Decisive Battle/Final Apostle Cagliostro

Right you are. It is I.

Cagliostro!?

Wh-what the hell!? Are you guys seeing this!?

That pillar has a FACE!

Hmm. Impressive trick.

Cagliostro, did you arrive here ahead of us and fuse with that pillar?

Mmm...

Technically, you and I have not met, but I suppose expecting such fine distinctions from you is a waste of time.

I take it you did meet my clone then?

He's dead now. His Spirit Origin was completely destroyed.

He pretended to be the third trial, a Heroic Spirit of humanity... Ah, he was most diligent about toying with your minds.

But unfortunately, he was a bit too fixated on his rivalry with the Count of Monte Cristo.

I suppose it can't be helped. His capacity was limited, so it was inevitable he would make immature decisions.

Poor thing.

But, no matter.

He was never more than a means of testing my plan for the Master of Chaldea's death.

I, on the other hand...

I am the true Spirit Origin! I am the one who orchestrated this plot on the Master of Chaldea's life...

Cagliostro, the malignant data!

(Malignant data...)

(Dantès used the same term. So then, this Cagliostro's Spirit Origin must be)

Listen well, Count of Monte Cristo!

Those seven trials you prepared? Your so-called call of duty?

Not bad, as filters for setting your Master on the right path go. Humanity certainly is skilled at crafting irritating new tricks.

But, hehehehe, that one maneuver of yours was an absolute masterpiece!

What a shame that you weren't able to witness the Master of Chaldea be consumed by the flames of vengeance up close and in person!

Ah, well. I suppose you're just too soft a touch.

Why settle for something as simple as a trial? Why not go all the way and carry out executions?

You really are much too gentle. That's why I had to at least slip in the Death Storm King!

Heh. Too bad it didn't go as you hoped.

That, I cannot deny.

Not to worry. You'll have your execution.

Pseudo-Tokyo. Its true name... The Inescapable Gehenna!

Yes, this was indeed the venue for a trial...but that was not its only purpose!

Oh? Whatever do you mean?

You see...

This was my goal all along!

Luring out the last of the malignant data so that I might fully and finally incinerate it.

That's right. This prison was always meant for you, Cagliostro!

Now I see. This is our duty as Avengersto cut off that head once and for all!

Hah! Hilarious!

Look at you. A pack of fiends and villains! Pitiful Avengers who long ago strayed from their proper path!

If anything, I'll be striking a blow for purity and justice when I squash you like the bugs you are!

Avengers can never be anything more than creatures of cruelty and darkness!

How fitting that I, blessed by the light of the Foreign God, should be the one to pass judgment upon you!

My True Name is Alessandro di Cagliostro!

But you may call me...

Cagliostro, The Final Apostle!

Come! I shall face you with all my might and soul! Haha, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

It's just like when we fought him before. We're barely making a dent!

I'll never be able to burn him to ash like this! And it's just getting worse!

We can't release our Noble Phantasms' True Names... This is bad. Our magical energy connection to Master is cut off!

Correct!

This is my Noble Phantasm, Rébellion au Monde.

Its true worth lies in the destruction of order.

It does require some time and effort to activate, but, once that is done...

...it seizes control of order and rules themselves, rewriting and twisting them beyond recognition!

For example, if I wanted to concentrate all the magical energy flowing through this place into myself...

...thereby gaining unlimited regenerative capabilities AND sealing my opposition's power in one fell swoop...

...I can make it happen just like that!

Now do you understand, you pathetic familiars!?

If the human body is a microcosmos unto itself, I now command the very movements of its celestial bodies!

Every last Magic Circuit running through Master Fujimaru's body is now under MY control!

That includes Pseudo-Tokyo! The dark reaches we are in right now!

The trial battlefields you created to help Master achieve his duty!

Thanks to my Noble Phantasm, I have rewritten them all...

...into a world of my own creation!

Hehe. Heh. Hehehehehehehehehe. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Now he's laughing at us! Bastard!

Indeed, this is most infuriating. But be that as it may, we are not going to get anywhere doing so little damage.

Neither our physical nor magical attacks are having much effect. I'm not taking everything he says at face value...

...but if he really does have full control over this Pseudo-Tokyothis whole world built in Master's mind...

...then we are at a tremendous disadvantage. If we were in the physical world, this would be as if

As if he's taken all the mana in the atmosphere for himself.

Were this the Age of Gods' atmosphere, I could do something about that, but this place is just too unusual.

So even as Servants, there's nothing we can do.

We can't fight how we want, release our True Names, or even use our Noble Phantasms.

Yes, this would seem to be quite a problem.

