Fourth Underworld: Yayauhqui

We've passed the Metztitlán observatory in the seventh stratum, and will soon be entering the eighth.

It took us six hours to reach the third underworld boundary in the sixth stratum in the Shadow Border. We were going to have to walk the rest of the way, but

The King of Dinosaurs gave me a job to do, and I'm gonna see it done!

It'll be way faster if I carry you through the jungle, and you three weigh practically nothing!

You are giving us a wonderfully steady ride, Wak Chan. Even at this speed, we're not getting jostled at all!

It's like your legs and your torso are completely separate beings. When it comes to pure riding comfort, you even surpass the Sphinx!

I just absorb all the impact of each step with my legs! If I let it reach my stomach, it could do some damage!

You can thank me after we've made it to your destination! Even I'm scared of what's up ahead!

？！

It's very fortunate you were still in Chichén Itzá, Wak Chan.

I was concerned that Chaldea would lack transportation for their operation, but that's no longer a problem.

On a related note, how are you doing back there, Da Vinci?

I'm sorry I can't provide the same stability as Wak Chan, but I can at least float and glide a little bit.

Are you kidding!? I'm having the time of my life! I didn't know your feathered arms could also work as wings!

They're mainly to stabilize my posture, but yes, they do.

If I use the spell Professor taught me, I might even be able to fly like Dumuzid.

Anyway, I know the seven of usFujimaru, Mash, Nitocris, Da Vinci, Wak Chan, myself, and Habetrot in her base stateare making our way to the bottom stratum as quickly as we can go...

...but do you happen to have any questions about the eighth stratumthe final level of the underworldbefore we arrive?

？！

There are a few legends passed down orally among Chichén Itzá's priests.

The fourth level of the underworld is known as Yayauhqui, the Black Line. It's a range of underground mountains devoid of sunlight.

It's said to be covered by a steep mountain range, but that those mountains are actually hollow, and there's another mountain range inside them.

It is essentially a cavern which contains an underground mountain range entirely devoid of sunlight.

It's also that terrible bat Camazotz's nest, so I suppose that makes him the fourth underworld guardian.

You're gonna fight the vampire bat!? Oh man, if only Lady Kukulcan were here too!

Wak Chan. You know that Kukulcan would never fight Mictlān's own denizens.

In fact, she's probably far more likely to attack Chaldea at this point.

Be careful not to greet her casually if you should happen to see her. She'll probably chop the people on your back right in half, and you along with them.

Oh man, really!? Then again, that does sound like her!

Whenever Lady Kukulcan decides something's threatening Mictlān's peace, she wastes no time obliterating it! Like unintelligent deinos!

Oh well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it!

I can dodge one or two of her attacks, but after that, it'll be up to you guys to figure out what to do!

？！

There's no law that says we can't defy our god. Besides, people and gods are both living creatures.

All that matters is whether or not you can get along, and whether or not your goals align.

Lady Kukulcan wants to protect Mictlān, and you guys want to save your world.

I figure both of you are right, so I'm gonna help the side I can!

Oh, but you'll have to let me think about it if Lady Kukulcan asks me to join her side!

She wouldn't ever do that, though! The teachings of the sun's whole thing is letting us roam free rather than tying us down!

...I see. So Kukulcan's not a dominant father figure, but a watchful mother figure.

I suppose I always knew this Lostbelt's king would end up being our enemy.

But it still sucks, knowing how naturally bighearted she is.

"Bighearted"? Are you sure you don't mean "big-muscled"?

We will certainly need to watch out for Kukulcan, but we should also be wary of U-Olga Marie.

There is a very good chance that she and Rasputin are moving to acquire ORT for their own ends as well.

So our ultimate obstacles are Kukulcan and the Foreign God.

Yup. Though right now, our most pressing concerns are whether Kadoc's team succeeds with their assault and our attempt to cross the fourth underworld border.

We're going to focus on the latter, so we're counting on you to back up Kadoc's team, Sion.

Sorry, but I can't help you.

Firstly, you still haven't made it through the third underworld border, which would normally make it completely impossible for you to act freely.

I'm only allowing you to do that here as a favor to Fujimaru.

Second, Daybit the Crypter has already made it through here, so I have no right to touch him.

And third, I still have to find Dumuzid. There's no telling what he might get up to if left to his own devices.

So you're saying we have to take down Daybit all on our own. And probably Tezcatlipoca too, since he'll most likely be accompanying him.

Yes. Still, I'm not completely heartless.

As soon as the Crypter arrives here, I'll inform you of his route, so you can pick a perfect spot to ambush him.

Crypter or not, he's still only human. And even Tezcatlipoca's vessel is a human body, not a Spirit Origin.

You should be able to win as long as you go in properly prepared. Good luck.

It's been an hour since then... Fujimaru's group must be in the seventh stratum by now.

Good thing we managed to get here before Daybit. I've never been so happy to have access to a big car and a top-tier driver.

I still can't believe how quickly you got us through that jungle.

You're telling me. ...Now, remind me, if you would.

What in the world am I doing on the assault team, Zemlupus!? Couldn't you have chosen Meunière to drive you instead!?

Remember, Your Excellency, Lord Meunière's wounds still aren't fully healed.

If he were to start bleeding from his forehead while driving through the jungle, we would all be dead in no time.

You're a racer, so you surely understand the danger of getting sweat in your eyes while driving a dangerous course.

Hrk. Just had to go right for my pride, didn't you!?

Very well then, who's going to take the navigator's seat!? Who can I trust to wipe the sweat from my brow!?

Why, me, of course♡

I would be honored to use these big...soft...rabbit ear pom-poms to gently, delicately wipe the sweat from your forehead, Your Excellency♡

...Can I contract you to be my exclusive navigator for the whole season?

