Advent

C'mon! Once I've made mincemeat of you and the ground you're gonna land on, this'll all be over!

Gaaaaaah!!! How...? How could I not defend against these pitiful techniques of yours!?

I see. It's not only Poseidon protecting you. That lightning... That gold...!

Impudent shortsighted whelp! How dare you hide your true strength!?

Shut up and just freakin' die!

Dammit, why'd you have to take so long!? Now I'm gonna miss their whole batt

...Huh?

The hell's going on!? Is that the Foreign God getting in the way again!?

...Why, no. No, it most certainly is not! I see, I see. Well done, Beryl Gut!

I always knew you were a traitorous wretch, but I never dreamed you could be such a snake!

Haha, hahaha, hahahahahaha! Good, good. Well then, I believe it is time I made my exit.

Olympus is all but finished now, and so my fun and games must come to an end.

While this unfortunately means the perfected Foreign God's advent will have to wait...

...my true self should be able to resolve matters soon enough should he so decide!

So in the meantime, I think I shall disappear, that I may focus on preparing a new picture of the hell to unleash!

Goddamn. Sick bastard just cut his own head off...!

Eh, screw that! Dammit, you better still be alive!

Oh come on, Kirsch, really? Shouldn't a superhuman god be able to heal up from a little cut like that?

Ah well, least it made my job easy. All that's left now is to find a body bag and a Kirsch-sized hole in the ground!

Ahh, that's more like it! Man, it feels so much better without that uptight blond prick around!

You guys think so too, right?

Hey Fujimaru, feel better now that I got rid of that thorn in your side for you!?

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Hm? What, you already know who I am? Well shucks, I think I'm gonna blush. Nice to have another dutiful kouhai around!

Can't say I care for the way you're glaring at me, though. Wait... You don't have a problem with me, do you?

...

...

What, really? Come on guys, you don't wanna do this. You're obviously hanging by a thread.

Hell, you still haven't even caught your breath from your fight with old Kirsch there.

So if you don't stop glaring at me like that when you're all weakened and vulnerable...

...I won't be able to resist killing you all too, no matter how much I love my kouhai.

Juuust kidding! Even I'm not THAT stupid!

That Servant of yours rocking the black trench is the kind of guy to save his strength right up till the end, right? I can tell.

So, since it's clear we'd end up taking each other out in a fight, how 'bout we just have a nice friendly chat instead?

Right, Mash? You know what I'm talking about, don'tcha?

You know that Beryl Gut's a stand-up guy who's always willing to hash things out, right?

I...

Y-yes, well, statistically speaking, your advice was

...No. Even if your advice was statistically helpful...

...I was never able to understand why you acted the way you did at Chaldea.

...Is that so?

Well damn, girl! I must've earned your ire something fierce, huh!

Oh, but don't get me wrong, Mash! I'm thrilled to see this new side of you!

？！

Oho, as I live and breathe! A real knight in shining armor, in the flesh! Now that's a model Master for you!

I really appreciate you stepping out of your own accord like this, you know? Not only is your bravery real inspiring...

...you just made it much easier to go for your throat.

Kirschtariaaaaaa!!!

...Hey. Isn't that your pretentious-ass cloak on the floor...?

What's going on? The hell's going on here!?

Shit, you're bleeding like crazy... Hang in there, dammit! Don't you dare pass out!

I still got a ton of stuff I gotta pay you back for! You can't die on me before I get the chance!

Didn't you say you were gonna make every last one of those piece of shit gods obsolete!?

C'mon, just 'cause the Olympian gods are done for doesn't mean you can rest on your laurels!

You still gotta do something about the big bad Foreign God, remember!? Don't you dare go cold on me now!!!

Well damn. That was the perfect chance, and now the mood's gone to shit. Hell, I'm almost tearing up myself.

C'mon, Caenis, take it easy.

Kirschtaria's dead. No sense dwelling on the past, yeah?

You know, it's not like you and I are total strangers. Hell, you're the one who brought me here from Britain.

So how 'bout you jump ship and become my Servant? A woman like you'd be right at home in the British Lostbelt.

Hell, stick with me, and there might even be a domain or two in it for you in the fu

A woman like me?

...It'd be one thing if the Chaldeans had killed him.

Kirschtaria himself said he and Fujimaru were on equal ground.

But this wound clearly came from an ambush. That sort of thing ain't Fujimaru's style.

...You did this to him, didn't you, Beryl?

(Sigh) So it's gonna be like that, huh?

