Kingdom of Corpses

Good morning. You're the first one up today. Nice to see you seem to have gotten a good night's rest.

？！

...

You know, Fujimaru, Father Kotomine actually left me a message to give you. It's about her.

Not so long ago, I'm sure I would only have told you the message's contents, and would not have been able to imagine how you might feel about them, but

No, never mind that. Let me just give you the message.

"Chaldeans, I know this is short notice, but the young miss and I have decided to part ways with you."

"Though she has yet to regain her memories, and she is not yet sure who she really is, she has said, and I quote..."

'I'm sick and tired of dumb deinos, weak-ass earthlings, and stupid, sweltering Mictlān.'

"We will therefore be leaving this Lostbelt tonight."

"I'm sorry I can't be present for your confrontation with Daybit, but as the young miss's butler, I am obliged to obey her."

"I wish you luck in your future endeavors. Shepherd of lost sheep, Father Kotomine."

The end.

？！

Yes. Oh, and one more thing. Father Kotomine asked me to give this to you as well.

Are the carvings on this bark what you call "English"? Anyway, he said U-Olga Marie made this for you.

？！

... ...

...I see. So U-Olga Marie and Rasputin are gone.

I actually saw that U-Olga Mariethe Foreign God's signal had disappeared from our instruments.

I was only able to follow it partway, but it looks like she was headed towards the surfacewell, the first stratum.

Hm. Well, she didn't attack us, so that suggests she still hasn't regained her memories.

She may not have liked me much, but it felt more like she saw me as a rival than an actual enemy.

If anything, it seemed like she was fond of us. Especially Fujimaru and Mash.

But she still left without saying goodbye. That must mean...

(Was she offended by how wishy-washy we were about including her? I know what that's like. Hell, I don't know what it's like to NOT feel that way.)

(Every time I joined a club in university, I always felt like I was the only one who didn't belong.)

(It's hard. It feels like lying on a bed of nails. And above all, my fierce pride simply couldn't take it!)

(I bet it was Rasputin's idea. I mean, I know I told him they should leave...)

(But seeing Fujimaru and Mash's responses is making me wonder if I was wrong.)

(No... Deep down, I think I was secretly hoping U-Olga Mariethe spitting image of Olga Marie would officially join Chaldea in the end.)

I'm going to miss her too. Yes, she was the Foreign God, but she was hilarious to watch, and had gaps in her knowledge and defense so big, you could drive a bus through them.

If I'd managed to take advantage of one of those openings and analyze her...

...that would have made it really easy to find out what exactly the Foreign God is...

...why she looks like Chaldea's former director, and how she incarnated into a Beast Spirit Origin...

...

All right, everyone, chin up. No harm has been done, so there is no cause to be depressed!

We may have lost our chance to verify it, but the fact that she is still suffering from memory loss is good news.

This gives us an opportunity to complete one of our original objectives: stop the Foreign God from fusing with ORT.

I agree. Heartless as it sounds, there's no sense discussing this further.

U-Olga Marie is no longer helping us. She's our enemy once more, and that's how I'm going to think of her.

Got that, Mash and Fujimaru?

...

But...maybe she hasn't left for good. There's still a chance she could decide to come back...

Yes, that's definitely possible.

So if you do run into her again, make sure you're prepared to defend yourselves.

That said, if she comes to us asking to talk instead of attacking, I won't force you to strike first.

If that time comes, I'll leave the decision up to you. Got it? Go on, repeat back what I said.

？！

...That's not what I said. Also, why are you thanking me?

？！

...Yeah, maybe you're right.

That Marine didn't have any unique skills separate from the rest of the Series, but he was a much better judge of character than I've ever been.

All right. It took us a lot longer than I expected, but it's finally time to start our staff briefing!

First, I want to reconfirm our main objectives. The primary one, as we just mentioned...

...was to neutralize the Foreign God and stop her from fusing with ORT.

Our secondary objective was to excise the South American Lostbelt and to capture the last Crypter, Daybit.

Obviously things have changed since then.

There's been no shortage of surprises in this Lostbelt, and now we need to rethink how we handle those two objectives.

For one, now that the Foreign God is suffering from memory loss, she is not even thinking about fusing with ORT.

Meanwhile, Daybit the Crypter and his Servant, Tezcatlipoca...

...are now trying to use ORT for their own ends.

If what you saw in México City was, in fact, a vision of the near future...

...then we must begin by considering how we can prevent it from coming to pass.

Right you are!

Unfortunately, the Ortinax contained no video footage of the collapse of Mictlān and Earth that Fujimaru reported.

Not because it didn't record for that span of time, you see, but because that footage, and ONLY that footage, was lost.

We therefore have no choice but to take our field operative's word for it.

Still, I have to ask: Are you sure the whole Earth was really falling apart? It wasn't an illusion, or a forced perspective, or something along those lines?

？！

I can't believe it! Oh, I'm not talking about your testimony; I'm talking about Daybit's absolutely insane plan!

Isn't he working for the Foreign God!? And doesn't the Foreign God want to rule Earth!?

So how can she possibly rule the planet if it no longer exists!?

Koyanskaya! Do you have any idea what he's thinking!?

