Terminal Observatory Metztitlán

And that's the long and short of it. Difficult though the fight was, we all came through intact.

I-I see. Well done!

Hmph. My mind still boggles at the mere idea of a mass of Gugalannas.

At any rate, that sounds like quite the ordeal. I can't tell you how glad I am that I wasn't there for it.

As for you, Kukulcan...

Are you really the body of light that struck the Border? It wasn't a figure of speech or anything?

No, it was really me. I'm sorry. I was kind of just acting on impulse...

I mean, you know how it is when a cute little bird flies into your house, right, Director? You just want to give it a big squeeze!

This was well beyond a squeeze! For that matter, we are a beautiful PHOENIX, not some little bird!

Grrr, there are a dozen things I'd like to say right now, but I also don't want to interfere with my field team's on-site decisions.

Fujimaru! Kyrielight! I'm counting on you two to keep a close eye on Kukulcan!

If she starts acting suspicious in any way, throw something in her eyes to blind her and put as much distance between you and her as you can! Got that!?

(Evil fog maneuver!? I've never heard of that move before, but I can't wait to see it!)

？！

Good. Then continue with the operation as planned. You may also be glad to know that our repairs are continuing on schedule.

We may not be able to communicate while you're in the underworld, but our connection is holding steady in the standard jungle.

So don't just wait for an emergency to contact us. If you have any questions about anything, let us know immediately.

All right, that's all for now. The next time we speak, I hope you'll have good news for me.

Man, I had no idea Goredolf was such a worrywart. Wait, is he actually more capable than he seems? Is he a reasonable guy?

Oh yes. Goredolf Musik has been an excellent director of Novum Chaldea...

...and he's proven himself to be a talented mission commander as well.

That's true. Servants are good at what we do, but on our own, that really just makes us a bunch of individual specialists.

For us to work as part of an organization, we need a leader who can bring us all together.

I wouldn't go so far as to say Gordy is perfect in the role, but he's always pushing himself to do the right thing.

I guess he's what you'd call an unsung hero, but I wouldn't be surprised if he took center stage one day.

So he's a neighbor who learns and grows along with you. It seems there truly is no end of diversity among people from Proper Human History.

At any rate, this seems like a good time for a short break.

Nitocris, would you keep an eye on our surroundings while I make camp?

...

？！

...Oh, yes! Camp! Good idea! I'll send out some spirits to get rid of any nearby threats!

Nitocris, wait! If you send out spirits in all directions like tha

Huh? Why do I hear approaching footsteps? Don't deinos run away from spirits?

I remember the ones who saw Camazotz's spirits were all scrambling to get away as fast as they could.

Those were normal deinos! The ones wandering around the jungle have lost their minds, so

？！

Oops. This is your first time traveling in the jungle, isn't it, Nitocris? I'm sorry, I should have known better.

No problem! We'll just have to drive them away then! You've recovered all your Command Spells, right, my ally!?

Then in my capacity as pharaoh, I will test your newly regained summoning skills personally!

The battle is over. The deinos who have lost their minds are heading away.

There, see? This was a perfect opportunity to verify that you had indeed regained your summoning ability!

Exactly as I planned! Nicely done, Fujimaru!

？！

Yup. You might've regained your ability to summon Heroic Spirits, which proves you're a Master...

...but it looks like you're still unable to activate your Command Spells.

So while you can once again summon Servants, you still can't use your Command Spells to empower them.

Leaves some gaps in your ability as a Master. Maybe it'd be more accurate to call you an apprentice Master of sorts, or even just a summoner.

I actually took a look at the records from the first underworld to see how you ended up like that...

...and I think you said you made a deal with a mysterious guy in a mysterious place in order to come back to life. Is that right?

If so, you could be stuck like this the whole time we're in Mictlān.

Alternatively

We just need to teach whoever made this deal with you a lesson.

Since Camazotz had your Command Spells, it stands to reason that he's the one you made the deal with.

？！

Camazotz did mention having made a deal with Tezcatlipoca.

That would mean this mysterious person you don't clearly remember was Tezcatlipoca.

The bastard in the sunglasses? I knew it. Good. That's yet another reason to kick his ass.

So you can't remember where you made the deal or who you made it with, but you are certain it wasn't with Camazotz.

This could mean that Camazotz also made a deal with whoever this person was, and so purchased your Command Spells.

I find it hard to imagine that bat maniac making a rational decision of any kind.

But since it does look like he gave each underworld guardian a Command Spell, it looks like that's exactly what he did.

？！

All that aside... Doesn't it seem like there were an awful lot of mindless deinos earlier?

Do they have a nest here in the seventh stratum or something?

No, nothing like that. The seventh stratum is just a comfortable environment for them.

For most deinos and ocelomeh, this is a dangerous environment where one false step can kill you.

Part of that is because Camazotz, the god of death, lives nearby in the eighth stratum...

...but it's also because the eighth and ninth strata are filled with poisonous gas and dangerous cosmic rays.

No living creature can easily enter those strata; they're just too deadly.

Ohh. So that's why the drone we sent to survey the eighth stratum malfunctioned and stopped working as soon as it entered that area.