(Damn, it's giving me chills just listening to her play him like a fiddle. I guess Goredolf has yet to learn his lesson...)

Hey, if you're out to wreck your life, I'm not gonna stop you. Can you at least wait till we're back on the surface, though?

Koyanskaya, have you heard from Ereshkigal yet?

Just now, in fact. Lord Daybit is proceeding along the route we expected. Here you go.

Cripes, they're moving damn quickly, too! We'll never catch them here!

Still... Heh. It seems your time is finally up, Daybit Sem Void. We're about twenty kilometers from our intercept point.

I can get us there quick as a wink. Prepare to eat the dust of my record-breaking lap time.

Hang on. I want to shift the intercept point to here. We should wait to ambush them in the middle of the desert.

You can get us there in ten minutes, right? Koyanskaya and I will take it from there.

I'm going to set up as many explosives and beast traps as possible, so I'll need your merchandise.

Of course. Just leave it to me. With all these claymores and C-2 explosives, not even a ratno, not so much as a bug will get past us.

I'm more than happy to pay them back for what they did to Chichén Itzá...with interest!

All right, fasten your seat belts, because I'm about to kick this baby into high gear! Let's go set the perfect trap!

By the way, Kadoc, I noticed you were researching something in the Storm Border's library.

Did you find what you were looking for?

...Yeah. I tracked down a record that I think has to do with Daybit's past.

You did!? Dammit, man, why didn't you say so sooner!?

I can't focus on what you're saying while I'm driving!

...It's no big deal. Knowing this information earlier wouldn't have made any difference.

I didn't mention it at the briefing 'cause I knew it would only get an, "...And?" at best.

But I guess now's as good a time as any to share.

Daybit Sem Void.

If you've ever wanted to know how he became the maverick of the Clock Tower, today's your lucky day.

There are three major factions in the Mage's Association: Egypt's Atlas Institute, the North Sea's Wandering Sea...

...and the biggest one, London's Clock Tower. Hell, it's so big it's basically synonymous with the Association.

Anyway, the Clock Tower is divided into thirteen departments:

Mystile, Solonea, Evocation, Kishur...

...Chimera, Brishsan, Yumina, Astromancy, Valuay, Jigmarie...

...Meluastea, Policies, and the newest one established two hundred years ago, Norwich.

Chaldea was founded by the Lord of Astromancy, Marisbury Animusphere.

Naturally, that means most of Chaldea's magesabout eighty percent of themcame from Astromancy. The other twenty percent were scouted.

Kirschtaria, Team A's leader, was obviously a young Astromancy genius.

But Daybit, who was said to be just as brilliant as Kirschtaria, came from the Brishsan department.

Brishsan... The department which studies mythology and performs reconstructions. I'd bet they have a lot of dealings with Servants, too.

...Heh. Don't make me laugh. It makes my mustache quiver.

Do you have something to say, Driver?

I used to think the same thing at first. Haha, I swear, this is the whole problem with amateurs.

Listen. Servants are familiars with spirit bodies, which puts them under Evocation's jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, the Clock Tower's dean, who's also the Lord of Brishsan, categorized Brishsan as the department which studies nonhuman creatures like angels and demons.

Obviously, neither of those have anything to do with mythology or heroes.

Oh my, if your mustache quivering bothers you so much, perhaps I should shave it off for you.

Wait. Shouldn't researching angels and demons also involve Servants, since they're all mythological phenomena?

For example, the Divine Spirit that served as my own point of reference came from the Kojiki

You're mistaken, Koyanskaya.

Solonea, Evocation, Astromancy, and Meluastea all deal with mythologies from around the world, too.

They're considered part of the shared laws and disciplines that humanity has built up over the course of history.

So for mages, the angels and demons that show up in various mythologies are just a normal part of life.

The Mage's Association takes that a step further by treating all of human history as a single legend, which it then helps cultivate.

The Association sees myths as a facet of common knowledge rather than as something worth devoting an entire department to study.

The only thing the Association would accept as a true legend is something beyond the bounds of that common knowledge.

I'd guess Brishsan doesn't deal with matters from Earth. It deals with out-of-place artifacts steeped in unknown laws.

The kind found scattered all over Earth since ancient times, but never spoken of in any mythology.

Even in the magecraft world, where angels and demons are just a fact of life, there are some that are considered taboo because they're threats to all of humankind.

It's Brishsan's job to discover, study, and store these kinds of threats.

The other departments contribute to humankind in different ways, but Brishsan is focused on keeping inhuman things away from us.

Part of that is because the Lord of Brishsan is also the dean of the Clock Tower.

No mage born in the A.D. era who knows anything about modern civilization could handle it.

Indeed. The dean has a select group of elites that report directly to him. Well, I say "elites," but in truth, they're anything but.

Any who join can never move up. They're little more than slaves who spend their lives working to understand extraterrestrial threats.

Suffice to say, it's not easy to quit that department, which is why we can assume Animusphere recruited Daybit directly.

With another Lord negotiating personally, I'm sure even the dean couldn't have denied the request.

...Actually, Animusphere had nothing to do with it.

They made it sound like he had been banished, but the truth is, he left voluntarily.

I'm sure Director Marisbury did personally invite him, but it was ultimately his choice to leave Brishsan and join Chaldea.

I see. So he essentially sold himself to Chaldea.

I assume you went back over his records before he left Brishsan then? They WERE in the database, right?

Yeah. All eight years he spent in Brishsan.

But there's not a single record of him before that.

There's no mention of him in Brishsan or Astromancy.