The fact is, you did used to be on the Crypters' side, so you must know more than anyone else here!

Afraid I haven't the slightest clue. And I'm not alone there.

Daybit was always enigmatic, even to the other Crypters and the Foreign God's Disciples.

Before the Foreign God appeared here as U-Olga Marie, she was only focused on Lord Kirschtaria.

She had less than no interest in the other Crypters.

Now that I think about it, though, she did kind of seem like she was deliberately ignoring Daybit.

Well, more that she chose to leave him out of her plans.

She never so much as gave him an order. Never even said she didn't care what he did.

That's not how you treat a subordinate. If anything

Yes. She was treating him like an equal, or possibly a superior.

The Foreign God and I signed a mutual nonaggression pact which let me do whatever I wanted...

...but the Foreign God never had any authority over Lord Daybit.

Maybe...Lord Daybit was never even a Crypter to begin with.

Never a Crypter to begin with... Does that mean he was never really on Kirschtaria's side?

...I see.

Now I understand what that file of Wodime's I saw in Olympus was talking about.

Kyrielight, Daybit was a member of Team A. That's not in question.

That said, he was never in the same position as us. He didn't owe the Foreign God anything.

For that matter, the rest of us had never even heard the word "Crypter" until we were brought back to life.

Me, Ophelia, Akuta, Beryl... None of us had heard it before. But it looked like Daybit was already familiar with it.

At the time, I thought that name was like a blood oath sealing our vow to revolt against humanity, but I was wrong.

It was actually the Foreign God who told Kirschtaria that we were to be called Crypters.

So calling you "Crypters" was not Wodime's idea after all.

Then what are the requirements for being one? Do you just need to be a member of Team A?

...I'm not totally sure, but like I said, the rest of us only learned the name "Crypter" when the Foreign God resurrected us.

What's more, there was a price we had to pay if we were going to be resurrected:

Resolve the Incineration of Humanity.

While we were in our Coffins, the Foreign God promised to resurrect us...

...if we could prove we had the same power to resolve the Incineration of Humanity incident that Fujimaru and Mash did.

But, that was impossible. Me, Ophelia, and everyone else on Team A were all dead in our Coffins. It was hopeless.

We couldn't even have made it through the First Singularity like that.

So...Wodime did it for us.

He resolved the Incineration of Humanity incident all by himself several times over, so that we wouldn't have to.

He never said anything about it, never threw it in our faces. He just made sure we all had the same opportunities he did!

Yes... I can certainly see him doing that.

...I understand how you feel, Kadoc.

...It's okay. I'm calmer now.

I can just imagine the troubled expression on Wodime's face if he saw me making you sympathize with me like this.

Anyway, my point is, I never found any mention of Daybit's resurrection.

I'm just guessing here, but...I think Daybit somehow managed to resurrect himself.

Apparently, the Foreign God needed a certain amount of energy to resurrect us. In fact, it took the same amount needed to clear the Incineration of Humanity.

Daybit managed it by generating that energy all on his own. I bet even the Foreign God must've been at a loss.

According to Wodime's records, the Foreign God gave us only minimal support in our Coffins by letting us use Chaldea's summoning system to summon Servants...

...but apparently, Daybit didn't even make use of that.

So even though it was all just a simulation, he still resolved the Incineration of Humanity alone, without a single Servant.

？！

What the hell!? What is he, some kind of super Master or something!?

Was he being a jerk!? Or just showing off!?

Did he just feel compelled to prove he's a better Master than Fujimaru by resolving the Incineration of Humanity without a single Servant's help!?

It wasn't like that. Again, I'm quoting from Wodime's records:

"Daybit Sem Void was omitted because his way of thinking and living never belonged with humanity in the first place."

I see. Then, he would have had no choice but to satisfy this condition on his own.

Because he

Yeah. He's not part of humankind. And since he isn't on humanity's side, he couldn't summon a Servant even if he wanted to.

Gaaah! Must you sound the alarm at the worst possible timing, Sommelier!? What is it, anyway!?

We've got a problem! Something's rampaging outside!

Even the deinos are all fleeing in terror! Maybe we should suspend the briefing for now and see what's up!?

Got it! Fujimaru! Mash!

？！

Right! Habetrot, can you help us!?

Sure thing! It's probably just some carnivorous insects or ocelomeh, anyway! I'll have this wrapped up in no time!

Camazotz! It's Camazotz!

It's the bat! The shadow of death is here! He didn't even wait for it to get dark!

Run! Run for your lives! Run before he sucks your blood and turns you into a living corpse!

More enemies approaching from the jungle! There're still more coming, Master!

Those footsteps are shaking the ground! Must be mindless deinos! Be careful, everyone!

No president and no Kukulcan right now, so we'll need a Servant to break through its defenses!

Or a Mystic Code, if you've got one that can do the trick!

I thought the same. It seemed like something other than poison or pain robbed it of its intelligence...

(Sigh) I never thought we would run into monsters like that in a Lostbelt.

I will be brief. You just fought a vampire.

That deinos must have been attacked by a bloodsucking monster, then became one itself.

As for the animated corpses you fought prior to that one, they must have been lesser familiars and ghouls.

