And You Will Know Retribution

So, who's going to hold the reins for the golem carr

(Pointing)

Ah, yes. I suppose it must be me, since I'm the only one who knows the way.

Very well then, let's get going! Minerva, would you patrol ahead of and around us, just to be safe?

... ...

... ...

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Wh-where'd that come from, Fujimaru? Give me a little heads-up before you shout next time.

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You're right! We'll have to remedy that someday!

Once you're a real Master in the true sense of the word, you, me, and Kadoc can all be Team A together! I can't wait!

I had no idea he said that...

Forget it. You've still got a long way to go before you can even think about calling yourself part of Team A, Fujimaru.

B-but if we pass up this chance now, we may never get another one!

Personally, I'm all for calling ourselves Team A...

A compromise then. We'll be Team A Minus.

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I can totally see that.

But I don't really like the negative connotations of "minus," so is there anything else we could go with?

A tilde.

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I guess...

So hey, by the way.

I didn't know him that long, so this isn't hitting me too hard...

...but what about you guys?

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Obviously.

Did you have to bring that up, Kadoc? It's bad for morale.

Sorry. I just thought, if I was gonna say something, it oughta be now.

Well... Of course I miss him.

I wish we could have saved him, but...

...if I'm being honest, I'm just in shock.

You think he's still alive or something?

No...

They confirmed a Spirit Origin signal disappeared shortly after I Rayshifted.

We know for a fact that it had to be his.

That said, this IS Sherlock Holmes we're talking about.

It still wouldn't surprise me at all...

...if he were to just come back as though nothing had happened.

That IS what happened after he went over the Reichenbach Falls the first time!

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...Gotcha. So that's how you guys feel, huh? Guess that's the difference in knowing someone a long time.

Indeed. Well said, Mashsimultaneously a member of Chaldea's old guard and one of its newest researchers.

"Knowing that handsome devil, he'll come waltzing back as though nothing had happened." Indeed... I couldn't agree more.

I have no proof of that, of course, but it's what I believe, too. "After all…"

...What do you think, Technical Advisor?

Here, I've got this. "After all, there are still mysteries yet to be solved!"

Right? We still don't fully understand who or what the Foreign God really is, how Earth got reset like this, or what role the Trees of Emptiness play.

And there's no way any self-respecting great detective would leave until all those questions have been answered.

Exactly! I couldn't agree more!

We'll need to keep gathering information before he shows up with that knowing smile of his!

That sounded like a wolf's howl.

Don't worry. I already put up a beast ward. It should keep us safe for the night.

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Don't mind if I do, then. Thank you.

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Not good.

She was originally built with Olympian technology, you know.

This is the best she can do in this Singularity's time period and technology level.

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Camping out like this is a really nice change of pace...

...but I wish Pepe could be here, too.

Yeah, that'd be nice.

There aren't many mages as good as reading a room as him, that's for sure.

He always knew what to say to keep things from getting awkward.

Even Akuta would cave when he asked her for stuff.

...I still can't believe she was actually Yu Mei-ren.

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It sure as hell was.

It was like finding out your roommate was an alien.

What?

I feel like such an idiot for ever thinking she was just a quiet, mysterious mage.

I still have no idea how she joined the team in the first place.

According to Koyanskaya, Director Marisbury personally recruited her.

He probably brought her in as a way of mitigating the risks of Rayshift-related existence verification.

I see.

Well, I did have a feeling Akuta and the old director made some kind of backroom deal.

So I guess I wasn't wrong about that, at least.

Come to think of it...there's something I've been wanting to ask you, Kadoc.

Hm?

What did you think of Kirschtaria's plan?

You mean to turn all of humankind into gods?

Yes.

It was such a hugely ambitious plan, like a pipe dream. I was curious how much you knew about it.

About as much as Mr. Space Cadet here. That is, not a damn thing.

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If everything had gone as he'd planned, we'd probably be enjoying our godhood right now.

I definitely wouldn't have had any reason to stop him.

I don't think it was a ridiculous idea, but...it was definitely surprising.

Surprising?

Most mages are pretty much defined by their self-interest.

