Interstellar Mountainous City, Olympus

Is that...a city!?

Senpai, look! Up in the sky!

That's...!

The Tree of Emptiness! That's the Tree of Emptiness we saw from Atlantis!

But, that's not the only thing that surprised me.

I never would have dreamed that there could be such a massive hollow space underneath the Great Pit...

It doesn't look subterranean, either. It's more like an entirely different world...

This is the true surface of the Earth.

While it no doubt would appear to be the bowels of the Earth from up on Atlantis...

...it is, in fact, the true face of this Atlantic Lostbelt. Atlantis itself is mere camouflage.

In Proper Human History's Greek mythology, the Age of Man was ushered in through two great wars known as machia...

But what is going on in this Lostbelt?

How was it able to control this space to such a degree? How was it able to advance this far?

It appears to operate in the same manner as the Chinese Lostbelt in that it fully embraces its Tree of Emptiness, but the manner in which it does so is wholly opposite the Chinese Lostbelt's.

While the Chinese Lostbelt hid its Tree of Emptiness completely, here, it has been allowed to flourish to the greatest possible extent...

At least, that's what it looks like.

That part down by the base must be the city.

Yeah. It looks just like something you'd see in a science fiction novel.

It's easily as impressive as the pictures of Proper Human History's skyscrapers Sion showed me.

I can't tell what the exact dimensions of this city are just from looking at it, but it's safe to say there are at least ten million people living there, minimum.

Ten million people...

？！

Indeed, it would seem we truly have our work cut out for us.

That, of course, is as true here in this fifth of the seven hells as it ever was.

And as Da Vinci said before, we cannot blind ourselves to the cost of our actions, not even for a moment.

That being said, how one reacts to such a cost depends entirely on the individual.

And I, for one, am delighted by how you have all held onto your humanity in the face of such adversity.

Computer room here☆ Sorry to interrupt, but I just finished scanning our vicinity!

And just like I expected, the atmosphere here is just chock-full of magical energy.

So this is the Age of Gods... The magical energy density's at least on par with our records of the Seventh Singularity, if not higher.

A-are you serious!? But the Seventh Singularity was in Mesopotamia DURING Proper Human History's Age of Gods!

A-and you're telling me this place exceeds its magical energy density!?

Aah! Something just forced its way into our comms line!

It's not from the Wandering Sea! This is

Look, up ahead! The signal's coming from that colossal structure!

What's...going...on!?

This voice is...so...heavy...!!!

This pressure is immense, and he's not even here in person! It's as powerful as a spell designed to attack the mind!

Da Vinci, quick! Raise our Bounded Field's output before something happens to Fujimaru or Meunière!

Got it!

...Now then.

Between this immense pressure and this manner of speech, it looks like they're rolling out the biggest of big guns.

If I'm not mistaken, this must be

!!!

Z-Zeus!?

I was going to say "one of the Twelve Olympians," but no matter.

This is, unfortunately, the worst of the possible scenarios I predicted. Of all the gods to come out and greet us...!

So that's...the Zeus of this Lostbelt...

I already had a good idea of this thanks to the Poseidon we saw in Atlantis, but

Indeed. This King of the Gods may be very different from the one in Proper Human History, but deep down, they are fundamentally the same:

The supreme being of Greek mythology; the winner of both machia wars, and the one who rules over the Twelve Olympians.

Not merely a Divine Spirit, but a genuine god who once existed right here on Earth.

His deep ties to both the concrete and abstract planes mean that he is one of the phenomena shaping the very world itself.

To put it another way, the king of the gods of myth is, in a very real sense, the closest thing there is to a ruler of the entire planet.

Then...does that mean he's like Scáthach-Skadi in the Scandinavian Lostbelt?

Or Arjuna in the Indian Lostbelt?

Unfortunately, no.

The combat data we collected from Artemis and Poseidon alone speaks volumes.

We were able to weaken Arjuna's Divinity by attacking the faith he engendered...

...but we definitely won't be able to do the same with these gods. Their existence is fundamentally different.

Their godly functionality is a core part of their being. Just look at the Theos Klironomia if you need proof.

Their functionality is what makes them gods; nothing can be done to alter that. And Zeus is the one who stands above all the others!

So, what are you two trying to say!?

That Zeus is more powerful than any other foe we've faced to date!?

Th-that can't possibly be true! Don't you remember how tough Arjuna was!?

He was a monster who'd absorbed every god in India! How could anything entire orders of magnitude more powerful than him even EXIST!?

If, like Artemis and Poseidon...

Zeus has continuously ruled over this planet since ancient times without changing his very nature...

