Wailing Fortress (Part 1)

It's time.

？！

There will be seven blasts of the trumpet.

One for each trial. One for each vengeance.

One for each flame.

？！

With every blast of the trumpet...

...a trial will visit you in the form of a Servant.

？！

If you mean to continue this journey...

If you wish to see tomorrow...

Then overcome the seven trials. Shatter the seven vengeances.

Whether the seventh and final trumpet blast comes or not...

...is up to you.

...I am fire. ...I am wrath.

I am what remains of a wailing heart after all love has been stripped away.

My lamentations will never cease. Fire courses through my armor. What virtue I once had has been reduced to ash along with the rest of Britain.

You, who still bear a heart, listen well: I am the wail that will be your end.

The time has come. The first trial is upon us.

The knight of wrath has materialized. A Wailing Fortress.

She is the first Britomart, not the second one who knows nothing of the world-consuming flame.

As an Alter, she is a truly impregnable stronghold, stalwart without equal. I wonder...

How will he fight back? How will he surpass her? As he is now, he would not survive two seconds against her.

Not when all the first six trials are trials of soulless, heartless, love-forsaken flame.

...Heh. He will endure. He's stronger than you think.

He already knows very well how to fight.

He will never be led astray, no matter your attempts at deception.

You can invite him into a false home, and bury him in false love all you like.

No matter how much he is hurt, or how hard he struggles, he will press onward and will not lose his way.

Or have you forgotten how he already conquered the seven sins back in prison?

How could I? That is exactly why there will be seven vengeances. Seven infernos.

...Seven fragments of our broken souls.

New Singularity alert! Trismegistus II is working out the coordinates right now!

I'll widen the range of operations on my end, too. Hmm, this sure is an odd one...

Now we have to deal with a Singularity, too!? P-please tell me it's not one of the big ones!

I'm not sure yet. It looks like... Yeah, it's definitely moving around.

It also seems like the signal is coming from weirdly close by... Sion, would you mind scanning with me?

I already am. Now scanning the ship's interior... Captain, can you run another concurrent scan to triple-check for us!?

Already on it. No wonder you're getting weird responses. This Singularity is inside the ship.

Gaah!

...Does that mean it's a micro Singularity?

It could be. Unfortunately, it's debatable whether the physical size of a Singularity has any relation to its effect on humanity.

Okay, I've got my and Trismegistus II's results back. Sending you the data now, Mash!

Right! I'll put them up on the monitor right now!

Yes, the Singularity has spawned within the Storm Border! Specifically, it's located in...

...Huh? I-it's located in...

...Senpai's...

!!!

That's...the infirmary!

Yes. Those coordinates are in sick bay. They're an exact match for the bed we put Fujimaru in.

Could it be that Fujimaru himself is becoming a Singularity...?

He never produced a Singularity signal during Shimousa or other similar incidents...

So what you're saying is, you still don't know the details, but it's clear this anomaly is affecting him physically, huh.

...Yes. That's our best understanding at the moment.

Dammit. What the hell has he gotten himself caught up in this time!?

Did I hear you right? Did you just say Master IS a Singularity? That supposed to be funny?

(Flinch) Y-yes, I did. I wasn't making a joke...

Huh? What was that?

Speak up, will you? I can't hear a damn thing you're saying.

Now, now, ease up on the poor girl. Can't you see you're frightening her?

...Did you just say that with a straight face?

What other face would I use?

Tch.

...So? Where's Edmond freaking Dantès when you need him? Isn't this whole thing his department?

He's nowhere to be found. No one has seen him since he last appeared.

There's no sign of him in Master's shadow. Not even Nightingale can find him. He's completely vanished.

Which must mean...

... ...

...I bet this is gonna be a real pain in the ass.

...is up to you, Fujimaru.

？！

？！

Good.

Then know that seven infernos will come your way.

？！

？！

？！

？！

... ...

？！

...

？！

No, she cannot.

She is your first trial.

She is the Wailing Fortress. The wail of sorrow whose love and homeland were cruelly stolen.

She witnessed the loss of everything in her fateful land of Britain.

Which is why

...I am fire. ...I am wrath.

I am Britomart Alter, Avenger.

？！

You, who still bear a heart, listen well: I am the wail that will be your end.

My sorrow will swallow you whole. My grief will shatter you.

If you would resist, then take up your sword.

Fight me. Kill me. Transform your inner fury into flame.

If you wish to see tomorrow, then once again...

Fight me!

Your blades will never pierce my armor!

The earth's blessing... Torrential downpours...

These things will not waver before resolve so faint as yours, you who walk the path.

？！

？！

？！

... ...

So, you seek a foolhardy warrior's death.

Sen...pai?

Sen...pai?

？！

I-I thought that was you!

What are you doing at Tokyo Station? And...who's that in the armor?

Wh-what's going on? Am I...dreaming? Is that what this is?

Y-yes!?

Th-there's a book I wanted to buy at a shop near the station...

？！

？！

S-S-Senpai!?

？！

(Gasp... Gasp...!) (Huff... Huff...!)

S-Senpai... You're too...fast...!

O-okay! (Inhale... Exhale... Inhale...)

...Phew. I feel better now. Thank you, Senpai.

(Huff, huff...)

？！

...Umm... Do you know whoever that is wearing the armor?

Were they...making a movie there or something?

？！

R-right... Of course not. It looked too real for that...

That armor seemed like it was...made purely for fighting.

It had this...this dangerous look to it that made me think so...

... ...

...Um... It looks like there's no one else here, either.

？！

？！

Yes. I noticed the Marunouchi entrance was completely deserted.

I was just at the big bookstore near there to buy some things for my mystery research.

