Thou Art the Ardor that Corrupts the Stars (II)

Initiating God Destroyer Alliance Base underground transfer.

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Yeah. Why?

Whoooa, everything's shaking! Is this what riding an elevator's like?

This base was originally an all-purpose maintenance vehicle for the underground infrastructure. You know, the kind that goes around fixing whatever needs it.

We could also walk along the underground corridors, but they're really hard to navigate, and it would take forever.

Of course, if you're willing to spend a few days to get to our destination, it could work. What do you want to do?

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Good call.

Besides, Sister and I wouldn't even be able to contact you in the East District if we stayed here.

Anyway, it shouldn't take us long to get there at this rate. Just be careful you don't lose your footing.

Man... I never would've even thought to try moving this entire place!

It sounds like it's old hat to you guys, but Olympian tech is pretty amazing to me.

It's Atlantis, not Olympus.

?

Atlantean, I mean. At least, that's what I've heard; I don't know if it's true.

They say our ancestors originally came to Olympus from the continent of Atlantis about ten thousand odd years ago.

It's also why we think the second machia may have played a part in Atlantis's destruction.

Unfortunately, we don't know anything for sure, as all the records pertaining to that time were lost long ago.

Fooou, faaaaaau!

Th-that's right. It's believed to be a continent that once existed in the Atlantic Ocean.

It's one of Proper Human History's most well-known legends.

Yes, that's right. The continent of Atlantis is one of Proper Human History's most well-known legends.

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It was once a prosperous empire rich in natural resources, but over time, its people lost all respect for the gods and the rule of law...

...so the gods punished them by flooding the entire empire and sinking the continent into the sea.

At least, that's how the ancient Greek philosopher Plato described it in his two dialogues, Timaeus and Critias.

Fooou.

It's one of many flooding legends that have been passed down through different civilizations, like Mesopotamia.

The flooding of Atlantis is said to have taken place some time around 9000 B.C., but

But the theory of continental drift claims otherwise.

If we assume that all our current continents were originally a single giant landmass, then there's no place where a mythical lost continent could fit.

...At least, that was the operating theory as of a hundred years or so ago. That said, I doubt the discovery of plate tectonics has done much to advance Atlantis's cause.

Furthermore, given that there have been exactly zero discoveries of any Atlantean artifacts, the sole historical record we have for its existence is Plato's writings.

However, that still leaves one question unanswered.

R-right. What if the continent of Atlantis really did exist...

...but in a way that was completely unlike any other continent we know about?

I can't deny it's a possibility.

Especially now that we know it is possible for something to exist without leaving behind a single trace.

Namely, the realm of Mystics.

And that's not all. There's also the very act of using magecraft to materialize a Servant.

While the existence of most things can be proven with physical evidence and written records, the same cannot be said of Mystics.

In which case

Right. If what Adele and Macarius told us about the mechanical gods is true...

Precisely.

The gods of Olympus could have arrived on the continent of Atlantis long ago, thereby bringing civilization to prehistoric peoples.

Though of course, in that case, those events would be more akin to the work of Jules Verne than they would Plato's Timaeus and Critias.

Good grief. I can practically see Sir Doyle's face grinning in delight.

As in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the prestigious author who immortalized your exploits in novel form!?

I've read every book he ever published!

And I've seen the movie versions! Well, at least all the ones you're in, Holmes!

I still remember the first time I saw the Granada version like it was yesterday...

...Ah.

I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get carried away.

...Yes, it is. Thank you, Master.

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Hahaha. You're too kind, Ms. Kyrielight. I only hope I get a chance to tell Sir Doyle what dedicated fans he has.

Now then, back to the subject of Atlantis... This has been a most fascinating discussion.

Depending on when this Lostbelt first came about, this could mean that the mythical continent of Atlantis truly did exist on our Earth.

... ...

If the same were true in Proper Human History...there would surely still be some trace of physical evidence pertaining to the continent's sinking.