...Then he is, without a doubt, in a league of his own.

For you see, the ancient dramatist Aeschylus once described Zeus...

...as the omnipotent and omniscient god of justice.

？！

Fou, fooou...

Omnipotent... As in, all-powerful...

Oh, come now! How can he possibly be omnipotent!?

Zeus is strong, yes, but he's known for being sneaky and lecherous! He used to take any old animal or person he came across and toss them up into the sky as constellations!

He also, um...wields thunderbolts said to be capable of...incinerating the entire universe...

Fooou!

I-is that true, Captain!? Come on! Give it to us straight!

You're a half-god on Poseidon's side, right!? Just what the hell are the Olympic gods!?

Are they just like the myths say, or are they something entirely different!?

'Cause if Zeus really does have the Authority to destroy the whole universe

I don't know, okay!? I mean, I can say that my father wasn't a machine...

But if this Lostbelt developed along an entirely different timeline than the one we know...

...then it wouldn't surprise me if Zeus turned out to be a machine god, just like that Poseidon was.

If these gods are the embodiment of this planet's concrete and abstract, and possess the same abilities, properties, and Authority as described in the mythology...

And if, on top of that, they also possess powerful mechanical bodies...

Then I suppose, maybe...those machines were always their true bodies, even in Proper Human History?

And if that's the case, that would mean this Lostbelt is...

... ...

Captain!?

Oh, uh, right.

Anyway, if he is omnipotentand he seems to bethen he's the strongest being in Olympus.

So it's safe to assume he has Authority powerful and all-encompassing enough to merit leading the other Twelve Olympians.

I don't know exactly what he's like here...but in the Age of Gods I know, he was definitely the top dog.

So if at all possible... I'd really rather not face him head-on...

Exactly! He is NOT someone we want to go head-to-head with!

It'd be one thing if there was a way to snuff out all of his demiurge-class Divinity, like we did in Scandinavia and India...

But when it's an honest-to-goodness, genuine god we're talking about, that's just not gonna work...

Fou, fou!!!

Fou?

Wh-what was that!? Some kind of turbulence!?

!!!

All hands, brace for impact!

Thunderbolts! No... These are great thunderbolts!

These magical energy levels are bonkers! Every single bolt is ginormous! Wait... You're kidding me! They're all as strong as Artemis's cannon!?

Oh come the hell on! I've heard of power creep, but this is nuts!

Meunière! Do whatever you must to make sure those things don't hit us! We only just got this new ship!

Wait...

Checking hull readings now... I was right! They're all missing us! But how!?

Looks like our emergency scattering worked, Da Vinci.

Hell yeah it did!

Well, I'll be! Excellent work, Captain! Technical Advisor! You're both far more useful than Acqua Pazza there!

So what was that gizmo just now, anyway? Some sort of secret defensive system you put together when I wasn't looking?

Yup, pretty much.

It's basically a kind of Spirit Origin chaff grenade that uses extremely high performance dummy Spirit Origins to throw off enemy attacks.

I only just finished putting it together before we went down the Great Pit. It's the Storm Border's latest defense!

I might not've been able to finish it in time for our showdown with Artemis, but it's designed to even defend against attacks from orbit!

And as you just saw, it works brilliantly! None of that lightning is hitting us directly!

Whoa!

You know it!

No problem. I was already reaching for the console as soon as I heard the "Z" in "Zeus."

？！

Heh... That's right! Wahahaha! Our Storm Border is amazing!

This is just the kind of dream ship I would've imagined Captain Nemo and the Atlas Institute could come up with if they worked together! Not even Zeus's thunderbolts can touch us!

You see that, Zeus!? This is what Proper Human History's Mage's Association can do when we set our minds to it!

...Now, all that being said, would you mind if I brought up a different issue?

I know we're managing to fight a brilliant midair battle at the moment, but technically...this ship is still falling, right?

...Heh.

I knew it!

Of course we're technically falling! I'm doing my damnedest to slow our fall with the propulsion system and inertia controls, but I can't change the fact that this is a boat!

Of course it's not gonna work right anywhere that's not on the sea, underwater, or Void Space!

Fujimaru! Mash! Get to your seats and don't move a muscle! And keep an eye on the monitors!

Look for any body of water we could use for an emergency landing! Sea, lake, pond... Anything!

？！

Dodging Zeus's thunderbolts won't do us much good if we just end up being dashed to pieces on the ground!

We need to keep the Storm Border, and myself, safe at any cost!

... ...

(True, every aspect of this new Border is undoubtedly at the cutting edge of Proper Human History technology.)

(However...would the supreme being of a mythological system so advanced they've had futuristic technology like nanomachines for thousands of years really miss his first strike?)

