Guns, War, and Death

You people entered an outside nation in a battleship. That's an act of war, no matter your reasons.

And the ocelomeh don't take prisoners of war. They kill every enemy who invades their territory.

Are you sure you want to go so fast!? I'm impressed you guys aren't falling off me!

It's fine! We're used to all kinds of transport! Just please keep going as fast as you can!

Got it! Boy, you hyoo-minz are really adaptable! I like that!

Oh, but don't get the wrong idea, Olga! Of course I like you the most!

Don't worry. I wasn't listening to you anyway.

More importantly, are you doing okay, Marine? I can at least carry you on my back if you need.

Don't worry, I'm totally fine with all this swaying! But thanks for your concern, Madam President!

Aren't you going to offer me the same consideration, Young Miss?

Especially since I'm the only member of humanity here who is still on foot, running at sixty kilometers per hour.

You're running with your arms crossed and you aren't even breathing hard; you're fine.

I'm so sorry. If I were just a little bigger, I could carry some of you myself instead of having you do all the work, Wak Chan.

Don't worry about it, Tepeu! This kind of manual labor's right up my alley! It's a lot easier than being a warrior!

(I just wish my beloved Olga had let me give her a ride, too!)

Let's see, you're headed to the jungle across the plains, near the second underworld, right?

We should get there while the sun's out as long as nothing gets in our way! But why the big rush!?

Because...our friends might be in danger!

They...they said there was nothing to worry about in our last transmission, but...!

？！

(I'm seeing ten...twenty life-forms. I can make out a big hunk of metal and some human shapes.)

(...But Fujimaru said there were only twelve humans in Chaldea. The numbers don't add up.)

(And then there are the corpses. How long have they ceased functioning...?)

Fujimaru. Mash. I can see the Storm Border in the jungle up ahead.

I can warp over there now on my own, if you want.

Oh! Y-yes, please! That would be

？！

Senpai!?

？！

Oh... Right. (I almost forgot that we were originally enemies...)

Okay. If you say so.

...Just don't say I didn't warn you.

？！

...Ah. Ah...

, ?

, !

, !

Wait. Don't shoot them yet.

Bloodthirsty fiends. Can't you tell you can't kill them?

Those were Servants. They must be what's left of Chaldea.

You're what they call a Master, right? That was some fine commanding, but you got tunnel vision.

Or were you so overcome by the sight of your friends' corpses that you lost your head? You left your back unguarded, fool.

？！

Marine? What are you doing over there?

I'm sooorry! They caught me and tied my hands behind my back, too!

Shut up. Open your mouth again, and I'll kill you like I killed everyone else on this ship.

You're just a tool I'm using to torment that man over there. You don't need to be intact for that.

...

Hold it right there, woman. One step, and I'll kill them all starting with him. Luckily for you, I'm willing to talk first. Now listen up.

I am Izcalli, leader of the ocelomeh and king of México City.

What is your name, Master? Go on. I want to hear it before I kill you.

I'll even inscribe it in Mictlān's chronicles as the last dying gasp of your pathetic Proper Human History.

I am Izcalli, leader of the ocelomeh and king of México City.

What is your name, Master? Go on. I want to hear it before I kill you.

？！

So you're refusing? ...I see.

I'm incredibly, incredibly...

...thrilled to hear that! Truth to tell, I never cared about your name!

Tezcatlipoca said we should pay respect to warriors willing to risk their own lives, but you're an exception!

Why would I owe any respect to savages from Proper Human History who came here to destroy my world!?

Why should I pay any respect to the deinos stomping around Mictlān like they own the place!?

This is war. There's no room for warrior's pride here. All that matters is destroying invaders like you.

Gaah!

Listen up. Summon one Servant...even START summoning one, and I kill him.

But if you just stand there, do nothing, and let us kill you, he goes free.

I'm a man of my word. Once I make a promise, I always keep it. But the choice is yours.

You die by our hand either way. Now, will you do it with a weapon in hand, or no?

It doesn't matter to me. The only thing this changes is how painful your death will be.

...Now, let's begin, Master of Proper Human History.

I look forward to seeing you reveal what a monster you are by throwing your comrade's life away.

I'm amazed the hostage is working. To think you actually had something approaching common decency.

