Life in Chichén Itzá (II)

Welcome, Chaldeans! Everyone here at Chichén Itzá is thrilled to have you!

I know you're here for personal reasons, and that you don't mean any of those living in Mictlān any harm.

How do I know that? Well, I've been listening in on you all from the start, of course.

Hear that? These people are not our enemies. I, Kukulcan, the Teachings of the Sun, declare that all deinos should treat them as friends.

So it's like that. Guess I've got even more dead weight to carry now.

Vucub, issue a decree permitting deinos to discuss Proper Human History with the Chaldeans.

Write it to say that they are a friendly species, and are far more like deinos than ocelomeh.

...W-with all due respect, these...people are obviously ocelomeh in all the ways that matter.

I would go so far as to say they are even worse.

They're obviously of the same species as the Crypter who has brought his wicked culture here in Mictlān.

Yes, they are the same species as the Crypter. They know about all kinds of civilizations and plenty of other naughty things.

But, it's also not fair for México City to receive the benefits of foreign culture while Chichén Itzá goes without, right?

I'm sure the deinos will take this opportunity to learn, and not just about the good things, but the bad as well.

It's okay, Vucub. Deinos are smart. They're not about to change their entire way of life over this.

Chaldea's values can just be a cherry on top, so to speak. This may be the most exciting development for them since corn on the cob.

...Very well, Lady Kukulcan. I shall do as you say.

...Hmph.

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Er, ahem! May I say something now!?

Oh, right. You're Chaldea's representative. Fine. Keep it quick.

V-very well. First of all, I want to thank you for your hospitality.

Though Proper Human History and Lostbelts are generally at odds, right now, we share a common enemy in Tezcatlip

I'm as uninterested in your justifications as I am in your flattery. I told you, be quick.

Even had the ocelomeh never appeared, we still would not see Proper Human History as our enemy.

That irritating woman called you friends. That's good enough for the deinos.

Now, what do you need?

I can see clearly that your ship's a complete wreck. Sorry our resident god doesn't know how brutishly strong she is.

I'm guessing her rough handling left some of your crew pretty banged-up.

You may use the human medical instruments I had made for me. If you need more, I'll have the priests increase production.

R-really? I mean, now that you mention it, you do look human yourself, but...

Well, for one thing, may I ask exactly what sort of relationship you have with Tezcatlipoca?

Because from where we stand, both the Tezcatlipoca of México City, and you, Tezcatlipoca the King of Dinosaurs...

...would seem to be the same god from Proper Human History...

Nothing to worry about there. Yeah, we're both Tezcatlipoca, but that doesn't make us friends.

Gods have multiple aspects. Ours just happen to exist separately.

You're a mage; you should understand what I'm getting at.

(...Does that mean he's a different Tezcatlipoca from the one Daybit summoned? A Rogue Servant, perhaps?)

(It is said that Tezcatlipoca had multiple divinities, so I suppose his story would make sense if he was one of them...)

What else? Can you repair your ship yourselves?

O-oh, yes, we can! But we could certainly use more helping hands and materials! Do you have any you can spare!?

Ha, you liked that one, didn't you!? You must be a terrible poker player!

You do realize the commander of an army shouldn't just leap at the first feast offered to them, right?

Ah, I don't mind seeing people so desperate. Especially guys like you who usually do all they can to hide how they feel.

Tepeu is with you, right? All right. I'll lend you some deinos and he can serve as your go-between.

You should ask the deinos for help with the materials you need, too. You'll finish a lot faster that way.

From Proper Human History's perspective, Mictlān's a damn treasure trove of resources. You won't have any trouble finding whatever you need here.

Hm. I-I see. Thank you once again, King of Dinosaurs.

...So, um, how much are we going to have to pay? You're, um, not going to demand we offer one of us as a sacrifice, are you?

(Why are they laughing!? Is it because I nailed it!? Their culture is so different, I just can't tell at all!)

What do you think, King? Should we take him up on his offer and sacrifice one of them?

What, you visit México City once and now you've gone full carnivore?

Fine, fine. Liver's an acquired taste, but it's still great. I prefer my meat raw, but since you're just starting out, you should cook yours.

You getting the runs would make for a legend that spread through Mictlān like wildfire.

Imagine it: the mighty Kukulcan, holed up in the bathroom for hours on end, her vulgarity on full display.

That's never going to happen because I'm never going to eat any meat! Besides, the sun would never hide, no!

No self-respecting god would block off a cave with a boulder so she could hide in it for purely personal reasons!

？！

I appreciate the offer, Goredolf, but we don't need a sacrifice.

We're not making a deal. We're just helping you the way anyone in Mictlān would.

So please, don't be afraid to ask the deinos to help with whatever they can.

Yeah. If you people really want to repay our hospitality...

...the best thing you can do is fix your ship and get it out of Chichén Itzá as soon as possible.

We don't need you fighting the Crypter anywhere near here. Cleaning this place up after a battle would be a major hassle.

All right, we're done here, yeah? We've exchanged pleasantries and everything, so go back to your crew.

I never waste time. You've got to make sure your memories are as meaningful as they can be.

Aww, you're so earnest, King! All right then, I'll let you handle the Solar Sojourn on your own.

...So you're going with Chaldea? Well, that's fine. Suit yourself.

Besides, you being here wouldn't make my job any easier. At least this way, you'll be out of my hair.

Thanks for signing off, King☆

Okay, Goredolf, Fujimaru, let's get back to the Border.

That's where we'll find Mash, the president, Kadoc, Da Vinci, Sion, and a few other Servants, right?

Ooh, this is going to be fun! I can't wait to speak to them in person!

Oh, you're back. How did your audience with the King of Dinosaurs go?

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That's great news. Now we can finally catch our breath.

Though, having said that...we do still have a ton of work ahead.

I've been going through the reports of your activity since we arrived...

...and there's just way too much about this place that doesn't make sense.

This Lostbelt's prime species, the deinos...Kukulcan, the god they worship, and the only one to exist in all of Mictlān...

And then there's the Tezcatlipoca who attacked the Storm Border.

Chichén Itzá's King of Dinosaurs says he's Tezcatlipoca too...

...but we can set that aside for now.

Yes, he's Tezcatlipoca as well, but he's also pretty clearly not our enemy.

No, our problem here is Daybit and the Tezcatlipoca who is his Servant.

There's also the ocelomeh, who believe in the Aztec mythology Daybit and Tezcatlipoca have been spreading, and México City, where they all live.

Apparently, ORT is going to put in an appearance there sometime in the near future. On top of all that, the Storm Border still needs extensive repairs, and then...

...

Is something wrong, Young Miss? You look as though this entire world displeases you.

Now that Fujimaru and Commander Goredolf have returned from the altar...

...shouldn't you, their ruler, offer a word of encouragement?

Yes, but there's no reason I need to do it now, right? They don't seem injured or anything.

...Then what about making a presidential declaration to the rest of Chaldea's staff?

I recall you very much looking forward to that. Watching from a distance simply doesn't seem like you.

Have you had a change of heart, perhaps? For instance...

...do you now clearly remember who you really are?

A-and what if I do!?

It doesn't matter! I'm still not so much as a single AU closer to remembering anything about myself!

I see. A pity. But if that is true, you should have no difficulty joining the conversation.

Are you sure you don't want to give a rousing campaign speech?

I grant you that Kukulcan has taken over the coveted position of most powerful fighter. I understand your reluctance, as that position is your entire purpose in life.

It's not a competition. Now shut up.

...And then there's the problem of what to do about those twoU-Olga Marie and Rasputin.

Honestly, I have no idea how to act around them.

(Rasputin in particular I can't ever forgive, but setting that aside for now...)

She may have lost her memories, but U-Olga Marie is still the Foreign God.