(Then again, what if...)

Captain! Da Vinci! Open the engine up full throttle! It's not safe to be up in the air like this!

Nearby body of water or not, we need to land while the chaff is still working!

There! Target spotted four thousand meters below! We can use the trees in that forest to cushion our descent!

Set inertia control to seven o'clock! Point the bow downward! Unfurl the Zero Sail by eighty percent!

G-got it! I'll handle the controls! All you marines, get to your posts, now!

Aye, aye, ma'am! We'll blast our way out of here like a giant marlin!

Keep scattering the Spirit Origin chaff as we descend! Once we're one thousand meters from the target landing point, pitch the bow up!

All hands, brace for impact! It's going to be a bumpy landing!

Agh, this g-force is intense! It feels like my gut's about to come clean off!

Why are we going down this fast, Captain!? I thought the Spirit Origin chaff was keeping us safe!

An elementary deduction, Goredolf. True, the Storm Border's new weaponry is a force to be reckoned with.

However...take a look at the gale of thunderbolts, and consider this.

What if Zeus is still holding back, and this is just what he considers warning shots?

...Warning shots!? Then, you mean he still has yet to actually attack us!?

Th-then we're all as good as dead! They might call me Phoenix but that doesn't mean I can fly out of here!

Come on, everyone, hurry! We need to get out of this airspace as soon as possible!

That's exactly what I'm trying to do! ...Damn, it's no use. I can't dodge every bolt!

We're going to take a direct hit! Meunière, take the helm!

Huh? Me!?

Senpai!

Brace yourselves, everyone...!

Aaaaaaaaaaaah!

Shit, shit, shit! How'm I supposed to emergency land a freaking battleship when I've never done it befoooaaah!?

And why'm I the one taking the helm!? The hell are you doing, Captaaaiiin!?

Graaaaaaaaah! All hands, make sure you're strapped in tiiiiiighhht!

(Huff... Gasp...)

...H-hey, we stopped. I'm alive... I think?

Master! Are you all right!?

Your seat belt... I see. I guess Director Goredolf's guidance paid off in spades here!

I'm all right. I remained on standby in a half-sitting posture, so I could be ready for a worst-case scenario, and I guess it worked out.

？！

G-good, it looks like we stuck the emergency landing!

Next, shut down Magical Reactors One through Three! And hurry! If Zeus notices their magical energy, he'll come after us!

Already done! Captain, would you mind taking care of the ship's camouflage?

Don't worry, I'm on it. In fact, I'm already done.

Since I disguised the ship right before we landed, the enemy shouldn't have seen where we wound up.

Hurry up with the cloaking. They may not be able to see us, but they could still detect our magical energy.

Aye, sir!

...All right, now that things have settled down, let's assess our current situation.

After Zeus attacked the Storm Border, we made an emergency landing near Olympus's western perimeter.

By deploying optical camouflage around the ship, we were able to evade visual detection during the landing.

We've also shut down the Border's motive power, namely the Magical Reactors, and surrounded the entire hull with a concealing Bounded Field to prevent the enemy from detecting its magical energy.

This should mean we've successfully landed the ship in Olympus with the enemy none the wiser as to our location...at least, theoretically.

First off, great work, everyone.

You should all be proud that we made it out of that without having to resort to a dangerous Zero Sail.

After all, in the worst case, a Zero Sail taken without the necessary precautions could wipe us all out.

Really, the few times we've managed to pull one off so far were basically miracles.

Whew.

Anyway, the important thing is, I'm glad we're all okay!

It just goes to show what an excellent machine the Storm Border truly is.

It can evade an omnipotent god's thunderbolts! It can dive into Void Space!

If we brought it back to Proper Human History, it would be the greatest technological revolution of all time!

That will never happen. This ship couldn't exist in a world where humanity was flourishing like it's supposed to.

It's only in this completely bleached world that my Nautilus Noble Phantasm, Sion's pseudo-Spiritron armor, aka the Hermes Skin...

...Hephaestus's nanomachines, and Chaldea's engineering could all come together like this.

The only reason the Storm Border exists at all is to defeat the Foreign God. It won't have a purpose beyond that.

O-oh... I see. I suppose that's true, isn't it?

？！

Indeed, you're spot-on there. I'm glad to see you understand, Fujimaru.

At any rate, we can't let everything we did in Atlantis be for nothing.

And we certainly wouldn't be able to look the Atlanteans in the eye if we got ourselves shot down before we even landed the ship.

We'll need to be ready to use all available resources. Have you finished replenishing your Command Spells?

...

