Intro

Well, hello there, you with the still unknown fate. I trust you can hear me?

Or perhaps "hello again, stargazer" would be more appropriate? Eh, either way. It doesn't really matter.

You're here now, and I don't have to be bored out of my skull anymore. So, will you hear what I have to say?

I suppose it's less what I have to say, exactly, than it is one of many songs the wind's carried to me.

So what'd you think? It takes its sweet time making its point, but you get it, yes?

That's just how it is with prophecies. They don't make sense when you first hear them, but once events unfold, you see exactly what they meant.

In that sense, they're a lot like a curse that fixed itself to your back before you knew it was there.

Welp, looks like the scary lady found me. This is all I can do for now.

The next time I see you will probably be after everything else is said and done.

It's a shame I won't be able to help you fight, but I'm hugely relieved I won't have to fear for my life.

All right then, I'll be waiting for you in the confined land. Until next time.

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...

Uhh, testing, testing. Good morning, everyone. This is Sion.

The time is now 7:00 a.m. I am very sorry to disturb you all during your precious quiet early morning hours...

...but I have an urgent message to relay to all Novum Chaldea staff.

There has been a change in the Sixth Lostbelt. The emergency situation we predicted is now in progress.

Please remain calm, and come to the Command Room as soon as you are able.

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...

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Mash Kyrielight, reporting for duty!

What's going on here, Master?

Hmph. Don't bother asking Fujimaru, Kyrielight.

He and I both just got here ourselves, so we know as little as you. I don't even see my technical advisor or the captain anywhere!

The only other ones here are that unflappable alchemist and

Good morning, my distinguished colleagues.

I see by your healthy complexions that you all slept marvelously last night. Wonderful.

I'd say this fulfills the first condition. Wouldn't you, Ms. Sion?

Yes, I think so. It is very lucky that you are all in such good health right now.

Let us see. We have Fujimaru and Mash the Demi-Servant, the field op team.

Meunière, the pilot. Tomlin and Kawata, the operators.

Octavia, Da Vinci's assistant. Chin, the vehicle mechanic.

Cayenne, the munitions and design engineer. Elron, the record keeper. Marcus, the Spiritron engineer.

And Goredolf, who was just enjoying a heaping plate of pancakes with a rather generous drizzling of honey.

I see not one of you is so much as batting an eye at this dire situation. Truly, you are all seasoned veterans!

This will make it so much easier to tell you what is going on!

Oh, for... I really don't like where this is going, but come on, let's hear it! What IS going on already!?

Does it have something to do with that searing red light flashing more gaudily than I've ever seen it flash before!?

Is there a fire in the kitchen now or something?

Oh no, nothing like that. This is only a tiny planetary crisis that will eradicate us all in about twenty-four hours if we do not stop it.

Eradication... Well, that's a much bigger deal than I was expecti

Wait. What did you say, you Egyptian knee-sock wearer!?

Hmm. It seems very rude to me to boil people down to their nationality, appearance, and/or choice of apparel.

I agree with that, but please, let's not get sidetracked right now.

Director Goredolf, Master, and all the other staff members are still grappling with this news.

What exactly do you mean by "planetary crisis"?

I am sorry, you are right. We do not have a lot of time to spare, so I will be as forthright as I can.

As you know, it has been about three weeks since the shocking operation to eliminate Limbo.

In that time, Novum Chaldea has been tuning up the Storm Border and devising plans of attack for the remaining Sixth and Seventh Lostbelts.

That said, as I have told you all before, I saw no need to infiltrate Britain, the site of the Sixth Lostbelt...

...so I have been focusing my efforts on the Seventh Lostbelt, where the Foreign God is hiding out.

Y-yes, I remember. You said we could leave the Sixth Lostbelt to its own devices because...

Go on, Fujimaru. Tell her.

Indeed. The Tree of Emptiness that helped establish the British Lostbelt was used to burn down the Tree of Emptiness in Olympus.

As further proof, we have not observed any magical energy readings associated with the Trees of Emptiness coming from Britain since then.

As such, the British Lostbelt should disappear on its own, much like the Chinese one did...or so we thought.

Seriously, Fujimaru? You still half asleep or something? Every Lostbelt's seriously dangerous.

The only reason we're leaving Britain alone is because our work there's already done.

Remember what Beryl told us?

He said they'd burned down Britain's Tree of Emptiness to destroy Olympus's Tree of Emptiness.

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Right. The British Lostbelt may still be shrouded in a wall of light, but it's no longer a threat to humanity.

At least, that was our understanding... Is that not the case?

No, it is. We were still keeping it under observation, but we did not consider it a threat.

Not until this very moment, anyway.

This is the Paper Moon's planetary observation grid, and these are Sheba's predictions.

According to this, the British Lostbelt will vanish in about twenty-four hours, and when it does, it will also engulf the rest of the planet like an enormous tsunami.