In the endor really, from start to finish, she's the clearest enemy we've got.

With Holmes gone for the time being, it's my job to serve as both technical and administrative advisor.

And speaking in both capacities, I just don't think we can trust her lightlyor at least, we shouldn't consider her a dependable fighter.

As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter how many times she's helped you so far, or even that she saved us in México City.

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Essentially, yes. Believe me, I wish we could rely on her, but...

(Holmes was always the one who handled these kinds of tricky situations before. Without him here...)

Um, so what about Koyanskaya then?

Oh, she's fine. We don't have to worry about her.

Trismegistus II already concluded that she's definitely a Servant on Chaldea'sthat is, humanity's side.

Anyway, for the time being, the rest of the staff is inside the Storm Border recuperating from the shake

I mean, the shock, of being shaken around like crazy when Kukulcan schlepped the Border here.

That includes Meunière, too. As a result, we fortunately haven't been able to take a vote on U-Olga Marie yet.

I'll explain the situation to everyone once they've recovered from the motion sickness.

When I do, if even one of them feels like they can't accept her being here, then I plan to respect that.

Are you two okay with that?

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...I understand.

If you think we need unanimous approval, I have no problem with that.

Well, if you're all okay with that, then I have no objections, either.

Regardless of who that so-called President of Earth truly is, the fact remains that she looks just like Olga Marie.

I wasn't around for the Finis Chaldea days, so I can't imagine how the staff who were must feel about this.

So, it would be foolish of me to use my authority to shut them down on the grounds that we need all the help we can get right now.

So if any staff on the Border, starting with Meunière, say they refuse to accept U-Olga Marie's help, then that will be the end of it as far as I'm concerned.

Having said that...

Meunière, Tomlin, Octavia, Chin, Cayenne, Elron, Kawata, and Marcus!

Every single one of them is a veteran of Chaldea. They've all been through hell and lived to tell the tale!

So, while they may not be thrilled, I am confident they won't think twice about bringing an old enemy or two into the fold!

？！

Excuse me. Are you finished with your discussion?

I'm sorry to interrupt. I was keeping my distance since it seemed like you were dealing with a number of interpersonal issues...

...but I felt like I needed to speak up before the deinos behind me started getting out of hand.

Good day, Chaldeans. You must be Da Vinci, yes?

I'm Tepeu. I met Mash and Fujimaru in the first stratum, and I've been accompanying them ever since.

And these deinos here behind me are

That's right! It's us!

Your dependable, locally sourced labor!

The Deinonychus Brothers 11!

Death Rolling! What are you all doing here? Are you out on a run!?

No, Big Sis Mash. This isn't about xokta practice.

Master Tepeu asked us to come help repair your ship.

O-oh, I see. Thank you.

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Hehe, right? Real talk, we've never carried anything heavier than a xokta ball before, but we'll manage!

That they will. Because I will be managing them.

The Deinonychus Brothers are all very fast runners, so I'm going to have them secure and transport resources.

We'll make sure you have all the materials you need so that you can simply focus on making repairs to your

Um, hello? Is something wrong? Are you not getting enough sunlight?

...

Technical Administrative Advisor? What's wrong? You look like you've just seen a ghost.

...saurs. ...saurs... Dinosaurs...

Eeeeee! Dinosauuurs! Real-life dinosaurs! What an explosion! What artistic masterpieces!

I can't believe it! The deinos really are dinosaurs! This is incredible! I WANNA TOUCH 'EM!

!?!?!?

Ahem. Sorry 'bout that. I only just woke up, so I'm still a little wonky.

I'm Leonardo da Vinci, Chaldea's resident engineer.

And you must be Tepeu, the deinos who's been helping Fujimaru and Mash. Pleasure to meet you.

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The pleasure's all mine. Now, on the subject of repairing your ship, I'm afraid we can't be of much direct aid since we don't understand the ship or its construction.

But, if you tell us what resources you require for these repairs, we can gather them easily enough.

You're also very welcome to stay at my house if any of you wish to spend a night in the city.

You are our guests, and we are very happy to give you whatever welcome we can.

No way! That's awesome! I definitely want to check out the big deinos city!

Oh, but, uh...only to increase my understanding of the Lostbelt. Yeah. That's...yeah. We need to know everything we can about Mictlān's history and culture. Yep!

So if it's no trouble...

Not at all. I would be thrilled to have your company.

Having the opportunity to talk to a sage of Proper Human History is a genuine miracle, after all.

...Oh, right. There's something else we need to do first.

I'm sure you need at least a few days to finish your repairs.

So you need to secure your own safety by eliminating the carnivorous insects and other beasts in the area.

Oho. Carnivorous insects, eh? Just hearing that makes me want to pack up and go home. I feel it in my bones.

Fujimaru, Mash.

Nitocris and Nemo are still recovering, so I want you two to handle this yourselves.

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That won't be a problem. We've encountered these creatures several times already.

Come on, Master. The two of us alone should be able toHm? Kukulcan?

What? You're gonna go chase off all the beasties that might bother you, right?

So, I'm coming with.

I set this ship down here to begin with. Plus, I've been wanting to see how you guys fight.

Etiquette isn't my strong suit, but I hope you don't mind if I fight alongside your heroes of Proper Human History regardless.

Okay, some of you I'm meeting for the first time, so let me introduce myself.

My name's Leonardo da Vinci. I'm Chaldea's technical and administrative advi

Eh, you can just think of me as a peerless genius who can do anything she sets her mind to!

I'm Nitocris, a Caster Servant.

I'm told you're the deinos who guarded the Border while I was recovering. For that, you have my thanks.

I was once pharaoh, though briefly.

As such, I always repay my debts in full.

Huh? What're you talking about? All I did was chase off a few ocelomeh.

Everything is such a big deal to you guys. Worry less, or you'll just wear yourselves out.

Hehe. I see you are as strong of body as you are of heart, Warrior Wak Chan. You're an admirably altruistic deinos.

Y-you think? What's an "ultra is stick"?

I guess I will go next then. I am Sion Eltnam Sokaris, one of Chaldea's allies.

Thank you for rescuing us from those altars. I really appreciate it.

Tezcatlipoca gave us some...questionable herbs which put us to sleep, so I do not recall what happened...

...but it sounds like you went through quite the ordeal there. You will have to tell me all about it later!

Huh? Is this all there is? Where's everyone else?

The Nemos are staying with the Border, since it's built on top of the Nautilus.

Captain Nemo simply moving away is enough to dramatically decrease its functionality.

So he's staying behind to help get the Border back up and running as soon as humanly possible.

And the staff members' rooms are all still intact, so they said they'd prefer to rest there.

As for Commander Goredolf...

Chichén Itzá... The city of deinos, eh? Normally, I would only let the field operatives go somewhere like that.

But I can see you have your heart set on this regardless. Okay, you have my permission.

Me? Of course not! I'd never set foot anywhere so dangerous if I could possibly help it!

You've seen Wak Chan yourself, right!? He may be nice and understanding, but his abilities are terrifying!

Remember when he just casually swiped his tail to shoo off some insects and knocked down a tree that was over TEN METERS tall!?

This city of deinos may as well be a city of giants! Going there as a tourist is practically a death sentence!

Suffice to say, I'm not setting one foot outside the Border. My personal room and the Command Room may both be under repair at the moment...

...but fortunately, I'm already used to using the hangar as my temporary personal room. At this point, I'll gladly take working air-conditioning over almost anything else.

I know what you mean. The heat here in Mictlān's been ridiculous.

Just standing out in the jungle is enough to make me miss Russia's weather.

I don't know how Fujimaru and Mash handle it.

You're telling me. I read their report on the Sixth Singularity...