Such monsters are created by imbibing the blood of the undead, which causes them to instinctually seek more blood, even after death.

They are a type of enemy we have not seen previously. They are also a foreign enemy which would normally not be our problem.

So now, as if Daybit Sem Void and Tezcatlipoca were not bad enough...

...it seems we must also address another new threat to Chaldea.

It's not new at all! It's Camazotz! The deinos even said so!

Camazotz... As in, one of the major dark gods of Xibalba described in the "Popol Vuh" text of Mayan mythology?

Now that you mention it, I remember seeing details about someone by that name in Fujimaru's report as well.

Hmm... Are you sure that it is him? Are you certain you were not mistaken, or that you misheard, perhaps?

According to the "Popol Vuh," Camazotz WAS a monster who cut off people's heads to drink their blood, but it says nothing about him being able to control the dead.

Oh, this is bad. This is very, very bad, Sion and Da Vinci.

For a deinos, Camazotz is even more frightening than the night.

Whenever he shows up, all the deinos hide away in their homes.

And that means

They won't be able to help repair the Border, so it'll take us way longer to finish fixing it!

Well, I suppose our original plan was to fix it ourselves, so we haven't really lost anything in that sense, but...

Tell me about it. I'm just plain not goin' back to fixing this ship without all the deinos pitchin' in now!

Yeah! Plus, I already baked all this beautiful corn bread for them!

Yes, it is. We're in Chichén Itzá territory right now, and there's no telling when those monsters might head for the city.

？！

Then we have no choice but to defeat Camazotz.

Besides, he's the one who's been using Master's Command Spells without his permission.

I knew we would have to face him eventually. So if that time is now, I have no objections.

(So he's the one with the Command Spells?)

A-all right, I don't blame you for being upset, Mash. Also, I'm surprised you already knew Camazotz, Tepeu.

I thought you were meeting him for the first time back in the first underworld along with the rest of us.

Well, that was my first time actually meeting him in person.

Camazotz is the only being in Mictlān who is superior to us deinos, which makes him a frightening figure.

I just happen not to think of him that way, myself. So when we met him, the only thought I had was, "Oh, so THAT'S Camazotz."

Hmm. So the deinos are simply scared of him, then.

I suppose that means it's up to us, then. It's only right that we repay the deinos for all their help and hospitality.

Fujimaru! Mash! Go take care of Camazotz for them! I'll even send Koyanskaya to help you!

Me? Why me?

Oh, no particular reason.

I certainly haven't been wondering how long this vixen means to keep mooching off us, wondering if she'll ever take a page from the deinos' book.

None of that has even occurred to me. No, sir. Not once. Anyway, good luck.

I've decided I'm coming along, too! I already know which direction the ghouls came from.

It's the jungle northwest of here...

The same place you all went to look for food before!

...What did you just say?

I was so intrigued, I decided to join you.

Camazotz is probably hiding out in the ancient Ka'an ruins.

It's a dangerous place, so this time, I want to do everything I can to ensure all of your safety.

"This time"? Did something happen at these ruins before?

No, not at Ka'an. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Come, let's hurry.

Tepeu... (He was talking about what happened with Marine...)

？！

Ka'an was a citywell, a kingdom, reallythat predated Chichén Itzá.

It's believed that the deinos who rebuilt Chichén Itzá actually used Ka'an as a reference.

That's news to me. What happened, then? Did the kingdom decline naturally, or did a later king decide to relocate the capital?

We're not sure. To this day, no deinos knows what Ka'an was like in its heyday...

We don't know what life was like for the deinos who lived there... Or why Ka'an ultimately disappeared.

This was a long, long time ago, you understand.

The only knowledge the priests passed down was knowledge acquired after Chichén Itzá was completed.

That being said...some deinos do believe Ka'an's downfall had something to do with the fourth annihilation.

No... It didn't reach the level of extinction. The deinos survived, as you can see.

？！

I already told Father Kotomine this, but according to Kukulcan, Mictlān's sun once went into a hibernation of sorts.

Consequently, Mictlān experienced a night which lasted for a very, very long time.

In turn, the deinos had no choice but to follow the sun's lead, close their eyes, and enter a deep slumber.

In your terms, this sleep lasted about one hundred thousand years.

When the sun returned, less than ten percent of the deinos who had gone to sleep were able to reawaken.

A hundred thousand years!? And only ten percent of you came back!? There's no way you could have repopulated your species with so few

Oh, wait. Now that I think about it, humans experienced a similar miracle.

Seventy thousand years ago, back when modern humankind only existed in West Africa, there was a freak weather event that reduced the population down to only two thousand people.

They survived the crisis though and eventually spread out to other continents, eventually growing their numbers to the seven billion alive today.

(Although, the way Tepeu put it, it sounds like the deinos are able to cryopreserve themselves.)

(Maybe they have something similar to cryptobiosis, the ability that lets tardigrades survive even in outer space...)

(...That clinches it. The deinos are clearly a new type of prime species...)

(One that was purposefully designed with a talent for genetic manipulation that never existed in Proper Human History.)

It's not much farther to the Ka'an ruins now. Please watch your step, everyone. There are many fences to trip on there.

？！

Right. Something feels off about them...