How long can you keep this up, though? At the rate you're going, that girl will be the first to die.

I...I'm fine, Master! I can still fight! So please...!

？！

...I knew it. This is the only way.

Stop. Don't do it.

Boy, you ocelomeh must be real dummies, huh? You couldn't even tell I'm not much of a hostage!

?

I'm one of the Captain's clones. I won't feel anything if you shoot me, and there's a bunch more mes out there.

It's been fun, but I wasn't very useful. I wish I could've helped more, but at least I made some good memories.

Uh, what else...? Oh, yeah! In the end, I'm still a sailor!

So I've gotta pull my own weight. That's what good comrades do, right?

So on that note, I'm getting out of here! Ciaooo!

!

...

Ma

？！

Really? Then I'll stay behind, too! I don't wanna leave U-O all by herself!

Jungle, jungle, steady as she jun-goooes♪

Hello! It's me, Marine! Today, I'm gonna make a nice, comfy cottage out of suuuper big leaves!

...

Hm? Something bumming you out? Oh, I see!

Don't worry! This cottage is gonna be big enough for both of us☆ You wanna get out of the sun too, right, U-O?

I'm fine. This is not enough sunlight exposure to be a problem for me.

...Why did you stay behind? Are you keeping an eye on me?

Huh? So, you don't mind being alone, U-O? Would you rather I left you be?

...No, you're right. It IS more productive if you're here.

I mean, you're building a cottage right now. And doing a pretty good job, from the looks of it.

Right!? That's 'cause Captain Nemo has a lot of experience adventuring!

Like I said earlier, Marines are the ones who keep things clean, carry cargo, do maintenance, and stand watch.

So I'm really good at this sort of thing, and it's lots of fun, too! Ooh, do you like hammocks, U-O? Or maybe you'd like a bath?

I could get some stones from the river Protea was in to make a tub, but...well, that won't work here in the jungle. Too bad we don't have a big metal barrel or something.

Huh? What's a bath?

It's how we clean our bodies! Everyone always gets really grungy out on missions, but there's nothing we can do about it as it happens.

All we can do is wait until we can take a shower when we're back at the Border.

But you're not grungy at all, are you, U-O? Different story for me and Fujimaru and everyone else!

It kind of seems like nothing could ever get you dirty or tired!

Oh? Well, excuse me for being so different from you Earthlings.

Why'd you say that? I think it's great how you always stay so clean.

But you should still try taking a bath if you ever get the chance! Even if you're already clean, they still feel great!

Hey, Marine.

Yeees?

Fujimaru told me there's a bunch of other Marines just like you. Is that true? How does that work?

Oh, that?

Hmm, well, we're basically like clones of a Heroic Spirit named Captain Nemo. It's like if different parts of his personality got turned into a bunch of Servants.

He uses something Atlas alchemists call "Memory Partition" to create us.

So Captain Nemo, our base, is like our leader, and we're all copies of him.

Oh, there're also clones like Nurse and Professor, but there's only one of each of them.

The Marines like me are basically a colony that divides up Captain's sailing expertise between all twenty-four of us☆

There are twenty-four of you!? But, you're the only one here!

The rest are on the Border.

I was trusted with keeping Fujimaru safe...

...so when I saw him fall out of the ship, I jumped out after him. I knew I'd figure something out. And here we are.

Oh, so that's why you're so weak in combat. You've only got one twenty-fourth of your original fighting ability.

I'm impressed you've gotten this far like that. You must want to get back to the Border so you can return to your old self.

Ahaha, it doesn't work like that.

We haven't divided our Spirit Origin among ourselves, and it's not like we get stronger if we all gather in one place.

We were made to be disposable. We can't get stronger, really.

That's why there're twenty-four of us. This way, we can lose a few during this long Grand Order voyage and still be okay.

If Marine A dies, Marine B can take his place. If Marine B dies, Marine C can do the same, and so on. That's how it works for us.

We can all do the same jobs, so any one of us can disappear and the work will still get done.

...Really? But even if you have the same abilities, aren't your personalities different?

Wow, you got what I was talking about right away! Yeah, like I said, we're a colony.

So we act like the same person when we're all together to keep things easier.