...and I suppose they weren't exaggerating about the heat in Jerusalem.

It wasn't even this hot back when I attended the Dakar Rally (as a spectator)!

Hm? Hang on. You're staying on the Border too, Kadoc? You do know you don't have a room here, right?

Yeah, I know. My cell's pretty much gone after the whole crash thing.

But Fujimaru said I could stay in his room as long as I liked in the meantime.

Although... I've heard of having an iron will, but I wonder if she doesn't take it to new heights.

Then again, maybe they just don't think much of putting someone of the opposite sex up in your room back where she comes from.

Oh, so you two are staying on the Border? Then I think I'll set up camp here as well.

We may have gotten rid of the nearby hostile wildlife, but there's no telling when more ocelomeh may try to attack.

And since I'm a Chaldean Servant, it's only right that I do my part to ensure you all stay safe and healthy.

So the next time the ocelomeh show up, I'll pass outI mean, confiscate their guns and make sure they can't bother you again♡

(I can't believe her! She's totally going to collect the weapons she gave them and act like nothing happened!)

He said...that, um, it is the commander's job to stay behind and keep the Border safe! Yeah, let's leave it at that!

That's a good plan. The Border's armor looks pretty tough, but there's no telling what might happen at night.

I think they'll be safer in the Border than here in Chichén Itzá.

Anyway, that went on longer than I planned, especially for a pre-dinner greeting, but I'm done now.

You spent all day getting rid of dangerous wildlife, so I'd like you to just eat and get some sleep for tomorrow.

Oh, before you go to bed, is there anything you wanted to ask about, Fujimaru?

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Hm?

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Huh? You mean I didn't tell you?

Who has more authority...? So you want to know the chain of command? Yes, that is rather fuzzy.

Well, I could tell you who's stronger. But who has more authority... I'm not really sure.

The King of Dinosaurs is in charge of all things having to do with deinos society. His decisions for Chichén Itzá take priority.

I'm more of a representative of order in Mictlān as a whole. You could even call me a translator of sorts.

Really? Because I read the records of what happened at the sacrificial altars, and it says you referred to yourself as Mictlān's creator.

Oh, that? That was more of a spur-of-the-moment thing... I kind of just wanted to make myself look good in front of that bastard with the sunglasses.

Besides, Mictlān is basically all made up of Earth resources, so if anything, I'm kind of an outsider here...

Hmmm... Oh, I know!

I really just kind of...exist. Nobody asks anything of me, and I don't ask anything of anybody.

I've heard that's what the gods of Proper Human History are like... Is that not the case?

No, that's right. The more transcendent a god's power, the less involved they are with human society.

That's what a god should be likea being whose main purpose is to make people think that they exist.

Natural phenomena aren't inherently good or evil. It was humans' job to decide which alignment a particular phenomenon fell under.

So, does this mean that you're the deification of order in Mictlān as the deinos imagine it?

Yes, I think that's right. Though I couldn't tell you who first imagined that.

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'Cause I wanted to!

I mean, uh, no, of course it wasn't anything as simple as that. I'm dressed like this 'cause it's...um...

A disguise! Yeah, it's a disguise!

I copied an outfit in the style of Proper Human History so I could blend in better while I was in México City!

I see. A wise decision, as I would expect from you, Kukulcan. However, this is Chichén Itzá, not México City.

So why not take that outfit off now? Besides, you never wore any clothing before.

Yeah. You must be hot with all that cloth covering you, right? How come you're not just going nude, Lady Kukulcan?

Wow, impressive.

N-nuuude!?

That would seem to make a great deal of sense for a god of the deinos. What do you think, Fujimaru?

Don't be ridiculous, Sion! Kukulcan, please, just keep wearing what you're wearing!

I-it's, um, very punk! I mean rock! And desperado!

Yes, of course! Though I do get the sense "desperado" isn't entirely complimentary!

...Okay. Now that we've all settled down, let's talk about our schedule from tomorrow on.

Our main focus is still repairing the Storm Border, but to do that, we'll need to split up into two groups: one for procuring resources, and one for making the repairs.

Mash, I'd like you to assist Sion with looking over the computer room.

Fujimaru, I'd like you to join the resource team and help collect the materials we need.

If you need to go to the jungle, take Nitocris for protection. If you're going around Chichén Itzá, then Wak Chan will guard you instea

Sorry, I can't! I got some important business to take care of!

Oh, okay. Sorry about that. In that case... Hehehe.

Guess I have no choice but to take on the task of guarding you when we go shopping in Chichén Itzá! Damn! What a pain that will be!

...If it's just the two of you, then you'll probably need a guide. I'd be happy to fulfill that role. You need only ask.

Chichén Itzá is a peaceful city, but you still never know what might happen.

Thanks, Tepeu! You're a great help. You know, I still have a lot of things I want to talk to you about.

Okay then, everyone off to bed! We've got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow!

？！

Hmm. That sounds a lot like the lucid dreams Masters sometimes have as a result of synchronizing their minds with their Servants.

The voice in the dream said it was the Carboniferous period, right? Then you must have been seeing a Paleozoic-era Earth.

The Devonian period, Carboniferous period, and Permian period marked the end of the Paleozoic era.

The Mesozoic's era of dinosaurs began when the Paleozoic era came to an end.

Do you know why all the Paleozoic era creatures died out, Fujimaru?

？！

Yup, exactly. And the biggest of the "Big Five" is an event that took place at the end of the Permian period.

In the case of other mass-extinction events, we know exactly what happened. The cause of this third one, though, is still unclear.

Some people believe it happened because of simultaneous volcanic eruptions; others say meteor impacts; still others blame temperature increases from the sudden release of methane from the ocean bottoms.

If that mass extinction hadn't happened, life on this planet would probably have evolved very differently from what it is now.

After that event, the Mesozoic era, when the dinosaurs reigned supreme, lasted for one hundred and eighty million years...

...followed by the Cenozoic era, which began sixty-six million years ago and is still going strong.

However, no Heroic Spirit could possibly have memories of that time.

Well, um, I guess there might be an exception or two who happened to be around in the Precambrian era...

But as a general rule, human Heroic Spirits, by definition, all lived during the Cenozoic era.

The only being who could have possibly showed you anything like that is what the magecraft world calls an Archetype.

They're essentially like the planet's brain or memory.

？！

I must say, Proper Human History tableware is wonderful. I'm especially fond of this cup.

We use tableware too, but we've never made so many varieties for different purposes.

Oho, I see. So you call this a watering can? Interesting. Would you mind if I kept one as a sample?

I can't wait to show this to our resident artisans. I bet they'll be so impressed they'll begin mass production in no time.

I can see it now...a brand-new type of cup made just for deinos. We can call it "Drinky-no-Spilly." It's going to be a huge hit.

(Oh. That's the watering can Mash brought back from the Border last night...)

That's not really how watering cans are meant to be used... But, I guess it's fine.

I guess even with all their advanced knowledge, deinos don't bother with what they deem unessential.

But I can see you're not like the rest of them, Tepeu. You're extremely curious, aren't you?

You really have the spirit of an adventurer. It means you've never forgotten what it's like to be a kid!

Y-you think so, Da Vinci? Tepeu seems like one of the most mature people I've met, personally...

If you mean that I haven't matured mentally from a certain point in my life, then you may well be right.

I've never been good at simply accepting things around me as they are without first giving them some thought.

As I've told you before, Mash, I never quite fit in with deinos society, which is why I went off to live on my own.

Perhaps my thoughts are closer to people from Proper Human History than they are to my fellow deinos.

At any rate, it's almost time for the sun to begin moving away from its altar, so we should begin repairing the Border.

Just to be sure, may I ask you all what your immediate schedules are like?