That probably means the Tree of Emptiness is on the bottommost stratum then. I can't think of anywhere else it would be.

Okay, that takes care of the campfire. How 'bout we can the chatter and get camp set up?

I've got two tents here. One's for Mash and Da Vinci, the other's for Fujimaru.

They're all flesh-and-blood people, so they need a proper place to sleep.

Needless to say, I'll be fine with a bed of grass. I love sleeping on good, hard ground.

I'm flesh and blood too, you know. You Servants turning into spirit forms is no fair, no...

？！

Oh! G-good point.

You trusted us enough to tell us that you were the one who attacked the Storm Border.

So as one of our trusted companions, it's only natural that Master would offer you a space in his tent. Only natural.

Uh... Haha. Th-thanks, but that's okay. I'll just sleep on the ground, like Tepeu.

I've not quite been around for a year, but, uh, I think being alone in a tent with a guy would be a bit...much...

I mean, if I lost control of myself, then Mictlān would really be finished, yes...

Oh, I know! Mash, Da Vinci, you two are staying in the same tent, right?

Then there should be a space for me in Fujimaru's tent! I can just stay there with her!

Huh!? U-uh, then, why don't you just use my tent!?

I can sleep in a sleeping bag by the campfire!

？！

Hmm? But where's the fun in that? If we're going to use tents, then we should ALL share a tent.

I want to snuggle up together while we talk about all kinds of stuff!

It's been great hearing about Chaldea and the Foreign God, but I want to hear stories about regular life in Proper Human History, too!

I-I see... Then, yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea.

I don't have any firsthand experience of daily life, so you'll have to do all of the talking, Senpai.

I'd love to hear all about what life was like back where you grew up.

Ooh, are we having a girls' night in the tent? I want in, too! We can put both our tents together! And of course, you'll have to join us too, Nitocris and Habetrot!

Officially, I can't endorse staying up late, but when there's this much fun stuff to talk about, sometimes you just have to roll with it!

...I don't get it.

A natural biosphere...! This is more like a nature preserve than an observatory!

And it's not like the rest of Mictlān, either! This place is straight out of Cenozoic-era Proper Human History!

I'm not surprised. The Malla has no influence here.

This is where the planet's sense of touch was dispatched from the inner sea...the place where the Elementals that exist in Proper Human History were born.

So since the god filaments didn't create this part of Mictlān, it makes sense that it would be closer to the environments you're familiar with in Proper Human History.

？！

Yup. If we think of a planet as a living being, the inner sea is a place for its heart that's guaranteed to exist.

You know about Reality Marbles, right?

They're essentially a mage's inner world made manifesta powerful spell that lays their own mindscape over reality, even if only for a moment.

Well, the planet's inner sea is like that, but for Earth. You can think of it as a Reality Marble the planet itself possesses.

That being said, Earth is a big place, and even human hearts contain multitudes.

For example, the part of its heart that remains close to human society, or the part that has a few bones to pick with it.

Avalon is just one of several possible sides of that heartone that prefers nature and eschews connections to human society.

So Elementals born in worlds like that are essentially clones of the planet itself, right?

Kukulcan, a moment ago you mentioned the planet's sense of touch.

These...feelers are born in the planet's inner sea, make their way to Earth's surface, and ultimately return to the inner sea.

But if, for whatever reason, they are unwilling or unable to return...

...they become fairies, Elementals, and Divine Spirits on the planet's surface.

Yeah. Though of course, some fairies, Elementals, and Divine Spirits manifest in other ways, so we can't say that's how they all came to exist.

Meanwhile, there are some Elementals who could only have been born in the planet's inner sea.

These special spirits are known to be the planet's brain. Since they have hearts, why not brains too?

Anyway, these Elementals are born from Earth's earliest memories, which they then inherit themselves. They continually dream about the things taking place on the planet's surface.

In the magecraft world, these beings are known as "Archetypes," and the one up ahead is an incredible recorder of history.

...So this being knows the history of life on this planet, long before the first humans were ever born...

But, I've also heard that Archetypes take on the form of the dominant species from that age.

This may be a Lostbelt, but we mustn't forget, a Lostbelt is a hypothetical alternative to Proper Human History.

In which case, might this Archetype also be humanoid, like us?

I think Tepeu can answer that. Right, Tepeu? You used to be a researcher here, no?

？！

That's correct. I AM Tepeu the stargazer, you know. I've made the trip between Chichén Itzá and the seventh stratum countless times.

I've never heard of an Archetype before, though. That must be another bit of knowledge the Crypter brought over.

...Though I get the sense you've known the term for some time, Kukulcan.

I'm sorry! Feelings alone just weren't enough to convey the concept clearly! Man, words are perfect for this stuff!

"The Malla watch over us. They keep their opinions entirely to themselves." I'm surprised that Kukulcan, the teachings of the sun herself, would be bound to a rule like that.

Oh well. I couldn't fail to note that Xquic isn't like other deinos.

Though I also suspect that a Mictlān Archetype is different from one in Proper Human History.