That's enough. The battle for control of this Tree of Emptiness is over, and Chaldea has won.

Surely there's nothing to gain from further infighting, is there, Beryl? Caenis?

？！

Good day, everyone. I believe the last time we met was back on the Russian tundra, wasn't it?

In my capacity as another of the Foreign God's disciples, permit me to apologize on Limbo's behalf for his rudeness.

His very nature makes him incapable of not toying with the minds of others, you see.

It was, I assure you, nothing personal. He treats everyone this way.

Who asked you, Rasputin? 'Sides, I don't recall ever signing up for your side.

I'm Kirschtaria Wodime's Servant. That's it.

And now that he's shown his true colors, that makes me an enemy of the Foreign God, too.

I see. I'm sorry to hear that. And what of you, Beryl?

We now know that Kirschtaria, the leader of the Crypters, was a traitor. But we also know you killed him.

Can I assume this means you remain on our side?

Hell yeah you can! Like I always say: if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

I don't give two shits about the future of humanity. All I want is to have a good time.

I didn't come back to life so I could become the king of Earth or anything. I'll go along with whatever you say.

...But, then again...

I can't but help but wonder if this Foreign God guy's really all that strong.

Kirschtaria saw to it that they couldn't use Magellan here...

...and that woman back in Britain sucked Seyfert's insides dry.

So without a vessel for the Foreign God to come down into, well...what happens next?

'Cause it seems to me like the strongest one on this planet right now's gotta be the king from my Lostbelt.

？！

I see you've done your homework. Precisely the sort of thinking I'd expect from a purebred hunting dog like yourself.

I take it that means the British Lostbelt is now officially opposing us then, Beryl?

Since you appear to have sworn loyalty to their king, can I assume you're also speaking for Britain?

Hell yeah, assume away. The old lady outright told me I could do whatever I liked on her behalf.

'Sides, that Rhongomyniad we just saw was a special spell Her Majesty whipped up just for the Foreign God.

We were always planning on taking Olympus out, no matter what Kirschtaria got up to.

...

Understood.

The Foreign God only saved Kirschtaria from death, thus giving the Foreign God control over his continued existence.

And as Kirschtaria was the one who saved your lives, the Foreign God has placed no such restrictions on you.

You are therefore free to live out the remainder of your days on this dying planet as you choose.

...As an enemy of the Foreign God, that is.

...!

Koyanskaya! Warp me over to Britain right now!

I don't know why, but I'm getting some serious chills down my spine! I gotta get out of here before it's too late!

Well now, I was wondering when I'd get to make my entrance. How...anticlimactic.

But, very well, Lord Beryl. If nothing else, you do have an impressive nose for danger.

Koyanskaya...! You're going to take him away from here!?

Why yes, I am♡

I offer a great many services.

One of them includes taking a single Crypter on a single trip to the Lostbelt of their choice.

All right, until the next time, Fujimaru et Chaldea.

We at NFF Services look forward to your future patronage.

...Assuming you make it out of here alive, that is.

So Koyanskaya has gone over to that side as well, hmm. Well, I suppose it was time.

She is the same class as our God, after all. If she had stayed, it would only have been a matter of time until they were at each other's throats.

All right, you're up, Muramasa. Go on and swing that katana of yours.

This very moment is what the Foreign God chose you for.

I can't believe it! Atlas's body is...!

(I suppose I should assume the internal fires have left the Tree of Emptiness in a permanent state of incompletion... But never mind that now.)

(The real problem is that something is about to manifest inside Atlas's bisected Spirit Origin...!)

？！

I'm detecting a powerful Magical Reactor Core signal inside the Tree of Emptiness!

I can't measure its magical energy levels with my current equipment! But... Wait...

This Spirit Origin pattern...!

Fou, foooooou!

As foreseen and categorized by Trismegistus, this looks to be the final Hornthe final Beast Crownof the Seven Evils of Humanity...

Beast VII...!

!

■■language■■■intellect■■■sharing■■■

■■■■■plane■■mission■■■, generating

Come in.

Do you read me?

Commencing...

...advent.

...Ha.

Hahaha.

Hahahahahahahaha!

Ahhhhhh hahahaha! At long last, it's finally my turn! Thank you for waiting so patiently, my loyal Disciples!

And well done preparing a vessel for me to use from this empty planet! I am pleased with the work you've done, even if it did take longer than expected.

Hmm... So this is Earth, is it? I was curious what it was like after hearing it gave my kin so much trouble...

But it doesn't look all that impressive.

