Souls To Be Equals in Due Course (IV)

Mmm, that was so gooooood!

I've eaten in all sorts of ages and places, and your cooking, Lady Europa...

...was some of the best I've ever had!

Man, when I first got to Olympus, I never thought I'd get to have such great breakfast, lunch, AND dinner every day.

Well, I guess I never did end up having lunch today...but this dinner more than made up for it.

Yes, it was! I learned so much about both good nutrition and varied flavors from it!

You know, I'd like to try cooking myself once we get back to Chaldea Base.

I think I may just be able to put these experiences to good use in some way!

There really were!

It was like culinary techniques that had been honed to perfection over Olympus's ten-thousand year history were concentrated in every bite...

It honestly made me feel as if I was tasting history itself.

The bread in particular was like nothing I could have ever imagined before today...

Thank you so much, Queen Europa! This has been an invaluable experience!

？！

Oh no, I didn't do anything special. I was simply copying what I've seen others do before. Adele and Macarios did all the truly hard work.

...You are far too generous, Lady Europa.

All we did was follow your instructions. You're a way better cook than any mere culinary student.

Most of them only care about working on their so-called cutting-edge research.

Hehe. As long as you know the basics of Olympian ingredients and culinary techniques, anyone can cook like that if they put a little love into it.

Still, I do appreciate the compliment.

Thank you all so much for helping me.

If we continue working together like this, Operation God Destroyer should succeed in no time. Hurrah!

Raaah!

R-raaah!

Fooou!

Neroooooo!

？！

I thought it only right that I shout on someone's behalf as well.

Though absent for dinner, but I am sure Caenis is nearby, watching in spirit form.

Yeah, now that you mention it, I guess Caenis is probably still kinda ticked.

...Though I probably shouldn't let Caenis hear me say that, or someone would materialize just in time to bring a giant spear down on my head.

Hm?

Speaking of missing people, is Holmes still at it?

Hmm, hmm.

Then, how much magical energy will the Grand Summon consume?

Normally, a summon makes use of the mana in the atmosphere and the summoner's own od.

However, if we are to summon a being capable of bringing down a god...

...I'm not sure even this Lostbelt's extensive reserves of atmospheric manawhich admittedly far surpasses anything to hand in Proper Human Historywill suffice.

So if we're to complete this Grand Summon, as the Heroic Spirits called it, I presume we'll need to augment our magical energy supply somehow?

Of course you will.

Strictly speaking, this summoning ritual doesn't use a summoner. Given its vast magical energy requirements...

...I've designed it to make use of the infinity crystal above Olympus.

Have you now?

More accurately, I've designed it to access the infinity crystal through the Olympians' own god-made leyline, thereby providing us with an inexhaustible supply of magical energy.

We will use the enemy's own power against them.

...The god-made leyline.

That's the leyline that's kept completely under the gods' close supervision.

Our spells weren't able to so much as touch it, but that won't be the case for you. Then, does that mean that the god-made leyline was

Of course. I'm the one who made it, even if I only did so reluctantly and under Zeus's orders.

...I suspected as much.

So yes, I know all there is to know about the god-made leyline, right down to its unusual vulnerability.

Vulnerability, you say?

The leyline may be an invisible magical energy network that serves as a transcendent source of magical energy, but since it was never completed, it's also full of holes.

Its greatest vulnerability is the fact that it exists in spaces all throughout Olympus.

By placing special spells and formations at these spaces, we're able to draw a truly massive summoning circle that covers all of Olympus, even as the gods remain none the wiser!

That is the summoning circle that lays at the heart of the operation, and they are the very spells that you, and the Heroic Spirits of the alliance, have already put in place.

...Sounds like they're having a pretty, um...involved conversation.

Hmm...

I'm going to get some night air. A little walk to help my digestion ought to be just the thing.

I agree. At this depth, the underground passages are sure to be patrolled by autonomous weapons.

I will too, Senpai. At this depth, the underground passages are bound to be dangerous.

There's no telling how many autonomous weapons may be stationed nearby.

？！

Don't worry, I'll be fine.

Old man Prometheus-slash-Hephaestus cut off their connection to the surveillance network, right?

Then, like I said, this ought to be just the thing to help my digestion.

B-but

I'll be fine, I promise. If I really think I'm in trouble, I'll hightail it out of there immediately.

I might have reached the void, but I'm still an unscrupulous swordfighter at heart. I'm not gonna challenge an opponent I know I can't beat!

Anyway, it's walk time. Be back soon!

... ...

...You know you guys didn't have to come with me, right?

Or are you just here on a hunch or something? Well, Adele? Macarios?

Fujimaru and Mash were right.

It's dangerous to walk along these underground passages alone.

Besides...I couldn't help but notice that Muramasa wasn't at dinner.

At first, I thought he might be at the back of the workshop, but he wasn't there, either.