Whenever a new student enrolls in the Clock Tower, there's always an entry made for them in Mystile's database, but there wasn't anything on him in that one, either.

All we know is that Daybit was a genius who suddenly showed up at the Clock Tower when he was ten years old.

I might have been able to find out more if Policies' database had been shared with the Border.

That would never, ever happen! Policies is also the Clock Tower's internal investigations agency.

Giving outsiders such sensitive information could lead to all the Clock Tower's scandals becoming public knowledge!

Oh my. So that's what you were up to back when you were in Policies, Your Excellency☆

So you held your fellow mage's pasts over their heads in ways that more skirted the law than followed it. Am I correct?

... You were saying, Kadoc?

...Right. At that point, I stopped trying to investigate Daybit's past and started looking through all of Brishsan's records.

It wasn't easy, since each day's records were individually locked down. Normally, I'd never have been able to sift through them all on my own.

But luckily, I knew exactly which year to check, and with Sion's help I eventually found it.

There was a file from July 2006 that was just titled "Record: Five Minutes."

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to decrypt the file's contents.

Actually, it'd be more accurate to say that the file contained nothing noteworthy at all.

But, on that same day, a strange and inexplicable accident happened in London and a neighboring college town.

That day, every single spell in London suddenly stopped working.

Of course, pretty much everyone noticed the abnormality, so it wasn't long before it was fixed.

The mages figured they must have made a mistake in their spells, and decided it wasn't worth reporting.

As a result, the incident was never made public, and nobody at the institute was ever held responsible.

Huh. I'm quite sure I would have recognized this as a major incident if I had been there at the time.

Since so many people never knew about it, does that mean it happened in the dead of night or something?

Your Excellency? Do kindly shut up.

...So this "Record: Five Minutes" file from Brishsan is dated the same as this incident when every spell in London stopped?

That's right. What happened was, an angel relic was exposed in a prep room for one of Brishsan's faculty.

In real-world time, it was only exposed for 0.2 seconds, but that was thought to have been enough to shut down all the Clock Tower's spells.

There's no record of who that room belonged to anywhere. It's gone from every document, and from the mind of every person who could have known, so there's just no way to look it up.

My guess is that the only one who might still remember is the dean.

At any rate, whoever caused such incredible damage to every mage in the Clock Tower, even if only for a moment, became quite literally nonexistent.

However, records of that incident state that there was a single survivor in the prep room.

Given the situation, he was almost certainly that teacher's son. He was ten years old at the time, but he soon went missing as well.

A few months later, on the dean's personal recommendation, a boy genius with no prior record suddenly showed up in Brishsan.

As you can probably guess, that was Daybit Sem Void. The records didn't list his actual age, but physically, they said he looked to be about ten years old.

So my take is this: the boy who lost his father to the angel relic must be Daybit.

I see. So as a boy, he lost both his father and proof of his lineage.

Although, this angel relic... Isn't it one of those dangerous artifacts that will drive you mad just by looking at it?

According to one popular theory, those artifacts will vaporize your brain before transmitting a signal to the beings that dropped them off on Earth...

So, that would mean that, ever since then, Daybit Sem Void has been...

...I see. Now I understand.

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

Those were some of the last words Lord Kirschtaria wrote about him, right?

So if he's not part of humankind...he must be one of the Foreign God's subordinates bent on taking over Earth!

...

Sorry, but that's all the time I have to talk. We've reached the intercept point.

Cut the Shadow Border's engine and set it to camouflage mode over by those sand dunes.

Let's go, Koyanskaya. I need you to set enough land mines across a five hundred meter radius to make this place a hell on Earth.

A sandstorm. That wasn't there before. Is this your doing, Tezcatlipoca?

The hell's that supposed to mean!? You think I'm behind every bad situation we find ourselves in!?

This is Camazotz! That bat bastard's been using Command Spells on Servants like they were going out of style!

Yeah, fine, I sold him the Command Spells in the first place, since he wanted them so badly.

How was I supposed to know he was gonna play pretend Master like an idiot, though!?

Maybe next time, you'll think twice before giving every Tomás, Rico, and Javier that comes your way a trial.

...So? What do you make of Camazotz?

He's great. I might be the strongest god of the Aztecs, but in this Lostbelt, the title of strongest goes to him.

Playing with the Command Spells has placated him for now, but once he runs out of toys, he'll show his true colors.

I see. Then we should have no trouble getting past Chaldea. Now we just have to hope we don't run into Kukulcan.

Don't worry about her. If we do encounter her, it just means one of us will have to sacrifice himself. Oh, wait. If we're dealing with Kukulcan, I guess it'll have to be me.

She's a Lostbelt god the Malla or whatever copied off Proper Human History, right? Then I'm a good match for her.

She's inexperienced. Her brute-force approach won't hold a candle to my expert evasion.

...

What's wrong, Izcalli? You've been glum for a while now. Getting motion sick or something, since this is your first time in a car?

...No, I'm fine. I was just a little dizzy from taking in such unfamiliar surroundings.

But please, never mind me. I didn't see any sign of Tlāloc when we left México City.

Great Tezcatlipoca, do you know where she is?

She hasn't come back, so she must've lost. You hate to see it, but sometimes that's just how it goes.

Besides, I really only summoned her to build your city, so her job's been done for a while now.

Huh? You mean, you didn't make México City yourself, Great Tezcatlipoca?

I could've, but she was a better fit for that terrain.

México City's a true-blue Proper Human History-style town. Even the name comes from its modern incarnation.

It was originally a beautiful place called Metztliapan, or the Lake of the Moon. It was a water-top floating city that served as the Aztec kingdom's capital where they worshipped two gods.