All the precious backup Command Spells we saved up in case we needed them for a huge battle...

...and we're just going to use them up like it's nothing!

Good!

Well, I did say they were precious. We can't exactly buy more refills from the Command Spell store!

We were only able to scrape these together in time by running the Wandering Sea's Magical Reactors at full blast...

...pooling my technical and administrative advisors' expertise, and having Sion pull a few all-nighters.

Only time and luck will tell if we're ever able to make any more.

I see. So we were really fortunate to be able to use them now.

Yes, I suppose... A-at any rate!

？！

Now that things have come to this, we'll have to use every resource at our disposal!

After all, we still have a crucial mission we need to carry out.

Right. We absolutely must cut down the Tree of Emptiness here in Olympus.

Tell me, Technical Advisor, how safe do you think we are right now?

Good question. From the scans of the surrounding area, I'd say we lucked out.

I'm guessing this area we're in now is in the outskirts of Olympus.

There are almost no buildings here, there's no sign of any natives, and I don't see a single soldier or defensive weapon anywhere.

We can thank Meunière for his choice of landing spot, since he was the one handling the controls on short notice.

I agree. I would have landed the ship myself, but I had my hands full coordinating with the Nemo Series.

Great job, Meunière. When we have a chance later, I'll give you a proper lesson on how to steer the ship.

!

W-well hey, haha, what can I say? It WAS pretty impressive if I do say so myself, but still!

Sure, I got a little panicked when you first asked me to take over, but I figured things would work out if I just stuck to my usual game plan!

？！

Ah, I can't really take the credit. The Storm Border did all the hard work. I just kept it stable.

Still, I'm glad I was able to help you out, Captain!

You definitely did. I was planning to station a marine in the cockpit, but now I won't have to.

So since I'll have one to spare now, I'll assign them to ship cleaning duty instead.

Good. Keeping the ship clean at all times will be a great boost to morale.

Ahem. Well, Administrative Advisor, the bad news? I know well enough by now that it can't all be good.

Right you are, Director. You really are getting the hang of this.

Now that we've shut down all of our Magical Reactors, restarting them will take some time.

Which means, of course, that we are effectively stuck here for the time being. That means no Zero Sail, either.

O-oh. I see...

Right. As long as we remain hidden, the odds of them detecting us should be low.

...Good question. If they should happen to find us, making an escape will be very difficult.

？！

Right. As long as we're unable to start up the ship's engine at a moment's notice, we'll be out to sea without a lifeboat if we're spotted again.

If we end up taking several of those supercharged magical energy attacks head-on without even any of our defensive mechanisms to shield us, well...

...I don't even want to think about it.

？！

Huh!?

Captain! Wh-why'd you collapse like that!? Are you okay!?

...I'm sorry.

It looks like Zeus's great thunderbolts were even more powerful than we thought.

The one that hit us didn't damage the ship too badly... but it did...damage my Spirit Core...

!

Oh no. Does this mean those thunderbolts are actually Anti-Servant attacks!?

It's a good thing...only one of them hit us... If even one more of those had struck...

...we might've ended up losing...our new ship...

Ngh... This is pathetic. I don't...even have the strength to stand.

Dammit, get Nemo Nurse in here, on the double! Make sure Captain's as comfortable as possible!

R-right!

Does this mean you're injured as well, Da Vinci?

...Looks that way.

I thought I was just feeling off thanks to all the magical energy I used for the chaff and the concealing spell...

But since I was acting as the Storm Border's CPU when we got hit...

...I guess I actually got just as hurt as the Captain.

I think I'd better rest up for a while, too...

？！

Easy there. ...Good, I caught her in time.

Thanks for the nurse call. Is it an emergency?

I'll say! Thanks for coming, Nemo!

It's Captain and Da Vinci! The former collapsed, and the latter's totally drained!

Please, hurry!

Fou, fou!

Holmes! Meunière! H-how are Da Vinci and Captain doing?

They're both asleep now. Well, I say asleep, but it's more like what we did back in Scandinavia.

They're in the recovery pods I used at the time. They may seem fine on the surface, but their Spirit Cores have both suffered significant damage.

It may take them a few days, but don't worry. We expect them both to make full recoveries.

To put it in the modern parlance, this will be no big deal.

Yes, it is! It's too bad we can't visit them while they're in the pods, but I'm still glad to hear they'll be okay!

？！

Quite so. Ideally, I'd prefer to wait for their full recovery before we begin our plan of attack in earnest, but

Indeed. We have neither the time nor the mental capacity to spare for that.

Both the Captain and the technical advisor fulfilled their duties spectacularly!