Ahahahaha. Sounds like we're thinking along the same lines.

You hear that, Lord Muramasa? I know you can.

I'm sure you've got things to talk about you don't want the Chaldeans overhearing, so I came to pay you a visit myself.

...

Figured you'd show up here, but I didn't expect those twins to come along, too.

Just to be clear, I don't got anything to talk about.

Oh? That's too bad, because I sure do. And it's got something to do with how insanely dangerous you are.

I know you said you were staying neutral earlier, but the moment you hand the Article over to Fujimaru...

...you're planning to cut him in two on the spot, aren't you?

...Well, yeah. When you finish one job, you move on to the next, right?

...!

That fake priest Rasputin gave me two jobs to do as part of my Foreign God Disciple duties.

The first was to protect Prometheus-Hephaestus in Olympus.

Apparently, as the god of knowledge and the forge, his skills are essential to keeping Olympus running smoothly.

And since old Zeus signed off on that job, I got no reason to refuse it.

The second job was to destroy Hephaestus in Atlantis.

Those would seem to be at, um, cross purposes...

That one was all Zeus. Said he forbade Chaldea and Hephaestus from coming into contact!

And taking Hephaestus out was the quickest and easiest way to ensure they didn't.

But, killing a god's still a big deal even in Atlantis, and not even Lord Odysseus there could go through with it.

So that's where we came in.

Rasputin demolished the Proper Human History Heroic Spirits while I cut the forge god's main unit clean in two.

That's terrible... So here, you kept Hephaestus safe

And elsewhere, you killed him, huh. What the hell's the sense in that?

I told ya I cut 'em in two. Didn't say nothing about killing.

Though I did say that Hephaestus had been destroyed in my report.

Huh?

So, what exactly does that mean?

...All right, here's the deal.

Prometheus-Hephaestus is incredibly skilled...

...but he's also the stubbornest old mule I've ever met.

Said he wanted to make a summoner thingamabob and was gonna blow himself up unless I helped him.

I couldn't let him since it was my job to protect him and all, so I agreed to the apprenticeship until the gizmo was done.

After that, he said his own manipulators were too old and decrepit for delicate work or some such, and wasted no time putting me to work.

And one of those odd jobs...

...involved going to Atlantis to fetch his backup data.

Said he needed an additional brain to finish making the Article.

Bunch of bull, eh?

Hehe, are you kidding me? That's ridiculous!

First you follow the order by cutting him in half, then you go get his backup to effectively bring him back to life!

!

That sounds like something out of a comedy routine. You're a real scamp, Grandpa!

Anyway...

I take it that means you liked Hephaestus so much you were willing to really stick your neck out for him?

...Ugh. We might not agree on most things...

...but that Greek god of the forge's work's so good it damn near brings a tear to my eye.

Is that so...

Anyway, there was one other thing Zeus ordered me to do that didn't have anything to do with Hephaestus.

Get rid of you lot.

!

So once I finish this job, that's the next one I gotta take care of.

Aint no sense in doing things outta order. Gotta do my jobs one at a time to make sure they're done right.

It ain't like I'm ignoring the Foreign God's orders or betraying Zeus.

So, does that mean...

...you're ignoring Zeus's commands until the Article is finished?

'Course. Ain't like Zeus is paying me for this job. I'm just playing along with him 'cause they say he's the big Buddha in charge here.

Oh my!

Yikes. Never thought I'd ever feel sorry for Zeus, but I guess there's a first time for everything.

...That being said, it does feel like it's time for me to move on.

I might be able to handle Chaldea on my own, but deep down, I'm just a swordsmith.

No way I could take on Chaldea, Musashi, Caligula, and Caenis all at the same time, so I'll try my luck elsewhere.

'Sides, now that you lot showed up, the Great Prometheus-Hephaestus Workshop's all but done for.

I'd take the summon whatsit somewhere deep soon as you get your hands on it, before others come a-callin.

Huh?

So, you're going to leave us alone? I mean, that's great and all, but what about finishing the summon thing!?

You don't gotta worry about that.

It might not be done tonight, but I've set it up so it'll get done by morning.

Well, see you 'round. Don't forget to give my regards to the Chaldea kid.

...Uh, yeah, will do. Take care.

...Wait. You mean you're leaving right this second!?

Aye. Rasputin's supervising the Crypters, and AshiI mean, Limbo's is to keep an eye on the Lostbelt kings...

...but my job doesn't really begin until this Foreign God guy actually shows up.

Apparently, I'm supposed to be their butler or something. Anyway, if I'm going to do that job right, I can't go letting myself get defeated now.

In the meantime, might as well work on getting the big god some clothes.

'Cause if what they say is true, they're gonna arrive here buck naked!

!?

Don't worry, she's just here as an arbiter. She can't do anything to you, and she wouldn't even if she could.

Oh, and one last thing. You two're the last alliance survivors, right?