...

Koyanskaya? Is something wrong?

Something wrong? Perish the thought. I was just taking a little trip down memory lane, that's all♡

More importantly, look up. Don't you recognize those flapping sounds and that creepy laugh?

Hahaha. Hahahaha. Hahahahahahaha!

How cruel! How endlessly, deliciously cruel! You cluster together in your weakness! Cowering, trembling, you build walls! You prosper, and eventually have yourselves a kingdom!

But no matter how you rack your brains, you're still hopelessly weak! All that hard work, wasted!

In the end, all that remains of you is your bones and the ruins of your shattered, forgotten dreams!

What can one do but laugh? But look down upon you in contempt!? Truly, the tears of the weak are as sweet as the blue blood in their veins!

How I've enjoyed waiting for you apes! It was worth the trouble of sending my messengers to get your attention!

I'm accustomed to boredom, but don't take that to mean I'm anything approaching patient.

You responded so quickly! The deinos could learn a lot from you in that regard.

But...

Faster isn't always better. I only count three Servants with you this time: the shield girl, the child scholar, and a gussied up Beast...

Do you really mean to challenge me, the lord of the underworld, with this pathetic lot?

Has Tezcatlipoca rattled you so much that you forgot the foolhardy display of valor you showed in the underworld, priest of Chaldea?

Fine, let's have your excuse, then. Why have you so underestimated me?

What? That's certainly not what I was expecting. No matter. I do like an interesting question.

Tezcatlipoca has paid me much in tribute, but no, we are not in cahoots.

He forbade me from attacking the ocelomeh. I accepted, in exchange for knowledge.

After that, he proposed a new deal right around the time you apes showed up.

He said he wanted to change the nature of the layers of the underworld. I accepted in exchange for Command Spells.

That's all there is to it. It doesn't change the fact that one day, he and I will fight to the death over who rules Mictlān.

But before that day comes...

So you think you needn't fear me because we aren't in the underworld? Is that it?

Ha.. Hehe... Hahahaha... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Insolence! Insolence! Insolence! Insolence! Insolence! Death! Death! Death! Death! Death! Death! Death!

...All right. That should do it. You may be infuriating beyond compare, but you ARE brave. I like that.

You're exactly what humans should be, priest of Chaldea. Now I want even more to be you.

These summoning arts fascinate me. It's rather fun getting to meet dead warriors.

I see you've reclaimed two of the Command Spells. One still belongs to the underworld, though.

My original plan was to cut your head off in the thirdno, fourth layer...

...and to take your eyes and brain for myself.

But it seems it's time to show you how wrong you are about being able to defeat me just because we're not in the underworld.

？！

It's time to slake my thirst. Don't worry. All I need from you is your head.

I do so love blood, but I hate having the same blood twice. Unfortunately, you all look alike.

I can't be expected to tell an ocelotl from a Servant. So it's my personal policy to kill any creature whose blood I've tasted before.

Would you like to know why? So I don't ever have to look at them again, and won't have to resort to tasting their blood twice!

So welcome! Welcome! Listen well, undead warriors of Ka'an! The time has come to add to your ranks!

Truly spectacular fighting, Servants! Reminds me of the good old dark ages!

I never thought the billion souls and gallons of blood I consumed would one day be the driving force for all these skeletons!

？！

We can't even get near Camazotz with all these skeletons around! Do you have a shot, Koyanskaya?

I'm afraid not♡ This crowd of skeletons is doing a wonderful job of making an obstruction of themselves.

Unfortunately for us, this is the perfect place for a necromancer.

By my count, there are no fewer than a hundred thousand corpses buried here!

？！

That's right! I don't need the underworld to summon the dead!

And it looks like you apes can't see the blood threads I'm using to bind souls to the skeletons!

Dammit! Guy looks like an idiot, but he's REALLY good at this! He's got us boxed in! We don't have a way out!

I can force my way past them and into the jungle, but I won't get more than a few meters!

I don't think retreat is an option right now, Master!

？！

I'm afraid that's not a good idea.

The moment Mash gets close to him, he'll retreat back up to the sky, and the skeletons will completely swarm her.

We need a decoy. Someone big and tough who won't get hurt in all this.

Obviously, it has to be me.

All right everyone, I'll see you later. I should be able to hold out as long as the sun is here, but I would very much appreciate if you came to rescue me as soon as you can.

Huh? Tepeu?

(So that's the deinos barrier Fujimaru mentioned in his report! It looks as strong as electromagnetic armor!)

There! I fired a volley of my prized napalm rockets! We now have a clear path into the jungle!

It won't last long though, so I suggest anyone who wants to live gets moving, and quickly!

Senpai!

？！

We overheard everything on the comms! We know Tepeu stayed behind in enemy territory!

I wish we could combat the enemy's numbers with our own, but

We-we'll help save Master Tepeu... We've got to...

But, we can't handle Camazotz... He's just too scary! I know we shouldn't be afraid, but I just can't stop shaking!

Oh forGet a hold of yourselves, soccer raptors! We're not going to demand that noncombatants put themselves in danger!

We just need your speed! Run to the temple as fast as you can and fetch Kukulcan!