It's nothing like the Chichén Itzá the deinos built based on the old Ka'an ruins.

The Aztec capital... Beautiful Metztliapan...

What? Still feeling dizzy? Hang in there. It's not much longer to the bottom stratum.

You've already made it this far, Izcalli. Don't let all that time, effort, and fighting go to waste now.

Yes... I know. My life exists solely for the anger rooted in my soul.

Huh!? What's going on, Crypter!?

We're under attack. Hang on tight.

Hoo baby! Nice one, Daybit! Where'd you learn to drive like that!? Were you a stunt driver in Hollywood or something!?

Unfortunately, I only attended an online driving school. I used to like movies, but I haven't watched one in years.

All right, we're past the minefield. Luckily, our suspension is still intact, but...

But what?

...Now we have a Divine Spirit Servant up ahead to deal with.

Welcome to my humble domain, god of war.

The minefield was just the tip of the iceberg. I've got plenty more explosives where that came from.

Now that I've formed a magical energy connection with both Kadoc and Goredolf, there are no limits to what I can do.

Behold! I have become an almighty god of weaponry! This desert will be your grave. You have been warned!

Looks like we've got a weapon goddess. She a friend of yours?

Never seen her before. This sucks, though. I don't see any way I can win.

...I see.

Then take Izcalli and get out of here. As long as you make it there, nothing else matters.

...Got it. Later, Master.

...!

...So, you let your Servant go on ahead and nearly blew yourself up trying to hit me with a car-mikaze attack.

Isn't that the opposite of what you should be doing? Why aren't you letting your Servant do the fighting here?

Any normal human Master would send their Servant to the front line while they escaped.

...I'm surprised to hear a Disciple of the Foreign Godor at least, someone who enjoyed playing the part of onelecturing me on how to be human.

Then again, it seems you're on Chaldea's side now. I'm especially impressed to see that Kadoc formed a contract with you, even if only temporarily.

So, they chose to supply a Beast candidate with not one, but two magical energy connections.

I can't muster any surprise at this point, but humans really do walk a razor's edge.

They always do whatever they can, no matter how dangerous...and with full understanding of what will happen.

Dammit, they've passed the four hundred meter mark! I think he's even better at off-road driving than I am!

We need to do something before they break through our traps! Hold on! I'm going to go after them!

No, wait. I didn't expect the minefield would be enough to stop them.

I'm counting on Koyanskaya to finish the job.

Between our contracts and the Shadow Border's reserves, she's got a ton of magical energy to work with.

Right now, she's as strong as Divine Spirits get. We're better off staying out of her way.

Fair point! She's not the sort to feel bad about a bit of friendly fire!

In fact, I daresay she'd even relish it!

...Two people just got out of the car. It looks like Tezcatlipoca and Izcalli.

Daybit's...staying? No way. Is he actually planning to ram Koyanskaya!?

Oho! Look at her go! She just blew their car to smithereens without even batting an eye!

Daybit got out by the skin of his teeth, but...haha, we've got this thing in the bag!

No lone mage could handle that demonic minx alone, without a Servant's help.

I'm bringing the Shadow Border out, Zemlupus! First we'll take Daybit captive, then it'll be Tezcatlipoca's turn!

...Y-yeah, sounds good. We've got Anti-Beast spells laid in place behind Koyanskaya.

We shouldn't have any trouble tracking Tezcatlipoca down, but...

(Did we really do it? Just like that? I was expecting them to put up more of a fight...)

Hm? What's with these readings? The Foundation of Humanity value doesn't usually fluctuate like this...

...

Kadoc! Sit down and strap in! You need to enhance your body and protect yourself with everything you've go

Beautiful...

I assume that sparkling is coming from gemstones? I feel like I'm looking up at a starry night sky.

I see the path we need to take is similar to the second underworld, with lots of narrow cliffs.

Wak Chan, why don't we put our passengers down and proceed the rest of the way on foot? I think it would be dangerous for us to run here, too.

Right on. Wow, I never would've thought this underworld would be like climbing a mountain from the inside.

Looks like no matter what path we take, we're ultimately gonna have to cross the peak to get to the other side.

But hey, at least the slope's not too steep. Even if we do lose our footing, we can just climb back in no time.

I'm afraid it's not that simple, Wak Chan. The bottom of this canyon is practically churning with dead spirits.

If you fall down there, they'll be all over you so fast that you'll never be able to climb back up.

So we're dealing with a path to the underworld that's literally trying to drag down the living? Got it. Okay, guys, let's go in single file so we all have as much path to work with as possible.

That sounds like a job for me and Mash then. We'll take the front of the line.

Mash, if an enemy attack threatens to throw you off-balance, hang on to me. I can keep us afloat for a few seconds.

Understood. Thank you, Habetrot.

Having Wak Chan bring up the rear was smart. He won't let any enemies get to us.

So, Da Vinci, which part of Proper Human History's Mictlān would this fourth underworld correspond to?

Well, unlike the others, nothing here really screams, "It's totally this!" as far as I can tell...

...but if I were to guess, I'd say it's probably Proper Human History Mictlān's seventh layer, Teyollocualóyan.

Teyollocualóyan was said to be home to a terrifying starved jaguar...

...that would attack you and eat your heart if you chose the wrong path out of fear.

This jaguar was also said to be Tezcatlipoca's tonal, the heart of the mountain known as Tepeyollotl.

？！

I believe it refers to a jaguar which is literally the size of a mountain.

That's the trial of Teyollocualóyan; getting past a terrifying monster.

Since this fourth underworld is where Camazotz lives, we're probably going to have to face a similar monster.

I see, so the condition for us to travel through this underworld is fighting a monster.