Y-yes, that's right.

This might not be my place...but don't go throwing your lives away like them Satsuma Hayato folk did.

Ain't no point in winning a war if it ends up costing you your soul.

...

'Course, that's just one man's opinion. I might be old, but I know I'm a hell of a lot younger than you two, so I won't insist you listen to me.

...I'm not really sure what you're talking about, but I do appreciate your concern for us.

So thanks for that, foreign smithy.

And thanks for showing our great god of the forgethe last decent god in this whole kingdom...

...the kind of respect that even we couldn't give him.

Hey now, it's nothing like that. Like I said, he just turned out to be even more of a stubborn old man than me.

I'd like to thank you too, Muramasa.

And...

...I promise I'll remember your warning right to our final moments.

...That so. Guess you already made your choice then.

I won't forget you two kids. Make sure you both live good lives, you hear?

...Seventeenth process finished. Grand Summon Article Aether summoning guidance spell inscription complete.

...Eighteenth process finished. Grand Summon Article Aether Spirit Origin solidification spell inscription complete.

Nineteenth and twentieth processes finished. Grand Summon Article Aether perpetual magical energy source synchronization complete.

...All processes finished.

Initiating Grand Summon Article Aether materialization.

Grand Summon Article Aether materialization output complete.

All right, everyone. I'm sorry it took so long to complete, and I don't know where my apprentice got off to, but the project itself came out beautifully.

This is the Grand Summon Articlethe device that's going to materialize a being capable of destroying gods.

And now, it's yours, humans. Go on, take it.

？！

I'm the one who named it Aether.

It may not be what the alliance Heroic Spirits intended for it to be named, but

There's no need to worry about us, Your Majesty.

Fine by me. Sounds plenty tough and shit.

Ughhh... Agh!

Yes, it IS a wonderful name! When you finally go up against the god of the heavens, Aether'll summon a being capable of destroying him!

Part of me does wonder why you didn't go with a more common name...but as our Collaborator, we're happy to go along with whatever you decide.

All right, Adele, Macarios, and Boss of Chaldea! We're counting on you to take it from here and finish the job!

？！

Awesome!

？！

...That's right.

In order to accomplish the final god slaying, you'll need to activate it when we're facing Zeus.

Since we don't know how long their materialization will last, that's our only viable option...

...Queen Europa. Prometheus-Hephaestus. Thank you both so much for helping us.

That goes for you too, Chaldeans and Caligula.

And don't think I'm forgetting you two either, Musashi and Caenis.

Thanks to all of you, the God Destroyer Alliance is finally ready to begin the last stage of our operation.

Fou, fou!

So it's time to fight Zeus, right?

Be warned, the enemy is truly formidable. No matter how many times I run the numbers...

...I don't know how well the summoned being will fare against him. And as for the Grand Summon's final catalyst

That will not be a problem. Consider that matter solved.

You mean you already have a catalyst ready to go?

Haha, worry not, shield-maiden. I would not let us come this far while we still lack a catalyst.

Rest assured, I will take care of it. And when the time comes to face this so-called omnipotent King of the Gods, I will show you something miraculous.

...Even with my capacity for calculation, I can't say what will happen once Aether has been activated, or how well the summoned being will fare against an omnipotent god.

At this point, we are well into the realm of the unknown.

Nonetheless, I can say this: your chances for victory are nonzero.

So as long as you keep that in mind

...Oh.

I'm sorry, I should have asked sooner: Does the concept of zero exist in Proper Human History?

Yes, most assuredly. We've known about it since at least the third century.

I daresay we also have a fairly deep understanding of the concept. In fact, Ms. Miyamoto over there is something of an expert on it.

...

Oho, fascinating. A mathematician or philosopher would be one thing, but I never would have thought a swordfighter could reach such an understanding.

A scholar would no doubt use their understanding to pass the concept on to other people as knowledge, but for a swordfighter to understand zero...

I see. Then you must have attained it as a skill, rather than as knowledge.

Zero. The line that lies between positive and negative.

A number smaller than any decimal, and greater than any negative number.

It is the void the lack of existence.

...I see. The fact that you reached such an understanding with the sword just goes to show you humans truly are an unsolvable mystery.

Oh, it was nothing. I just happened to get lucky. That's all.

My old man used to go on and on about how he was the strongest in the world, and how nobody could surpass him...

So I figured, since the only number that could surpass "one" was "none," that was what I had to strive for.

Still, it's pretty amazing that I actually pulled it off, if I do say so myself! Not every swordfighter could empty their mind as fast as I did!

？！

Hey, I could never leap into enemy territory without looking if I didn't think I could handle myself.

Aether here might be our trump card for the final showdown, but it's still my job to make sure we get that far.

And knowing you've got someone else on hand to do the heavy lifting means I can really cut loose, in multiple senses!

Fou, fooou!