Yes, they may be useless for the time being, but no matter. Their recovery takes priority.

Meanwhile, those of us who remain have an obligation to make the most of this opportunity they've given us. Namely

Exactly. By this point, I suppose there was no need for me to say anything after all, was there?

Don't be daft, man! I already arranged for one of those!

？！

Ahem. All right, as the new director of Chaldea, and the commander of the Storm Border, here are my orders.

Master Fujimaru. Mash Kyrielight, his faithful Servant.

There is still much we don't know about our situation, but even so, I'll need you two to head out.

While I'm afraid we won't be able to support you as normal with our technical advisor incapacitated...

...myself, Meunière, and our administrative advisor will do our best to fill her shoes in the meantime.

Your sole objective for now is to explore this Lostbelt and recruit other Proper Human History Servants!

Hehe. At least this time, we won't be at a complete disadvantage thanks to the vanguard that got here ahead of us.

Once you find the Heroic Spirits that came here from Atlantis, the tide is sure to turn swiftly in our favor!

If we're going to defeat that detestable Kirschtaria, cut down that preposterously huge Tree of Emptiness...

...and destroy that incredibly dangerous Zeus, you'll need to meet up with them, first!

Hehe, just what I like to hear. Now I can relax and really enjoy my breakfast.

Right, Master!

？！

I've just run a scan of our vicinity...and I'm afraid the circumstances are very much not in our favor.

Unfortunately, we will be no more able to bolster our ranks via summoning circle here than we were in Atlantis.

Every last leyline for kilometers is under intense observation. They are too man-madeor perhaps I should say god-madeto be of use to us.

Suffice to say, we won't be able to secure the magical energy necessary to summon and maintain new Heroic Spirits while here in Olympus.

I'm afraid we'll have to be content with using the Spirit Origin graph for temporary, combat-only summons.

Fou, fou...

All the more reason you need to find the Heroic Spirits who came here ahead of us as soon as possible.

With the forces we have, we won't even be able to keep ourselves safe, let alone accomplish the mission.

It would've made things a lot easier if we could've summoned more combat-ready Heroic Spirits from a leyline...

...but I guess that was too much to hope for, just like it was in Atlantis.

Well, in the meantime, I don't know how much these'll help, but here, these are for you two.

Thanks, Meunière. But, um, what are they?

They're disguise kitswell, a kind of Mystic Code, reallythat Da Vinci made in secret based off the Atlanteans.

Basically, they use magecraft to deceive onlookers both optically and perceptually...

...giving you the same effect as wearing a disguise without actually having to put one on.

She said they make use of the same disguise principles as Holmes's Noble Phantasm. They should let you disguise yourself as residents of Olympus and

Right. I know this is business as usual for you guys by now, but still, be careful.

？！

The silver lining here is that your magical energy readings are the same as any other human's.

Apparently, even Mash only has a tiny bit of Servant aura about her right now.

So hey, in that sense, this should make it a lot easier to sneak in than it would be if you were bringing Servants along.

That's true.

Under these circumstances, the risk of a hostile Servant noticing me or Senpai should be very low.

So if all goes well, this should give us the chance we need to rendezvous with the Heroic Spirits who got here before us!

... ...

...But, uh, that being said, you'll still be at a major disadvantage if you do end up in a fight.

So don't lean on the disguise kits too heavily, okay?

Then again, you're both old hands now with Rayshifts and Lostbelts, so I'm sure you already know that.

Director.

Hm? What is it, Administrative Advisor?

I have two suggestions I'd like you to hear.

The first is that we send the combat and environmental information we've gathered to date to the Wandering Sea in a data packet.

And for the second, well, I think discretion would be the best course for this one...

Wh-what's this now? Hahaha, careful. I'm quite ticklish, you know.

... ...

...Wh-what was that!?

Are you serious, Administrative Advisor!? But that's... Surely you can't

Director, do you remember the border guards that Odysseus kept under his command?

I'm quite certain that your concerns, while understandable, are nevertheless unwarranted.

Nnn... Nnnnnnnnn...

It's incredibly risky, but I can't deny that it also makes a lot of sense... Nnnghhh!

...A-all right.

A-as the director of Novum Chaldea, I can't have my subordinates be the only ones putting themselves in danger to restore Proper Human History!

Very well, Administrative Advisor! I accept your proposal!

Thank you. I had every confidence you would make the right decision.

Fou?

Hahaha.

This is no laughing matter, if you ask me... Geez.

I'm afraid the time is not yet right. Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough.

Oh! I haven't heard you say that in a long time, Holmes!

Ha ha ha.

This is no laughing matter, if you ask me... Geez.