Of course. I'm going to go help Sion in the Border's computer room.

Habetrot is currently in her base form recharging her magical energy at the Border.

I'm going to look around Chichén Itzá with you, Tepeu! I heard you can get all kinds of rare ore around here!

And I'm going to be Fujimaru's escort.

Also, Nemo Baker asked me to get some ingredients for rations from the jungle.

Do you need a guide? The jungle's practically my backyard, so I know it really well.

...

？！

Hraaaaaah!

Oh good, I made it! Sorry about the busted wall! Guess it's a little late for that now though, huh!?

Anyway, I hope you can forgive me! After all...

...I came here on a mission!

U-O! Come with me! There's a place I wanna show you! I just know you're gonna love it!

...Oh, right. You mentioned that yesterday, didn't you?

Something about it being the kind of place only powerful deinos could make, that weak ocelomeh never could.

All right, let's see this place! It sounds much more interesting than fixing a ship!

...So, there you have it, Fujimaru. I already have plans. Too bad.

？！

You're here already, huh? We only just figured out what everyone's gonna work on.

For some reason, the deinos keep coming up and talking my ear off.

They're all really inquisitive and friendly, so there hasn't been any trouble. I'm just...not really sure how to handle them.

Tepeu, if they're just here to gawk at us, I'd rather you had them keep their distance.

I understand. This IS fairly unusual for deinos. It must be because of the King of Dinosaurs' decree.

？！

Yes. I believe they've come to take a look for themselves now that they have permission to do so.

Hmm... I have an idea. Would you be willing to talk to them once you're done with work for the day?

I believe that should satisfy the deinos' curiosity.

What do you say, Mash? Fujimaru?

Are you sure you want us to be the ones to handle that?

I think it would be much more productive coming from you, or Sion, or Da Vinci...

No, I think you two are by far the best choice. Don't you agree, Kukulcan?

Yeah, I do.

These deinos want to hear about Proper Human History and Lostbelts from people who've actually lived in those worlds, not from academics.

Honestly, I've already heard stories about them myself, but it was so much fun, I kind of want to hear them again!

Hm?

So where're you gonna do this? I don't think this is a good spot. The other staff'd be too scare

Uh, I mean... The deinos make a pretty intimidating first impression, right? So, uh, I think the staff's gonna need some time to get used to them.

Good point. Why don't we have this get-together at the shrine then? I'll make sure the king agrees to it.

And thank you for choosing your words so carefully, Kadoc. I really appreciate it.

I-I was just telling the truth, that's all. Thanks for, uh, picking a place.

All right, we're off to the jungle to hunt beasts. We should look for animals without any toxins, yes?

Yeah. The Border's food reserves almost ran out while everyone was barricaded inside.

Seems like it was so bad that Baker apparently started stirring an empty pot just to feel like she was doing something.

So yeah, we definitely need to replenish our meat supply. If you can find fruits or spices too, even better.

Then we should try the area near the Ka'an ruins. The trees there should have plenty of what you're looking for.

Come on, Nitocris, Fujimaru, let's go.

Oh, but watch out. Mictlān turkeys aren't to be trifled with.

If you aren't careful, they might end up eating you instead.

That was...horrific...

What possible reason could there be for those creatures to sound like that!? I've never heard anything so awful!

Their cries were heavy with regret, remorse, lingering attachment, and unadulterated shame! It felt as though they were fervently blaspheming against every living thing in the world!

Whatever happened to Mictlān being a divine world where the dead were only tested to save them!?

You're thinking of Proper Human History's Mictlān, not this one...

Still, that was weird. I know sound waves can mess with your inner ear...

...but I don't know why they seemed to be even more effective on you.

At any rate, be EXTRA careful in how you prepare that turkey, and make sure you cook it thoroughly, too!

Otherwise, we might end up taking in its detestable insolence when we eat it!

Phew, I'm exhausted! Running back and forth between Chichén Itzá and the fourth stratum really takes it out of you!

Why're we doing this again? I know Master Tepeu said it'd strengthen our lower bodies, but still!

I remember he said it'd be an easy job, that all we'd have to do is gather parts to repair their ship.

He didn't tell us how far we'd have to run to do it! Or that there'd be ocelomeh along the way. It's pretty rough.

Now, now, don't be like that, brothers. We're doing this to help our new siblings, remember?

Plus, they said we can play xokta on the ship's deck once the repairs are finished. Imagine our beautiful passes going back and forth in the open sky...

Pretty sweet, right?

That sounds awesome. Guess we'll just have to keep doing our best!

But first, we've gotta have Fujimaru do his part. I call dibs on this seat.

？！

You're gonna tell us about Proper Human History, right?

I thought I was the only brother who was interested in that, but it turns out everyone is!

Oh yes, Tepeu told us about this. All right.

Since Nitocris is here too, why don't we tell you about ancient Egypt?

Is that okay with you, Pharaoh Nitocris?

Of course. My reign didn't last very long, but that doesn't make me any less of a pharaoh.

I will gladly tell you of life in our glorious kingdom: ancient Egypt's Sixth Dynasty!

...And with that, my life as a pharaoh came to an end, and I vanished from the earth without ever visiting the eternal kingdom.

This was all back in the twenty-second century, B.C. Afterward, the ancient Egyptian dynasties would continue to flourish until the first century A.D.

Pharaoh Cleopatra did her best till the very end, but ultimately, the Roman Republic changed the course of Egypt's history forever.

Damn, queenie. Talk about living the hard life...

Those evil priest and advisor guys were like Vucub, right?

And you'd been surrounded by tons of them since you were born? And they manipulated your brother, the king, right up to the moment they had him assassinated?

So you had to act like they were manipulating you too, all while you were secretly looking for an opportunity to strike back at them?

And then, after years of gritting your teeth and biding your time, you finally managed to gather all the evil conspirators in one place and wipe them out?

Damn... Could you do that, brother? It's like if you had to live your life with your entire xokta team as your enemies.

Oh man, no way! I wouldn't even last a day!

And you didn't just survive, you actually WON, Lady Nito!? You're even more badass than Lady Kukulcan!

So this is what gods are capable of!? That's way better than our god! All she does is go around taking walks!

Hehehe. Is this your way of telling me the Deinonychus species has outlived its usefulness? 'Cause I can wipe you all out, just like that.

Thank you, but I'm really nothing special. Any pharaoh would have done the same.

Besides...if I was truly as good as you say, then instead of executing those conspirators...

...I would have managed to save my brothers from the assassins sent after them.

Nitocris...

That said, there's no denying that my victory was truly spectacular!

I like to think my brothers were watching from the eternal kingdom with pride.

Anyway, thank you all for listening so attentively. You were a wonderfully well-behaved audience!

That's just 'cause you're such a good talker. I felt like I was there watching it all happen.

So stories of your history are all like this? Man, it was so sharp, I felt like it was gonna cut my brain.

I don't think any of us would last a day in your world.

Losing your whole family 'cause of bad guys' evil plotting... Deceiving, hating, and killing members of your own species...

We couldn't possibly deal with anything so cruel.

But hearing it as a story, we can totally manage! I guess that's the good thing about stories.

...You may be right. But, um, does this mean you've never had any kind of war in your own histo

Okay, but after all that, there's still one thing I don't get.

What was with all that stuff about "years" and "eras"? Do you guys just always keep track of time in Proper Human History?

？！

Wait, hold on. Are you saying Mictlān doesn't have historical eras?

You don't keep track of the passage of time in your culture?

...That's right. To be honest, I found it strange ever since I started traveling with you.

It seems like humans and deinos perceive time very differently. We don't have any concept of what you've been calling "years."

What you call "the past," we simply refer to broadly as "before."

For us, one hundred years ago is just "a little before." One thousand years ago is "long before."