You're very modest, aren't you, Musashi? I think I'm starting to understand what makes you so strong.

You always walk a fine line between trying too hard and not trying enough.

You're open and honest with everyone, without ever looking down on anyone.

I used to think of bushi and samurai as a kind of warrior class particular to Japan...

But when I look at you, Musashi, I...

Um... I'm not quite sure how to say this...

You think I'm a real badass? Aww, thanks.

I am something of a freewheeling, happy-go-lucky warrior, so I think, deep down, I'm really a lot like you guys.

Right!

Hehe. Very nice.

You're all the very picture of warriors brimming with hope!

Even as you are about to face Zeus himself, your smiles are unwavering! You truly make me think that if anyone can make this happen, you can!

You know, Queen Europa, at first, I thought this gamble would be all risk and no reward...

...but I see that, even if my calculations say their odds of victory are zero, these people may just be able to pull it off.

Oh, their chance of winning is certainly not zero. Of that, I have no doubt.

...Hey, forge god? Sorry to interrupt, but I've got a question.

You said this workshop is cut off from the outside...

...and the only way in is through a door in the underground passage that's been partitioned off, right?

That's right.

？！

Then can you tell what's going on outside that door?

Hold on. I'll run a periphery scan now

The outside partition was just blown to pieces! Master!

Damn, I was too slow! Mash! Fujimaru! Make sure we've got a way out of here!

Right!

Fooou...

Over here, Fou! You'll be safer inside my storage space than you will on my shoulder!

This magical energy feels as though it were burning. It has this Lostbelt's unique scent, and the gods' unmistakable intimidating presence...

But that is not all. I also sense something unutterably foul here now...

Be careful, all of you! There is a darkness here among us!

...My, my. How lovely to see you all here.

I suppose it's been some time since we last met, fine members of Chaldea. And you, Queen Europa.

...!

Oh yes, and I can't forget you, members of the God Destroyer Alliance.

I must say, you've put up quite a valiant struggle against the gods.

I suppose I should introduce myself, yes? I am but a humble monka Heroic Spirit named Caster of Limbo.

There you are, scumbag.

I remember you, and how your good looks are completely wasted on that head that keeps regrowing no matter how many times I cut it off! What are you up to here in Olympus?

Ah, screw it. I don't even care! Your ominous aura tells me everything I need to know!

Oho! My, my, if it isn't my beloved Shinmen Musashi!

Mmm, yes, I remember you too, and how very many times you've thwarted my designs in the past!

What a shame that your vaunted Heavenly Eye is apparently so blind that it failed to even notice the spell thread I bound to the queen's garments!

You... You tracked me with my own garments!? How dare you, you...barbaric god!

Yes! Yes, that's right!

Your mewling sympathy for your home in Proper Human History was easily exploitable. Mmm, how utterly disgraceful!

Whatever you may have been plottingand plotting you were, by the looks of itit all ends now.

I'm afraid it's a touch early for curtains. In fact, I think we have just begun a whole new act.

Ah, but there I must disagree.

I've been waiting for this moment for quite some time now.

I'm quite aware of everything happening here. In fact, I only refrained from acting sooner because...

...I was waiting for this Grand Summon Article of yours to be completed.

...!

I can only imagine what lovely sounds you'll make when you witness it shattering before your very eyes!

？！

Mmm, how very kind of you to say so!

...My great workshop is like my home. It should have no trouble detecting a spell from a single Heroic Spirit.

What are you, really? You're not a proper Heroic Spirit at all.

Detect? You thought you could detect my spell?

Why, of course you couldn't. Not when all of my spells have been blessed by our god!

Ah, I should clarify. When I speak of god in this case, I am not referring to the gods of Olympus, but rather

You talk too much, barbarian.

Yes, he does. Shall we kill them now, Big Brother?

Ahh, yes, I do hope you'll forgive me! Very well then, I will leave the massacre to you two.

After all, it would be quite absurd for a Disciple of the Foreign God to clean up a mess brought about by negligence on your family's behalf!

...Hmph. That's right, it would be. Now be quiet.

So, we finally found you, humans.

...We found them, Big Brother.

The Dioscuri! You... You always...!

You always snatch our hope away from us! Every single time...!

...Well this time, you won't.

We won't let you take anything from us ever again!

Both of you, be careful! The Dioscuri are a Divine Spirit Servant!

Please, get back before they hurt you!

... ...

...You've kept me waiting a long time. Now, this is where it ends.

Don't think I've forgotten how you humiliated us with your filthy, worthless spell, lowly humans.

Though our light will never be sullied by the pitiful death struggles of weaklings like yourselves...

...you should be thrilled that you managed to injure my pride.

You're all in for it now. No human has incurred Big Brother's wrath and survived.

Now, prepare...

...for divine justice.

Death to all of you!

Goddamn bastard twins!

The hell're you so worked up over a bunch of humans for, huh!?