Master, let's discuss our current combat capability. Are you able to summon normally?

？！

Good. Let's stay alert as we go and make sure we're ready for an attack at any time.

...By the way, Senpai, do you have any other convenient underworld items?

I mean, you were so well-prepared for the others that I thought you might have something for this one, too...

？！

A sheer raincoat? Let me take a look. ...Hm? This is made of anodized aluminum oxide membrane.

It's the same material they use in space suits. Why would you need something likeAh.

That's right! I just remembered! It wasn't too long ago that the eighth and ninth strata were awash with cosmic rays!

Fujimaru! Put that raincoat on! Now!

The radiation levels here won't affect Servants or deinos, but prolonged exposure would definitely harm humans!

Hraaah!

No way. She just changed his outfit in barely more than half a second!

？！

I-I'm sorry. I just kind of acted before I even realized what I was doing...

Don't apologize! That was a perfect reaction! You were like a mother who's perfected the art of putting a jacket on her kid right before going out!

It's a good thing you were so quick, Mash.

Fujimaru should be fine since we're still just at the entrance, but it would've been really bad if we'd kept going.

Nice job thinking ahead, Fujimaru.

If you hadn't thought to bring this along, we would've had to go back to the Border for materials to make our own.

The mint incense bat repellant is a good addition as well.

It explains why we haven't run into any bats since we set foot in here.

Bats here are ten times faster and hungrier than the carnivorous insects, and they're quite vicious, too.

They're easily the most dangerous bloodsuckers in Mictlān. Even a deinos wouldn't stand a chance against a large cloud of bats.

Their fangs can easily puncture our bio-wave membranes, and they make us feel intoxicated even while they suck out our blood.

That intoxication numbs our brains and makes us feel completely euphoric, to the point that we no longer care what happens to us.

If there is an apex predator in this world, it's certainly them. We even have a name for the condition: "bat impairment."

Uh, isn't that just bypassing booze and going straight to drunk?

I don't suppose itNo, it wouldn't work on Camazotz. An unpleasant scent wouldn't be enough to drive him from us.

Doubtful, yes. If we're going to try for the peak, we're bound to run into him eventually.

So we'll just have to be aware of that as we make our way up there. Remember, time is of the essence right now.

We have to make it through here and reach the bottom stratum before Daybit and Tezcatlipoca!

Well, well, well... Racing the Crypter to the ninth stratum, are we? I understand. Better hurry.

I can be reasonable. If you're going after ORT, I won't stop you.

Wow, thanks! Hey, everyone! Did you hear what Camazotz just said? He's right behind me, so I bet you did!

I was worried about what'd happen when we ran into him, but it turns out he's a really nice guy!

Huh?

？！

Hostile readings at maximum! The pattern is identical to what we've seen so far! It's Camazotz!

Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh!

Hehe. Hehehe. Ahahahahaha!

How terribly tragic! Here you are, throwing your lives away, all because you thought you could defeat the enemy awaiting you!

Granted, wasted lives are more funny than tragic to me. Death is good for a laugh.

So, you can go. Why visit the underworld when I can send you to hell right now?

Let's see what kind of fight you've got in store! Let's see what kind of sacrificial blood you can spill in Mictlān's final days!

Now, bow down to the king of the underworld, lord of the spring of death!

Be grateful for the generosity of Camazotz, the wings that hold your fate in their claws!

Ugh, I'm so sick of listening to that bat prattle on! Fujimaru, we need to change our formation!

I'll send Tepeu and Wak Chan up to the front while me, you, and Da Vinci handle the skeletons!

So, you triumphed over my warriors in Ka'an. Not bad. Makes me want to taste your blood that much more...

But! Things being what they are, I'm willing to tell you about a shortcut. Can't have that Crypter catching up to you, can you?

I'm oathbound not to attack Daybit, and the more time you waste fighting me, the more likely you are to lose to him.

So, what do you say? Want to give my shortcut a shot?

？！

I want you to hand that woman over to me.

Good deal, isn't it?

I'll give up my dream of being humanity's last Master and you get to keep breathing.

Of course, giving up on your dreams isn't any fun. Changing them leaves you feeling hollow, lifeless.

You're humans, so I'm sure you can understand how that feels. You can trust me on this.

A king only speaks truth.

If my enemies wish to surrender without bloodshed, then I have no need of their blood.

What will it be, then? Will you hand her over and prevent bloodshed, or keep her and let the blood flow?

？！

Well, now I'm just going to kill you, drain your blood, and take the woman anyway.

Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking. This is by far the fastest, surest way to do it. Suits me so much better.

You'll never lay eyes on ORT's coffin. You're going to spend your final moments tumbling into my canyon and taking a dip in my spring of death.

？！

Oooh, what is it? My favorite color? Dark purple. Also dark red. Also dark brown. What of it?

？！

...Who told you that?

The Malla? Kukulcan? That useless Xquic?

No matter. Whoever told you, it changes nothing.

That question is a personal challenge to me and an insult to Ka'an.

And so...

I will meet your insult with violence. I trust you knew what you were getting into when you spoke up.

Did I, Camazotz, defeat ORT, you ask? Did I kill that planet-eating monster?

Ha. Hahaha. Hahahahahahaha! Of course! I defeated it by sacrificing everything and everyone around me!

I used everything at my disposal to massacre the beast that devoured Ceiba the space tree and threatened to destroy all of Mictlān!

I plunged it into lava, tore open its chest with my talons, ripped out its freakish entrails, and left it a silent husk!

Don't believe me? Well, then I'll show you the form I used to do it!

(His Spirit Origin outputno, the number of Spirit Origin readings are growing like crazy! One hundred thousand... One million... Ten million... One hundred million!?)