Even high-minded ideals like saving all of humankind eventually get poisoned to the point where they lose sight of tomorrow, let alone the far future.

If Proper Human History had kept going, Kirschtaria would probably either have gained a new department...

...or inherited a Lord's seat.

Either one of those accomplishments would usually be more glory than most mages could ever dream of.

Instead, he came up with and tried to carry out a plan that couldn't have been more different.

All his hard work. All his accomplishments. The glory he won. His incredibly privileged position.

He was willing to give them all up 'cause they didn't matter. He wanted to stand hand-in-hand with the rest of humankind.

His skills as a mage were incredible, but personally, I still can't believe he had such incredible strength of mind.

...I never noticed it when he was alive, though. I just thought of him as the leader we all needed.

Excuse me, Kadoc. I'm sorry to interrupt...

...but I want to ask you about Daybit, the Crypter waiting for us in the Seventh Lostbelt.

What's your impression of him?

Honestly?

I still have no idea what to make of him.

Sometimes he seemed like he was lost in endless darkness, and sometimes, he seemed like he shone brighter than anyone else in the room.

Other times, I'd think I was getting through to him about something, only to find he didn't even seem to understand the words I was saying.

And yet, he was always really good at communicating. Like, alarmingly so.

In that sense, he's a lot like Holmes.

Sometimes, he'd just chime in out of nowhere with the answer to the question you were trying to solve.

I guess...it felt like he was seeing things in a whole other dimension from the rest of us.

He's the kind of guy who's both totally disjointed and completely consistent. That's Daybit Sem Void.

And that's about all I can say about him.

Well that's no help at all!

Well, excuse the hell out of me!

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What's up, Fujimaru?

Ophelia? ...Ophelia, huh?

Well, unlike Daybit, who didn't change at all, Ophelia changed a lot.

I don't think it was a bad change, though. Actually, it seemed to surprise her more than anyone.

Really? You think so?

Hey, back before the explosion, we all would've been just as surprised to see you being such a chatterbox, Mash.

I-I see. ...I suppose you have a point.

Ophelia was

... ...

Nah, never mind.

It's not my place to talk about why she changed at this point.

So I'm exercising my right to remain silent. You're not getting anything out of me, even if you turn my collar on.

Oh, don't worry about that. I shut your collar down a good while ago.

...You sure you should be telling me that?

Ah well, at least I can relax a little more then.

Having to worry about someone setting it off at any moment was unnerving to say the least.

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Yes, I suppose we should. Especially since we have an early morning.

Got it. I'll leave the fire burning.

Yes, I suppose we should, especially since we have an early morning.

Got it. I'll leave the fire burning.

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Good night, Senpai.

... ...

... ...

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Go to sleep already!

All right, here we are.

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Are you sure this is the place, Moriarty?

There's nothing here. Like, at all.

Yes, because I arranged for it to appear that way. We are at the correct coordinates.

Hm? Hang on. This place... These coordinates...

Uh, Moriarty? Are you positive this is the destination you had in mind?

It's as surprising as it is obvious, no?

I see...

I honestly thought you might be pulling our leg, and I was gonna have Mash knock you upside your head if you were.

My intent here is not to pull anyone's leg. Especially not now.

All right then, everyone, say the password with me, won't you?

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I'm certain you know it. It's the same password that's been used to open closed doors since the dawn of history.

Do we really have to say it?

Only if you don't want to see me sulking.

Fine with me, Moriarty. You are welcome to sulk all you like.

Oh, very well then. Here goes nothing!

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Really, Fujimaru? You actually said it?

Even Moriarty was too taken aback to say it with you.

What a waste!

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O-oh, yes, sorry... Ahem.

Open sesame.

Is that an earthquake?

The hell? There's a staircase out here?

So what, we've gotta go underground now?

Perhaps it's underground, perhaps not. There's only one way to find out, if you're brave enough.

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Okay!

At least pretend to be a little worried!

...Well, shall we?

I suppose we should...

It's very deep, isn't it...?

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That's a problem for sure, but it's not the only one. For one thing, these stairs aren't made of stone.