But there are some slight differences between us. For instance, I'm the biggest crybaby.

My knees are always shaking whenever Chaldea's on a mission, but I do my best to ignore it and match the other Marines!

But there aren't any other Marines around right now, so I can just be myself, which is kind of nice.

Though it's a little weird to be the only one of me around!

Well, I'm glad to hear you're just a copy. Life here in Mictlān can't be easy for you, being so weak.

But as long as the original Captain Nemo is around, you can always come back to life.

That's an excellent means of survival.

Yeah, you're right. So I don't mind being weak.

As long as the other Marines are still around, I'm sure everyone'll remember me even if I disappear☆

(That color... He was lying...)

Though, to be honest, protecting Fujimaru is way too big a job for me!

I wish I could fight like Captain! I mean, I'm a Chaldean Servant, too!

I don't know much about Servants, but there're a bunch of different kinds, right? Maybe you can't fight, but you have other skills.

So why don't you hide with Tepeu the next time there's a battle? Besides, I enjoy fighting anyway.

Hey, yeah! You're on the Earth-saving team with us now, aren't you?

Thanks again for protecting us, Madam President. If it helps, you've got my support.

...Hmph. Good. You'd better be grateful. When elections roll around, make sure to vote for me.

But...are you sure you should put so much trust in me? All I know about myself is my name.

What do you mean? That's exactly why I trust you. That's all you remember, and still you saved me.

Sure, you're kind of scary, foulmouthed, and you've got a short fuse, but you're also so responsible!

I really admire people who face what they can do and what they need to do head-on, even if it means they'll be the only ones having a hard time.

So I'm glad you're sticking with us.

It makes me want to follow your example☆ Though like I said, we Marines can't learn or grow!

...I see. Well, why not try your best anyway? I can help you if you need it.

Okay! I know I might just be a burden at this point, especially since I can't fight.

If nothing else, though, I'll make sure I don't slow you down! Thanks for all your support, Olga Marie!

？！

What? NOW you want to kill us?

What, because you're angry? That's nonsense. I knew you people had things all wrong.

？！

Getting so angry over a compatriot dying, grieving like that? It's absurd!

Ocelomeh would never do that.

Death is normal to us. Expected. We could never kill each other if that wasn't the case.

Killing is only permitted for us because we see all life as equal.

Oh really now? So you don't mourn your compatriots' deaths?

Of course not. If we cared so much for our compatriots, we would never be able to wage war.

But you people from Proper Human History are so caught up in mourning death, like it's your salvation or something.

Most intelligent beings would realize their enemies are just like them, and so wouldn't be able to kill them.

People who hold any care for others in their hearts don't wage wars. How could they?

But the truth is, that's not how you disgusting people of Proper Human History do things at all.

All that imagination and you can think of nothing but killing each other.

How can you explain away a contradiction like that? You people are fundamentally flawed, even before we start talking about things like good and evil.

Hmm. I can't argue with that. Original sin or not, humans certainly remain imperfect.

So what about you ocelomeh then? Are you truly jaguar warriors who know nothing of love or hate?

...Yes. We're nothing like you monsters from Proper Human History.

Our emotions are reserved for our god, Tezcatlipoca, and for him alone.

His joy is our joy. His grief is our grief. In the face of his anger, we can only tremble in fear.

No matter how many of us die, or how many of our enemies we kill, our god will rage or mourn as he chooses.

That is how war is meant to be waged. Otherwise, humans' very existence would be too sinful to suffer.

Is...is that your excuse for

Pathetic. Is that all you have to say for yourself?

Fine then. If you're so obsessed with gods, I'll kill you with my own two godly hands!

What!?

Ghh! Ahaaaaaaah!

Impossible! Tezcatlipoca himself chose this body! How could it fall apart like this!?

Our side is in the right! How could we lose to them!? What just world could possibly allow this!?

(Huff... Huff... Huff... Huff...)

...I'm sorry. I went too far there.

That was no way for the ruler of this planet to behave.

...So, Marine should be back soon, right?

He said there were a bunch of other Marines just like him.

...Right. He said that, as long as Nemo's alive, he should be able come back to life.

...I see. So that's what he told you.

Then we...don't need to grieve for him. We'll get to see him again real soon...