？！

Yes. The new Sherlock Holmes pastiche goes on sale today.

I was lined up at the register to buy two copiesone for reading, and another for safekeeping.

Then I heard some kind of...wind instrument.

One moment, I was wondering what it was, and the next, there was nobody else around.

I even looked around Tokyo Station, but there was nobody to be found.

It's the same thing here. There's nobody else on the streets, or in the buildings...

... ...What is going on, Senpai?

Right. Of course you don't...

...Senpai?

？！

There! Finally, some more people! Yo, Mr. Sal! Over here!

That uniform... Are you one of our students? What's going on here? In any event, don't call me "Mr. Sal."

What are you

？！

Huh? ...Oh, Fujimaru, it's you.

And...Kyrie? Is that you?

Kyrie? ...Oh, Mashiro Kyrie, from the freshman class. I've not seen you since this morning.

Y-yes, Mr. Salieri.

So, if you're here, Fujimaru...does that mean this is all some elaborate school prank or something?

There a hidden camera somewhere? Is someone live streaming this right now?

Impossible. The monetary cost alone of emptying the streets from Ginza to Tokyo Station on a weekday evening would be astronomical.

Besides, the Tokyo city government nowadays would never grant the necessary filming permit. That's just common sense.

？！

I did, at least.

I was browsing symphony scores at a music shop when I heard a loud brass instrument. The next instant, all the people around me had disappeared.

I ran into Oruta while I was walking around the deserted city and just as we arrived here...

...we saw suits of armor roaming around near the Marunouchi entrance and immediately hid.

Me, well, you know, this place is right on the JR line on the way back from school, right?

So from there, I just kind of figured I'd, you know.

Um, I'm not sure I do...

You know, it's just one of those things.

？！

...Does it matter?

Why are you being so cagey, Oruta?

You said only moments ago that you were headed to a toy shop in the station's underground shopping center to buy some cute plushies.

!!!

Don't SAY that, you freakin' jerk! I-I've got an image I'm trying to maintain here!

I-I understand. Reputations ARE very important!

What in the world are you saying?

At any rate, I am unsure whether it is we who find ourselves in an emergency situation, or everyone else...

...but the situation is dire, to be sure.

I am thinking our best plan of action is to keep moving until we find more people.

I'd like to avoid the armored people, but that may be difficult. I doubt the trains are still running, so we'll have to walk.

？！

？！

...What?

Senpai!

What are you saying? Did you hit your head or something?

？！

I-I can't do that, Senpai. You need to come with us.

I-I mean...it's dangerous here, right?

It looks like the person in the armor isn't coming after us now, so this is our chance to

？！

What're you say

Aah! Wh-what is this!?

Projection mapping? ...No. It feels different...

Oruta! Mashiro! Fujimaru! Get behind me!

？！

？！

Target in sight. Three unarmed civilians also in the area.

Query... Query... Complete. Target and civilians are all marked for slaughter.

Kill them all.

Wha...!?

H-huh!? They just said they're gonna kill us!

Eep!

？！

？！

Fujimaru, stop!

？！

...What did you just do?

Were you giving orders to those...shadows that slew the fire creature and people in armor?

Aaah! Eee! Stay awaaaaaaHuh?

Where'd the armored guys go? And the fire thing?

They were just here a second ago... Huh?

Senpai... Then, I wasn't seeing things back there.

Whatever you just did, it was the same thing you did near Marunouchi too...right?

...Yes?

Senpai...

？！

？！

Huh? The hell're you saying? You've gotta get out of here, too!

You saw that guy in the giant armor with the giant weapon too! Not to mention the guy that was on FIRE!

You got a death wish or something?

... ...

...Speaking as a teacher, I cannot agree. But speaking only for myself, I admit there is some merit in what you say.

Whatever is going on here, it does seem you may be uniquely well-equipped to deal with it.

Under normal circumstances, I could not even consider your suggestion. But in this particular case...

Wh-why're you getting your phone out, Mr. Sal? We already know we can't get online or call anyone.

According to my phone, the current time is 5:26 p.m.

Which means time stopped the moment I heard that horn in Ginza.

Yes, it's not just my phone. My mechanical pocket watch has the same time: 5:26 p.m.

Even the stock board near the Yaesu entrance at the station is the same: 5:26 p.m.

...!

...You're kidding, right?

Between the empty streets, the roving armored men and flame creatures, and the universally stopped clocks, this situation is clearly far from normal.

So, given these very unusual circumstances...I'm willing to believe you.

？！

？！

You're going to draw them away...?

Senpai, no! You can't do that!

Why the hell do you look like you're going off to war!? This... This is bullshit, Fujimaru!

？！

...Good luck.

？！

Target spotted. Commence slaughter.

Kill.

？！

I have visual on two unarmed civilians. Targets verified. Kill them.

Man, that startled me! Dammit, did you have to make it so hot!?

Don't you "huh" me. Phew! About time we managed to materialize!

Yes way. Phew! About time we managed to materialize!

？！

So it would seem. ...Interesting. It appears we're possessing our isotopic counterparts in this world.

We've also lost contact with Chaldea. Well, we expected as much.

Do you recognize us, Master?

？！

I may not look all that different personally, but yes, we are.

I told Mash KyrielightI mean, Kyrie, to stay out of sight in the alley.

She should be safe while we're dealing with these things.

？！

Don't worry about that. Some stuff's kind of fuzzy, but for the most part, I've got all of...Oruta's memories.

So I have a pretty good idea what's going on. This is probably twenty-first century Tokyo, and all these things are enemies!

Which means I can kill 'em all!

Hell yeah! I'm in the zone!

...Lamenting Exterior, activate.

Here we go, Master! You may have been forced to focus on defense so far, but from now on

？！