Earth will then crumble under the weight of its own gravity, utterly annihilating the planet.

We are not talking about one of the Foreign God's pseudo black holes. This would well and truly be the end of Earth.

This will overwrite humanity's current bad endingthe Bleached Earth Phenomenonwith a completely dead end.

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That, we don't know. But, now that we know what will happen if left unchecked, we can ill afford to simply sit back and twiddle our thumbs.

Da Vinci and Captain Nemo are on the Storm Border as we speak, getting it ready to launch.

Up till now, we have been using the Shadow Border to infiltrate the Lostbelts via Void Space...

...but this sudden development has left us without the time we need to prepare.

Fortunately, we now have the Storm Border, which is capable of directly breaching the walls surrounding the Lostbelt.

As a battleship, the Storm Border is essentially our frontline base.

While we'll still be conducting on-site investigations in the Shadow Border, having a base where we can always resupply will be a tremendous asset.

Furthermore, Trismegistus II categorized this phenomenon as a collapse...

...but one could also call it a trap, or perhaps, a pitfall.

A pitfall... Then, do you think Britain is going to cave in on itself? Or sink underwater?

I'm afraid I can offer no definitive answer until we get there.

Regardless, I suspect not even the Foreign God herself foresaw this turn of events.

It's all well and good that Britain will disappear. Indeed, it's only to be expected now that its Tree of Emptiness is effectively dead.

But if that disappearance is going to engulf the entire planet, then it is a matter we must investigate and ultimately resolve.

After all, there would be no feasible way to restore Earth to its pre-bleached state if there is no Earth left to restore.

Okay, I'm with you there, but what the hell can we do in only twenty-four hours!?

A lot, as a matter of fact. You see, that twenty-four hour period is in our timeframe.

But according to Sheba, time moves very differently within the Lostbelt.

Once inside the British Lostbelt, our time constraint will cease to be a concern.

So as long as you can resolve this phenomenon while you are there, we should be all set!

That said, time is still definitely not on our side.

Which is why we are going to have all Chaldea's staff board the Storm Border...

...and head for Britain as soon as we finish our final safety check.

Then, once you arrive at its wall of light, you will use the Storm Border's dimension-piercing drill to breach it...

...and make your way into Britain, the Sixth Lostbelt.

That is all I have to say. And as luck would have it, the Shadow Border has just arrived at the dock.

I know this mission is being sprung on you very suddenly, but Da Vinci will fill you in on the details aboard the Storm Border.

Be careful out there, everyone. I cannot wait to hear what sort of fun hijinks you get up to this time.

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Ahaha, sorry, you are right. I did say the entire staff.

My bad. I did not phrase that as intended.

I felt it would be much too presumptuous to count a newcomer like myself as a member of Chaldea's staff.

Please, do not worry about me. I am just going to stay here and continue to monitor the Seventh Lostbelt.

Do your best out there, Fujimaru. I promise I will do the same here.

That said, if you all should blow this one, both I and this base will cease to exist in about twenty-four hours...

So I am counting on you more than ever!

But I am not at all worried. I know you will succeed!

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Attention all crew members. I repeat, attention all crew members.

We've arrived at the waters near the British Lostbelt two hours after departing the Wandering Sea, just as we expected.

We're currently two-hundred kilometers north of the Isle of Britain.

The wall of light looks to be a dimensional rift, just like the World's End from the Sixth Singularity.

Thanks to Da Vinci and Professor's analysis, we've learned that the rift is its thinnest on the southern side...

So that is where we'll be heading, and we'll begin the dimensional boring as soon as we arrive.

We expect to begin the operation in forty-five minutes. All hands, remain at your posts until further notice.

...There you have it. We're going to begin the operation as soon as possible, without any breaks.

The Storm Border's a big ship, after all, so it can't just slip into Void Space like the Shadow Border.

But what it can do is use its massive propulsive force and magical energy barriers...

...to withstand the dimensional friction that separates different worlds. Basically, it's a giant drill.

What we're going to do is fire the Storm Border through that wall of light like a bullet.

The entry impact will be just as strong as it is for a Zero Sail, so make sure you're all in a calm state of mind.

If you're confused, distraught, or terrified, then your soul might not be able to keep up with your body.

Y-yes, I'm well aware. You mean that weird sensation where it feels like your chest and head are being stretched out like taffy, right?

No need to worry about us, Captain. This isn't our first rodeo.

More importantly, um...

We DO have a firm plan of action in place, yes?

Because I don't even want to think about entering a Lostbelt without a strategy or a goal!

Of course we do. Don't worry, Gordy. We know exactly what it is we have to do.

After all, we were always planning on going after the British Lostbelt at some point!

Really? You were?

But, I thought the British Lostbelt was no longer a threat. At least up until today.

Right you are. But nonetheless, we were indeed making plans to explore it well before now.

While we only have a few bits and pieces of information to work with at the moment, we do know that Beryl Gut remains in the British Lostbelt...