(So if it spares everyone sadness over him being gone, he'd rather they all forget him.)

(He always put everyone ahead of himself. That's why he had a smile on his face when he lied about coming back to life.)

(And to think, after all that, he still called himself weak...)

(Farewell, crybaby Marine.)

(You were a Servant all your own; you had as strong a heart as any Servant could ever hope for.)

...

...

...

？！

...As unfortunate as it is, I'm afraid this is the reality of our situation. Casualties are inevitable in times of war.

What happened to Marine is a shame. But for what it's worth, Izcalli's physical abilities are on par with a Servant.

He hid his presence expertly, and struck at the weakest member of our group.

But, that should have been me. Of this whole group, I'm the one least suited to combat.

Marine would never take part in a battle, anyway. Why would that man have done such a thing to a noncombatant?

Being deinos, you and Wak Chan are as strong as a typical Servant. You just have no real will to fight.

If you changed your mind and decided to defend the others, you would be a formidable obstacle.

On the other hand, Marine had the necessary will to fight, but lacked almost any capacity to actually do so.

In war, one of the most effective tactics is to attack those providing support from the rear, who are also least able to defend themselves.

Izcalli did exactly that, much like someone from Proper Human History would.

And the result is as we see. Marine is gone. All Chaldea's staff aboard the Border are

Hey, look! Fujimaru and Mash are here! Woohoo! Welcome back!

...

You're right! They've got dinosaurs with them, but I'm not gonna worry about that! Commander Goredooolf! Commander Goredooolf!

Keep it down, will you!? Do you WANT the ocelomeh to start attacking us agai

Hey! Heeey! It's you two! You're okay! You're really okay!

D-Director Goredolf? You're all okay?

Oh, right. I suppose this rather grisly sight must have given you the impression of quite a tragic end for us all.

But take a closer look. What seems to be our dead bodies is in truth no more than a bit of magecraft trickery.

Not to say we didn't come dangerously close to winding up exactly like that.

Fortunately, between our natural luck, good karma, and not a little quick thinking, we got out alive.

Then we barricaded ourselves in the Border's hangar, since its armor is heavy enough to stand up to even most Servants.

For the next few days, we fended off the ocelomeh's relentless assault.

And just when it seemed like we were about to run out of rations and starve to death, we heard a booming thunderclap outside the ship.

The Marines ran outside to see what had happened, and, well, here we are. I never dreamed you and Mash were responsible for it!

Well done getting rid of the ocelomeh, my boy! Once again, your experience as Master and Servant has paid off tremendously!

Not at all. I'm just glad to see you handled things so well!

Senpai and I have been out of our minds with worry ever since we heard you might have been under attack!

？！

Well, that will be because someone was kind enough to swoop in and save them when the ocelomeh had them surrounded.

A certain mysterious beauty who let herself into this Lostbelt as soon as she sensed humanity was in crisis...

...and raced through the jungle on her beloved motorcycle, arriving just in time to blow the ocelomeh away with her special ammunition.

That's right. This is the handiwork of one Tamamo Vitch Koyanskaya♡

W-wait! You're residents of this Lostthis world, yes!?

We are Chaldea, and we come in peace!

I-I'll admit that we haven't always been in a position to coexist with other Lostbelts thus far, but that isn't the case this time!

Our only objective here is to investigate a entity known as ORT!

We have no wish to fight you! We only want to engage in peaceful discussion!

...Hmm. So you still want to negotiate with us even after we've killed one of your men and taken some of your compatriots away?

Heartless. I like it.

You know how to weigh the lives of those under your command. That makes you a strong leader. Just like me.

(Don't you dare compare us! I'm just doing whatever I can to get Meunière to the infirmary as soon as possible!)

O-oh good. Then lower your guns, will you? As you can see, we are unarmed.

And we can't have a proper discussion at gunpoi

But, you're still a blond outsider. So die before you learn anything more of our world.

What was that!?

I-it's you!

Long time no see, Your Excellency♡

Luckily for you, I, Koyanskaya of Light, sensed Chaldea's crisis and came to provide my services☆

Huh? What? Don't look at me like that! I got here as fast as I possibly could, you know.

Tch, another Servant! Never mind her for now! Kill the humans first!