(This goes way beyond having multiple Spirit Origins! He has over a hundred million of them mixed together within him!)

Priest of Chaldea. Forget your name; I don't care what it is. Once, I felt a sort of kinship with you.

I've heard you're humanity's last Master. I know how that feels.

...Wait, no. I don't. I've long since forgotten. Feelings are as useless in battle as they are to a king.

Humanity's last warrior has no need of such things.

Speak my name. I am the hero of Ka'an. The spider-slaying bat. The king who forsook his crown.

A weakling who could not save the world without sacrificing his subjects.

...That's a Beast Spirit Origin pattern... Then, does this mean

Now, I will show you the blood of Camazotz!

Witness the essence of terror conjured by the people of Ka'an, who threw themselves into the hell that is Xibalba!

I'm detecting multiple unidentified heat sources all around us! It looks like...a cloud of bats!

Damn, not even shining light on them is enough to make them disperse! Their skin must be light-absorbent!

Fujimaru! Mash! Let's fire the Black Barrel! That'll scatter these bats!

？！

Of course! I'm just going to scare these bats off! Here goes!

You did it! The bats just scattered around the cave! And Camazotz is gone, too!

I heard him flapping towards the sky. He must have flown off to the peak.

I don't understand. Why would he retreat when he was so clearly winning?

？！

You're right! I don't see her anywhere! He must have made off with her under the cover of darkness!

Begone, foul demons!

Scream! Cry! Plead for your lives all you like! No one shall ever hear you!

If anything, you should rejoice! Once I have killed you, your bodies will rest forever in the Nile!

As if making my brothers your puppet pharaohs wasn't enough, you had to have them all killed.

How dare you! HOW DARE YOU!? At long last, the time has come for me to punish you for your crimes!

Why, Nitocris!? Why are you doing this!? You wouldn't be pharaoh if it wasn't for us!

Every step I've taken has been to bring me to this moment. Everything I've done, I've done to give all of you what you deserve.

It is the only thing that has given my life purpose. Just as you chose me to be your next puppet...

...I let you think you could control my mind, my body, even my dignity, however you like.

And now, you've fallen into my trap. Tell me, exactly what gift did you think I meant to offer you?

A feast of pleasures for all your senses? A mountain of gold? Or perhaps...you thought you could ravage my own body?

This ends now. Your insolence, your scheming to manipulate pharaohs, all of it!

Please, stop! I don't want to die! I don't want to diiie!

If forgiveness is what you want, beg it of my brothers you so ruthlessly murdered!

Not one of you will ever see the eternal kingdom. Hehe... But fortunately for you, neither will I. I will be joining you shortly.

Once you are dead, I will capture your souls and see that they are made to endure unending torment for all eternity!

So...bright... What...happened to...me...?

I was fighting that monster... That bat... And then... ...Wait. What's that sound...?

I knew it. Ape blood still tastes terrible. They eat too much meat. Their diet is much too imbalanced.

Still, it might be better than before. I think there's more depth of flavor now...maybe?

Camazotz!? What are you doing!?

I'm eating. Every soldier gets hungry and has to eat at some point.

I grew thirsty for blood while I was fighting Chaldea. When I want something, I take it.

So I returned to my home and quenched my thirst. I brought you with me out of habit.

Kingprotea, Beni-Enma, Ereshkigal... They all smelled like the underworld.

I enjoyed taking them back here and using Command Spells on them to turn them into guardians.

I was on a roll, so I chose you to be the fourth guardian, but forgot I'd already used up the Command Spells.

Without them, I can't make my wish come true, so there was no point in bringing you here.

You are useless. Worthless. A complete waste of my time.

So...I'm your prisoner now? Is that it?

I took you on a whim. There was no greater purpose behind what I did.

I see. So you let your whims lead you around by the nose.

Is that why you rescued us from Tlāloc, too? You had no reason to fight her.

Back then, you had a nasty air about you. A wavelength at a pitch I hated hearing. You still have that air about you now.

A nasty air, hm?

...

Only fools let their efforts go to waste. Camazotz is no fool. I'll see to it that bringing you here was worth my while.

Answer my questions, necromancer.

How can you still remember them? Why did you take your own life after accomplishing your goal?

How do you know about that? I'm quite certain I never told you about my life.

I told you, I have good hearing. The Ka'an ruins aren't far from Chichén Itzá.

Ever since the wind carried your story to my ears, I've been halfno, a third mad.

Answer me. You got your vengeance. The freedom it gave you should have been your life's reward.

In spite of that, you robbed yourself of your life. You didn't even go to this paradise of yours.

I can't understand it. Why would you refuse salvation after overcoming such hardship!? What could have possibly been worth throwing your life away!?

I... I was so focused on my plan to kill my retainers that I never had a chance to prepare for the journey to paradise, so

You're lying. You were a king with no foreign enemies. Once you killed the retainers, you would have had all the time you needed.

You claim to have done it so you could torment them in the underworld for eternity? That's a lie, too.

The underworld itself would have seen to that for you even without your involvement.

No, you never had any intention of going to paradise. Why is that? Answer me honestly. I'll know if you're lying.

The only thing I don't understand is why you did what you did.

All I can come up with is that you thought yourself a criminal. But that can't be right...can it?

Don't tell me that, despite being perfectly just and holding absolute power, you thought you were the most despicable one of all?

...

No response, huh? Then I was right. ...Ha.

Haha. Hahahahahaha! Hilarious! You Proper Human History kings are utterly hilarious!

You spent your life seeking revenge, finally achieved it, then turned around and proved yourself a criminal worthy of judgement by condemning that very same part of you that sought revenge in the first place!