Mictlān itself is already much like the planet's inner sea.

It's closed off from both the surface and outer space, unaffected by change.

For the Archetype born here, it must feel positively suffocating, since she'll never get to see outside it.

Hm?

"A picture is worth a thousand words," right? Let's keep going. You'll see what I mean once you meet her yourselves.

Oh, and a word of warning: under no circumstances should you adopt a combat stance, no matter how surprised you may be.

This Archetype is both highly sensitive and easily hurt. If we scare her off, she'll be useless for at least a few days.

？！

Hello, Xquic. I've brought some guests from Proper Human History here to see you.

They have some questions they'd like to ask. Could you please come out now? Please, try to get past your shyness.

They'll find you quickly enough anyway. You're not hidden nearly as well as you think.

There's a Proper Human History saying that goes "when you cover your head, don't leave your bottom exposed." Well, we can see your bottomthat is, your tail, quite clearly.

Nuh-uh! Ugh, you're so mean, Big Brother Tepeu! I was just working up the courage is all.

Okay, here goes. I'm gonna welcome our guests properly, just like a good shrine maiden would!

Hello, everyone. It's so nice to meet all of you. Thank you for coming all this way from Chichén Itzá.

I'm Xquic. My job is watching over Mictlān's journey from here in this moon plateau.

There's much I don't know about the wider world, so I might say the wrong thing now and then, so please bear with me.

She... She... She...

She's huuuge!

A Diplodocus! You're an actual Diplodocus!

Your species was the largest herbivorous dinosaur on Earth! Only you're even bigger than the ones from Proper Human History!

You must be at least sixty meters from head to tail! This is amazing!

Hehe, thank you, child of Proper Human History. You have a lovely voice, just as I thought you would.

Huh? You know who I am? Did Kukulcan tell you about me?

No, I saw you myself. I can see all the way to the second stratum from here, in fact.

But unlike Kukulcan, I couldn't hear your voices, so I never learned your names.

Would you mind introducing yourselves now?

Thank you.

Fujimaru, Mash, Habetrot, Da Vinci, and Nitocris.

Even the sounds of your names are unlike anything found here, but they are all so beautiful. I'm glad to have had a chance to hear them for myself.

Thank you, Xquic. I think your name is beautiful, too.

Also, um, I hope you don't mind, but I noticed you called Tepeu "Big Brother" earlier.

If it's not too rude, may I ask what your relationship is?

Oh my. Teehee. My, my.

That you even thought to ask the question tells me we are getting along wonderfully, Mash.

As for Big Brother Tepeu's and my relationship

We're just acquaintances.

We met when I first came to this observatory to study the stars.

Don't take her calling me "Big Brother" seriously. That's just something she does.

It's honestly kind of absurd. Xquic is six million years old, and I'm only a thousand.

？！

I see. So why do you refer to Tepeu as your brother then, Xquic?

Because ever since we first met, he's been bossing me around.

I'm something of a special deinos, you see.

Most deinos never come here because this observatory means nothing to them, but Big Brother Tepeu kept showing up unannounced. A lot.

He also said I was a good for nothing and a waste of space. Also a lot.

I did not.

Now would you please stop with the unnecessary small talk and do your job as the eye of the observatory?

There, see?

He's always scolding me like that just because he happens to know lots of things.

(Um... Is this one of those...?)

(Yes. He's the typical big brother figure who acts cold on the outside, but still comes to check on her out of concern♡)

Ugh, I swear. When are you finally going to grow out of such childish nonsense?

Never. You know as well as I do that I'm eternally one year old.

...Well, I suppose that's true. Since you were born as an extension of the planet's sense of touch, you'll never grow or mature mentally.

That's why you refer to me as your older brother. From your perspective, everyone will always be older than you.

All right, Fujimaru, Da Vinci, go ahead and ask Xquic what you'd like to know.

She sees everything that happens in Mictlān...

...so if anyone knows what Daybit has been doing for the past year, it's her.

Daybit? You want to know about Daybit?

？！

Oh yes. He came here almost immediately after he first arrived in Mictlān.

He told me to tell him the truth about Mictlān and its history, and to do it in five minutes because he didn't have time to spare on us.

I knew he was a visitor from Proper Human History, but I also didn't have any reason to refuse, so I told him what he asked for.

In Proper Human History terms, that was exactly one year ago.

That does match the time the Crypter first showed up.

Hold on. You knew about Proper Human History and the Lostbelts before the Crypter arrived, right?

Then why did you do what he asked? From where you stand, anyone from Proper Human History would be an invader.

Good question.

As an Archetype, I was aware Mictlān is not Earth's true environment.

I could also foresee that Daybit would use the knowledge he gained from me to form the ocelomeh and begin hunting deinos.

That's very sad, of course...but it was still no reason to refuse him.

Everyone has different worldviews, principles, and values. No two people think exactly the same way...

...and reaching true mutual understanding almost never happens. That's why everyone must be treated equally.

We all know it's wrong to disregard other people's time, ideals, and lives just because they live far away...

...or because you've never met them, or you have no connection to them, or it won't be to your benefit.