...and that its king was able to launch an attack on Olympus's Tree of Emptiness.

What's more, this king was even able to burn the very Tree of Emptiness required to sustain their Lostbelt.

While it's still unclear whether Beryl tricked them into doing so, or if they acted with informed consent...

...what matters is that they possess enough power to burn a Tree of Emptiness single-handedly. And then there's

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Yup. A hugely powerful spell akin to divine punishment that was able to reach Olympus all the way from Britain.

A Mystic that surpassed even Kirschtaria's ideal magecraft. That was Rhongomyniad all right.

It's a spell devised not by human hands, but by the inner sea of the planet itself.

It would be a powerful weapon against the Foreign God, which means it's something we desperately need.

The planet's inner sea? What is that?

Oh, that? It's basically a paradise of legend.

Every mythology's got some kind of promised eternal holy land, right?

Utopia, the Garden of Eden, the Land of the Young Tír na nÓg, and so on? Well, Britain's is called Avalon.

It's supposed to be an otherworldly paradise that can't be reached by ordinary means.

It's also said to lie inside the planet, and that it's where the souls of stars go to sleep.

Pretty much every Clock Tower mage has heard about it.

I know I called it a legend, but that's not how the people who can actually see it think of it.

There are some people out there who really might be able to get to the planet's inner sea. Hell, the Clock Tower's even got a department for exploring it.

...That said, we're talking about a place that's completely outside human comprehension.

Once you get mixed up with something like that, you're practically already lost to a world outside our own.

Hahaha, what are you saying, Meunipazza? Are you talking about the underground workshop?

They're just an ordinary archaeological team with a fancy name.

Really, how could anyone take them seriously after they proudly proclaimed they found Earth's belly button underneath the Clock Tower?

I may be something of a magecraft elitist, but even I would be too embarrassed to say something like that with a straight face.

Ahem. If we're quite done with our digression about the Mage's Association and the Clock Tower's inner politics, let's return to the subject at hand, shall we?

Now that we know the king of the British Lostbelt controls Rhongomyniad, we need to investigate it and learn how it works.

Indeed, the Rhongomyniad is the very reason why we were already making plans to explore the British Lostbelt.

While the circumstances have forced us to act sooner than we had hoped, we were always going to pay them a visit eventually.

So then, Master's mission this time isn't just to investigate the Lostbelt.

While we do of course also need to prevent the collapse Trismegistus II warned us about, securing Rhongomyniad is our top priority.

As such, our ultimate goal for this Lostbelt is to negotiate with its king for it.

You mean, you want to cut a deal with this Lostbelt's king!? Someone capable of essentially firing intercontinental ballistic missiles at will!?

Yup. Honestly, I think it's pretty reckless, even for us. I'd love to get my hands on Rhongomyniad, too...

...but between the Storm Border, the Heroic Spirit system, and the Black Barrel...

...I think we should be able to neutralize the so-called PresidI mean, a planet-level threat like the Foreign God if the circumstances call for it.

Sion was adamant that we need a Divine Construct, though, so here we are.

Well, Ms. Sion is an Atlas alchemist. I've no doubt she has something unique in mind.

And let's not forget, we wouldn't have the Nautilus or the Storm Border if it weren't for her.

So I, for one, am perfectly willing to go along with this plan of hers.

Especially if it leads to us acquiring Rhongomyniad, or something equivalent.

Oh, for... Don't you think you're being just a little overly optimistic here, Holmes?

This could be the biggest burden we've asked Fujimaru to bear so far, you know?

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You'll have to continue this conversation later. We've almost reached the drilling point.

All hands, return to your posts. Brace for space-time crossing impact.

Oh, r-right! Sorry, Captain!

Aw crap, the wall's right in front of us! Sorry for not paying closer attention, Captain!

A-all right, I understand! I still don't like it, but at least I get the point of this mission now!

Remember, Fujimaru, this won't be like any of the other Lostbelts we've faced so far!

Negotiation requires a careful, thoughtful approach, so try to keep your reckless risk-taking to no more than thirty percent of your usual antics!

Good grief. It seems Goredolf beat me to the punch.

As important as this mission may be, it should be within our ability to acquire this weapon.

Fortunately, we have both knowledge and time on our side.

Regardless of what sort of person we may be dealing with, as long as we take things one step at a time, we're sure to arrive at the truth eventually.

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Good. Professor, start the final safety check. Storm Border, initiate Zero Coating.

Triton Engines One, Two, and Three are all green. Space and time difference corrections between Storm Border and drilling target have been calculated.

Da Vinci will protect the ship's armor from the computer room while the Nemo Series focus on maintaining our route.

The computer room just gave us the all clear, Captain! We're looking at a ninety-nine point nine percent chance of success!

Dimension-piercing battleship Storm Border, move out! Prepare to enter the Sixth Lostbelt!