My, my, I see Tezcatlipoca trained you soldiers well. But...

It seems he didn't provide you with much of a variety of modern weaponry. I'm surprised you don't have even a single smoke grenade.

Wh-wh-what's the meaning of this!? Are you really Koyanskaya!? How do I know we can trust you not to shoot us in the back!?

Save the questions for later. Right now, I think it would be best if you evacuated to the Border.

Thanks to these darling rabbit ears of mine, I'm already up to date on what's going on.

It's...unfortunate I couldn't rescue all of you.

...but on behalf of NFF Services, I'll make absolutely sure you don't suffer any more losses.

...And there you have it.

Koyanskaya once attacked Finis Chaldea, and has been an enemy of Novum Chaldea for a long time.

We eventually defeated her immature Beast form in Tunguska, thereby ending our long feud with her.

While the reasons for this evil beauty's sudden decision to save us will forever remain a mystery

Mystery? Every self-respecting Beast knows favors, however small, must be repaid.

That's the whole reason I became a Servant. I'm here to put you into debt and make money off you!

Is it truly so hard to believe my pride might lead me to assert dominance over you by ensuring you owe me at least twice as much as I owe you?

(Nodding as if to say "absolutely believable.")

Not sure I'd buy that, especially coming from a foxBeast, that is, who wants to return a favor...

So, now that we've covered your reasons, how are you actually gonna go about doing that?

Maybe you have the ability to manifest somewhere on your own, but you still shouldn't have been able to show up here at this time without some sort of connection.

So what the heck did you use to let yourself manifest here?

What did I use? Why, that would of course be

(Ah.)

？！

Hm? Why are you looking at me like that? Yes, my inside jacket pocket's a bit warm, for some reason, but

Haha, yeah.. Ahem. Nothing to see here. Nope. Nothing at all. Now quit staring, will you?

But Commander Goredolf, your right pectoral is glowing bright red.

A laser pointer, maybe? Nothing you need to concern yourself with.

？！

Wh-wh-wh...

Why you...you...you...

Aaarrrgh! You stupid, stupid thiiing!

Oh! I just remembered Sion mentioned something about this!

She said the lipstick you threw to the floor back then never showed up in the trash can!

Ghh! Yes, that's right! I snuck back and grabbed it later!

You might think it foolish of me! Believe me, I do, too! But it just didn't feel right to throw it away simply because it had been a trap!

One day, you two will understand wanting to hold on to something that turned out to be part of a trap, because you still remember how happy you felt falling for it!

Or how it feels to have an object remind you of when you were popular with the ladies! Now please, just leave it at that!

？！

Indeed. If you hadn't held on to that lipstick, Your Excellency...

...I would still be dozing off in the Tunguska woods, blissfully unaware Chaldea was in danger.

So, now do you understand how and why I'm here?

...Yes, well, in many ways, I'm just as responsible for the attack on Finis Chaldea.

And eventually, I'll need to make amends for that.

But right now, we still have an emergency to deal with, and we need all hands on deck, whoever they might belong to!

So, while I understand you may have difficulty trusting such a shady Servant, I hope you can give her a chance!

？！

Hm? What do you mean?

Hello, Mr. Goredolf. I believe this is our first time speaking to each other since Chaldea Base.

Allow me to come right to the point. I've agreed to join Fujimaru on his adventure.

I look forward to working with you.

R-Rasputin!? Have you lost your mind, Fujimaru!?

I-I-I don't know what kind of trap he's laid for you this time, but you WANT him to join us!?

Hahahaha. I hope you're not truly ready to begin doubting Fujimaru's sanity just yet.

For you see...

...

...he's also recruited a much bigger, and far more wonderful guest than myself.

U... U-Olga Mariiie!?!?!?

Nnnghhh... Nnnnnnggghhhhhh!

...

What in the world were you two thinking, bringing our greatest adversary along with you!?

Rasputin I can understand. Truth be told, I always thought he was the most reasonable of the Foreign God's Disciples.

But U-Olga Marie, of all beings!? Don't you know what she

？！

...Amnesia?

So you say she only remembers her name, and having come here from outer space?

And that as long as we don't tell her she's the Foreign God, we might be able to reconcile with her? Peacefully?