So our society never gets more complex, like it did in the dynasty Nitocris so kindly told us about.

Counting the yearsreally, recording our history at all is not something deinos have ever done. There's never been a need.

Our way of life has been the same ever since it began long, long, looong before. To convert it to your measurements...

...nothing about us has changed for the last sixty-six million years.

Okay guys, I've got a quest for you. You know the heat-resistant plating on the Border's bow? A lot of it's come off.

So I was hoping you could find some quartz for us.

Sion says that if you can bring us about twenty tons of quartz, she can alchemically transmute it into what we need.

？！

M-Master is right.

Even with his backup final battle Mystic Code, there's simply no way he can carry twenty tons by himself.

Aww, don't be shy! You can just ask me to handle that kinda thing! As long as I can get hold of it, I can carry just about anything!

Oh... But I guess just any old ore isn't going to cut it, right?

Sorry, I'm more of a broad-strokes kind of god... Can I just bring you a whole mountain and call it a day?

If you can bring us an entire mountain, do you know of one made up of this substance? It is called obsidian.

？！

Oh, right! Back in the second underworld, there was nothing but obsidian mountains as far as we could see!

Great! That's not far from here at all! Let's go grab one right now!

I see. So you need a mountain's worth of obsidian, chirp.

These sword mountains are a composite myth that overlays Great King Enma's mindscape onto the Iztaccíhuatl mountain range.

Ideally, I would like to keep them all as my swords, chirp...

...but if you need them to repair Chaldea's ship, then I suppose I have no choice but to let one go. However...

■■■■■■!

I may be willing to part with one, but I can't say the same for my tormentor demons.

They're saying, "Defeat us if you can!" and "You think you can get rocks that easily!?"

In retrospect, I may have overindulged them. They're a bit pretentious now.

Unfounded confidence only leads you and those around you to harm. The best cure for this is a harsh lesson at the school of hard knocks.

Yikes... You're a lot harsher than you look.

Anyway, you heard her, Fujimaru. Are you okay with this?

Is this one of those situations where you need to treat all life as precious or love your enemies or something like that?

？！

I see... No mercy for those who would stand in your way, huh? Might makes right and all that?

Got it! Well then, I'll leave their bodies intact, but I'll smash their pride to bits!

You know, I'm not usually much for violence, but there's something about hearing "KO" that gets me all fired up!

■■■■■■, ■■■■■■!

？！

Don't worry. They were just vowing to have a rematch. I could hear the resolve in their voices, chirp.

They said, "We're going to bulk up even more by the next time we meet!" and "Well fought! We suppose you can have some training stones!"

Isn't that great!? Now this is how a good fairy tale should go, chirp!

It's true. Even though they were a bunch of stone statues, they had some real backbone to them...

Pounding on them was so satisfying I'm almost sad I defeated them...

Anyway, I'll just be taking one of these mountains to go, yes! This should cover twenty tons, right!?

...I didn't think she meant it literally. But I guess that's gods for you.

Okay, it looks like she should have no problem collecting and transporting the ore by herself.

...By the way, is it just you here today?

I know Mash is keeping an eye on your ship, but what about that other woman, chirp?

No, not her. If you had brought that money-grubbing deviant back here, I'd be mustering all my mountains for a massive rabbit hunt, chirp.

No, I mean that woman with the crown and the horns...U-Olga Marie.

？！

She was every bit as determined as Mash to make sure you came to no harm.

So I thought, as long as she and Mash were by your side...

...I could let you go off into Mictlān and rest easy, knowing you'd be completely safe, chirp.

Well, I still doubt you'll be in any danger with that jade-haired behemoth following you around now.

Did you and U-Olga Marie have a fight or something?

？！

I see. Well, I'm glad to hear you two are still good friends, chirp.

That said, the heart can be fickle.

Even the smallest thing can grow into an impassable rift.

So if you need to ask something, then ask it. If you need to apologize, then do it! Once you've grown distant, nothing you say will ever bridge that gap.

Every encounter in this life is precious. When you get an opportunity to talk, you can't be afraid to take it, chirp.

Oh, I see things are going quite well here, too.

The deinos just don't have any notion of resentment or preconceptions about foreign cultures.

We had so many volunteers lining up to help repair the Border, we didn't even need to ask anybody.

If only humans could take a page from their boono, wait. On second thought, that might be a bit hasty.

If everyone only ever worked for the benefit of those around them, I'd be out of business. Maybe it is possible to be TOO understanding...

They are smart enough to know when something is sad, but they don't see tragedies as...tragic.

They have the empathy to understand when someone is frustrated, but they don't recognize injustice as unjust.

And while that may work just fine for them, it would drive any neighbor crazy.

...

...Tch. There's even more today than yesterday.

I know I said I'd permit discussions of Proper Human History, but I didn't think it was going to get this big.

？！

Hell no! I just wanted to kick a xokta ball around, but you people are taking up the whole grounds!

This is the only thing I get to do for fun, and now it's ruined. Hey, Chakka, move aside. I'm gonna sit in the back.

You want to hear what they have to say, right? Then sit up front. No point holding back.

Oh my. How nice of you to help that shy deinos.

You may be foul-mouthed, but you're a considerate king just the same. May I introduce myself?

Don't bother. You're the one who taught Black Tezcatlipoca all those things he didn't need to know, right?

If you want to hawk your wares in Chichén Itzá, go right ahead. I don't think you'll find many deinos looking to buy them, though.

Ouch. True, but ouch. I haven't sold a single item so far, yes, but that's fine.

You can't build a successful business in a day. I'm happy to put in the work.

I'm not just here to make money, you know. I've got my eye on much bigger things.

Ah, so that's what you're really after, hm? I can tell that's going to go up in flames.

Anyway, what're you still standing around for? Can't you see all these deinos waiting for you?

Make with the stories already.

Tell them about the different worlds you've seenthe kind of "what-if" tales that never came about in Mictlān.

？！

Yes, good evening. Are you lost, Kotomine? I can show you around if you like.

No, that's all right. I was just about to take a break. I've been patrolling the Border to make sure no ocelomeh sneak aboard, you see.

Oh, thanks. It's hard for our sensors to detect the ocelomeh, since they barely have any magical energy.

And since Captain isn't back in full form yet, that'll be a big help.

Oh? I was under the impression that Captain Nemo was fully back in action.

Oh, that? He's just pretending he's fine, like always. Sion pretends not to notice anything's wrong.

I see. I'll bear that in mind.

...By the way, is the Storm Border's power generated solely by internal combustion engines?

Huh? What do you mean?

Oh, I was just wondering what we should do about powering the ship if the engines were to stop.

I heard you had to barricade yourselves within, in the dark without any electricity when you crashed.

That must have been terrible.

So I thought, if the ship had some means of drawing power from the outside, you'd be able to restore it that much quicker.

I see. Good thinking as usual, Father.

But don't worry. We already have a means in place for collecting energy from external sources.

If we had some way to summon a hundred Servants with the ability to provide power, we could run the ship without the engines at all.

Of course, now that the Wandering Sea Base is gone, I doubt we'll ever use it agaiOh.

I hadn't considered that. Thanks for the inspiration.

So you do have a way to power the ship even if all of its engines were to be destroyed. I'm glad to hear it.

Yup! Though I would also bawl my eyes out if that ever happened.

...Wait a sec.

You've been spending a lot of time around the Border for the last couple days. Shouldn't you be with the Foreign God?

You may wish to choose your words more carefully, Kadoc.

Throwing the word "god" around too casually could make this miraculous balancing act come crashing down.

Ah, my apologies. "Miraculous" really doesn't do this situation justice.

The present situation is all thanks to Fujimaru and Mash's hard work and healthy, accepting mindset.