This is the code of ethics for dealing with life we deinos have arrived at over a very, very long time.

We don't discriminate, either positively or negatively, toward anyone, regardless of how strong or weak they might be.

Deinos treat all forms of life equally.

After all, a society where only special people are given special treatment would simply be wrong, wouldn't it?

...

...(As I thought, it seems she's deeply impressed Mash.)

Yes, Xquic complied with Daybit's demands. Which is why she'll now do the same for you.

Now, let's get down to business. What has Daybit been doing, and what is he planning next?

There is no need to discuss anything el

Hm? It's not like you to be so impatient, Big Brother Tepeu.

If you want to know Daybit's objective, then you should also know what he asked me.

Isn't that how you would normally approach things like this?

Good point. That information is definitely crucial, and I'm also very interested in hearing it. Is something wrong, Tepeu? You've been kind of restless ever since we got here.

Have I? ...I suppose I have. I must have gotten more worked up than I realized over being back in the observatory after such a long time away.

All right, I'll leave the questioning to you, Da Vinci. In the meantime, I'll go prepare the popol ritual.

？！

Hmm. All right, I guess I'll handle the questions then.

You said Daybit asked you to tell him the truth about Mictlān and its history, right?

Our understanding is, this Lostbelt began when dinosaurs became the dominant species... No wait, that's not right.

It began with the fifth of the big fivethe meteorite collision that wiped out nearly all life on Earth's surface.

Afterwards, the filament-like alien life-forms that came here on the meteorite restored the land after everything had burned down...

...then they chose the dinosaurs to serve as their hosts, and used them to create Mictlān.

That's our current working theory, anyway. Are we on the right track?

Whoa. You're too precious, Da Vinci! I'm amazed you've been thinking about things that happened in the time long, long, long before!

Anyway, yes. That's all correct! Well, some of the finer details differ a little.

In Proper Human History, the filaments came to Earth on the meteorite that crashed into the Yucatán Peninsula sixty-six million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period.

But in this Lostbelt, that meteorite crashed here with them about three hundred million years ago, at the end of the Carboniferous period.

The filaments that came here from outer space and ended up stranded here are called "Malla" in our native tongue.

When they first landed, they used a network of plant roots to stabilize the supercontinent of Pangaea and keep it from breaking apart into smaller continents.

So this Lostbelt actually started three hundred million years ago, back when Pangaea still existed.

Th-three hundred million years ago!? Before even the third of the big five took place!?

Oh, wait. So THAT'S why Fujimaru was talking about the Carboniferous period before!

Okay, that makes a lot start to add up.

In Proper Human History, ninety-five percent of Paleozoic-era aquatic life went extinct during the transition from the Permian period to the Triassic period.

That was when dinosaurs stepped in as the dominant life-form, since they were better suited for that environment.

After that, Pangaea split apart into the Laurasia continent to the north and the Gondwana continent to the south, which scattered the dinosaurs all across the world.

But, if Pangaea hadn't fractured, then the dinosaurs' paradise would have had much greater opportunity to flourish.

And as long as the dinosaurs remained at the top of the food chain, there would be no chance for mammals to evolve into intelligent life.

So that was how Mictlān began...

How the Malla's early arrival changed this world so dramatically!

But what about the fourth extinction event at the end of the Triassic period? And the meteorite that crashed into the Yucatán Peninsula at the end of the Cretaceous?

Wouldn't either of those have prevented this Lostbelt from occurring?

I don't know about the fourth and fifth extinction events from Proper Human History, but Mictlān did have a fourth one.

It was sixty-six million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period. The same time as the fifth extinction event in Proper Human History, the Yucatán Peninsula meteorite.

Once again, a meteorite collided with this planet, burning away everything on the surface and threatening the dinosaurs with extinction.

That's when the Malla came to the rescue.

The Malla foresaw the meteorite's impact and built a shelter deep underground.

They then collected all the energy on the surface of the earth and redirected it to create a subterranean paradise.

All the heat and energy that would have otherwise gone into restoring the surface over the next million years went into creating Biosphere 3.

The result is the Mictlān we have today.

Since then and for the last sixty-six million years, Mictlān has been a world for the deinos.

？！

Yeah. This stuff is all way above my head. I'll have to have Mash give me a...very short summary later.

I see... So that's why the surface was still postapocalyptic.

The seas were dried up, volcanic activity was out of control, and the skies were covered by dense thunderclouds.

And it's all because the energy that would have normally gone into letting nature take its course went into Mictlān instead.

So here, over the course of almost a hundred million years, the Malla gained control over Earth's surface...

...but that would never have happened in Proper Human History.

In Proper Human History, the meteorite that carried the Malla was the one responsible for the fifth extinction event that happened sixty-six million years ago.

That meteorite wiped out the dinosaurs and caused more huge changes in Earth's ecosystems.

That led to mammals taking over, and over the next forty-million years, humankind's ancestors were born.

The Malla had their, uh, fibers full maintaining their own environment and so

So by becoming part of Mesoamerican myth, they chose to coexist with its people.

Hmm. The Malla might have been the deinos' savior, but it sounds like it was a little more complicated for the Earth as a whole.