She's ridiculously strong! She should have no trouble handling hundredsno, thousands of enemies!

Our seventh bro's already doing just that! But he screeched that he can't find Lady Kukulcan anywhere!

Dammit, she just does whatever the hell she feels like, doesn't she!?

K-khh! I suppose this is it then!

Koyanskaya can't do much against skeletons, since they don't desire anything, and with Captain unable to leave the Border right now...

Does this mean it's time for Kadoc with his Anti-Beast magecraft and combat focus, so accustomed to fighting on the front lines...

..Sion, an expert alchemist and elite member of the Atlas Institute whose plans always go according to her calculations...

...myself, an intellectual mage and expert commander who issues orders left and right from HQ...

...and Meunière, who can probably also do something useful...to join Fujimaru in battle?

I am not really a combatant, you know... I cannot use threads or pull off combos or anything like that.

I overheard the whole thing! It seems my time has come!

？！

No one can match me in the art of necromancy!

That Camazotz is even using zombies and skeletons shows just how much he has to learn.

If this demon claims to be a skilled summoner, I will show him the true might of Egyptian technique!

The technique that even takes our undead's comfort and well-being into consideration by ensuring they still have bodies!

Oho! Now THAT is confidence, right there! I'd never have believed you were the same Servant who's been on a losing streak since we got here!

Well said, Nitocris! This is your chance to redeem yourself after your humiliating loss to Tlāloc!

Did you really need to bring that up right now!?

Yes... I can hear them. The voices of the dead.

With so many here, even an inexperienced necromancer could embed them in vessels.

He could call out to a hundred dead, and he would only capture one. I doubt he cares who he gets as long as they can fight.

？！

I am. This is where we fought that "turkey."

I remember its cry was no ordinary thing. I see now it's because it was calling out to the dead.

That's why it affected me so much; I can hear the voices of the dead.

I'm ashamed I didn't realize this at the time, and only dismissed it as a healthy morning call...

So you essentially left your spirit channel on and dialed up to maximum volume.

More or less, yes. It didn't do me any favors at the time, but at least I can make use of the experience now.

I'm going to layer a spell that mimics that bird's cry over Camazotz's necromancy, essentially jamming his signal.

Only a truly exceptional necromancer could hope to keep control of their familiars under those circumstances.

Hehe, do try to keep your insolence to a minimum. As for my ears, it doesn't matter either way.

？！

We're here! These are the Ka'an ruins! Now, where's Tepeu!?

Ouch. These Ka'an soldiers are hurting me.

Looks like he's tired, but still hanging in there! Phew! We're not too late!

So, you've returned, Chaldean boy. Good. Struggling like that really gets your blood pumping.

So, what did you bring this time? A storm? A fire? A disease?

It doesn't matter. The Ka'an warriors are indestructible. You can never defeat them with the kind of violence you'd use on the livin

...

...?

...?

...?

？！

I don't know what's going on, but this would seem to be our chance! I'll open my underworld mirror and cleanse the spirits that fill this land!

Ngh... Ngh...

Graaaaaah!!!

A necromancer! I knew it! You should be ashamed! Revolting! REVOLTING! I want to tear my own eyes out, it's so hideous!

Kill that woman, my warriors! Otherwise, she will send you into a nightmare from which you'll never awaken!

How dare you hear the voices of the dead even outside the underworlds!? There's only room in Mictlān for one necromancer, and that's me!

...What is this? What just happened?

What happened is that you just lost, Demon God. I've rid these ruins of all the dead spirits gathered here.

You no longer have even a single pawn to command.

I said...WHAT JUST HAPPENED!?

？！

One move and I'll split her from head to toe with my scythe.

Ghh!!! (So fast... He grabbed me before I even had time to blink!)

Now, answer me, woman. What just happened here? How did you do it?

Khh... You mean how I returned your familiars to the earth? I just used my own dead spirits to banish your

No, no, no! The soldiers! The soldiers you commanded!

You were treating those pale ghosts as though they were your own subjects, weren't you?

Those ghosts were long dead! Any dreams they had vanished along with their souls!

And you are going to tell me...what? That you remember each of their names!?

...What?

ANSWER ME! Do you actually bother remembering them all!?

Do you really recall those dead people's names and deeds every single time you call upon them!?

...Of course I do. Those ghosts were all once loyal subjects of the pharaoh.

Even if they are no longer with us, I still honor their names and deeds.

A pharaoh who reigned as briefly as I did is only able to exist as a Heroic Spirit because I share their pain.

...Gah. Gah. Gaaaaaah!

Disgusting! Utterly disgusting!!! Guh, I want to tear my own skin off!

I can't take it! I can't take it any longer!

This is the worst day ever, ruined by the worst woman ever. What even are those ridiculous rabbit ears? They make every hair on my body stand on end!

I'm going to Yayauhqui for a healing bath! That spring, the source of night, should at least rid me of these awful chills!

...I'm not sure what he was talking about, but I get the feeling that it was very insolent indeed...

Anyway, I didn't manage to land a hit on him, but does this mean we've driven him away?

？！

Indeed, victory is yours, and I live to see another day. Thank you all so much.

Nitocris, you did what no one else has ever been able to accomplish: you defeated Camazotz and drove him off.