You, on the other hand, don't seem to be nearly as open-minded as them. Once you've formed an opinion of someone, you don't easily change it.

Yeah, that's right. Unlike them, I'm a mage. I can't change my principles on a dime. I'm just old-fashioned like that.

I don't see that as a bad thing just now, though.

'Cause, see, Chaldea needs someone around who isn't just gonna go all in on trusting you two, however much you help.

As well you shouldn't.

We are aiding Fujimaru, not Chaldea, and temporarily at that.

Once the young miss accepts her true position, we will take our leave right away.

...So it's all up to U-Olga Marie, huh? You're not planning to put a thumb on the scale?

Of course not. I have no desire to fight. I only wish to witness the birth of the one yet to arrive.

That said, Rasputin's influence has left me with at least some of the emotions any human being ought to have.

If I see a poor soul doomed to a life of unhappiness unless something is done, I'm compelled to reach out and help.

I'm concerned about the young miss as well, though for very different reasons. This is not a good situation for her.

She will have to make a decision herself, or she will only continue to suffer more.

And since you agree that would be for the best, I expect I can trust you not to interfere?

...No, I won't. Even if Mash, Fujimaru, and Olga Marie hate me for it...

...it's better if they part ways before they truly understand each other.

Gaaah! I can't take it anymore! The engines're gonna fall apart unless we shut 'em down and tune 'em up, so that's just what I'm gonna do!

Marine! Tell Captain Jackass I'm gonna be shutting down all the Triton Engines in an hour, and that it's gonna take at least a hundred and twenty hours to completely overhaul 'em!

"What about power for the other facilities?" Who cares how the rest of the body's doing if the heart gives out!?

I don't know about you guys, but I ain't planning on killing myself anytime soon!

If the Captain wants to overrule me, then today's the day I finally challenge him to a duel and become the main Nemo myself!

Surprise.

Easy there, Engineer. Let's just take a breath, okay? Here, try some of Baker's new rock salt ice cream.

Mmm... Nice and cold. I like it.

And you don't need to challenge anyone to a duel. I'm completely on board with your plan.

I have an idea that will help us supply power for that period of time. We can shut the engines down once I'm set.

And as luck would have it, I happened to do a maintenance check on the external power relays just last night. Talk about timely.

Anyway, I'll fill Da Vinci in on the plan. Oh, and I'm gonna need to borrow about six or so Marines.

I couldn't help but overhear☆ Sounds like we're going to need a whole bunch of boxed lunches then!

We've got plenty of yummy chicken, so I'll make chicken sandwiches for everyone♪

...And that's why we're putting together a hydroelectric generator next! I'll be coming along too this time!

A hydroelectric generator? But, there aren't any large rivers around he

？！

Oh! You're right, Senpai! We DID pass massive waterfalls, and they were every bit as big as Niagara Falls!

Yup. Professor got the idea after reading your report.

Everything we need is packed into these shipping containers. Normally, just getting everything there would take the better part of two days, but...

Mmm, these chicken sandwich things are tasty! But how come I have more than anyone else?

...as you can see, we already have a porter who will cut that time down considerably.

I'm counting on you to convince her to help us.

？！

U-O? I'm pretty sure she just stayed in her room all day yesterday...

She set out before the sun even arrived today. I expect she'll be back by evening.

Um... How did she seem?

She's been down in the dumps ever since we came back to Chichén Itzá, so...

She seemed to be in extraordinarily good spirits.

Hahahaha! Rejoice, humanity! My body is fully recovered!

So I'm off to destroy México City right now! They should have known I'd never forget an injustice!

...

Hold on, please, Madam President. Don't you think it's a little too soon to be exercising military force?

Yes, the ocelomeh have been hunting deinos, but only in the jungle.

Competition for survival in the jungle is natural for all living creatures. It doesn't merit military intervention.

...Even though they're sacrificing deinos on their altars?

Yes, even then. We are not invaders. We may defend ourselves, but we never launch an attack.

And yet, the last time we went to México City, we snuck in and disrupted one of their important religious ceremonies.

To attack now would be pure aggression. There's no honor in that.

Destroying their entire city simply because you are annoyed at them would be a black mark on your presidential record.

Or are you thinking of destroying México City not as the ruler of this planet...

...but for the very personal reason of wanting to improve the opinion certain people have of you?

Of course I'm thinking about this as the sovereign of Earth! I always treat all of humankind equally, no matter the reason!

Still, you're right, Tepeu! I'm going to go and give myself some time to cool down!

？！

She said she was going to go cool down. I don't blame her. Mictlān IS very hot right now.

But I could tell she was very worried about you two as well. For, well, many reasons.

I see... We've been so busy, we haven't had time to talk, and since she hasn't been at the Border lately, it hasn't been any easier.

But I'm glad it sounds like we'll have a chance to see her this evening.

？！

Oh, come to think of it, where'd Wak Chan run off to? He was still with U-Olga Marie as of a couple of days ago.

Oh, Wak Chan? I saw him out on the main street last night.

His eyes were totally lifeless, like a dead fish. I asked him what was wrong, and he just kept muttering to himself. He said:

"Now I've done it. I've really done it this time," and "I'm an embarrassment to deinos everywhere."

So I decided to leave him alone. I'm sure he'll come back sooner or later, though.

Ouch. Sounds like he got dumped pretty hard... Where in the world did you take her, Wak Chan?

Wak Chan is a warrior, born and bred. The only special talents he has are face-punching and body-slamming...

At worst, he may have decided to subject her to his warrior dance for the entire night.

I see... That sounds like a very informative and productive use of time. I wish I could have been there for such a valuable experience.

(You know, this isn't anything new at this point, but Mash's Shielder spirit is seriously off the charts!)

Forget it. No way am I letting you build a generator here.

You do understand that this is my home for the time being, right?

I've been bored out of my skull all this time, so you'd better believe I'm going to at least make sure my life here is comfortable.

Did you even bother to think what it'd be like for me to live with a generator here? Did it even cross your mind?

Will you take responsibility if it short-circuits and electrocutes me? Of course not! Not at your pitiful size.

？！

Surprised? Scared? Want to flee in terror? Mmm, I love seeing the terror in your eyes.

I'm guessing you expected the meek, obedient Protea to be here waiting for you?

Well, the truth is that here in Mictlān, I AM the normal Protea.

Last time you were here, I just disabled my Alterization to thank you for freeing me from that mask.

But I'm done playing at being cute for you. I'm a giant! I don't have to take orders from a little human.

Mage or Master, makes no difference to me! As far as I'm concerned, all you tiny little humans are my slaves!

If you don't like that, you can always run away.

Just don't be surprised when I smoosh you with one slap of my hand!

Sh-she's not being cooperative at all! What happened to her!? Mash's report said she was totally on our side!

Yeah. We, uh, kinda thought this might happen. You're pretty upset about something, huh, Protea?

What is it? Are you hurt? We can take a look if you like. We're used to caring for whales, so it's no trouble.

...Hm? That's a lot of Marines.

What happened to the one who was here before? I might be willing to listen to him.

That Marine isn't here today. But don't worry.

All our feelings are synced up, so we like you just as much as he did.

Look, I'm not being overly cautious or feeling anxious or anything like that, okay?

I'm just standing up for my rights!

I mean, how would YOU like it if someone built a generator as big as your bed in your room?

Yeah, we'd definitely hate that! Well, Engineer would probably love it!

？！

There, you see? Now go on and get out of here beforeNo, wait.

I just had an amazing idea. If you can meet my one condition, I'd be willing to let you build the generator.

Whoa, really? That would be awesome. With you around, we wouldn't even need any heavy machinery.

So you only have one condition? What is it?