Indeed, such an event would have affected the topography of the entire planet. No doubt someone would also have discovered something along paleomagnetic lines as well.

And yet, in Proper Human History, there is not one piece of evidence that the continent of Atlantis ever existed.

Fooou...

...No evidence of the continent's existence, hmm.

Haha, by Jove, that's it! It may not be a proverbial smoking gun, but we've got collateral evidence right here!

Holmes?

Ah yes, I beg your pardon. This is still only a hypothesis, but I do believe I've solved the riddle.

If we assume that the legendary continent of Atlantis truly did exist in Proper Human History...

...then we can now say with a fair degree of certainty what it truly was. It's really no great mystery at all.

Take a look around. Where are we standing right now?

Indeed we are. But what is that floor a part of?

Precisely.

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As you all know, we are currently standing on a small part of the Interstellar Mountainous City of Olympus.

And what, pray tell, is the nature of Olympus's existence?

...Oh! I get it now! Olympus isn't a natural landmass. It's a mysterious, enormous, artificial structure!

It's essentially a virtual continent built inside a supernatural hollow space, and with advanced technology well beyond the scope of Proper Human History...

Right you are, Ms. Kyrielight. Granted, this is a most preliminary theory that may well change as more information comes to light. Nonetheless...

Hahahaha, I must say, I never dreamed this adventure of ours would involve me deducing the existence of Atlantis!

Ohhh, nooow I get it! Mostly!

Basically, Olympus and Atlantis are both pretty impressive, yeah? Totally got it.

Well, mostly. I mostly got it.

I definitely, absolutely, mostly totally got it. ...Yup.

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By the way, Adele and Macarios, there's something I've been meaning to ask you.

It's about the underground infrastructure we're using for transport as we speak.

Sure. What is it?

You said this whole underground area was safe 'cause it used to be Hades's domain or something, right?

I was just curious what the full story there was. Hades is one of the gods who was killed in the fourth machia, right?

Yes, that's right.

All the gods who fought for coexistence between human and god were defeated and destroyed during the Olympia Machia...

...and Hades was one of them.

After the war, Zeus ended up taking over the domains of every god they defeated.

That, along with enslaving Poseidon, gave him full control over the entire sea of Atlantis...

...but it was a different story for Olympus's underground infrastructure.

Hades decided to take his own life...and the resulting explosion sealed off his underground domain.

Thanks to that, the underworld became a dark zone that nobody could easily touch.

...Nobody except those who were allied with Hades and the faction fighting for coexistence.

Now I gotcha. That explains it.

I always found it strange how an all-powerful god like Zeus knows everything that happens on the surface...

...but can't seem to do anything when it comes to this underground area.

It's pretty much down to luck that things worked out this way.

As ships, Hades and Zeus were both based off of the Titan Cronus.

As gods, that put them in the same class of deity. So even when Zeus became omnipotent

He'd still need to allocate almost all of his power to see everything going on in the dark zone.

And right now, Zeus is using most of his magical energy to keep Olympus and Tree of Emptiness Magellan up and running.

Then...you're saying that is a weakness we can take advantage of?

That's right. We believe that's where our hopes for victory lie.

Fou!

Oh. Everything just shook again.

Nn...

(Yawwwn)... Damn, I must've fallen asleep. We there already?

Yeah, the base is done moving along the underground. Let's go up to the surface.

We'll be going with you this time, since this is a covert mission.

Fooou!

Eek! F-Fou!

Ah! There you go again! Didn't I tell you not to jump on my sister, you big squirrel!?

Mmm. A cute boy, a cute girl, and a cute animal, all together. You love to see it.

...That thing's not really a squirrel, right?

All right, try not to get yourselves killed out there.

There's no way in hell I'm gonna play pretend, so you guys can knock yourselves out acting like the idiots you are.

I'll hang around in my spirit form in the meantime, and pop out if things turn violent.

Fou?

What?

Um... What do you mean by play pretend?

