Three-Headed Dog

So, it worked.

First we draw a Proper Human History spell on top of a leyline, then assign it a pseudo-Command Spell...

Not a very cost-efficient process.

Much easier to get the numbers we need by turning Atlantean civilians into soldiers.

Where am I? Wait. Who am I...?

Are you...my Master?

Yes, I am.

From here on, you will dedicate your body, your life, and your skills to Olympus, down to your very last drop of blood.

It is through this servitude that your life will have meaning.

Um... What do you...mean by that?

...If this is beyond your comprehension, then your only task is to die.

... ...

...Yes, Master. My life is yours to command.

What is your True Name?

Charlotte Corday...

I see. The French Revolution's Angel of Assassination.

Perhaps your presence here is because I killed Chevalier d'Eon and Charles-Henri Sanson.

The blood of your French contemporaries must have acted as a catalyst.

That kind executioner...? You...killed him?

I may have used this leyline to summon you, but I have no expectations for you whatsoever.

My sole purpose in calling you here was to exhaust this leyline's magical energy.

There is nothing you can do to aid me, and I have no need for your loyalty.

We've confirmed that the leyline has spun out of control and suffered irreparable damage, sir.

No one will be summoning any more Servants from this one.

Nonetheless, now that our fates have been tied together, I must give you some sort of order.

I can't have you wandering around aimlessly when you don't belong here.

So your order is this: forget about us. From there, the Zeus Klironomia will guide you.

Guide me...?

You are now just another Rogue Servant. All you need do from here on is oppose us like the others.

However.

Should the demiurge inside you encounter an enemy god someday...then you will serve as a beacon.

That is the only way in which you might possibly be of use to me.

Your actions will not be driven by your forgotten layers of memory, but by the Zeus Klironomia that have been embedded in your id.

Once the Zeus Klironomia within you are fully activated, that will be the end.

That is the only role I have for you, my Servant.

...Huh?

Does this mean I was summoned...?

...

That's right. I'm...a Servant of Proper Human History.

My True Name is Charlotte Corday. I was summoned to this Greek Lostbelt so I could...

...Well, I'm not sure why I was summoned, but... I still have to do the best I can...

Stay back!

If you get too close to me, I... I...

I won't be able to take it!

Don't go near her, Fujimaru!

Zeus Klironomia activated. Spirit Origin collapse initiated.

Crap, her Spirit Origin's one step from falling apart!

It's swelling up with magical energy! It can't handle the strain!

She's like a balloon full of hostility that's just about to pop, and she's aiming it all right at us!

？！

...

I can sense it too. But it isn't from Corday!

Zeus...the demiurge.

It would seem the Zeus Klironomia inside her have begun to take control.

Hey, uh, Master of Chaldea? You need to finish her off.

Otherwise, you're just making her suffer.

Lord Apollo, that's...!

？！

...You stay back, Fujimaru.

I'll take care of it. You don't even have to give the order.

... ...

P-please...! I can't hold out...any longer... I'm about to...lose conscious

First things first: we need to stop her!

Everything else can wait until after that! Come on! Take up your weapons!

Aaaaaaaaahhh!

？！

...I'm going to put her out of her misery. That's all we can do for her now.

...!

Wait!!!

...!?

Orion...?

Corday.

Let me make sure I understand what's going on.

This is all happening because the Zeus Klironomia inside you are acting up, right?

Y-yes, that's r-right...

Then do you think you can hold out just a little longer?

...!?

No, I can't! It's just too...too...!

Master!

It'd be real easy to put her out of her misery now. All I'd have to do is smash her Spirit Core.

...But are you really okay with that?

？！

Then what do you suggest we do instead?

We force the Zeus Klironomia to shut down. Hephaestus!

Can your Hephaestus Klironomia disable Zeus Klironomia!?

!?

Yes.

But they cannot remove them. I would also need Athena Klironomia to do that.

Freezing target's Spirit Origin. Initiating comatose state induce

Hold up.

We were supposed to use those Klironomia to enhance the Border.

What you're proposing here doesn't make any sense.

Exactly.

Even in light of all the contributions she's made, it's clear that reinforcing the Border should be our top priority!

I understand how you feel, but you won't do her any favors by wasting invaluable resources on a fool's errand!

Hephaestus! There's got to be a way to make this work, right!?

If there wasn't, you'd have already said something.

...First, acquire Athena Klironomia.

Then re-extract Hephaestus Klironomia to use again.

Let me be sure I understand you.