I mean, they basically took a significant portion of Earth and fashioned it into a home for themselves.

As an Archetype, what do you think about that? Does it feel like you were robbed or something?

What, like, "Curse you, you damn invaders!"?

Not at all. The planet seems to be quite happy as long as life is flourishing, regardless of what form it takes.

Besides, if we're talking about invaders, there's one that label fits much better.

In fact, that invader was the impetus behind Mictlān's creation.

In Proper Human History, the Malla were responsible for the Earth's fifth major extinction event, and created the Yucatán Peninsula's mythological world...

...but in our Lostbelt, something else was responsible for our third major extinction event: a meteorite that burrowed its way deep below Mictlān.

Like the Malla, it was an invader which arrived sixty-six million years earlier than it should have, owing to slight a deviation in its course.

A planet-eating monster that came here from the Oort cloud in the far reaches of the solar system...

ORT.

？！

So ORT came to Mictlān early. But, that would mean the deinos should never have prospered to the extent they have...

Wait, I've got it. ORT must have died in the impact.

That's why no one can find it here no matter how hard they look. No one's ever seen it because it's already dead.

Oh no, ORT went on quite the rampage after it arrived. It actually completely destroyed Mictlān once.

You're kidding me! Oh man, I was completely off again!

But then, how in the world did the deinos survive!? Please, tell us, Xquic!

Oh no, you're adorably smart, Da Vinci. That guess was almost entirely correct.

ORT did die when it fell to Earth. It just doesn't die the same way most living things do.

Sixty million years after ORT first fell to Mictlān and ceased to function...

...it suddenly began to function again just when the deinos finally arrived at their ethical approach to dealing with life.

This was our world's fourth major extinction event.

It was also when Earth gave birth to me.

And so, all life in Mictlān banded together to defeat ORT. And they succeeded.

The end.

？！

So this world did already have its fourth major extinction event...

That must mean the ORT attack Fujimaru and Mash saw in México City will be the fifth.

I see. Now I understand. Mash, would you summarize all that for us?

Yes, gladly. It would be too confusing to cross-reference Mictlān's history with Proper Human History...

...so I'll just make a timeline for this Lostbelt alone.

Now I see. Great work, Mash. That was all very clear.

Oh, no. Compared to Xquic, I may as well be Miniscule Kyrielight...

？！

Oh, Xquic added those. She said they were important.

Okay, now I've got a pretty full picture. It's clear that ORT does exist and is still a threat.

No wonder Daybit asked you about all this. Now we're both on equal footing in terms of informa

Oh, no, I didn't tell Daybit any of this.

I was going to, but he said he didn't need to hear it because he'd already figured it out himself.

Bwa?

？！

Khh... Then, what DID Daybit ask you? The location of ORT's remains?

No. He asked me if the sun had ever gone out.

Huh? As in, Mictlān's artificial sun?

Why would he want to know if it had ever gone out before?

？！

Now I see. I thought it was just a recreation of the Aztec mythology that Tezcatlipoca spread here...

...but if the sun really has gone out before, that would definitely explain the ocelomeh's religious fervor.

Tepeu even told us once that Mictlān's sun went into a hibernation of sorts for a time.

So what did you tell him, Xquic?

The truth, of course.

I told him that, six million years ago, the sun disappeared around the time ORT resumed functioning.

And I told him that was when the Ka'an kingdom, the non-deinos civilization that was also flourishing at the time, died out.

Huh!? Hold up! Ka'an wasn't a deinos nation!? This is the first I'm hearing about that!

So you're saying that, a long time ago, there used to be another, non-deinos civilization here besides México City!?

That's right. That's why I added the part in red about Proconsul being born earlier.

For a hundred thousand years, a human kingdom flourished in Mictlān too.

They were much weaker than the deinos, but they had a great talent for engineering.

Towards the end of the kingdom's life, they built a flying ship very similar to your Storm Border.

That ship is the only reason Mictlān was able to fight back against ORT.

Ka'an's soldiers accepted modifications to their bodies which made them invulnerable. They fought to the last warrior.

It was their efforts that drove ORT down into the bottom stratum.

ORT sunk into a sea of magma, and Mictlān regained the light it had lost. But the cost of victory was the entire kingdom of Ka'an.

Now, the remains of one of their cities have been repurposed into Chichén Itzá.

Not many deinos know that, though. Big Brother Tepeu is probably the only one, and only because he figured it out on his own.

？！

So, these soldiers enhanced their bodies to last for six million years... And now, they stay intact even in death...

...No wonder those dead spirits were so tired and full of regret.

Xquic. Did no one from Ka'an survive? Was every last one of them really wiped out?

Oh no. One of them is still alive.

The king of Ka'an who dealt ORT the finishing blow six million years ago after losing all of his people is alive today.

His modified body ended up so strong that he was no longer able to die. In the six million years since, he went insane and began to fly around the underworld, a bat of death. He is still out there, even now.

That brave king's name is Camazotzthe maddened king who continues to search for the people of Ka'an, though they no longer exist.

...