...This is just like what happened last time, too.

You sure you little shits aren't forgetting anyone?

Ha! You thought I'm the one who didn't belong among the gods?

You got balls saying that to my face after Kirschtara ground your asses into the dirt like it was nothing! Did you forget how you had to go crying to big daddy Zeus, pleading for your lives?

You got the great Caenis to deal with, and you dumb shits stay focused on these weaklings... Well I've HAD it!

Die, shitheads!

The sea-god's spear! I knew it was too good for the likes of you!

I said shut the hell up and DIE!

...Are you all right, Big Brother?

I'm fine. Mere magical energy light from an ordinary Heroic Spirit can never hope to match ours.

The Dioscuri, gods of light. They may indeed move at near-light speed, but it seems they aren't capable of nullifying all forms of light directed at them.

Does that mean they have openings we can take advantage of? As they say nowadays, the jury is still out.

Stay out of my way, Trench Coat! Your magical energy light show isn't gonna do shit, anyway!

Hey now, don't go throwing out the baritsu beam with the detective. Anyway...

As far as we're concerned, gods of light, you're just one more milestone on the road to slaying all the gods!

I'm not exhausted like last time, and to top it off I'm feeling better than ever thanks to the queen's amazing food!

Activating Ortinax's emergency combat mode! Adjusting operational output to seventy percent!

I'm ready, Master!

？！

Understood!

LET'S FREAKIN' GOOOOOO!!!

Insolent worms!

Don't bother fighting back, humans! You'll never escape death at my brother's hands!

The Dioscuri are still alive and well! Our current fighting forces just can't beat them!

Gah, my eyes! It's like looking into the sun!

(I don't know if they're actually moving at light speed or not, but I do know both their sword and discus are really freaking fast!)

(Mash is doing a great job defending against them. Caenis's spearplay is as sharp as it's ever been.)

(And despite his injuries, Emperor Caligula's fists haven't slowed down. Berserkers gotta berserk, I guess...)

(Still, the way things are going, it's only a matter of time until one of us gives up the ghost. I might just have to sacrifice one of my swords after all!)

Hoooooot!

!

That trick again!?

Oh yes, of course it won't work! Not against mighty gods of Olympus!

But just to be safe...allow me to use my sorcery to negate it!

What!? Did you just drown out the waves jamming the god-made leyline!?

Why yes, I did!

And while I'm at it, I think I'll rid us of this divine bird's intrusions once and for all!

Hoo

Aah! Minerva!

Hahahahahahahaha! Mmmmm, as you can see, I have some facility with the destruction of machines.

Allow me to demonstrate by ending the combined gods of knowledge and the forge here and now!

Wha... Ghh... Ghhh! My brain is...being eroded...!

What did you...do to me!?

Why, exactly what you think I've done.

Machines, no matter their time or place of origin, have always been vulnerable to bugs, and you are no exception!

Bugs!

I see... They transform...your pulsating magical energy itself...into spells!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh! So even though my true self... is formless data...they're still able to eat away at me!

？！

？！

Mmm, what a shame!

Hahahahahahaha, but then, that's hardly a surprise! That may be enough to let you break through simplistic karma without resorting to a Command Spell...

...but against shikigami insects filled to the brim with curses and blight, mmmmmm, one of your Mystic Codes may as well be a gentle breeze!

What do you think you're doing, god from a foreign land!? Stop it, before you kill him!

Surely you must know that Zeus considers him to be essential for Olympus's welfare!

So why are you doing this!?

Europa, come back! You need to stay behind us, where it's sa

Aha!

...!

To goad you into a vulnerable position, O cruel and beautiful queen. Obviously.

Now then, if you'll kindly excuse us.

Europa!

Oh, don't worry, I won't kill her here! My job is strictly to bring the traitorous queen back to face justice!

I'll leave the rest of these villains to you, Dioscuri, guiding gods of light that you are.

Shield-maiden! Mash Kyrielight!

Remember your last gift!

May Athena's protection...be with yo

？！

Limbo's magical energy signal has vanished! I'm not seeing Europa's signal anywhere in our vicinity, either!

He got away!? How'd that piece of shit jester pull that off!?

He appeared to be using some manner of instantaneous travel...although such a thing shouldn't even be possible with existing magecraft.

Perhaps it's some ability unique to the Foreign God's Disciples, or a kind of spell still unknown to us.

(Or, alternatively, it could be a form of an Eastern technique, Jinsokutsu)

Worry not. You'll never need to know.

For what use would such knowledge be to corpses?

Right you are, Big Brother. Come, let's kill them all here and now.

So, this is where you so-called God Destroyer pests have been hiding.

I suspected you worms might have been laying low in Hades's domain...

...but I still can't quite believe you were truly lurking in the underground infrastructure all this time.

I doubt you've only restricted yourselves to Hephaestus's workshop, either. I expect you were able to rendezvous so easily because...