Oh, yeah. You're right.

The texture clearly isn't natural. It feels fairly modern, too...

Watch your step. If you slip and fall here, you'll have a long time to reflect on your error on the way down.

We've still come a pretty damn long way, though. What is this, the third sublevel? The fourth?

By my calculations, our destination is on the tenth level, or thereabouts.

I suspect the one who built this shelter was wary of someone using a guided ground penetration round, such as a bunker buster.

... ...Huh?

Bunker buster...?

I mean, I've heard the word before, but

That's a modern military weapon, no? What does that have to do with this place?

Quite a lot, as you'll see. Now, let's keep going.

Okay, we're down the stairs. Is everyone all right?

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Don't blame you. Going down a stairway in the dark really wears on you, especially so deep down.

Here, Master, hold my hand. That should help put your mind at ease a littHuh!?

Master!

Zhang Jue!?

Don't worry about him. He's already dead.

...Huh?

... ...

I don't know much more than that. Let's see, I think it was... Ah, yes.

He's a Shījiě xiān, a corpse-free immortal being of the lowest level in the Xian realm.

But, since he's a corpse, he can't receive magical energy from his Master.

Zhang Jue had no choice but to create clones of himself and then make them forget they were clones.

For if they became aware of their true nature, they would lose their sense of self and ultimately disappear.

This way, even if he was assassinated or killed in battle...

...he would continue to create clones of himself so long as his original body remained here.

Once resurrected, that clone would eventually restore this Singularity to the way it was.

He would then invite more summoned Servants to join him, fan the flames of conflict, and instigate another war between realms.

All for his Master.

But no more.

To produce clones in that manner, he had to turn his body into a sort of automated system.

He became a system capable neither of evolving nor defending itself. In essence...

...a mere object.

So...Zhang Jue was protecting this place?

Not of his own free will, no.

It would be more accurate to say he had no choice but to do so.

His Master may have created this Singularity, but it was Zhang Jue who raised it, so to speak.

It was his dedication that transformed this Singularity into the bizarre, complex thing it became.

All right, I'm going to open a door now.

I suspect you won't be able to communicate with Chaldea once we go through it.

In fact, your connection is likely already spotty, no?

...He's right. We won't be able to maintain comms past that point. All three of you, be careful.

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That's what I like to hear!

No matter what you find in there, Kadoc Zemlupus, the safe return of the team takes top priority. Understood?

Yeah, I got it.

I hate to say this, but...you're our only hope. Those other two still have yet to learn to look before they leap!

Oh yeah. I know exaaactly what you mean.

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YES! You absolutely are!

Anyway, guys, just be careful. I want to hear all about what you saw when you get back!

All right, here we go.

What I need to show you lies beyond this point.

Come along then. We're off to where this Singularity began.

Where it began...

But, this is... It looks just like...

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Sorry... It's nothing.

How much farther is it?

Oh, don't worry. Not far now.

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Right!

We're almost to this Singularity's Master.

Needless to say, he has been trying to enact his retribution upon Proper Human History.

I believe I told you once before he had every right to do so, Kadoc.

In truth, that's not entirely accurate.

Rather, his position simply left him no other choice.

It was both his assigned duty and his personal responsibility.

Even if he'd had no intention of seeking revenge, his very existence shifted, preventing him from doing anything else.

As his Servant, Zhang Jue did everything in his power to grant that request, which led to him creating this enormous Singularity.

And it all started here in the U.S., in the state of Nevada in 2019...in Area 51.

We're here. This is the last door.

Are you ready?

Fujimaru.

Master.

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All right.

...What...is this place?

Exactly what it seems.

You could call it an operating room, an intensive care unit, or a laboratory.

The equipment on the walls is, apparently, all cutting-edge. Best you leave it alone, though.

Well, it seems my time has finally run out...but before I go, allow me to introduce you.

This is the being behind this entire Singularity.

He is a being said to have first arrived on Earth approximately one hundred years ago.

Since then, he has been subjected to countless experiments, each of which further stoked his hatred for humanity.

This...is Test Subject E.