I have no doubt there's going to be a grand festival in Chichén Itzá tonight. You should return there with your head held high.

I see. A festival, huh... Wait, what?

Spectacular work, Nitocris. No other warrior has ever managed to drive Camazotz away.

The deinos will never forget what you've done. From now on, whenever they encounter a problem, they'll say:

"Nitocris didn't give up when she drove off that annoying bat. WWNDWhat Would Nitocris Do?"

In-so-lence! In-so-lence!

Huh? Huh!? (*Still not fully grasping the situation)

Party's still going, by the sound of it. I can still hear the deinos all the way out here.

This is not how I imagined today would go, but at least Chaldea's super popular with the deinos now.

Starting tomorrow, we should be able to focus on repairing the Border again. But before that

Yes. We need to continue our discussion from earlier.

It seems that the last Crypter, Daybit Sem Void, has a plan of his own, entirely separate from the Foreign God's.

He means to use ORT, wherever it is in this Lostbelt, to destroy the entire planet.

So our top priority now, ahead of tracking down ORT or cutting down the Tree of Emptiness, is to stop Daybit's plan.

Though of course, since we have not yet been able to detect the Tree of Emptiness, much less locate it...

...we can do little in the way of planning to cut it down.

Yeah, between crashing, getting taken prisoner, the surprise cultural exchange, and the zombie attack...

...I honestly haven't even given a thought to searching for the Tree of Emptiness. How about you, Fujimaru? Mash?

Have you two seen anything around that looked like it could maybe be the Tree of Emptiness?

？！

I agree with Senpai. The surface is completely devastated, while this underground world teems with life.

I think, if we understood Mictlān's structure, we'd have no trouble figuring out where the Tree of Emptiness is, but...

Heh, you people are all overthinking this. Things like the Tree of Emptiness are always in the deepest, most inaccessible parts of their world.

So it seems clear to me that we'll find Mictlān's Tree of Emptiness at its southernmost pointthe ninth, bottommost stratum, thinking vertically.

And that means once the Storm Border is back up and running, we can fly right to it!

So for now, let's just be patient. Give our technical advisor and Sion time to finish the repairs while we kick back and relax in our air-conditioned rooms!

Not happening, Goredolf. Did you forget about the report of what happened in México City?

If we don't do something soon, we won't be able to stop the future where ORT wakes up. And we have no idea how long it will be until that happens.

So the best thing we can do right now is stop Tezcatlipoca and Daybit's plan before they can wake ORT up.

Right... That slipped my mind. But the future they saw was already set, no?

Will us stopping their plan change that?

Of course. If we do nothing, the future they saw in México City will be set...

...but right now, we are still at the crossroads of the present.

Should ORT wake, we will no longer be able to alter the future Tezcatlipoca showed us.

However, if we can stop ORT from waking, the future is entirely in our hands.

Yup. And that's why we need all the information we can get.

Who exactly is Daybit Sem Void? How is he planning to wake ORT?

For that matter, what exactly is ORT?

We still haven't detected it in Mictlān, so right now, we can't even say whether it's asleep or dead?

Without that information, we can't really formulate a plan.

As much as I wish otherwise...

...unfortunately, we don't have any way of finding more information.

Neither the deinos nor the King of Dinosaurs seem to have any knowledge of things outside of Chichén Itzá.

Maybe we could infiltrate México City again and ask Daybit himself...? Nah, that's a dumb idea.

Even if we managed to get in and find him, he'd sooner die than tell us anything.

Gnnn. What SHOULD we do then...?

It's been less than a year since Daybit came to this Lostbelt, the same as it was for the other Crypters.

So where was he for all that time? What was he doing?

How did someone so opposed to humanity summon Tezcatlipoca? Where exactly are ORT and the Tree of Emptiness?

If only we could talk to someone who had the answers to those questions...

Of course, we could never be so lucky as for there to be someone around who conveniently has the knowledge we ne

Oh, is that all you need?

Because I'm pretty sure you can find a deinos who knows what the Crypter's been doing since his arrival. They're in Metztitlán.

？！

Oh, sorry.

The deinos have been pestering me for more of your stories.

So, I came here to fetch Fujimaru and Mash.

But your conversation was so interesting, I just couldn't help but listen in, yes!

I see. Sorry we didn't notice you. So, what is this Metztitlán place?

In our world's Aztec mythology, it is part of the name of the first of the thirteen heavensthe bottommost domain where the moon moved, Ilhuícatl-Meztli.

So, from what you're saying, I gather it's some kind of moonlike facility overlooking all of Mictlān?

That's right! Unlike the bastard in the sunglasses, I don't know much about the future, or causality, or any other complicated topics...

...but I do still want to help you, so I decided to skip the council meeting in Mictlān and come here to talk!

If you don't know the answer to a question, ask someone who does! And there's a very knowledgeable deinos who's good at answering questions in the Metztitlán observatory, yes!

So there is someone up there with an even greater knowledge of Mictlān than you? So where

That is, who in the world is this person? Are they part of the teachings of the sun, like you?

Good question. The circumstances of our births are pretty similar.

If you think of me as Mictlān's new sun, she's Mictlān's new land. She can never leave the place where she was born.