...you must all be underground dwellers.

The people of Olympus are meant to live in designated aboveground areas, where they can enjoy the light of the sun and the twinkling of the stars.

But this underground infrastructureTartarus, to use its proper nameis a place of darkness created solely for resource distribution. It is no place for the living.

Right you are, Little Sister.

Tartarus is made up of parts from the old gods defeated during the Titanomachia, magical energy from the Gigantes defeated during the Gigantomachia...

...and the remains of the losers of the Olympiamachia.

In other words, the underground is no more than a land of death and darkness, where only the dead may roam freely!

And you humans, imbeciles that you are, decided to hide away here, even while you still live!

Death can be the only price for this transgression, Big Brother.

Right you are, Little Sister.

This will be no execution and no administration of divine justice. We are merely exterminating vermin.

Yes, Big Brother.

？！

...I heard that.

Did you just call us "vermin," Dioscuri?

You're damn right I did!

You humans were always weak and foolish, but once you chose to not only resist the gods, but openly revolt against them, you ceased to be citizens of Olympus!

Now, you are nothing more than disgusting insects!

...Yes, that's it.

I always thought you pathetic "god destroyers" reminded me of...something whenever I killed one of you.

And now I see what it is: insects! Nothing more than pests. Squash one and another pops up in its place.

Hahahahahaha, I finally figured it out! Insects! That's exactly what you lot are!

...!

It's not a very elegant comparison, Big Brother, but it is an accurate one.

... ...

...You make me sick.

Hm?

Was that directed at me, human girl?

Yes, it was, Pollux.

All you ever do is compliment your brother or agree with him. You don't have a single original thought in your head.

When you truly care for someone, you don't just stand by when they're making a mistake, like your brother is.

Gods may have dominion over humans, but they don't just go around killing them out of spite.

No, that's just the sort of thing

？！

...Right, Senpai. Castor of the Gemini constellation is said to have been human.

We do know for certain that the gods known as Dioscuri were originally twins in ancient times...

...but over time, as they became part of Greek mythology, they changed.

Pollux, the younger brother, was an immortal son of Zeus, while the older brother, Castor, was completely human.

The truth, Dioscuri, of your motives for all the atrocities and murders you've committed...

...including your brutal slaughter of the God Destroyer Alliance's membership is really quite simple.

Your orders from Zeus represented an excellent excuse, but...

...you simply hate human beings.

!

Huh? That's what this is all about?

...Stop it.

... ...

I can't believe it.

Are you kidding me?

Look me in the eye and answer me, Dioscuri!

Did you really kill our comrades...

...our father...! ...our mother...!

...over some stupid, petty ancient grudge!?

Shut up, vermin!

You are in the presence of gods!

Loathsome humans! You frail, pathetic things can barely even survive without us gods there to guide you!

Yet despite your weakness, you still somehow drag us down, changing us amidst the passage of eternity!

It was you humans' damn faith...your belief...

...that turned me into one of you in Proper Human History!

And if that weren't bad enough...you also degraded my beloved sister, turning her into a mere demigod.

Big Brother

It was humanity's fault! All of it!

You're so weak that you cower, shivering in the darkness, yet you won't cease your revolting breeding! You continue to advance! To flourish!

And then, in your unparalleled insolence, you name yourselves rulers of Earth!

Are the gods supposed to ignore this transgression? Should we forgive this incredible sin?

No! Absolutely not!

THAT'S the reason you killed our friends? Our family!?

Contemptuous fool! That alone is more than enough reason to kill every last one of your misbegotten species!

In fact, you should be down on your knees thanking me for my graciousness in only killing those of you who have turned your backs on Father!

Go on! Praise my benevolence and I will give you the mercy of a swift death!

...No. No, we will not be doing any of that!

We are not going to die here today, and we'll never let you two kill us!

You... How dare you defy my brother!?

Well, what do you know? Now it all makes sense. Guess old Kirschtaria has one hell of a sadistic streak.

So these little blonde shitheads hate humans with a passion, huh. Guess that explains a lot.

To be honest, up until now, I never could figure out why you bastards killed me back in Atlantis...

Turns out the answer was pretty simple.

Truth is, you were jealous of me for becoming a Divine Spirit and getting my hands on Poseidon's holy weapon!

Ain't that right, Mr. Destined-To-End-Up-A-Weak-Ass-Human Castor!?

!!!

Sh-shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!

One more word insulting my brother, and you'll live just long enough to regret it, pitiful human!

Ha! See, that right there's why you idiots keep getting taken advantage of! That's how I ended up free enough to turn down the winning team and side with these Chaldea dipshits!

You think Kirschtaria trusts you implicitly, huh? Well, I guess you're not wrong.

'Cause he definitely trusts you to keep to your absurd hatreds like the drooling morons you are!

We've heard enough, Big Brother! Nothing more need be said! All that's left to do is to kill every last one of them!