It's going to be a little longer before I can show you what Daybit is up to. Would you mind waiting outside?

Oh, then could I ask you to neutralize the mindless deinos wandering around the dome?

The scent of the maguey and pulque we use in the ritual tends to attract them, you see.

Okay, we've finished chasing all the mindless deinos that were near the dome back into the jungle around the base.

Now we just have to wait for Tepeu to come let us know when Xquic is ready.

Gotcha. I'll just go take a little break in the shade. I want to make sure I have everything we learned straight.

I'm gonna go back to my base form, too. I've been out a lot lately, so I should try to conserve magical energy.

Sounds like you could all use a little break. Since we have a lovely lake right here, would you like to go swimming?

Unfortunately, I didn't bring my swimsuit Spiritron Dress. Now I really regret not finding a way to pack it...

I see. Then I guess we'll just have to go swimming some other time.

I'd be too embarrassed to splash around on my own. Well, more that it'd kind of undercut my divine dignity...

Huh? Why would you even ask? Of course I can. On land, underwater, in outer space, I'm fine anywhere.

？！

What about you, Nitocris? You probably went swimming in the Nile RivHuh?

Oh, Nitocris went back up to the dome. There was something she wanted to ask Xquic.

I see. Xquic is really knowledgeable, so I'm sure she'll get the answer she's looking for.

Oh, speaking of Xquic, that reminds me...

Using Proper Human History terms, do you, um, think Tepeu and Xquic are married, or lovers, or something along those lines?

Oh my! Got a bit of a curious side to you, hm, Mash? Do you really wanna know?

Oh, um, I don't mean anything by it. I was just thinking it would be nice if that was the case!

Oh, I agree, it would be. But those two will always just be friends.

As much as Xquic may look like a deinos, the truth is, she isn't.

She'll never be able to live among peers, be involved with them, or be freed from her duties.

Her job is to look overno, to supervise all of Mictlān. It's been that way since she was born, and will continue to be so until she dies.

She'll never be able to leave Metztitlán, no matter what.

At first, Tepeu refused to accept that, and he looked for a way to free Xquic...

...but it was no use.

Before, I couldn't imagine why he chose to move to the first stratum on his own...

...but now that I have a human form, I think I understand.

Knowing that he'd failed to save Xquic, Tepeu couldn't allow himself a happy life.

So he moved all the way to the edge of the world to be alone. There, he studied the concept of death as a way to punish himself.

？！

It's not my place to say. Not while my own maidenly heart is still actively maturing♡

Growing up... Um, speaking of which, Kukulcan, there's something else we've been wondering about.

Did you, um, always look the way you do now?

The deinos are Mictlān's dominant species. Since you're their god, shouldn't you look like one yourself?

Are you saying I lack common sense!?

Just kidding! Don't worry, I'm not mad!

I still don't really get common sense or feelings, but I at least know they're important!

Anyway, yes. I am a god, and I did originate here in Mictlān.

But this form is something I only recently gained.

Before that, I was just the teachings of the suna wind only the deinos could sense.

A year ago, when knowledge of Proper Human History first came to Mictlān, we learned of gods. That's when the sound "Kukulcan" formed the name of a god.

That was the instant in which I gained this form.

All of a sudden, things that couldn't be seen had a shape. Things that could only be sensed could now be spoken of as fact.

For us, the shock was big enough to rock the world to its foundations.

"Gods can only be born from intelligent humanoid beings, so that's what we should be, too."

And just like that, I was tossed out into Chichén Itzá!

Stark naked!

N-naked!?

Yes... At the time, I didn't have any emotions, so I just started talking to the priests as I was.

It wasn't long before I realized I didn't feel quite right, and that I might be doing something inappropriate.

So I absorbed all of Proper Human History's common sense in one go, then stole some clothes from the deinos standing closest to me!

(Which was Tepeu, by the way.)

He'd already retired to the first stratum by that point, but he'd always listened to me closely back when we were still just wind.

？！

I'm trying reeeally hard to forget that whole thing, so please don't ask Tepeu about it.

Anyway, that's how I ended up in human formone based off of the Kukulcan of Proper Human History.

Xquic's an Archetype who'll forever remain mentally one year old...

...but I am a god, and actually am just one year old.

After that, I found that snot-nosed brat

I mean, young Tezcatlipoca riding a deinos and playing king near Chichén Itzá, and I made him its actual king.

Then I ran off to México City to spend all my time having fun and experiencing all the latest culture, yes!

I see. So you wanted to try life in the big city. I can definitely understand that.

If I had been in your position, I can see myself sneaking out of Chaldea Base and paying a visit to the nearest town of Ushuaia myself.

But, uh, never mind that now.

Putting together everything you've told us, it sounds like you're not actually a deinos god.

Instead, you were born from the Malla, Mictlān's creators, and you serve as their representative.

Does that mean you're actually Archetype: MICTLĀN then?

？！

That's right. Which is why Xquic and I get along so well.

She's basically Archetype: META EARTH, so she also knows what it's like to fail to become the Archetype you wanted to be.

...You want to know how Camazotz turned Servants into guardians of the underworld?