That's preposterous!

I don't care how many times she's helped you so far!

I will never accept help from her! I don't trust her, and I have zero desire to befriend her!

Sure, we might be able to avoid jogging her memory at the moment...

...but note that I WILL be taking all appropriate measures against her! Understood!?

(Don't say "Foreign God"... Don't say "Foreign God"... DON'T say "Foreign God"...)

...And that's everything that's happened to us since we arrived, Director Goredolf.

At the moment, Tepeu is touring the Border, and Wak Chan is outside resting up.

I see. Normally, I would congratulate you on a job well done...but as you can see, things are in shambles here.

First of all, the Storm Border is wrecked.

A mysterious armed militia abducted Da Vinci, Sion, Kadoc, and Captain Nemo.

At present, only nine of Chaldea's staff are at the Border, myself included...

...as well as fifteen members of the Nemo Series, which are now acting independently.

These include eleven Marines, Nurse, Baker, Professor, and Engineer.

Finally, we have Koyanskaya and Nitocris, who is slowly recovering from nearly fatal injuries...

...for a total of twenty-six personnel in all.

Until now, we weren't able to use either the Command Room or the infirmary, since we were holed up in the hangar...

...but thanks to you, we can now.

Of course, even that doesn't do us much good, since we still don't have the power restored.

？！

...What? You think I got the count wrong? I didn't. That's still twelve kinds of beings, right?

Wait. Were you counting the whole Nemo Series as a single person, U-Olga Marie?

Of course. I mean, they're all the same Spirit Origin, right?

So I saw them all as being part of a single Servant.

...Though I don't see them that way now.

Anyway, more importantly: What's the meaning of this, Fujimaru and Mash? This isn't like what you told me at all.

I had the impression Chaldea was an organization dedicated to saving Earth, which is why I agreed to help.

So what's with that guy? Why's he so obviously hostile to me?

Does this mean Earthlings are too stupid to recognize how great I am?

Look who's talking! You're the one who just declared yourself president of Earth! We will never rely on aliens for aid!

Besides, who do you think did this to the Storm Border in the first place!?

Huh? I don't understand. You're aware I rule this planet, but you're openly defying me? That makes no sense.

More importantly, I can't let what you said about the Storm Border pass!

Who DID do this to your ship!? Tell me who it was, and I'll get them back for it!

(I-is she serious!? Guuuh, what should I do!?)

Young Miss, given Commander Goredolf's position, we can hardly blame him for being wary of us, since we did join their journey only recently.

Perhaps assistance offered in good faith would help win his trust.

(Oho! Well said, Father Kotomine! How nice having those devilish oratory skills on our side for once!)

Hmph. My presence alone should be more than enough to warrant his trust.

But, okay, I'll take your advice. So? What exactly did you have in mind?

I passed by the infirmary on my way here...

...and couldn't help but notice a member of your staff in dire need of treatment, Commander Goredolf.

Huh!? You mean...you can help him? Can you actually save his life!?

I can't say anything for sure without taking a closer look, but I have faith in the Lord.

？！

Um, did somebody get injured? You didn't mention them earlier...

Y-yes, just one. I didn't mention it because the injury's so minor, you two didn't need to know.

All right, Father Kotomine! Hurry to the infirmary at once, and let's see what you can do!

...

Well!? Why aren't you moving!?

I am Lady U-Olga Marie's butler. I cannot work without her permission.

Ghh...! So that's your game, you damn wolf in priest's vestments!

Fine, you win! U-Olga Marie, I accept your help on behalf of Chaldea!

At this point, I'd make a deal with the devil himself if it would save the man in the infirmary!

Now please, get that wicked priest of yours to work!

Hm? I'm not sure what's going on, but you just want me to order him to help? Okay. Butler, do whatever you can to help the guy.

As you wish, Young Miss. I shall draw upon the power of one of the spirits within me...

Bahloo the Moon, the envoy of the night who once offered humans a chance at immortality.

I've done all I can for him.

But he was shot through the heart as well as the head. There was only so much my healing hands could

Gaaaaaah!

What the heck kinda Rasputin spirit medium treatment WAS that!? It hurt so much I thought I was gonna die!