？！

All right, once again: Fujimaru! Mash Kyrielight! As director of Novum Chaldea, here are your orders!

You two are to leave the Border at once and make your way to the city of Olympus!

Once you're inside, find out where the other Proper Human History Servants are and meet up with them posthaste!

After you have secured an adequate fighting force, you are to cut down the Fifth Tree of Emptiness!

？！

Understood. We'll go begin our Olympus investigation right now!

Fou, fo, foooooou!

A revelation is upon us. A revelation is upon us.

Now is the time of revelation. Gather round, O noble gods of Olympus.

He has ruled the heavens since the dawn of time, emerging triumphant in no less than four machia.

By day, he rules over clear blue skies. By night, he conquers what lies beyond them.

He is the wielder of the great thunderbolts capable of shattering stars, galaxies, even the very universe. Authorities no less than Uranus and Cronus themselves bow to his will.

He is the great demiurge, the one who wields the Cronus Crown for all eternity!

Now, behold the words of the almighty Zeus!

...I trust all are here?

Indeed they are, my lord.

Rejoice, my fellow gods. Rejoice, gods from foreign lands.

All is proceeding according to my will.

The seeds I planted have grown brilliantly, disturbed neither by chill rain nor merciless rays of sun.

Tree of Emptiness MagellanNo, Atlas, the World Tree, is about to bloom.

Glory to almighty Zeus.

Congratulations, Father.

That's wonderful, Father. Congratulations.

We must restore mythology to its rightful place.

This Lostbelt's divine power must not remain relegated to Olympus. It must spread across the world.

...Across every bit of bleached-white land.

If humans were unable to save it, then the task falls to the gods instead.

I shall use all the power I wield to save this world in place of those gods who left during Proper Human History.

For it is still far too soon to lose the intelligent human species that has taken root on this planet.

Mmm...

Mmm, mmmmmm. This is indeed all unfolding absolutely wonderfully!

Even in my wildest dreams, I never imagined Atlas the World Tree would grow so large so quickly!

It even puts the Indian Lostbelt Tree's explosive growth to shame!

This will undoubtedly be the land where our god

The Foreign God, descends upon this world. Oh yes. Of that, I'm absolutely certain.

Nothing could make we three Alter Egos, who have come here on behalf of the Foreign God, happier.

It is unfortunate that one of us could not be present at this time, but no matter.

You have my pledge that I will do everything in my power to help you grow the World Tree to maturity, and to ensure the Foreign God's descent proceeds undeterred!

...The Foreign God? Excuse me? Ugh, it's always Foreign God this and Foreign God that with you!

Are your ears working properly? Did you not hear what almighty Zeus had to say?

He's the one who's going to save this world. There's no place for your Foreign God here.

Now remember your place and hold your tongue, foreigner, lest you say something you regret.

Now, now, Aphrodite. There's no need to let anger mar your beautiful face.

Besides, you'd do well not to underestimate these gods from foreign lands. Especially that monk there.

Rumor is that he single-handedly drove the ancient land of India into a hellish cycle of reincarnation.

So I'd be careful if I were you...

...lest he end up turning all of Olympus into Tartarus.

Ha! Tartarus? Ridiculous!

If you wish to joke, Demeter, save it for an audience who might appreciate your brand of humor.

As for you, you have some nerve speaking of a foreign god in our presence!

How dare you speak of a god from an alien planet knowing full well that we descendants of Chaos migrated here from across the galaxy!?

Who do you think you are!? You know nothing of Zeus's power!

You know nothing of what transpired fourteen thousand years ago, at the moment our Lostbelt began!

You have no idea how Zeus's thunderbolts utterly destroyed the foreign invader who came to kill all life on this planet!

...Ha.

Who do I think I am, you asked?

I am me, of course. No more, no less.

You insolent little

Wait, Aphrodite.

A moment please, O goddess of beauty.

If I may, allow me to remind you that we are all equally invested in seeing the World Tree to maturity.

Lord Kirschtaria, the Crypter, says that though our long-term goals may be different, for now, cooperating is in our mutual best interest.

Kirschtaria Wodime...

Oh? What's this?

My, my, is this truly happening? You, the goddess of beauty herselfthe arbiter of value for all humanity...

...deigning to take advice from a mere human? I never thought I would see the day.

!!!

That's enough, Limbo. A joke is only funny when its audience is receptive.

So I suggest you be more judicious about playing the jester while in the company of gods. Especially given that same tendency led to your failure in India.

...You don't mince words, do you?

I was merely trying to lighten the mood, but you're right. I did misjudge my audience.

It seems my failure in India has affected me more than I realized. Forgive me, O gods of Greece.

