliff into the ocean and had Caenis come pick me up.

Oh, and get a load of this. You guys'll never believe what I went through over there.

See, that Lostbelt was home to a princess who knew nothingand I DO mean nothingabout the ways of the world, so I figured I could take advantage of her in all sorts of ways if I got in her good graces...

...but she had her head up in fairy-tale land way more than I could've imagined. I mean CLINGY! Even when she found out I was a human spy, she didn't bat a damn eye.

She just snuggled right up against me saying things like, "I would follow you into the bowels of hell itself!"

I mean, how stupid can you get? She knew I'd ruined her whole damn nation, and she didn't even care!

How'm I supposed to deal with that? It's beyond ridiculous!

Take it from me, Kadoc: don't go putting the moves on royalty unless you're sure you know what you're doing!

Piss off! Don't you pull that big brother shit on me now! Besides, I'm never putting any moves on royalty again!

Wait. "Again"? Did you just say "again," Kadoc? Had some experiences with royalty then, have we?

Ooh, I can tell this is going to be the best news I've heard in forever! Tell me eeeverything! Don't spare a single juicy detail!

Forget it! There's nothing to tell! If you don't have anything useful to say, then keep your mouth shut for once!

Hey now, you can't expect us not to care about something like this, right!? I mean, it's not like romantic escapades are a regular thing for you!

C'mon, Peperoncino, this calls for a change in venue! Hell, we could even get Koyanskaya in on this!

Oooh, I'm so in!

Right now, I don't care what it might cost to coax some juicy secret tidbits out of Koyanskaya!

Fine! Go ahead and drink yourselves silly! I'm going back to my room!

Ah c'mon, we're just having a bit of fun, Kadoc. Lighten up for a change.

Now how 'bout you show me where I can find a nice place to hang around? I only just got here, but I know this Atlantic Lostbelt's supposed to be amazing.

Hehe, if that's any indication, we shouldn't have to worry about Beryl for a while. Though I do hope the scent of blood will eventually wash off him.

Anyway, let me know if anything changes, Wodime.

I might not be too useful, but I'm sure there's still something I could do to help out.

...

...Now then.

Perhaps it's time you considered sharing your own opinion before I make my final move, Priestess?

This could be your last chance, seeing as the Foreign God's Disciples have yet to even realize that I have my own goals in all of this.

...

...Hmm. You must have seen the adjustments I made to my Tree of Emptiness, along with the way my interests align with Zeus's, even if our conclusions differ.

But somehow, in spite of all that, you continue to do nothing.

...

Very well then, I'll not waste more time asking why you continue to insist on observing rather than acting.

Nobody knows if the Foreign God even truly exists. Not even the Disciples have ever seen them.

No...the fact is, not even they have any means of determining what the Foreign God's true intentions may be.

The Foreign God is truly a god of emptiness. I cannot in good conscience leave mankind's fate to such a being.

...I will eliminate Chaldea, watch over Zeus until he passes, and establish the Tree of Emptiness as reality.

So continue to stay back and observe, void shaped like a priestess.

Nobody else is left. I alone shall realize the future you failed to create.