Yes. A Command Spell alone should not have been able to cause complete Alterization.

There must be something more to it. Some sort of secret, or ritual, that transforms their very existence and binds their life force.

Xquic, you said you've observed everything that's ever taken place in Mictlān.

So if anyone can answer my question, it's you.

What did Camazotz do to them? How can I become a guardian of the underworld myself?

...I see. So you think you need to do the same. All right. I'll tell you what I saw.

I'll tell you how those Proper Human History Heroic Spirits, each of whom already had their own underworld to begin with...

...were assigned to the levels of the underworld, and became Alter gods of Mictlān.

Thank you for waiting, everyone. I'm ready to begin the popol ritual.

Normally, I can see everything from Mictlān's second stratum to its eighth, but Daybit has been the exception.

Whenever I tried to observe him from here, all I would see is a deep darkness.

He was there, yet not there. Present, yet unseeable.

It was like observing an empty cavern with extremely low atomic density, completely devoid of matter.

(A cavern devoid of matter... Like the supervoids found in the large-scale structure of the universe?)

(Does this mean Daybit is wearing some kind of filter that makes him normally visible when he's in front of you...)

(...but also cloaks him in darkness when viewed from a distance?)

So, even as an observer, I haven't been able to witness his actions.

The only ones who know what Daybit has been up to are Daybit himself, and Mictlān's own time.

So to answer your question, I'm going to have you view that time itself.

This scent is the popol, a ritual that connects your minds to Mictlān's.

I've set it to begin with Metztitlán from one year ago. Please close your eyes, and let your body feel the intoxication.

With this ritual, to the maximum extent possible...

...you should be able to vicariously experience everything Daybit did in the year since he spoke with me.

So the sun disappeared, but it returned to Mictlān's sky a hundred thousand years later...

...Impressive. I didn't think the Malla would take such extreme measures.

There's no logical reason to favor this underground world so heavily, so they're clearly not operating on logic anymore.

I guess this is their way of apologizing to all the life-forms they let go extinct in Proper Human History.

Thank you, Xquic. Is there anything you need? If there is, I'll get it for you.

No? Then this is goodbye.

I repaired the sluice. You should hire some smaller deinos to maintain it, or it'll eventually fall apart again.

So, you're the Crypter! And I see you're all alone!

Did you really think you could cross this fourth underworld, and Mictlān's space tree, all by yourself, without so much as a guide!?

...Hehe. Haha, hahaha, hahahahahaha!

Yes, exactly! That's exactly how a human should be! There is nothing better or more fitting than being alone!

When you're alone, you don't have to protect anyone else! As long as you're strong, you don't need to care about anyone either!

But you should curse me! You should loathe Mictlān! For as long as I, Camazotz, am here, no one will ever reach the ninth stratum!

...(Huff...huff...) ...(Exhale)

Did you want to keep going, Camazotz? I've got two more of those in me.

...No, let's end it here. Your blood is absolutely revolting.

Only a hero can defeat a hero. I admit it. You do have the right to enter Calakmul.

But I won't let you enter for free, Crypter Daybit Sem Void.

I want to know about your mythology. Tell me all about it.

I'm a creature of Mictlān, of a mythology that defeated ORT six million years ago, and that everyone's forgotten today.

Proper Human History mythology. Lostbelt mythology.

I don't care which one is superior. I just want to know about them.

I want to know if I existed in your world, too.

...So, this is it. I finally made it.

As I thought, ORT is dead. But only because it ran out of fuel.

If I use lots of high-quality magical circuits to close its wounds, it'll start up again in no time.

...Still.

Xquic said the cosmic rays emitted from the bottom stratum would stop in a year, which would then be followed by a period of underworld pilgrimage.

I won't be able to come here again for another year. I'll need to use that time to make sure I'm ready.

...

Guess I'd better summon a Servant.

Lostbelt or not, this is still Mictlān. There should be more than enough in the way of catalysts.

Even if I don't count as part of humanity, I can still summon a Servant with the power of the land itself.

A Servant who will respond to my call, who is unconcerned with good and evil, but who still approves of war.

...I've got it. You'll be the one to help me, almighty Tezcatlipoca.

Oh man, I can't believe it. You actually made a human body to possess just to answer that guy's summons?

Is he really that interesting? Looks like you and I are both still way too lenient in our trial judgments.

Well, whatever. If you're gonna back that guy, then I'll back my own allies.

Whichever one of us survives'll all be down to luck. See you later, Black Tezcatlipoca.

Good luck using knowledge from Proper Human History to become supreme in Mictlān.

Hey there, brother. How do you like my México City?

It's actually got a different name, but this is 2019. If you're gonna say it out loud, it's better to go with the most recent one.

The name may be new, but it still looks like an ancient Aztec city. Why didn't you make any modern buildings?

That was the one thing she refused to compromise on. As her big brother, who am I to say no?

Anyway, the ocelomeh are all set to go. Though they'll still need firearms to kill deinos.

Right now I'm just leasing some from Koyanskaya, but it won't take long for me to spin up my own production line. I'll make sure all the ocelomeh have the latest in weapons technology.