You propose that we first use these Hephaestus Klironomia to freeze Charlotte Corday's Spirit Origin.

From there, we inject her with Athena Klironomia, then re-extract the Hephaestus Klironomia?

Correct.

...I'll be blunt.

Do we really, in your view, have time to go to such lengths for an essentially useless pawn?

？！

I'll figure it out. I'll make it work.

But we don't even know where these Athena Klironomia are!

Sending coordinates to Athena Klironomia now.

You know, there's such a thing as being TOO capable!

Well now. They appear to be on Eris Island, which is just off the coast of Nemesis island. It is, at least, on our way.

Please...don't...

...Hmph.

Please...

Not being useful...is one thing...but I couldn't take it...knowing I was dragging all of you down!

Master! Now's the time to decide!

Jason, how can you...!?

I know, Mandricardo! But the fact is, only the living have the right to decide what will become of the dead!

Now, what's it going to be?

...!

Yeah...yeah! Got it!

Understood!

...Orion! You're still sure about this, right!?

...I am.

Then that's good enough for me! Let's do this, Mash!

R-right!

？！

Please...don't...! You don't have...to do this...for me!

How can we call ourselves heroes if we can't even save one person in trouble!?

...That about sum it up?

Don't worry about it. Once you're all better, you can pay us back by saving us yourself!

I can't save you! I can't save anybody!

I'm just

Then don't worry about that, either.

We're just gonna save you 'cause it feels better that way!

You're all very unreasonable creatures, aren't you?

Dammit! I can't believe Achilles and I feel the same way about something!

On second thought, if Paris is good with it, that's enough for me!

Think you two could step aside for a moment? Thanks.

I don't think it's my place to say anything here, but for what it's worth...

If you're certain you won't regret this, Fujimaru, I'm fine with it.

Dragging others down is an awful feeling. In some ways, it's a lot worse than death.

It can make you want to drown your sorrows in booze, or end things altogether.

However!

I'm still the captain of this ship, and I'm not letting any of my crew take the easy way out!

So you're going to help us hoist the sails, raise the anchor, and conquer this sea with anger and laughter alike!

Because you're an Argonaut, and that's what we do!

...!

I agree with Captain Jason.

I'm not very good at socializing. At heart, I'm honestly a misanthrope. But that has nothing to do with my principles.

And one of Captain Nemo's principles is, if there's someone in front of you you can help, you help them. Period.

Ugh, I swear, the whole lot of you... Fine! You win!

Fujimaru, you hereby have my permission to save Charlotte Corday, so save her already!

No, seriously, hurry it up before I change my mind! I can't bear to watch this any longer!

？！

... ...

...Please...help me...!

Right!

Here are the Hephaestus Klironomia!

I recommend intravenous injection.

Khh...!

Nghhh. Aghhh.

, . , .

Spirit Origin frozen. Zeus Klironomia propagation halted.

How's Corday doing?

First she collapsed, and now she appears to be sleeping.

I will carry her.

It would not be right to ask Master, Lady Mash, or any of the male Servants to do so.

？！

Not to worry. Her breathing is strong and steady.

So please, focus your attention on the weapon.

Good point. We got caught up in...all that, but how's my bow coming along, Hephaestus?

The Divine Construct reforging is complete.

It is a compound longbow designed solely for use against interstellar fighters. I call it "Aegis Eclipse."

？！

Amazing!

Incredible!

I can't believe you put together a weapon as powerful as an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm so quickly!

Well, he is still the god of the forge, even without his brain.

Way to go, Hephaestus!

... ...

Oh, right. I forgot you hate me.

Affirmative.

Still, with a bow like this... I think we have a real shot at beating Artemis!

When I was alive, I once got my hands on the legendary sacred sword Durendal, said to be the greatest sword to ever exist...

...and it feels like this bow is just as powerful.

Hell yeah, don't stop with the praise now. That's my old armor you're talking about, after all.

That part, I don't like.

Come on, guys, you could at least try being a little grateful!

Let's see... Looks like it's got two arrows.

Only two!? I thought we told Hephaestus to make at least five!

If you miss even one shot now, we'll be done for!

Don't worry. There's no way I'd miss.

That's exactly the sort of arrogance that leads to screwups. Ugh, dammit...

Unfortunately, this was the best I could do with the materials available.

Too bad I didn't have my shield with me. I'm sure that would've let you make more.

One arrow must eliminate Artemis's defenses. The other must destroy her main unit.

...Yeah. I think I can make that work.

You know you literally only get one shot at both, right?