Just look how tiny it is! I could conquer the whole planet in less than a year!

Hm? Why do I feel some faint brain waves being directed at me?

Are these some of the planet's indigenous life-forms? They're so weak, I guess they must be.

All that aside... Why am I not sensing any respect directed at me?

...Wait. What is this pathetic body? My vessel is supposed to be made from a Tree of Emptiness, right?

So why is this one so small...?

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...Master, I'm having a very difficult time following what's going on here, but...

...I think the being floating above us right now is both a Beast that manifested inside the Tree of Emptiness...

...and the Foreign God themself. But...what I don't understand is

？！

...Well, no matter. Disciple. Status report.

Given what happened with Kirschtaria, it seems like things did not go entirely as planned.

I'm afraid Seyfert's flames set Magellan ablaze before it could become your body.

While your Spirit Origin is unaffected, I suspect you may be unable to make full use of your Authority as a result.

Hmm. So it would seem that my body still has yet to fully eclose. Well, that's all right. It will give me something to look forward to.

I'm sure I can find something here that will make up for my deficiencies. In fact, I see a meal before me now that should do the trick nicely.

Usually, a single Lostbelt wouldn't be nearly enough to satisfy my cravings...

...but since I only just acquired this body, it should make for a well-balanced wake-up snack.

However...

Seeing these insects buzzing around my appetizer is putting me right off my appetite.

Are those the Chaldean stragglers? Why haven't you killed them? They certainly don't look like they're at all capable of giving my Disciples any trouble.

For that matter, why don't they fear me? I thought those of this planet were obliged to hold gods in reverence.

...Hmph.

Yes, I know. It would be all too easy to grind them to dust beneath my heel, but I wish to sate my curiosity for now.

Tell me, Fujimaru: Why do you not fear me?

Aren't humans like you supposed to bow your heads, beg for enlightenment, and submit to the every whim of great and powerful beings?

？！

？！

Huh?

What is this Earthling talking about? What is a "director"?

Looks like you've gone mad with terror. Well then, I'll be kind and explain.

I am a god who has descended upon this world from the void. I have come to right this planet's wrongs and eradicate its evil once and for all.

As the ultimate ruler, I will make Earth into a single nation and personally govern every last one of its people.

Yes, I am the sovereign of Earth...

U-Olga Marie!

？！

Now I REALLY don't understand!

First she declares she isn't Olga Marie, then she claims she is!

？！

That's more like it. It sounds like you finally understand my godhood. I can sense brain waves of fear and confusion.

Now, the time has come for me to wipe this planet clean of everything that once existed here.

The human race. The Lostbelts. You lot. My Disciples using silly Heroic Spirits for their vessels.

Now that I have a physical body, I have no more need for any of you.

Now get out of my sight, beg for mercy, and repent for your misdeeds, for even my infinite patience has finally reached its limit.

A gravitational field!? It's sucking up everything that isn't nailed down!

Dammit, it's even bigger than the Tree of Emptiness! If it keeps going like this, there really won't be anything left!

Indeed, including us! Is this really what you want, Rasputin!?

Because it seems this god of yours has no qualms about erasing even her own Disciples!

If this is what my God wants, then so be it. I only wish I could have been of more use to her.

If we use that black light on her, we could...! Oh, but... Both the gun and its ammunition are

Yes, I'm sorry! We can't use the Black Barrel anymore!

Besides...even if we could... I don't know if it would be enough to defeat the Foreign God...

At this rate, it's going to suck up not just all of Olympus, but this entire Lostbelt...

(So, I'm finally getting to see a Beast in person...)

(I don't need to use my Noble Phantasm to tell that humanity simply has no hope of defeating her.)

(The sheer magnitude of her Spirit Origin alone vastly eclipses anything humanity could throw at her. There are simply no conditions that would allow for our victory.)

(Mesopotamia... Solomon's Temple of Time...)

(Chaldea was only able to prevail in those situations because we were an unknown factor.)

(Indeed, our very existence was such an exception to the rule that we had an almost excessive advantage in the environments where Beasts I and II appeared.)

(Therefore, no matter how outmatched we may have been, it was always possible for us to alter our fate.)

(But this Beast is different. She's had Chaldea in her sights since well before we were even aware of her existence.)

(We have therefore lost the one advantage we had in those other fights.)

(Unfortunately, even if the Storm Border were to arrive now, that Beast would simply wipe them all out.)

(...It's elementary, my dear Leonardo. There's simply nothing we can do.)

(I wish I didn't have to say this, especially after you entrusted me to see this mission through, but...)