If something can be done, you can do it. Almighty god indeed.

The only thing you're missing is a rival. I'm sorry I couldn't chain-summon Quetzalcoatl while I was at it.

Was that supposed to be a joke? Knock it off. You know it'd be all-out war if Lady Birdbrain was here.

But hey, at least I found someone else I can enjoy playing with in the meantime: a Mictlān-made Kukulcan.

Daybit, I've created an underground path to ORT.

We can use deinos hearts to supply it with energy. In a year, its wounds'll have more than closed up.

I also made my last candidate. I'll have him turn into me over the course of the next year.

So he'll also be Tezcatlipoca in a year's time, huh? Understood. Make sure you train him well in both body and mind.

We'll need a clear will and a strong ideology if we're going to give ORT orders.

So we will spend this year furthering our goal of destroying this planet and erasing any trace of humankind.

...What about the other Crypters?

Isn't your plan at odds with this Foreign God's goals?

I don't care. If Wodime wins, the other Lostbelts will just disappear, and us with them.

So there's no issue with that. I'm here to fulfill my obligations. Nothing more.

If you have any objections, now's the time to voice them, Tezcatlipoca. It's not too late to change the plan.

Objections? Hardly. Your idea is awesome. I always wanted to see the end of an entire planet.

All right, Sem. We have our very own war, annihilation, and banquet to begin. Let's get started.

...

...Okay, let's just make sure we all saw the same thing there.

I saw Daybit making an underworld pilgrimage all on his own, finding ORT's body in Mictlān's bottom stratum.

I saw him talking to Tezcatlipoca about using deinos hearts to reactivate ORT.

And I saw him planning to go back down to the bottom stratum to do just that in a year's time...which would be now.

？！

The poisonous gas that fills the eighth and bottom strata disappears once a year for just a few days at a time.

Last year, Daybit managed to complete an underworld pilgrimage during those scant few days. And now, that time is approaching again.

It seems if we don't stop his second pilgrimage, Mictlān will completely collapse...

...and Proper Human History will disappear along with the entire planet.

But, why would he do something like that!? If he destroys Earth, he'll die with it!

？！

Yeah, that's not a problem I think we should be ignoring, either.

We know what he's doing, what his goal is, and where we need to go to stop him. That's a big step in the right direction.

But at some point, we're going to have to answer why he wants to destroy Earth in the first place.

Be that as it may, right now, stopping Daybit is our top priority.

Kukulcan, Xquic. When will the poisonous gas in the eighth stratum clear?

...Kukulcan?

...

Yes? I'm sorry, I was a little lost in thought.

I'm afraid I can't tell you the exact time the gas will dissipate. I can only say that it will happen in the next few days.

That's okay. That's enough. Okay, we know Daybit has only one Command Spell left.

He used one in his battle with Camazotz and another to activate Tezcatlipoca's Noble Phantasm in México City.

He probably means to use the last one to revive ORT. If we let him reach the bottom stratum again, it's over.

Fortunately, the underworld is still closed off.

And I'm sure the deinos will help us once we explain the situation to them.

If they help us invade México City, we can capture Daybit and stop him from reviving ORT.

I agree. As long as we can convince the King of Dinosaurs, I'm certain they'll help us.

This doesn't just concern Proper Human History. This is a battle to protect humanity, with Earth itself at stake!

So you want to stop Daybit and save humanity.

You're very brave to go up against someone who fought Camazotz to a standstill.

But there's no point in that if it gets you killed.

Why not go back to Chichén Itzá and wait to see what happens, instead of risking your own necks?

Maybe Daybit will fail. Maybe ORT will never wake up.

And even if the world is destroyed, it won't be your fault. So why not relax and enjoy yourselves?

I-I'm afraid we can't do that. If we don't protect the world

Hm? But isn't the destruction of worlds natural?

We don't fight among ourselves. We don't struggle against how things are. We simply "go with the flow," as you say.

That's how we've been able to live peacefully for sixty-six million years.

If the world is destroyed, that just means its time has come. I don't think humans have any right to interfere.

Don't you agree, Big Brother Tepeu?

Fighting to protect the world just because you don't want to die is just selfish. Even wrong. Isn't it?

...

Even if the world is destroyed, and all life dies out, that's not a tragedy. It's just the natural order of things.

All life is equal. No living thing is worth more than any other. Death comes for everything eventually, and nothing deserves preferential treatment.

So no matter what happens, or who dies, there's no need for such intense grief.

As living beings, fighting out of a desire to protect someone or something...

...is fundamentally wrong.

...

？！

H-huh? That's strange. I was trying to cheer you all up, but it looks like I did the opposite.

I'm sorry. I wish that had gone better.

Oh, but you really don't need to worry about this too much.

Even if Daybit doesn't wake ORT up, it won't be long before Mictlān ends anyway.

Huh?

？！

Huh? Did you not tell them, Big Brother Tepeu?

Mictlān's sun will soon reach critical mass.

It will explode and wipe us all out after ten more cycles.

Mictlān's destruction is going to happen no matter what. Every deinos knows this.

...