Pollux...!

We are the Dioscuri, the twin gods! Though our light may normally serve as a guiding beacon...

...for you lot, it will be an inescapable blade of death punishing you for your sins!

？！

Understood! I'm ready, Master!

Preparing to engage in Anti-Divinity combat!

Oh no you don't!

That rigidity! That immobility! It can't be!

The light radiating from your shield... Is that

Athena's protection, the Aegis!?

Impossible! Now that Odysseus is gone, the Aegis should no longer exist in this Lostbelt!

Indeed, that is not the true Aegis.

But by extracting and purifying Athena's Theos KlironomiaNike Sophia, her final Authority of victory...

...I was able to change it... into a form suitable for ingestion.

...and, h-hehe, mixed it in... with Queen Europa's cooking!

!

And that's not all... Heroicor rather, Divine Spirit Caenis!

I know this may be overstepping my bounds...but I took the liberty of tweaking your Spirit Origin a bit...so as to better synchronize with Poseidon's Authority.

Forgive me...exalted tyrant...

Tch.

How the hell'm I supposed to complain to a guy who's already dead, you idiot?

So I'll save that shit for later. Meanwhile...

I'll just help myself to every last bit of that asshole god's vortex power!

Ha! Get ready, you little shits! Now that my spear is sharper than ever...

Caenis is unleashed!

And I'm gonna pay you back for what you did to me in Atlantis, and for your pathetic, whiny grudge...

...a thousand times over!

Is that...Poseidon's trident I'm sensing!? She must have raised her spiritual rank!

Be careful, Big Brother!

Humans! Stupid, pathetic, insignificant humans! What use could the likes of you have for a divine artifact!?

Killing a god will forever be beyond your means!

Have at you, human scum!

I am the god of light! I will tear you to pieces and scatter you to the winds!

Let's do this thing!

I'll follow your lead!

Same!

(Looks like we've got one more shot at victory. Fine by me! Let's make the most of it!)

(Now we've got Athena's Aegis, and a spear that's been imbued with the power of Poseidon's trident!)

(Between an invincible shield and an unparalleled spear, we should be able to take them both out simultaneously!)

(Get ready, Dioscuri!)

(I'm taking both your heads as soon as I get the chance!)

Ghh...!

Big Brother!

This ends now! I already know exactly what to do to kill both humans and Heroic Spirits alike!

？！

Wha...!?

Senpai!!!

Hahahahahahahaha!!!

Nobody move!

...On second thought, I take that back.

Move, if you like.

Just know that if you do, I will use my light speed to rip his spine clean out through his neck! Haha!

？！

Well done, Big Brother.

I'm so impressed that you keenly ascertained the enemy's key weakness even in the midst of this tumultuous battle.

I was looking for a chance to take his head myself, but the little Aegis girl was irritatingly consistent about protecting him.

Hahahahaha, it was nothing, Little Sister. After all, this is far from my first time killing humans!

It's always the same with them. First they stupidly commit to fighting, then they die while trying to protect the weak.

Once you zero in on a target... there is nothing they can do against our light speed.

Big Brother, you're bleeding from your mouth...

Oh no! Please tell me you didn't use your Authority to move faster than light!?

Have you forgotten that we're now only Divine Spirits, not proper gods!? Making true use of our Authority could destroy our entire Spirit Core!

...Heh.

A little blood is nothing to me

!!!

!?

？！

How dare you!?

Let's see if you're still as mouthy after I've torn your head off!

Senpai!!!

Don't move!

...Hold it. You just moved, didn't you?

Then it seems I'll need to give you a fitting punishment, shield girl!

Use that great shield of yours to cut off your own head, and I may just spare this man's life!

？！

？！

......!

What...?

You... What was that, human?

That power I just felt...from your head... Was that...?

No. It couldn't be...

...the power to kill a god?

!

You...

It was you!

That black light that killed Demeter and Aphrodite! The vile god-killing weapon that shouldn't exist!

You're its ammunition!

Damn you, Proper Human History!

Big Brother! Why did you let go of him!?

Caenis!

Gaaaaaah!

Big...Brother!

Senpai...!

？！

Senpai is safe! The rest of you, please take it from here!

...Take 'em down, twins.

Death to mine enemies! Hades!

Let the blade of bravery shine forth! Athena!

Are those special Mystic Codes...? No! They're using some form of magecraft!

And since they were calling out the names of gods...they must be using Age of Gods magecraft that makes use of Divine Spirit power!

Rrraaaaaaaaah!

Damn you, humaaaaaans!

What could you be hoping to achieve by allying yourselves with these revolting people from Proper Human History!?

Even if their help does enable your foolish rebellion against the gods to succeed...there will be nothing waiting for you afterwards!

Even if that's true!

We're still not going to let this end here!

We refuse to let this be our final resting place!

...!