...I'm sorry, Mr. Fujimaru.

I'm afraid...there is no possible way for us to turn things around...

...Hmph. So you're not even going to try to fight back, Earthlings?

Wait, how silly of me. Of course you can't fight back. I don't know why I ever thought you could!

I suppose it only makes sense. There is no version of humanity in this universe that is capable of surpassing me.

All that aside... You Earthlings truly are pathetic, aren't you?

You're so tiny. So powerless. It's like looking through a microscope at bacteria in a petri dish!

Heh... Hehe. Hahahahahahahahahaha!

...Ha?

...I'm sorry, Mr. Fujimaru.

I'm afraid...there is no possible way for us to turn things around...

Come now. It's not like you to be so rash.

Or are your powers of deduction simply nullified when you attempt to apply them to an alien being?

!

Well now, that almost makes it sound like we're friends. I didn't see that coming, but I can't say I dislike it.

？！

Kirschtaria Wodime... I didn't realize you were still alive.

We mages have magical crests. We don't go down quite so easily.

Holmes, you just said there was no possible way for you to turn things around...

...but that all depends on how you look at it.

For example, my victory would be my plan to slay the god succeeding, and my loss would be it failing.

Now that Atlas's Tree has been razed to the ground, and the Foreign God has descended upon this world, my plan has ended in abject failure.

It represents a complete and total loss for me. There is no hope of me turning things around now.

But the same is not true for you.

For you, loss would be dying, and victory would be living.

So even if the Foreign God has descended upon this world, and even if all you can do right now is run away...

...merely surviving is enough to ensure your victory.

And since you haven't truly lost, you still have a chance to turn things around.

...

I understand this is all a bit much coming from me, since I'm the one who invited the Foreign God here in the first place, but oh well.

Now then...I think it's time I played my last card.

Rest assured, I won't let the Foreign God get away with this.

Even if it is ultimately fated to vanish once its Tree of Emptiness is gone, I will protect Olympus right to the end.

After all...I promised Zeus I would.

...

I'll make sure the Foreign God goes away, though I can only do so temporarily.

Now go. Get out of here. I'm afraid you'd only get in my way.

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Don't worry, it's not as bad as it looks. I've still got plenty of fight left in me.

It's a shame you and I weren't able to finish our duel, though. We'll just have to take a rain check on that.

At any rate, you've got much more work ahead of you than I do.

...I'm sorry about this, Fujimaru. I wish I didn't have to ask you to take on such enormous responsibility again.

？！

Mr. Holmes.

...Very well. You have my word that I will do everything in my power to give Chaldea a chance to turn things around.

Good. I'm relieved to hear that. All right then, this is goodbye.

But before you go, Mash, let me give you one word of advice.

I won't deny that, as a Crypter, I considered you and Fujimaru my most dangerous enemies, and tried to eliminate you accordingly.

I did so because, at the time, I firmly believed that to be what was right.

...But of course, humans are fundamentally incapable of making the right choice.

So the least we can do is keep shamelessly moving toward those things we have chosen, right or wrong.

I believe that's what it means to be human. We are nothing if not great at rationalizing our actions.

Still, trust me when I tell you that there's no need to fight to assuage a guilty conscience, or to atone for past misdeeds.

Don't forget, the reason you left Chaldea to go on a journey was to get as much out of it as possible.

...

I'm afraid the palace won't last much longer. We need to evacuate to the great shrine! Come now, quickly!

R-right...!

...U-um, Kirschtaria!

Thank you for everything you did for me at Chaldea! I wish we could have all talked a lot more!

Are they gone, Caenis?

What're you, stupid? Can't you see for your

Yeah, they're gone. They left your sorry ass behind. Didn't even look back. So you don't gotta worry about them. Mess this bitch up. Hell, I'll even let you lean on me.

Thank you. That will be a big help. ...What about you, Father? Aren't you going to stop me?

Not at all. Not unless the Foreign God gives the order to eliminate you two.

I'm only here to serve as a witness. Truth be told, it should be quite educational.

No matter how powerful one may be, this planet still follows its own rules.

This will be an excellent way for the Foreign God to learn that lesson.

...In that case, don't mind if I do.

Stars. Cosmos. Gods. Animus.

Antrum. 　Unbirth.

Animus, Animasphere...

There are yet the lights of stars in the void. Illuminate the earth, stay aloft the sky...

...and illustrate the coordinates of the heavens. May you be a guide for voyagers one more time, O light of Chaldea.