What an impossibly foolish woman you are. Your will is as strong as the sun itself. To think you chose to fall upon the sword of your convictions rather than become a god.

I understand now. I'm satisfied. Back to my boring meal, then.

Wait just a moment. It's not fair that I'm the only one whose past is being dredged up here.

No, never mind fair; it's downright infuriating. So I'm going to ask you a question, too. Understand?

...Fine. But keep it brief.

You claimed to be the king of the underworld. The true king of Mictlān, even.

So what do you think about Mictlān nearing the end of its life?

Soon, the sun will reach critical mass and disappear. Are you going to disappear along with it?

Only Mictlān will die when the sun goes out. I will never change.

The deinos will accept their extinction, as they did before.

But not me. I'll never go extinct. I can live off the heat of the land alone, even without the sun.

That's how Ka'an grew for a hundred thousand yearsthe time it took us to go from simple mammals to humans.

A hundred thousand years of history and dreams made this body. And for these past six million years, I've kept on surviving.

My kingly Authority is immortality. That's my only weapon.

No matter what happens, that will never change.

Whether the sun dies, or ORT destroys the planet...

...so long as you just forget everything, the past will forever be unremarkable.

In this way, the present continues forever, free of pain and sadness. Not even my shadow lasts beyond this moment.

...I knew it. You're

(By forgetting everything... By never giving yourself a single thing, you)

Are you satisfied now, necromancer? Try to leave this peak and I will kill you. Stay, and I will spare you.

I won't tie you down. I won't demand anything of you. You're free to do as you please.

But...whatever you do, don't become an Alter. That would be revolting. I have no desire to see a you that isn't you.

That's awfully naive of you. It won't be long before my allies come for me.

If you let me go free, you'll only be adding another name to your list of enemies.

Don't be ridiculous. They're not coming here. Even if they were complete morons, they would have figured out that they don't have a prayer against me.

No halfway decent warrior would dare to challenge King Camazotz. Especially not over a single Servant.

...He'll be here. Even I have to question the wisdom of his actions, but I'm absolutely certain he will come. Care to wager on it?

It can't be said to be a wager when the outcome is not in question. But okay, what the hell? Chances like this don't come every day.

Once your companions have fled Mictlān, you're going to tell me your name. You're going to offer yourself to your king.

But if they should happen to come here and challenge me, I'll give you this whole underworld, and you'll have a second chance to be a queen.

We have a deal. Get ready to hand it over.

So, he was a moron after all. I swear...

Humanoids never know when to give up.

？！

Even unyielding spirit can become irreverence when taken too far. Nothing is more pitiful than a hero without anyone to admonish them.

Still, I welcome you. I'll slaughter you! I'll gladly take this chance to shower the peak of the fourth underworld with fresh blood!

Priest of Chaldea, you and I have known each other for some time now.

I'm going to enjoy cutting off your head and bathing in your blood, but once I have, that pleasure will be in the past, and I'll forget all about it.

That's a painful thought, so I'm going to take the opportunity to thank you now, while I have the chance.

Daybit is an infinity mirror. The more fighters you throw at him, the more shadows he'll call upon in response.

Get all that? Then let the feast begin!

Bring the hero's blood to his altar! Lead the followers of humanity to their graves!

For now is the time to kill our Proper Human History neighbors!

(I knew it... They can't possibly defeat him. Camazotz represents all of Mictlān's human history.)

(As long as he bears that dutythat curse, he can never be felled.)

(His immortality is all he has. It's the only thing that let him keep fighting a planet-eating monster when he was the last warrior of his kind.)

...That's right, Camazotz. Even if those retainers were evil men led solely by their own greed...

...it was still wrong of me to kill them in such an underhanded way rather than holding them accountable to the law.

I have no right to enter paradise. Neither have I ever considered my revenge to have been justified.

Crimes must be punished. Mistakes must be atoned for.

I committed a crime by failing to save my brothers; I committed another when I killed retainers in my position as pharaoh.

In punishment for my own crimes, I took my life. I chose to protect my heart rather than my nation's future.

Very well then, I'll tell you everything I saw exactly as I saw it.

An Alter is a Servant who has denied the core of their Spirit Origin.

One who lived as a saint would have to deny their sainthood. A warrior who refused to become a king would have to become the very sort of king they despised.

To become an Alter means to betray your life, your principles, everything that makes you a Heroic Spirit, and to do so knowingly, willingly, by your own hand.

Kingprotea abandoned her admiration and yearning for humans. In doing so, she became a cold, merciless goddess.

Beni-Enma gave up her wish to forever remain a child in a children's story, and became an adult.

Ereshkigal gave up on her dream of turning the underworld into a land of beauty, and so she became a cruel, ruthless goddess.

I see... So that's why Ereshkigal asked me what I was fighting to protect...

Then, what about me? What do I need to betray to become an Alter?

Only you can answer that, Nitocris.

That being said...your mythological background is a poor fit for Mictlān.

Because of that, you will need to make an even greater sacrifice than the other Servants.

So, no matter the difficulties you encounter on the road ahead, think hard before you make that choice.

Once you become an Alter, I suspect there can be no going back.

...Of course I've thought hard about this.

I know what I must betray. And I know what I must offer this world.

In our underworld, it was used to weigh one's sins after death. In the Aztec world, it's offered to the gods.

As they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. I can think of no betrayal greater than this.

...So great is this betrayal that I don't think I'll be able to show my face around the other pharaohs for quite some time.

Stop! STOP! Don't do it!!!

I told you I don't want to see that! Did you forget what I said!?

Your heartyour dignity, isn't meant to be offered to another!

What you have there is meant to be offered only to yourself. It's the mark of your pride.