No matter how many times we are made to submit to the gods' power, at least we can keep shouting "This isn't over yet!"

We may just be humans, not gods, but we can at least do that!

Even if the heavens we seek are impossibly far away... we'll still never stop saying it!

This isn't over yet!

...Then I'll ask you this.

Tell me, alliance woman: Why do you not stop your brother?

Surely you both know where this path you're on leads?

Death.

Yes, death! From this point on, no matter what you do, you will die!

Either we gods will tear you to pieces... or you'll be destroyed along with this Lostbelt!

So then, why!?

Why do you two

... ...

...Because both my brother and I believe...

...that a real tomorrow would be far better than an endless today.

Heh... What a joke.

Now that Hades is gone, and there is no one left to ensure the souls of the dead find new lives, death is truly the end. Don't you see that!?

Yeah... We see it.

But even so, I...

We...

...want to finally see a tomorrow that's different than yesterday.

Ahh... Big...Brother...

...The two enemy Servants' magical energy is rapidly vanishing. They're about to disappear.

？！

The Dioscuri certainly had a tough Spirit Origin, but it seems our attacks finally reached their Divine Core.

Behold what has transpired here.

You both said it was impossible, but it was none other than humans of Olympus who shattered your Divine Core.

...So it would seem.

Very well then, humans, keep pushing your luck. Go ahead and forge your path to a future where only despair awaits!

And know that it will never be anything more than a single stepright into a dead end!

... ...

...Be that as it may...

We still don't want to live in a world where every day is like the one that came before.

Even if oblivion is the only thing waiting for us, we still want to see a new tomorrow.

...And there you have it. The Dioscuri have vanished, and Prometheus-Hephaestus has completely shut down.

But Chaldea is still alive and well... along with the two God Destroyer Alliance members.

Oh, and Caenis is still working with them, too. She must be preeetty peeved at you for forsaking her.

Yes, I suppose he would be. I cannot blame him for feeling that way, either.

Of course I can't imagine an apology from me would be met with anything other than a demand that I shut up.

That's it!? You are a lot less bothered by this than I expected!

I do feel bad for what happened to the Dioscuri, though. I wish I'd been able to better get through to them.

Huh? What do you mean? I thought you and the Dioscuri got along swimmingly.

We may have gotten along, but we never truly understood one another. They hated humans too much for that.

I told them I was going to make a new Age of Gods, and even revealed my friendship with Zeus...

...but they simply weren't able to discern what it is I seek.

And for my part, I wasn't prepared to face the full extent of their hatred.

You know, perhaps Fujimaru would have done a better job than me of getting to the heart of their weakness being their hatred for humans.

But the Dioscuri worshipped the ground Zeus walked on. As his friend, didn't they look up to you as well?

That's different. They never got as far as forgiving humans. They only accepted me because Zeus did.

...You know, now that I think about it, I wish I hadn't fought them in front of Zeus.

I doubt things would have turned out this way if they hadn't had Zeus acting as judge in the background.

Hey, what's done is done. You can't expect anything and everything to go perfectly, even for you.

So let's just forget the past and focus on the present.

With Caenis and Dioscuri gone, you've lost almost every soldier at your command.

Are you sure you're in good enough shape for the endgame?

Now that Zeus has lost Demeter and Aphrodite, he won't hesitate to use the Tree of Emptiness.

We both know Tree of Emptiness Magellan is currently the single biggest pool of magical energy on this entire planet.

But us Crypters are supposed to be the ones to use it. We can't let Zeus get his hands on it first.

And that means when the chips are down, your alliance with Zeus will fall apart.

So doesn't that mean your greatest adversary isn't Chaldea, but Zeus protecting the Tree of Emptiness?

Oh, I wouldn't put it that way. My greatest adversary certainly continues to be Chaldea.

That's why I used up one of the last two times I planned to personally fight on them.

It's a shame how that battle turned out. Fujimaru was just too amped up to think straight.

If he had held his ground as resolutely as I heard he did in the Temple of Time...

...it would have been a much closer call for me.

The truth is, in practice, there wasn't much difference between Fujimaru's and my combat capabilities.

His various exploits to date have proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

I'm still a lot more scared of you and your ability to say so. It shows you know you've easily got the upper hand.

...If you say so. At any rate, whether or not we have a rematch is entirely up to them.

I've already promised Zeus that I would fight him last. It's even part of our contract.

Huh?

You see, a rematch to decide the fate of this world of gods was his condition for cooperating.

Rather heartwarming, isn't it? I guess not even the King of the Gods could permit a loss to stand.

Huh, that's a surprise. I never would've thought the great and mighty Zeus would have such, well, human motivations.

Of course he would. No one lacking that quality would take on the task of being the god who leads humanity.

...Which is why I pity him for the decision he is about to have to make.

Namely, the choice of what to do about Queen Europa, and her betrayal of Olympus.