And that place is the last destination humankind can reach on their own power: the observatory that was built in the seventh stratum.

It's known as Metztitlán, the Terminal Observatory, and is the home of Princess Xquic, the stargazer known as Archetype: EARTH.

She is a duplicate of the planet's soul; she has existed ever since Mictlān first came into being.

The seventh stratum... Metztitlán, the Terminal Observatory... Almost like the Chaldea of Mictlān...

Thank you, Kukulcan! I wasn't expecting a lifeline, but you've truly proven to be our savior!

All right everyone, you heard the goddess! We're beginning a new operation!

Fujimaru, Mash, Habetrot, Da Vinci, and Nitocris over there, having the time of her life!

Prepare to leave for the seventh stratum at once!

And could I ask you to accompany them too, Kukulcan? Da Vinci will only be there to handle data analysis.

You're the strongest fighter around by far. We would be very grateful if you were willing to help Fujimaru.

Of course! Yay! Thanks, Director!

Now I have the perfect excuse to cancel my annoying council meeting! I can't turn down a request for aid, after all!

Sion and I will stay here to focus on repairing the Border. Koyanskaya, you're on guard duty.

What will you do, Kadoc? You'll be helpful no matter which group you go with.

So you should go where you think you can do the most good.

...Okay. I'll stay with the Border, too. But I can't help with the repairs.

I'm going to go over the Clock Tower files, since they might have something on Daybit.

Oh, good idea. I think I'll do the same.

The Clock Tower files are heavily encrypted, though. We'll need to decrypt them one at a time.

I can help with that. Though it will have to be in my downtime between repair tasks.

All right, then it's settled! Let's get to work, everyone!

Oh, but not right this second. Fujimaru and Kyrielight still need to rest.

You both have a responsibility to get seven hours of sleep and two hours of relaxation each day.

You'll be departing tomorrow morning. Until then, take some time to enjoy the Chichén Itzá nightlife if you like.

H-hmm. Good point. A chance like this doesn't come around every day. If I think of it as a vacation near a tropical rainforest, then maybe

No, wait! You can't fool me! I just know I'm going to be mistaken for a giant xokta ball the moment I set foot outside...

...and passed around from deinos to deinos until I end up somewhere I don't even want to imagine!

？！

But first, we should probably rescue Nitocris from the shrine.

And since the deinos want to hear more Lostbelt stories, we can kill two birds with one stone.

We've got a long journey ahead of us starting tomorrow, so this might be your last chance to talk to them. Make sure to tell them as much as you can.

？！

Wow, a world of all vassals and just one human?

Man, that's efficient. Really efficient.

The vassals do all the heavy labor to keep the world running, and provide the king with culture.

The king evaluates it all, and becomes the primary figure in making further advancements.

Technological development could never take a wrong turn in a world like that.

The other Lostbelt worlds were pretty astonishing too, but in terms of completion, the Chinese Lostbelt sounds like it was right at the top.

I know what you mean.

No one in this society ever had to feel unnecessary suffering, or want things they could never have.

Complete, yes. I'd say it is. But at the level of a species, maintaining the status quo is effectively regression.

No matter how stable the world a species lives in may be, if that species never changes at all...

...it will only be a matter of time before other species surpass them, effectively causing them to degrade.

But this Qin Shi Huang person managed all those changes themself. So long as they never made a mistake, the Chinese Lostbelt would have been powerful indeed.

And they did not, in fact, make any mistakes, which is why their empire became eternal.

It's just too bad their own lifespan was limited. Not necessarily physically, since they did acquire an immortal body, but mentally.

It almost sounds as though the Great Wall they built enclosed their mind as well as their nation.

That part, I honestly didn't understand. Why would a human of that caliber stop trying to grow their territory?

Isn't that why they became emperor in the first place? To grow humanity's domain as far as possible?

？！

I'd say it was probably a combination of space travel not seeming to be worth the cost and an interest in pursuing their own evolution. Qin Shi Huang was the ultimate human in a very real sense.

Their ideology was solipsistic, yes, but that was because they truly believed themselves to be the pinnacle of humanity.

And since they were so strong in both mind and body, they probably never saw a need to compare themself to others.

It's the same ideal Kirschtaria tried to bring about.

Qin Shi Huang loved their subjects, and strove to advance the human species as much as possible.

They were a perfected persona true Zhenren.

But, unfortunately, there was no one else in that world who could stand as Qin Shi Huang's peer, which ended up leaving them as the only human there was.

So, they were a really, reeeally hardheaded human? That kind of sounds like Tepeu. He never lets anything stop him, even when he's all alone.

Wow, these other Lostbelts are amazing.

We could never try to keep surviving after an extinction.

And none of us care about having our species flourish or trying to evolve further.

Really? But surely you guys don't want to go extinct either, right?

We do try to avoid death, but that's not the same thing as trying to avoid extinction.

That would require a way of looking at things which was very focused on us, specifically. We live for something bigger than ourselves.

That said, no deinos can put into words exactly what that bigger thing is.

But you taught us that our world is a Lostbelta world that was meant to be pruned away.

We're grateful to you for that. We're not envious of any of the other Lostbelts, or of Proper Human History.