Oh, yes. It means you need to be careful about your choice of words on the surface, or Zeus's scans will catch you.

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That's right.

Now then, we need to get our cover story straight. Let's see...

Okay, I think I've got it. Fujimaru, Mash, Musashi...

You three will be our distant relatives from the very edge of the South District.

As for you, Holmes... Um...

No need to worry about me. I'll stay close by in my spirit form as well.

Ooh, I call the oldest sister role! Hehehehe, I always wanted a couple of cute siblings of my own.

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Y-you mean, you want me to be the middle child!?

I, um... I was kind of hoping I could be the youngest child...

...and you could be my big brother, Senpai...

Phew.

R-right!

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I presume there's a risk our conversations may be eavesdropped upon on the surface, Macarios?

Basically. You catch on quick, don't you?

It has been said.

It's not really eavesdropping, though. It's more like he's openly listening to everything anyone says.

They say it's because Zeus himself watches over everything we humans do. That he's protecting us.

I see. So you live in a state of constant surveillance.

Fooou.

Zeus might be able to see everything that happens aboveground, but he can't actually tell individual people apart.

It's just like how we humans can't tell individual ants apart. Or, well, that's about how I think it works.

Oh? Fascinating

That would certainly seem to lend credence to the A.I.'s belief that Zeus is exceptionally powerful, but not truly omnipotent.

However, his hearing's a different story. He listens to every single conversation people have on the surface.

...You mean he's able to meaningfully hear and comprehend the utterances of ten million people down to the sentence simultaneously?

I can scarcely imagine what such immense data processing capabilities must be like. Small wonder he had so little difficulty traveling the universe.

Such incredible multipurpose functionality would certainly make him appear omnipotent, even if he is not truly so.

Well, he's not a god for nothing. Not to mention, this is Zeus we're talking about.

He does a bunch of things that'd be impossible for humans to pull off.

Fou, fou.

Most impressive. It sounds as though he's essentially Olympus's one-god ECHELON program.

Oh, I've heard of that! That was a kind of super surveillance system a few countries colluded on, right?

Hahaha. No, Ms. Miyamoto, ECHELON was never anything more than an urban legend. It's no different than the purported devil at the crossroads, or a serial killer hiding under your bed.

Then again, perhaps the devil at the crossroads is more of a Mystic than ECHELON? Well, no matter. It's still the same broad category.

But the same is not true for Zeus. His surveillance mechanisms and control devices are unabashedly present in all aspects of life here.

I took Olympus for a utopia, but in fact, the control its government wields over its people is far greater than any we've yet seen in a Lostbelt.

No wonder the division between the coexistence and ruling factions was so great that it led to a full-blown machia.

...You're starting to understand what things are like here.

... ...

So, think we can get going now? Oh good.

Then let's get this great summoning circle operation underway! Everybody ready?

Seeing how those soldiers we ran into last time all looked like they came from the East District...

...I'm guessing we'll be in for an especially rough time around here, so let's be ready for that.

Thank you, Musashi.

But we were actually hoping to stop by our house before we begin the operation in earnest, if that's okay.

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Oh, um, actually... We forgot something there and we need to get it.

Yes, we have to postpone the start of this mission. I'm sorry. We should've told you sooner.

Oh?

Ugh, seriously? Screw that noise. I'm takin' a nap. Wake me up when you finish whatever stupid crap you're going to do.

So you're going to camp out here just like that!? Then again, I guess I'm not one to talk.

What are you, stupid? Don't you know it's dangerous for a woman to camp out by herself?

Ahaha, really? You're really going to lecture me on that?

Um, Adele? Can I ask what it is you forgot at your house?

It's something we're all going to need. The last time we used it...

...we messed up the timing, and our whole squad got wiped out...

!!!

Your entire squad...!

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Right, Master!

Fou!

So this is Olympus's East District...

There are so many statues as big as skyscrapers here!

And the city itself is so elaborately designed...