I want you to fight me again♡ The idea of letting my loss against a human stand makes me sick to my stomach.

？！

Right. Of course you don't want to fight me. You know a fluke like that couldn't possibly happen twice.

Ugh, you're so small. Not just in body, but in mind, too.

Living must be so hard when you're that small in every possible sense. Want to try living in my mask instead?

So, what do you say, Fujimaru?

If you win, I'll help build your generator and even keep an eye on it as long as you need.

But if I win...

...well, I can't even bring myself to say what's in store for you, but trust me, it'll be good.

Hm. Looks like as an Alter, she's as competitive as she normally is shy.

What're you gonna do, Fujimaru? Take her up on it? I don't really see that improving her mood, but...

？！

Or how about an apology? Complete with an eternally binding contract?

You could keep me around as your only Sakura Five Servant, and get rid of all your other High Servants, too, while you're at it.

If you're willing to do that, I might be willing to consi

I put the containers down where you asked! What would you like me to do next!?

Fight! Oh man, Kukulcan versus Kingprotea! This is gonna be the biggest underworld battle ever!

A fight, huh? Okay, you got it! This is really exciting, yes! Let's you and I have a good match, young lady!

(Was I seeing things, or did that lady just carry an actual mountain of containers here on her own? ...I must have been seeing things, right?)

What the hell kind of Servant was that!? Hiding a Divine Spirit up your sleeve is no fair, you coward!

...Huh? She's not a Servant? She's Kukulcan, the god of Mictlān!?

So she's the king of this entire Lostbelt!? How is that fair!?

How did you even get someone like that on your side!?

Sentiment... A mutual, unspoken feeling...

Wow, Fujimaru, I guess this means you and I are so close we don't even need words to communicate!

It's not mysterious at all. I know everything there is to know about your situation, yes.

I've been watching you since you came here, Fujimaru♡

？！

Anyway, that was a wonderful fight, Kingprotea. I'm sure Xochitónal would be glad to lend you his strength.

Would it be okay if I shook your hand?

It's a great honor for me to meet a Heroic Spirit from Proper Human History.

...(Sigh) Lostbelt or not, I guess the fact that your name is Kukulcan means you really are a god.

I never want to fight you again if I can help it, but here. Happy?

All right, so I just need to open those containers and line up their contents, right?

This is so humiliating, but a promise is a promise. Now, what exactly do I do with all this stuff?

Thanks, Protea. This really is a huge help.

Okay, I'd like to start by securing a flat patch of rock. Could I also ask you to help with making the scaffolding?

Oh geez, what a pain. There's so many different kinds of container here. This is gonna be really complicated, isn't it?

Maybe I'll disable my Alterization and foist all this work on the other Protea... Ugh, no, I can't do that. She'd just end up wrecking everything...

Hm? Were there some deinos here just now?

Oh, yeah, they followed the Marines here. Said they'd help out too 'cause it looked like fun.

So I asked the strong deinos to handle the installations, and the fast deinos to run the cables.

Man, these deinos are all so smart, Kukulcan. They understood the concept of electricity in no time at all.

It also didn't take them long at all to figure out that we're converting the water's potential energy into kinetic energy.

Right? They may be different from the people of Proper Human History, but they're just as wonderful in their own way.

Ugh, I'm exhausted. I still have plenty of energy, but all this intricate assembly work is running my mind ragged.

？！

I would ask you to pay me back with a Command Spell, but I see you still don't have all of them back.

If you've already cleared the second underworld, I guess you'll have to handle the third next.

I'm sure you'll need to go to the lower levels eventually, even if it's just to restore your last Command Spell.

Then again, you could always just track down the bat-jerk and take them back more directly. I think I'd like that way better.

If he ever shows his ugly face here again, I'm gonna grab him, rip out his spine, and grind him into bat jelly.

...I don't know. But my inner Xochitónal is telling me things like:

"Don't fight the bat god," and "Camazotz is more terrifying than any god on Earth."

But who knows? He didn't look like much to me.

？！

...By the way, there's one more thing I wanted to ask you.

Where's that loud, needy-looking, super annoying woman? You know, Olga Marie?

？！

I see. So she's not here. I liked how she so obviously looks down on all humans.

But, it was also obvious she wasn't from this planet.

This may be weird coming from me, but she's Chaldea's enemy, right? You were smart to cut ties with her.

But if she still insists on tagging along, why not bring her here? I'd be willing to talk to her for you.

？！

？！

...!

Cheeky little bastard. It really pisses me off when people act like they have everything figured out.

...(Sigh) I'm gonna tell you this one more time so you don't get the wrong idea.

I'm not kidding when I say I don't care at all about holding back against humans or preserving life.

The moment an insect that doesn't know his place talks back to me, I'll squish him on the spot.

So please don't talk to me like you would the other Protea.

I don't want to have to wash my hands every time we talk.

Good. You're finally scared. That's what I wanted to see.

All right, see you later, itty-bitty, Command Spell-less Master. Make sure you can actually hold your own again by the next time I see you.

...

？！

Amazing! A world almost entirely covered by water! And so deep, too!

How permeable was the water? How far could the sunlight travel through it? Did its people have different ways for surviving in each layer, unlike us?

If we measure using Proper Human History's units, I'm told the average depth is about thirty-seven hundred meters.

The deepest trench supposedly extends downward by over ten thousand meters. I can only imagine the intensity of the pressure...and the cold.

Would aquatic deinos by able to survive there? Oh, wait. That's probably too deep for them to get any sunlight.

And I suppose no deinos could get by in a world without the sun's blessings.

I see... So Artemis was shot down...

I was really hoping for an epic land battle...

Still, this Orion guy sounds amazing! Satellite or not, I still can't believe he shot down a celestial body!

I bet he's a gallant, stoic Archer with shining eyes, and a fully mechanical body that looks perfect in the moonlight!

Hey! Hey! Why'd this Poseidon guy keep calling for someone who wasn't even there!?

The immediate danger at the time had to be you, right, Big Bro Fujimaru!?

So why didn't he shout out your name instead!? Like when you're passing or shooting a xokta ball!

You're such a child, Bro. Can't you tell? It's all about love.

Anyway, I want to talk about Hephaestus! Imagine, a machine that builds other machines! Oh, and the machine was even bald!

Since Hephaestus isn't here to defend himself, I feel I should tell you that machines probably don't go bald.

Something about that Timi guy bothers me, though I can't really tell why. Do you know why, Bro?

Probably 'cause he was a child, just like you.

There were things that mattered to him, it just took him too long to realize how important they really were.

I'm glad to see the deinos are enjoying our stories of Atlantis, too.

At first, I thought telling them about the other Lostbelts was a bad idea, but

It's all right, Mash. This is what the King of Dinosaurs, and above all, we ourselves, wanted.

As for you, Fujimaru.

I must thank you for your judicious and objective account of these events.

Hey, if anything, we should be thanking you. We're really grateful for all you've done.

All of you deinos who have showed up to help with repairing the Border have been a huge help.

And above all, you guys have welcomed us with open arms even knowing the relationship between Proper Human History and Lostbelts.

Hm? Why is that something to be grateful for?

？！

Ahh, now I see.

Is it because you come from the correct history, and we come from one that was meant to be pruned away?

Then please rest assured. We deinos have never been much for comparing ourselves to others.

"That guy is more talented than me. That guy is luckier than I am."

"So I'm going to take what I'm missing and knock him down a peg to even things out."

We don't get those kinds of feelings. We just never compare ourselves to others.

You never compare yourselves to others...?

That's right. So we also have very little interest in how things could have been different for either of us.

We'd much rather hear stories of other possibilities.

Quite simply, the deinos are enthralled by the pictures your stories paint.