Wait, no, I DID die! You know, using sheer pain to prod someone awake isn't the same as resurrection!

Meunière...!

？！

Huh? Whoa!? A group hug!? Wait, Fujimaru? Mash!?

You're back! But I knew you'd make it! I was never as worried about you as Chubs was!

Yes... We're here! It's so, so good to see you alive again!

Huh...? Oh, right. You must've heard about what happened here while you were gone.

Hey, c'mon, cheer up. It was my fault. I shouldn't've been so careless.

I forgot we were fighting a war on two fronts here: you in the field and us in the Command Room.

Now I know how all your narrow escapes from death feel.

Anyway, don't beat yourselves up for this. None of us want that.

？！

All of us on the staff have had the same goal since we were still at Finis Chaldea:

"Make sure the new guy who became a Master before learning left from right gets back safely."

That's always been what motivated us.

Oh, when I say "gets back," I don't mean to Chaldea Base. I mean to where you originally came from.

...Well, at first, it was just something the doctor always said. But eventually, it became everyone's goal.

And that goal's kept us going, even when the going got tough.

Back when the whole world was burning during the Incineration of Humanity, or when Chaldea Base was all that was left in Void Space...

...some of the staff got so bummed, we thought about giving up on everything.

But when we saw you and Mashtwo newcomersstanding strong in the Singularities, we realized we couldn't put it all on you.

And then, when you guys put an end to the Incineration of Humanity, we couldn't have been prouder.

That was when we decided that our job was always gonna be to support you and Mash, come hell or high water.

We didn't always get along. Plenty of differences in our experiences, cultures, priorities for our job, even rivalries between factions within the Mage's Association.

But these days, we're all so proud of you two that we've ended up becoming great friends!

So please, don't feel bad just 'cause one of us got injured.

Not that I don't appreciate it!

But we really don't want you thinking you weren't strong enough, or agonizing about how you could've done better.

We're all doing the best we can, all the time.

Hehe, Meunière is right. The best thing you can give a recovered patient is a smile.

But for now, I think it'd be best if you got more rest. At least until your vitals are back to normal, okay?

Nurse! Oh man, you were watching over me this whole time!?

Of course. It's my job. I've been splitting my time between you and Nitocris about seventy-thirty, really.

Oh, and I'm the thirty, huh? Yeah, that tracks.

Fujimaru, Mash. The director wants to see you.

Please get to the Command Room as quickly as you can.

It's time to decide on our next mission objective!

Shortly after we entered the Seventh Lostbelt, we were attacked by a mysterious light and forced to make an emergency landing.

During that attack, Fujimaru and Mash fell out of the ship and have been operating on their own...

...but now, they have successfully rejoined our team here at the Storm Border. Well done, you two.

Unfortunately, in the time it took them to arrive, we encountered a mysterious armed militia called the ocelomeh, apparently led by a man named Izcalli.

They were also joined by an unidentified arms dealer who Izcalli called "Tezcatlipoca."

...Truth be told, we can't determine at this point whether he truly is the god Tezcatlipoca from Aztec mythology.

However! Whoever he is, we know he's our enemy, and an enemy of Proper Human History!

And in another unfortunate turn of events, the enemy forces have abducted key members of our team!

So, our next mission's team will consist of Master Fujimaru, field op Mash Kyrielight, Habetrot...

...and our newly acquired local allies Tepeu, the ForU-Olga Marie, Rasputin, and Koyanskaya.

Your mission is to rescue the personnel who were abducted from Chaldea.

Now go get Da Vinci, Sion, Kadoc, and Nemo!

Your destination is the ocelomeh's capital, México City!

Why, there's nothing weird about it. Who do you think I am? I was always interested in the Meluastea Department back at the Clock Tower.

Mictlān, deinos, ocelomeh: I'm fully aware of all the current goings-on here in this Lostbelt.

He is, because I gave him a lecture while we were besieged. At a special additional cost, of course♡

Oh my. You must have paid through the nose for that.

If only you'd waited for us to arrive, we would have filled you in for free.

Khh! Yes, that's right! Koyanskaya had me and my wallet in her clutches yet again!

？！

All right, I understand the new mission parameters. Will you all be evacuating to Chichén Itzá then?