Yet it's also filled with a real gentle sense of beauty everywhere I look...

Well you're going to see giant statues in the art district. Hehe, is this your first time coming to this part of town?

(...Oh, right!)

(I have to assume that our old backstory about being from the countryside won't work anymore.)

Uh, no, of course not. But it has been long enough that I couldn't help but get a little worked up.

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Right!

Woof. Fou. Woof. (Special Translation: Don't mind me. Just your ordinary, everyday doggo here.)

Who's a good boy, Plato? Yes, you are. Yes, you are.

Woof, woof!

(Good. It doesn't look like anyone is paying Senpai and me any special notice.)

(Da Vinci's disguise kits must still be working as intended.)

(It seems like they're affecting Musashi too, just like we hoped. So far, so good.)

It's been a long time since you've been here too, hasn't it, Plato? Come on, who's a good boy?

Fooou...

Hey! What's with the cold shoulder!?

Come on, enough playing around. Our home sweet home isn't much farther from here.

'Kaaay.

Why don't we head back to the house and take a breather before we look around the city? You guys could use one after all the hard work you've been doing.

Plus, I think Sister here has been looking forward to cooking something for you.

Can't say I'm especially looking forward to it myself, but...

Macarios.

...

Macarios?

...Okay, okay, I want to have your cooking for the first time in a long time, too. Happy now?

I swear, a few hundred years without cooking anything, and now you can't wait to get in the kitchen.

Well of course. You know we haven't seen our distant relatives in forever. We have to make them feel welcome.

Right?

Yeah, yeah.

Uuu, fowow!

Aah! What's gotten into you, Plato? I was just watching a couple of beautiful people doing a little back and forth.

Frrrrrr...

Stop that, Plato. You know it's rude to growl in public.

Hey! It's Macarios!

Look, Adele's here, too!

Hey, yeah! They're both back! Oh man, it's been so long!

Ooh, they've even got a dog with them! At least, I think that's a dog, right? It's so cute!

Frrrrrr...

Where've you guys been all this time? Oh, yeah, you're traveling all around Olympus now, right?

I think you went to the South District last, yeah?

It looked like things were pretty bad down there.

Are you two okay? Did you get caught in the cross fire?

We're fine, thank you. But it was scary seeing the city there in such disarray.

...You guys been doing okay while we've been away?

Oh yeah! We've been having ambrosia every day, so we're doing great!

How about you two? Have you been okay?

Yeah, we're fine, thanks.

(So this ambrosia is still being distributed, even now that Demeter is gone...)

(Does this mean Zeus has taken over Demeter's role, even while he's still pouring magical energy into Olympus and the Tree of Emptiness?)

(Just how much magical energy does he actually possess?)

So did you guys see the Chaldeans while you were in the South District?

They're demons who want to destroy our world, right? Did they look really scary?

Beats me. We never saw them, so we have no idea.

They say one of them's got a demonic, bloodred mark on his right hand!

(We disguised Senpai's Command Spells too this time, so we should be okay. I think...)

So who are these people? Are they your friends?

Are you guys from the south? Did you see the Chaldeans, guy with the black hair?

Aww.

Whoa, really!? You saw them!?

Oh, wait. Maybe you didn't see them? Which is it!?

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...Hey, those Chaldeans aren't gonna come here, right? I don't want all of us to die.

I hate them. I wish there were no such thing as bad people.

But it's okay! We'll be fine!

Even if they do show up here, our dad'll take care of 'em!

'Cause you know what? Our dad's a soldier! Pretty cool, right!

Stupid Chaldeans. I hope Dad kills them all.

Yeah! They should just die and leave us alone!

It's really scary knowing they're out there, isn't it?

Stupid, evil, scary Chaldeans...

They should all just die and leave us alone! Queen Europa said so, too!

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... ...

...Hmm. I don't know if I agree with that.

Huh?

But Chaldeans do bad things. That makes them bad guys, right?

Queen Europa even said so in her address.