You sad, sad woman. Don't let yourself become an offering to the gods, of all things. Don't live your life for others!

...Don't burn your life away any more than you already have.

Now I understand the whim that led you to rescue me.

You've survived all this time by forgetting everything, by giving yourself nothing.

Though you've long wished to take your own life, you've held yourself back by refusing to remember the past at any cost.

You've sentenced yourself to the eternal punishment of being unable to die, all to preserve a humanity that no longer exists.

What a fool you are, woman. King Camazotz has no such feelings.

I only do what I do because the act of forgetting is a pain in the ass. All that matters is for me to keep existing.

Every last one of Ka'an's people willingly gave their lives to make this kingly body. I can't regret even the tiniest thing from my battles!

Then I, too, shall make a sacrifice! Now that I am dead, I have no need for a heart to weigh my sins!

Anubis. I implore you to pass judgment on my soul. From this moment, I am no longer the incarnation of the sky god.

Now and forevermore, I shall be the manifestation of the god of the underworld, avatar of vengeance and divine punishment.

...Neferu Swen Anubis. The Alter of Queen Nitocris.

Needless to say, I will be claiming what you promised in our wager.

Per our contract, this fourth underworld now belongs to me, to do with as I wish. And so, I shall decree a new rule.

In this underworld, all manner of forgetting is forever forbidden.

...Now, let us fight, bat king...immortal ruler who has fled his punishment for six million years.

As your atonement, I shall grant you a fitting end.

Gh-ghh... Ah, aaaaaah!

The Beast is still alive! We haven't finished him off yet!

We need to do it now, or we're all done for! Fujimaru!

？！

(Huff, huff...) ...!

Nitocris!? Did she pass out!?

Crap, crap, crap! She's going to tumble right into the canyon! Wak Chan, hurry!

Yaaah! I'll get her, even if it kills me!

Ha... Kaaaaaah!

Did Camazotz just catch Nitocris and fall with her? It almost looked as though

？！

It seems I was hasty when I said you were beyond foolish. Now I can't reprimand you for being more of a fool than I thought.

I can't believe you tore out your own heart. Even I wouldn't try something like that. I'm frightened of pain.

...You were wrong about one thing, queen. I never grieved anyone's death.

Back when my million subjects were facing extinction, there were tears of mourning...tears of joy...lamentations...trances...

Parents and children alike threw themselves into the kiln, wailing that they didn't want to let me die. Warriors threw themselves into the kiln with a smile, asking me to save them.

As a limbless mass at the bottom of that kiln, I saw such things again and again, without end. But my mind remained calm.

"Oh, another death." That was the extent of my reaction.

To me, their deaths were part of their lives.

Even when they offered up their lives right in front of me, it may as well have been an ordinary scene from our everyday lives as far as I was concerned.

It was always like that for me. Be it a parent, a spouse, or a friend. No matter who died, I never felt grief.

Ironically, stories of fictional people never failed to make me weep.

But in the world itself, I never felt that I had sinned, no matter who or how many died.

I'm utterly numb to deathmine and others'. That's why I became king.

But even then, I would wonder to myself about how I could cry like everyone elselike a normal human.

How strange. Even I don't know why I'm so concerned about a single woman's well-being.

...But, I must admit, it's good to be able to remember.

I see the past before me. The memories I lost as I came back to life over and over, all in such beautiful detail.

...Now I see.

It may not be for eternity...

...but I see now that this is what they mean when they talk about living past your time.

This is the place! I just hope she came to while she was falling...

I found her! Nitocris seems to be all right! I'm not seeing any injuries anywhere on her!

...

？！

I'm sorry I worried you. I blacked out and began to fall after I ran out of magical energy.

But I woke up before I hit the ground and managed to land safely. I must thank Osiris for his protection once again.

？！

Camazotz? What about him? When I woke up, he was nowhere to be seen.

Besides, didn't you defeat him up on the peak? That's all that matters.

He will never again roam the darkness.

It's true; I can't hear his wings flapping anymore. And all the bats that used to fill this cave are gone.

Camazotz was the most dangerous being in all of Mictlān. And you just defeated him.

...

Never mind that! Congratulations on your brilliant victory, Mash and Fujimaru.

I couldn't be more proud to have you as my allies!

Yeah. Even if it was just for the domain of humanity that developed in Mictlān, Camazotz was still a Beast.

That we managed to defeat him by ourselves is a miracle. We couldn't have done it without you, Nitocris.

You may have become an Alter like Kingprotea and the other guardians, but I guess your Alterization was temporary.

Of course. I could never endure inviting Anubis into my body unless I was in an underworld.

Hm? Is something wrong, my ally?

？！

？！

Even the deinos who were standing guard are gone. I suppose all those incompetent fools died off.

Now the King of Dinosaurs is dead and the soldiers are all gone. Chichén Itzá is finished.

No... It's not just this city that's finished.

We should never have let Chaldea or the Crypter do as they pleased. Now that we have, our extinction is imminent.

The deinos don't understand that... No, that's not right. They understood fine, and still refused to stop them.

Their overwhelming strength left them with no desire to live, and no sense of danger. No matter how long they lived, that was never going to change.

They never even thought to compare themselves to others. Of course they would never develop beyond this point.

I'm the only short-lived deinos around...

...and so I am the only one who understands the dread of watching the steady progress of time marching on.

Well, no matter. Criticizing my fellow deinos now won't help anything. What's important is that I survive and change how things are done around here.

Izcalli promised me a seat in México City. Apparently, even the ocelomeh need priests.

Fine then. If I have to use those damn apes to be the only deinos to survive, then that's exactly what I'll do.