No, we'll stay here and work on repairing the Border. In fact, I just negotiated a guard detail with Wak Chan earlier.

You want me to guard the flying boulder? Hmm. Hmmm...

Okay, I'll do it! I mean, I'd rather go along with Olga if I could.

But I'm also kind of pissed that I just stood back and let them kill your friend...

So if you just need someone to keep ocelomeh away, I'm your guy! Go on and rescue your friends!

The deinos are great. They're all so rational, and best of all, I love how they're all herbivores.

I'm ashamed I was ever afraid of them just because they look scary. If our technical advisor was still here, she would have been jumping for joy to meet them.

I agree. I'm sure Da Vinci would have been very happy to befriend the deinos.

Hmm. What about Nitocris? Is she still unable to fight?

She is. That's why I had to refuse her offer to accompany Fujimaru.

She's only just gotten back on her feet. It's still much too soon to let her fight.

But I'm not worried. This time, we have Koyanskaya, the Mad Monk Rasputin, and you-know-who.

In terms of sheer Servantpower, I daresay we're stronger than we've ever been! Hahahaha!

You heard His Excellency. Are you prepared to fight?

Oh, I guess you didn't hear, Koyanskaya. I'm on the medical team. I can't help you with combat.

But you needn't worry. Someone far, far more dependable than me will be joining you.

I will be leaving all matters related to combat in her capable hands so I may focus on everyone's mental health.

Oh my, how lovely♡ Of course, I'd sooner die than accept any therapy you have to offer♡

Hahaha, I can't speak to how he is as Rasputin, but Father Kotomine was a very well-respected member of the Holy Church.

I expect he'll do a great deal to lighten the mood with his witty banter should you find yourselves in a tight spot. He certainly did so for me while we made our way to Chaldea.

？！

Oh yes, one more thing. Do you have any idea where Fou might be?

I thought he would be taking up space on the Storm Border like always, but I haven't sensed him anywhere.

Wasn't he with you, Kyrielight?

No, we haven't seen any sign of him. I just assumed he was still on the Border...

(...Ahh, I see. That little mongrel wants to stay far away from anything connected to ORT.)

(I thought this would be a good chance to take his resources for myself, but he must have sensed me first and made himself scarce.)

(Well, the next time I find him, I'll have to step on him extra hard as payback for Tunguska.)

Oh, don't you worry. I'm sure Fou is out on the surface having the time of his life chasing after tumbleweeds or something.

I'm sure he'll come traipsing back like nothing happened once you've excised the Seventh Lostbelt♡

Wow, genius! I can't believe how well you've mastered all our tools, Tepeu.

Okay, please make sure you give Captain that medicine and spell designed to reinforce his Spirit Origin as soon as you find him.

Take care, Tepeu! We're counting on you to help the Captain!

Oh yes, I understand how to handle magecraft now. I'll do my very best to save Captain Nemo.

...

...You don't seem too thrilled about this. Your green waves were clear and pure, but now I see ripples in them.

Are you opposed to going to México City? They do say it's the ocelomeh's capital.

No, I have no objections to Fujimaru's plan to rescue his compatriots. It's entirely reasonable.

Though I am a bit worried about having to cross the second underworld.

Then what's got you down?

...Good question.

Marine was right. These other Marines are just like him.

It reminds me a lot of deinos. Even when an individual is lost, the species remains intact.

It's the same with the Marines. They haven't been lost; they still continue to exist.

And yet...I still mourn his loss.

He'll never hit me with his little fists again.

...

？！

Oh yes, Professor has been sharing her knowledge with me. I also know about your mission.

You're going to México City to rescue your compatriots, yes? I may not be much help, but I'd be happy to guide you there.

What about you, U-Olga Marie?

Now that Fujimaru and Mash have safely made it to the Border, your initial objective has been fulfilled.

Good question... That Goredolf human does get on my nerves, for some reason...

？！

Heh. Yeah, okay! You obviously still need my power!

Of course I'll help rescue your friends! I'm practically U-Olga Marie of Chaldea now!

Now, let's get this rescue operation back on track! Next stop, México City in the fifth stratum!

When I'm through with it, those ocelotl bastards'll think their capital was hit by the mother of all natural disasters!