Difficult journeys, enjoyable ones, those you wish to overcome, and those you wish you didn't have to leave behind... You must have experienced so many different kinds.

As a result...your very words sparkle with a life of their own.

The passion you so clearly feel brings these perished worlds to life for us in the form of your stories.

...

So you deinos are enjoying these stories of Lostbelts as if you'd been there yourselves. I didn't think even one of you had a curious bone in your body.

And in consequence, I am left entirely unprotected. What happened to my security detail?

Well, idiot? I only agreed to become the deinos' king because you said they do whatever I told them.

You say that, but weren't you enjoying yourself too, King? Especially the parts with Odysseus.

I remember you shouting, "Hell yeah! Serves you right!" and, "Way to go!" You even looked pretty excited.

...Idiot. It's not the Lostbelt talk I was enjoying.

Anyway, it's time for the sun to rest. Forget other worlds for now and tend to your own lives.

All right, deinos, go on, get out of here! I want you all back in your own quarters once I light the bonfire!

If you still want to talk about these stories, go back home and do it with your families. Time's precious; don't waste it.

I'm returning to the throne. You come too, idiot.

Hm? Why? I don't have any business with you right now.

You haven't touched the Solar Sojourn once since you started hanging around Chaldea, right?

Don't you need to hear the whole bunch's opinion to know what's what? Though it's no skin off my nose if you bite the dust as a result.

Oh, right. I forgot about that...

Okay, everyone, I'm gonna spend the night at the altar! See you all tomorrow!

...

？！

Oh, right. I've got some good news for you two.

Both the Storm Border's Command Room and Kadoc's room have been all fixed up.

So if you want, you can spend your nights in the Border from now on. What do you want to do?

I, um... I think I'd like to keep staying at Tepeu's house while we're in this city, if that's okay...

？！

Yes! And we can have dinner with Olga Marie! There's a new corn recipe I've been wanting to try!

...

？！

...Yeah. The Chaldea staff came to a consensus about her.

Even without her memories, U-Olga Marie is dangerous. Above all, she's the enemy waiting for us at the end of all this.

But she's also been helpful during our time here.

And so, with all of that in mind, none of the staff voted to turn her help away.

Having said that, more than half are against her coming aboard the Storm Border. Myself included.

If we could negotiate peace with the Foreign God, that would be the best possible solution.

And yes, as she is now, that's a very real possibility, though admittedly a slim one.

You see, once she regains her memories, it's all over.

Trismegistus II says that her memory loss is a temporary condition brought on by physical dysfunction.

Once she makes a full physical recovery, her memories will return, meaning...she'll once more be an enemy of humanity.

When that happens, we won't be able to avoid a fight.

As we are now, we have no chance against the Foreign God, even weakened as she is.

For the moment, all we can do is finish repairing the ship before she regains her memories and power, and make sure we have all our ducks in a row.

After that...we'll have to make a choice.

Do we trust her...or not? Do we take initiative...or not?

？！

Even were the Storm Border completely repaired, we still wouldn't stand a chance against a fully powered Foreign God.

That was made pretty clear when we challenged her and lost.

So if we're going to attack U-Olga Marithe Foreign God, it has to be now, before she regains her memories...

I understand the thinking, but actually doing that would be...terrible.

Attacking an enemy is one thing, but I refuse to attack an ally who trusts us!

...So you're against it. Got it.

What about you, Fujimaru? Are you in favor of attacking the Foreign God while we have the chance?

？！

That's a relief to hear. Now I'm sure things will work out.

Even once you two learned we might be able to win if we launched a preemptive attack, you still refused.

You chose emotion over cold logic, and that makes all the difference.

For better or worse, humans are reciprocal creatures.

If we're treated in a cold and calculating manner, we respond in turn. The same is true of kindness and trust.

That means there's an excellent chance your feelings here will lead us to the results we want.

Namely, a chance that she will still be our friend when she regains her memories.

A chance she'll remain who she is nowthat she'll WANT to remain who she is noweven if she returns to how she was.

I think that would be the best possible outcome, too.

I mean, she looks like she's really enjoying herself now. Even Kadoc said so:

"As much as Mash's changes shocked me, the changes in her have been an even bigger surprise."

"I don't know what kind of connection she has to the original Olga Marie, but I guess she's a lot more playful at heart than I realized."

Trismegistus II may be great at predicting results, but it has no understanding of nuanced feelings like these.

So even Kadoc agrees!

Yup. So, with all of this in mind, I'd like you to keep the relationship you have with U-Olga Marie going.

I'd still rather she not come aboard the ship, but if you insist, I'm willing to reconsider.

The other staff had some pretty legitimate concerns, too. But if push comes to shove, I think we can manage a compromise.

Anyway, we can't go too far from the Border, but I'd like you two to continue staying here in Chichén Itzá.

Just make sure you're on time for the morning briefing tomorrow.

We've been putting it off for a while now, but starting tomorrow, we're resuming our original mission plan: conquering this Lostbelt, and finding ORT.

So keep your wits about you.

We're back, Tepeu. Where's Olga Marie? Is she back yet?

U-Olga Marie? No, I don't think she is.

I did just see her on the main street, though. It looked like she was headed towards the altar.

Then we must have just missed her. I'll go look for her.

Are you sure? Okay, if you insist.

I'd prefer that, too. The corn you crush with your shield is so smooth and soft you can't even tell it used to be corn.

It's by far the best mashed corn I've ever had. I'd love to see you use your shield to grind cacao beans next.

O-oh, thank you. I'm honored... (Though I doubt the rest of the Round Table knights would be happy about this...)

？！

？！

...What? I, uh, wasn't hiding to avoid an awkward situation or anything.

I just felt like a little detour. You know how it is. Sometimes you take a few odd turns when you're flying around.

Hmph. Right. You can't, can you? I guess humans and deinos have that in common.

That's a flight ascension maneuver, right? It was Immelmann the ace pilot's specialty. I learned about it from the video records I watched.

？！

...

...

...

So, what is it already? You stopped me for a reason, right?

...Well yeah. 'Cause I've been avoiding you.

Together? As in, with you?

？！

...I see. So you're here in your capacity as my secretary. Admirable work ethic.

Then I suppose I can head back. I already have a perfect understanding of Chichén Itzá's layout, anyway.

At this point, I can handle an ocelotl invasion no matter what tricks they might pull. Won't even be hard. Er...not that I have any reason to defend this city.

？！

So how are things with you? Are the Storm Border repairs going well?

I've noticed a lot of deinos coming and going. Looks like they're enjoying learning about technology from Proper Human History.

You guys are good at making friends, aren't you? You did the same thing with me.

？！

Oh, you mean the bridge of your ship I visited before? So you managed to restore power!

I'd rather not see that Goredolf guy's face again, but I'd love to see that place up and running!

You said tomorrow morning, right? What kind of mission are you guys gonna be resuming!?

？！

Having said that, more than half are against her coming aboard the Storm Border. Myself included.

...Fujimaru?

...Okay, I have to ask. Is it okay if I come along, too?

...Right. Of course. I figured as much.

？！

...Forget it. I changed my mind. I don't care about your ship, anyway.

Besides, unlike you, I don't need a vehicle to fly. And I only promised to accompany you until you rendezvoused with Chaldea, anyway.

Go back without me. I still want to spend some more time looking around the city. But save me some corn bread. I really like it.

？！

...

I don't know what it is you're apologizing for...

...but if there's something weighing on your mind, maybe asking about it will help.

So? Is there anything you want to ask me?

？！

I see. Good. Honestly, I don't think I could have answered you.

Oh, and if you see Wak Chan... ...Never mind. Just forget it.

Anyway, you have an early morning tomorrow, right? Go on, then. Shut down for the day and enjoy those dream things or whatever. So...good night.