And if they're bad guys, then they should definitely die. Simple as that.

See, I think "they're bad, so they should die" might be a little too simplistic.

If nothing else, I think it'd be good for us to find out why they are the way they are.

Like, are they really destroying the world?

Are they really so evil that they deserve to die?

Who knows? Maybe they've got their own good reasons for doing what they're doing.

Maybe there's some larger truth driving their actions that we have to come to terms with.

And...

...maybe they don't want to be here taking on Olympus, but they are anyway because they think it's the right thing to do.

It's worth your while to imagine things like that, you know? Especially since it doesn't cost you anything☆

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Nnn... Nnn...

That's pretty tough...

If that was the case...I don't know how I'd feel about it.

Yeah. Me neither.

...But wait, hang on.

It's still bad to do bad things, even if you've got a reason for doing them, right?

...

Yeah, that's true. You're not wrong there.

But don't forget: there's nobody in the whole world who never makes any mistakes.

People can't always make all the right choices. Sometimes, to stop evil, you have to let go of being good a bit.

And when you do, the important thing is to be honest with yourself.

You can't just rationalize your actions away by telling yourself you had no other choice...

...or that what you're doing is somehow right.

I know if I was up against someone who was under no illusions that they were doing something wrong for what they sincerely believed were the right reasons, I wouldn't want to kill them just because they were "bad."

I'd want to know why they made a choice like thatwhat motivated them to do it.

And while I was at it... I'd want other people to know how they felt, too. At least, that's what I think. What about you two?

...

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Ah! That's our alarm.

Sorry. We have to go home now.

Bye!

See you later.

Later.

Goodbye.

Byyye!

...What was that all about? Why were you getting so worked up over a couple of kids?

What do you mean, kids? Aren't they, like, ten thousand years old?

Heh, guess you got me there.

Woof! Woof!

Settle down, you. Come on, let's go already.

If those kids' curfew alarms are any indication, it'll probably be sunset soon.

See that residential tower next to the statue of Aphrodite?

Macarios and I live there, in apartment 5203 on the fifty-second floor.

(It's so spacious!)

(Does this mean they're upper class? No, wait. The whole concept of a monetary economy doesn't exist here.)

(And since they also have nothing in the way of jobs or professions, I don't see how they could have class-based distinctions like "commoner" or "aristocrat," either...)

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This place is pretty average. People who really care about the size of their homes might choose somewhere bigger...

...but this is usually the kind of apartment you get unless you have a big family or something.

Please, have a seat and make yourselves at home. I'll go get us some juice.

'Kaaay.

Woof!

...All right.

(There! He just snapped his fingers!)

(That's the sign we agreed on to let Holmes know it was okay to come out of his spirit form.)

(The Olympians might have found his outfit strange...)

(...but Zeus shouldn't be able to tell the difference.)

I do beg your pardon for the intrusion. I hope my footsteps weren't too loud?

Don't worry, nobody'll notice footsteps. Just don't break into song or anything; our neighbors aren't too fond of that.

(I see. If Zeus were also monitoring the number of people making footsteps in a given room, he would notice something was strange when that number suddenly increased out of nowhere.)

(But if I'm understanding this right, it looks like footsteps are beneath his notice...)

Here you go.

I'm afraid it's not freshly squeezed, but it's still nice and cold.

Thank you, Adele. Most kind of you.

Don't mind if I do! (Glug, glug, glug...) Ahh, that hit the spot!

Woof!

Yes, yes, don't worry, Plato. I've got a shallow bowl of juice for you, too.

Wouf!

Yummy! The sweetness doesn't overstay its welcome, and it's got just the right amount of tartness.

Hehe. Thank you very much.

Not at all. Thank you for the lovely drink. I won't soon forget this flavor, I assure you.

Now then, before we go over whatever it is you two forgot, I need to ask you a more personal question.

Tell me, Adele and Macarios, may I ask where the rest of your family is?

... ...

...They died in the Olympia Machia.