Aphrodite, goddess of beauty. Demeter, goddess of land.

All-powerful Zeus. Priestess Queen Europa.

I hope you will accept this humble apology.

...!

Limbo.

...Oh my.

I do beg your pardon.

...Not at all. I am the one who owes you an apology.

I hope you will forgive my momentary surprise, O gods of foreign lands.

Limbo.

Don't be absurd, my illustrious Queen Europa. I am the one who has wronged you.

Not at

Silence, all of you.

I understand your anger. I understand your impatience. But stay your tongues.

There are some facts we must accept, no matter how humiliating they may be.

Namely, the fact that without the Tree of Emptiness, none of us could exist.

Our glorious Olympus's prosperity... We Twelve Olympians' eternal reign... All depend on the Tree of Emptiness.

This we must come to terms with if we are to overcome the tree's hold on us.

Overcome the tree's hold? Does that mean you plan to cut down the Tree of Emptiness?

As long as you grow the Tree to full maturity, we have no objections as to what you do with it afterwards.

But still, the very idea of overcoming the tree's hold is just... Hahahahahaha!

Are you truly capable of such a thing, almighty Zeus!?

Indeed, it is a task beyond even my all-encompassing power.

Which is why I have formed an alliance with my sworn friend, Kirschtaria Wodime the Crypter.

Zeus! Need I remind you that he is only a human!?

Zeus! You would still call that human your sworn friend!?

Silence.

Kirschtaria Wodime the Crypter is no ordinary human.

One could well liken the mammalian humans from Proper Human History to little more than sentient reeds.

And indeed, Kirschtaria is sentient.

But no mere reed could ever be that strong.

...So this is the Machina Corridor of the Great Orbital Shrine Olympia Dodona, huh.

It's way too damn long if you ask me. How's a guy supposed to cross this thing and get where he's going on time?

Did they just make it to scale with the gods of Olympus or something? At this rate, I'm gonna die of old age before I get anywhere.

Still, on a different note, I can't believe he's just letting me walk around like this unsupervised.

Wodime... I swear, I can't tell what that guy's thinking.

(Now I feel like an idiot for keeping my guard up constantly, figuring it was just a matter of time before he sends someone to finish me off.)

(I always thought a Crypter without a Lostbelt would be worthless, that he wouldn't have anywhere left to go, and no reason to be kept alive.)

(I was sure he was just going to take my Sirius Light and be done with me...)

...Was I wrong? I remember Director Marisbury said:

"The Sirius Light is the power to overturn the very world. Possessing it is what makes you a Crypter."

We studied every abnormality that could possibly occur during the seven ages. We trained for every scenario we might encounter in the simulator...

Team A was supposed to save the world, and our Sirius Lights were supposed to be our trump card.

But...

(...It's strange. When you think about it, we were never actually told exactly what the Sirius Light is.)

(Sure, they told us that they're even more powerful Command Spells, and that they produce more magical energy than the user could generate on their own...)

(...but the only one of us who actually knows when and why to use them is Wodime.)

(After all, he was the one entrusted with their timing...)

(...so he should also be the only one who knows how the Sirius Lights are really meant to be used.)

(So then, why hasn't he taken mine...?)

...Ever since we came back to life, Wodime's always said how the Crypters are all equal in the Foreign God's eyes, but it never occurred to me that he might really mean it.

Does this mean...he seriously believes that?

Dammit, what am I saying? There's no way he could. He's a noble. He's got to have an angle I'm not seeing.

There must be something that only he knows. Something about the Sirius Lights...the Foreign God...

...the Trees of Emptiness... and why the Lostbelts can exist in the present day.

...All right, Wodime. I'll find out what it is you're up to.

Whatever it is you and Zeus are plotting, I'm gonna bring it to light.

And if I'm gonna do that... I'm gonna need a distraction that really stands out.

You know, I was thinking.

I still haven't been punished for my failure with the Indian Lostbelt, right?

So go ahead and punish me however you see fit, Wodime. Whatever it is, I can take it.

I hope I have not given you cause to mistake me, Pepe.

We Crypters are colleagues, nothing more. I have no more authority to punish you than any of the others do.

For the time being, Scandinavia Peperoncino, let's just be glad you're all right.

You're sure taking all this in stride. Not that I expected anything less, of course.

But I still wouldn't feel right getting off scot-free. Why don't you at least take my Sirius Light?

Sure, I could probably save more face with the Foreign God if I offered it up to them instead...

...but I couldn't care less about getting in either the Foreign God or the Alter Egos' good graces.

So here, hon, you can have my Sirius Light. Make sure you make good use of it.