Don't worry. I'm the greatest hunter Greece has ever seen, remember?

Requesting wielder perform final test.

Right.

Can't use the real arrows now, of course, so I'll have to try it with a different one.

Ghh... Hnghhh...!

(Gasp!)

... ...

Well, it won't be easy, but it looks like I can manage it.

Excellent. Then from there, it's only a matter of whether or not you can fire it accurately at the target!

(Not quite. It's also a matter of what's gonna happen to my Spirit Origin afterwards...)

(Theos Klironomia or not, I can tell firing those arrows is going to take one hell of a toll...)

Good.

Now we finally have the weapon we need to destroy the moon goddess, and an Archer that can wield it.

All that's left now is

Warning. Artemis has begun readying her cannon.

I recommend taking immediate shelter. Repeat: I recommend taking immediate shelter.

!!!

Artemis!?

I recommend taking immediate shelter. I recommend taking immediate shelter.

My current defensive systems cannot withstand this attack. Take the civilian emergency escape pod.

I've already set it to your ship's coordinates. Go.

Does this mean she's going to blow this entire island sky-high?

Correct.

...Wait.

Since you made the Divine Construct on this island...

...that would mean most of your primary unit would have to be here too.

Correct.

What does that mean?

It means this is the end for Hephaestus, Paris.

That summation is both inaccurate and inappropriate. You should explain more accurately; I will disappear.

Though there is another, separate of my units which remains on Olympus along with Promethe

Shut up. No wonder Aphrodite always cheated on your gloomy, uptight, can't-look-away-from-your-forge-for-a-minute ass.

(That seems more than a little uncalled for!)

I don't know anything about her, and I don't care. My mating unit was the first one I got rid of.

You do know we might end up fighting her at Olympus, right?

We chose different paths. Much as it pains me to say it.

Then you DO feel pain about it.

...I shouldn't have said that. Forget about it.

Oh, you bet I will!

All right then, see you around, Hephaestus. Even in this Lostbelt, you were still the same old you.

Farewell, Apollo from Proper Human History. You were good for just as little here as you were there.

...Go, Proper Human History. Go put the world back as it should be.

？！

Escape pod activated. Initiating acceleration.

Chances of escape: seventy-eight percent. Chances of eradication: seventeen percent.

Defensive systems online. Initiating attack on target in orbital space.

Failure.

According to brain unit calculations...

...the chances of Proper Human History's survivors arriving at Olympus are...

...five point six percent.

...?

Incoming report from communications unit. Interstellar Fighter Artemis is...initiating a call.

Why?

Hey! I've got huge news!

What is it?

An Olympian soldier said Lady Artemis is going to fire one of her arrows here!

Really!? Then the gods have finally come for us! Let's go tell the others! We'll finally be setting off!

Hmm... I knew there was no point to having these communication features.

How could there be when nobody ever uses them?

Maybe I would have used them back then, if I'd realized three hundred years ago, but now...

Hey! Kynigos! Great news!

What is it?

Get a load of this! Lady Artemis is going to show us some affection!

We'll finally get to leave for Olympus!

I see. So the time has finally come...

Yeah, I can't wait. The whole village is already gathered out in the village square. Are you joining too?

No, that's okay. I prefer this comfy old home of mine.

Okay, suit yourself. Bye!

Hmm...

... ...

Well...I suppose this is just the way life goes...

Next time around, I hope I'll be born as a human closer to the gods.

O Artemis! Great Artemis! Goddess of the moon, destroyer of stars!

Please, bathe us in your glorious light. Please, take away our sins!

...Because I saw potential in Proper Human History.

Treason.

Our duty is to help make the future as bright as possible.

So you're saying Zeus is wrong?

That's why the heroes rejected you.

The very fact that heroes of Proper Human History didn't take your side is evidence for why our history was denied.

Negative. They were only afraid of dying.

Humans fear death above all else, and will do anything to prevent it.

That is partially correct.

...?

Most humansmost life-formsfear death.

They squander their short lives, unable to endure the attendant pain and emptiness.

There is no area in which humans surpass gods.

However...

There are times when beings only slightly superior to humans manage to overcome that hurdle.

Whether it be knowledge, strength, mentality, or something else...

...these beings take up weapons because there is something they fear more than their own deaths.

We call these beings heroes, and they have not existed among us for far too long.

Incorrect.

I disagree with everything you have said. This time, I will destroy you utterly.

I accept this death willingly.

We were one to begin with, and we will eventually be one again.

After my next message, I will reject all future communication requests.

...Perish.