Because we know that our Mictlān is already a complete and perfect world.

Yeah. We all love Mictlān, and we're all grateful to Lady Kukulcan.

But you know...

...I do wonder if our Lostbelt's as meaningful a world as the other ones. I hope so.

There you are, Wak Chan. I've been looking for you. Are you feeling like your old self yet?

It's no use! Nothing I do works! I don't wanna do anything at all, ever again, not until the sun disappears forever!

Hmm. Your brain waves aside, you seem like you're still in peak physical condition, so let me give you this message.

The Chaldeans will be heading to the seventh stratum at daybreak.

If you would be willing to go with them as their porter, it would be a tremendous help.

Whoa, the seventh stratum!? That's amazing! That's practically a stone's throw from the dreaded land!

Even I've only been there once! My dad took me when I was a kid, and I only remember seeing the stars there!

That sounds like a ton of fun! I guess those guys will go anywhere as long as they have a goal!

Oh... But, Olga's gonna be there too, right?

I don't... I don't know what to say to her.

Now I know I should have said something to cheer her up instead of just disappearing, but...

...Wak Chan, U-Olga Marie is no longer in Chichén Itzá.

She and the Chaldeans have gone their separate ways. I doubt she'll ever return.

Huh!? How'd that happen!? I thought they were friends! Oh, what do you know, Tepeu!?

This would seem a good time to explain.

I can only guess based on information I've been able to piece together, but I believe U-Olga Marie to be Chaldea's enemy.

No, not just that. She may also be the greatest threat to the deinos as well.

You've heard their stories about Proper Human History and the Lostbelts, yes? And you know how the world outside oursthe civilization of Earthwas erased by the Bleached Earth Phenomenon, right?

Well, the Bleached Earth Phenomenon didn't just erase civilization. It also scoured every living thing from the planet.

The being responsible for that is the Foreign Godan alien who wiped out over seven billion humans all on her own.

And U-Olga Marie IS that Foreign God.

At least, so I believe. There are a few points that don't quite add up, so I can't be completely certain.

But, all that aside.

Whether by coincidence or miracle, we were able to speak and travel with her for a time...but that was no more than a dream bound to end sooner than later.

Quite frankly, our journey with her was a mistake.

...You're kidding me.

Please try to calm down, Lord Vucub. The king may not be here right now, but we are still in the presence of the Solar Sojourn.

If you flap your wings too loudly

Shut up! How are you not bothered by this!? How long are those fools going to keep falling all over themselves, fawning over those damned outsiders!?

Even the King of Dinosaurs is going along with it! Have they no reverence at all for the holy xokta shrine!?

That shrine is meant to be where we give thanks for the sun's cycle. It is NOT a place to celebrate outsiders!

How many times are they going to make the same mistake before they get it through their thick skulls? What good has foreign culture ever brought us?

That damn Crypter's knowledge has been nothing but poison!

The inclusion of language has only created disparities between deinos, and the ocelomeh have been growing stronger at an alarming rate!

The only reason you cretins aren't worried is because you don't know how far México City has come!

If there were other winged deinos besides me, they would tell you, just as I have, how terrifying that city really is!

Please, calm down, Priest Vucub! Other priests will come by if you make too much noise!

Hmph. No they won't. They're all down there at the xokta shrine making fools of themselves over the story of Camazotz's defeat.

They have no sense of urgency. No concerns whatsoever about the impending danger. Why is that?

Is it because you cretins never had any natural predators? Because you never knew how terrifying it is to be the only one of your kind?

We must find a way to wipe out the ocelomeh. We ignore México City's growing power at our own peril!

Deinos rule in Mictlān! It's about time we started thinking that way!

And yet, Kukulcan has left the ocelomeh to do whatever they please!

Next thing you know, she's brought back a human child and named him king of all deinos.

And then, just when we thought she'd gone off to observe México City from a distance, she comes back dressed like a damn ocelotl!

This all happened recently. Proper Human History's knowledge has tarnished Mictlān, and our sun.

In fact...

...that woman has been far too welcoming to those Proper Human History outsiders ever since she learned of this "god" concept.

You mustn't say such things, Lord Vucub! Please, at least refrain from putting such thoughts into words!

Shut up! This isn't my fault! It's the fault of the king and the god who made me think this in the first place!

Who do you think I am, anyway!? I'm a rare pterosaur! The only kind of deinos blessed enough to be chosen by the skies!

It should be me standing at the top of deinos society!

Do you have any idea how much of myself I've devoted to Mictlān for that purpose!?

Despair, repugnant King of Dinosaurs! Despair, useless Kukulcan!

That the Crypter showing up could change our entire culture proves that we never had a culture of our own to begin with!

Eep! Y-you're exactly right, Lord Vucub!

No one loves Mictlān more than you! You're the perfect deinos to lead us all!

...All right. Move ahead with that plan we discussed. Tell Izcalli I will agree to a second meeting. In secret.

A plan to steal the sun, huh... Hmph. It's bold, I'll give him that.

But it was at least worth hearing what he had to say. I certainly can't think of a better pretext.

Fine. If it will really save our dying sun, he can have Chichén Itzá.