Thank you, Pepe, but there's no need for that. You can keep yours.

The Sirius Light has not been my responsibility since Team A ceased to be relevant.

So no, you should hang onto yours. What you do with it is up to you.

...I see.

So Ophelia didn't happen to die after using hers. She died BECAUSE she used her Sirius Light.

Would I be right in assuming that's what Marisbury had in mind when he put our team together?

...

Not at liberty to answer that, huh?

Nooow I get it. I'm starting to see just a little more of what your relationship was really like.

Despise me if you wish. You are probably right to do so.

Despise you? Now you're just insulting me, Wodime.

I think the fact that you're refusing to say anything just goes to show how much integrity you have.

Up to this point, I still wasn't sure who was connected to what...

...but I think I'm finally starting to see how the pieces fit together.

Teehee! It never really sunk in before, but I guess we really are enemies of humanity after all!

I have to say, Pepe, your sheer mental fortitude never fails to surprise me. I'm amazed you can still smile like that under these circumstances.

Hey, it's the one thing I've got going for me. Though, in my case, it's more despair than self-possession.

But hey, the important things are that I'm alive right now, and what it is I need to do next, right?

I'd never get anywhere if I spent all my time fretting about a past I can't change.

So I'm just going to tell you this, in the hope that it might lead to an even more fun future.

You know how the Disciples are always telling us the Foreign God wants the Lostbelts to flourish, and that the strongest one will become the foundation of a new humanity?

Well, I'm positive they're lying. They're not planning on any of the Lostbelts surviving.

While we've been hoping that one of the Lostbelts would become the next Proper Human History...

...they've got other plans entirely.

...And why do you think that?

Hehe. I heard it straight from the Alter Ego's mouth back when he was elated at the prospect of his seemingly assured victory.

I swear, I never would've guessed his fondness for hearing himself talk would actually work in our favor!

Haha. I see. So you got Limbo to talk.

Then I won't be responsible for what you've learned, and it won't violate my contract with the Foreign God.

...That being said, Myourenji, I can't say anything more in response to what you've just told me.

All I can tell you is that I am prepared to establish this Lostbelt as the new Proper Human History...

...and that I have done everything I can to see that vision made reality.

I will use everything at my disposal to ensure this Atlantic Lostbelt becomes this planet's future.

In the meantime, I want you to carry out your duties as a member of Team A in whatever way you feel is best.

...

Hey, you don't have to tell me. I was already planning to do whatever I wanted.

Besides, I was never really into the whole "king of the Earth" competition thing, anyway.

But let me know if you ever need help with anything, all right? I'm not THAT much of an ingrate, you know.

...Not that much of an ingrate, huh.

Of course I know that, Pepe. You've been of help to me more often than you realize.

You always described yourself as a cold-blooded killer, but in fact, you were always the most humane...always honored your obligations more than any of us.

...

Oh? Unless I am very much mistaken, there is a great deal of venom in your expression. Are you unhappy with what we just discussed?

Peperoncino came to his conclusions based on what the Alter Ego said. There's no need to eliminate him.

Nor did I tell the other Crypters any of the Foreign God's secrets.

So far as I can tell, there have been no breaches of contract here. Am I wrong?

...

Everything is proceeding according to plan. The Tree of Emptiness is now a fully grown catalyst, ready to bring your true form down to this world.

Zeus no doubt means to use this energy for his own ideals.

For my part, I have no intention of getting in his way. I promised him I wouldn't, after all.

We agreed that, though our positions may be very different, Zeus and I would work together to ensure that the Atlantic Lostbelt is fully completed.

And I will not be going back on my word.

Not after he trusted me enough to let me see him in a moment of weakness.

...

I'm well aware. If Zeus's plan comes to fruition...

...the Tree of Emptiness's magical energy will be depleted, and the Foreign God's descent will be delayed.

Should that happen, I will be considered in breach of contract, and my life will be forfeit.

...But that is not going to happen. Much as it pains me to say this as his friend...

Zeus's ideals will never work, even if his plan is flawless. Once they fail, that is where I come into play.

Don't worry, I'll see that my job is done perfectly. I value my life as much as anyone, after all.

It would be equally trivial for me to complete this Lostbelt and see Zeus's ideals realized...

...or to conclude this Lostbelt and let the Foreign God descend upon this world.

The only unknown factor that could possibly pose an obstacle to either of those outcomes is Chaldea, and whatever course of action Fujimaru chooses to pursue.

I only hope his spirit isn't yet broken. I'm counting on him to make his way here and once more throw himself into battle against me...

...so that I can conclusively demonstrate to him that his efforts were for naught.