Killed?

Yeah. Our mom and dad supported Athena and Ares, so.

Oh...

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Relax, it's fine. This was thousands of years ago, remember!?

And besides, it's not like our family's all gone! We still have you guys!

There's nothing taboo about discussing the machia. It's basically like extolling the gods' victories.

...Besides, Sister and I weren't part of the coexistence faction, like Mom and Dad were.

(He's lying.)

(He and Adele were both part of the coexistence faction during the fourth machia.)

(But he's assuming Zeus is listening in, and being careful not to say anything that would arouse suspicion.)

Ugh, guys certainly do love talking about the machia, don't they?

Anyway, it's getting late, so we should probably have dinner soon. You'll help me, right, Macarios?

Yeah, yeah.

I'll help too.

Then I'll help by playing with Plato! Here, boy! Come on, boy!

Grrrrrr.

Aww, come on. Why're you growling at me?

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Ahaha, I should've seen that one coming. Okay, I'm in. Besides, it looks like fun!

Thank you, everyone. Hehe, I can tell this is going to be the most fun we've had at dinner in a long time!

Thank you for the wonderful meal!

It was so incredibly delicious... I still can't quite believe just how good it was!

It tasted completely different from the kind of food I'm used to.

I especially loved the, um, fish

Hehe, it's nothing special. All I did was sprinkle a little powder on it before I cooked it.

Maybe so, but it was still exquisite! You really are an expert chef, aren't you, Adele?

I already told you, she hasn't cooked for hundreds of years. But, uh, still, thanks.

I know she's really happy to hear that. Honestly, it makes me feel good, too.

Hehe, hehehehehe. Ahh, I'm so glad. I'd forgotten how fun it is to cook for guests!

Of course, it wouldn't have been half as fun if you hadn't all helped, so thank you.

Oh no, not at all. All I did was help with the simple prep stuff!

(Slurp)

(Slurrrp) (Munch, munch, munch)

Ahh, that was delicious... Best noodles I've had in forever...

Oh! Sorry for polishing everything off. But in my defense, it was all so good I couldn't help it!

Oh no, it's quite all right. We have more, if you want thirds.

Woohoo! If there's one thing I've learned, it's that you've gotta stock up on good food when you get the chance!

Fou. Fatty fou.

Now then, before I forget again: Adele, perhaps it's time you secured this forgotten item of yours?

You're right. We should.

First, let me give you a bit of backstory.

Um... Gosh, where do I begin...

Aphrodite.

Right. Thank you, Macarios. So, you know how the East District's Statuetown is also the district dedicated to art and beauty, right?

That's because Aphrodite's protection is especially strong here. She hears any prayers in this region's branch temples.

Go on.

So we thought we could use a guide here.

He's been cooped up in here sleeping for a while now, but he should be waking up at any moment.

Wait. Huh? Do you mean this thing you forgot wasn't actually a thing at all?

(Munch, munch) More of a metaphorical thing, then.

He's a huge help, even among you-know-who's friends.

Yeah. All the more so in this part of town.

...

(It seems Macarios is looking at...a refrigerator?)

(Yes, all I can see is a large refrigerator.)

(Now Adele's standing in front of it...)

(Wait! I recognize it now!)

(It looks just like the one they used in the underground base to keep that steel Chimera on ice!)

I'm sorry to have kept you waiting so long, Uncle.

But it's finally time for you to wake up.

...

(That's...the Heroic Spirit of Emperor Caligula we met in the Second Singularity!!!)

(Wh-what in the world is he doing here!? And kept on ice, at that!)

？！

Indeed, it has been a long time since I was last awakened.

Hello, my beloved twins, Adele and Macarios. I am glad to see you both well.

However...I cannot help but notice that none of my friends are here.

I won't ask why. Your faces tell me all I need to know.

And good day to you, unfamiliar guests. If the twins have brought you here, then I know you are friends and comrades.

It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

？！

Woof! Woof, woof, woof!