Ugh, dammit! This should be easy! All we should have to do is smash his stupid exposed face!

But now, it looks like we might actually lose? Th-this is bullshit!

... ...

(If...)

(...I use my entire Spirit Origin and Spirit Core for fuel, I'm certain I can take him beyond love and hate.)

(However... Hmm. That's true.)

(Even if I am technically no longer living, this cursed Spirit Origin still has limits.)

(Even as a Heroic Spirit, there is only so much I can do.)

I'm afraid...

...I just don't quite have enough fire...

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Huh?

Is that... No way...

...I'm sorry.

I should never have had to put you in this position.

I cannot believe I am still so powerless that even now, I need to borrow your fire.

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Master...? Master!?

But... This place, it's... I thought you couldn't come here unless this asshole brought you.

I believe the appropriate modern magecraft terminology for this would be vision quest, though I did not know until now that my contracted Master undertook such things.

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Hehe. Hehehehehe! How foolish! How utterly, comically foolish!

To think, you have brought your mind and soul to this world I control completely! And you did it of your own free will!

Still, this does save me quite a bit of time and trouble, so for that, you have my thanks!

Now I can shred your mind and soul and be done with it!

Still, since you came all this way, Master of Chaldea, how about we undertake one last, ultimate trial!?

I, Cagliostro, The Final Apostle, shall be the one to pass judgment on your path and soul!

!

Sorry, Lobo, but we're gonna need you to keep Master safe on your back!

You got that, Hessian!?

Everyone! Now is the time! Call upon the last of your magical anergy! Master is here! We can win!

I don't think so!

Now that my Spirit Origin has become one with this world, I AM the very microcosmos that is this human body!

My magical energy is all but infinite! You haven't a hope of exhausting it!

Hehe. Heh. Hehehehe! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!

Kuku...

Kuku. Kuhahahaha... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Cagliostro! The self-proclaimed Final Apostle! An empty mockery of a man, devoid of self or substance!

You are the fool here, for you can't even see how truly empty you've become!

Your despair will be the perfect parting gift as we set off on the last leg of our journey to Antarctica!

Let's go, Avengers!

...!

What is this!? Why can't my regeneration keep up!?

I-I-I should have c-complete control over this microcosmos...

...Oh!

I-I see...

Could it be...that the true owner of this microcosmos can rival even my own limitless power!?

No! No, that can't be!

No pathetic excuse for a mage like the Master of Chaldea could take complete control of his own Magic Circuits!

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!!!

Time to finish this. Let's go!

Heh... KUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Let's finish this!

Burn it all to the ground!

All right, assholes! You two finish him off!

Heh. How cruel!

I follow a path beyond love and hate! Enfer Château d'If!

Behold this purifying flame from beyond love and hate!

Paradis Château d'If!

...!

I...see...

So these are the flames that burn down to your soul... The dark possibilities beyond love and hate!

Yes, I see... This would be too much...for a human to handle...

This heat is intense enough to destroy my entire continuum...yet it is not even scratching the host of this microcosmos.

Hehe, indeed. These flames of purification truly are meant only for one's bitter enemies!

As for you, Master of Chaldea...

Your resolve to stand and fight, even knowing our battleground is your very mind...

...was truly magnificent...

Hehe, very well then. Your next step is to demonstrate that resolve before that great organization!

Though, of course...

...that assumes your ability to destroy all the elements I left for you...

...We can kill him now, yeah? Yeah, I'm just gonna go ahead and put an end to this.

You talk too damn much. Burn!

So, um...

Well...you've got some pretty incredible timing.

I mean, we might not've been able to kill him if you hadn't.

Still...

...we probably would've been okay if we'd lost an Avenger or two.

We can't go with you past that wall of humanity anyway, right? So...

I feel like she may have left out some important points, but on the whole, I agree.

Master. Fujimaru.

There are things I would like to say about your coming to our aid despite the risk to yourself, but for now, I'll just say: thank you.

(Thumbs up)

I appreciate your coming here, Master, but how are you going to get back?

That won't be a problem. From the magical energy at work here, I can sense Abigail...

...the mages...the incubus...and something else I don't quite understand, all lending a helping hand.

Huh. So you really brought in all the dream-related heavy hitters.

Who cares how he gets back? What matters is that our work here is done.

It's long past time we were freed from the restraints of these Spirit Origins. Am I wrong?

... ...

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...I'm sure.

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...I know.

I am afraid you have no choice but to let us go. Don't make this harder than it has to be.

You cannot finish your journey if you bring our fire and blood with you.

Though of course, if you truly do wish to decorate your journey with blood and flame...

...then we will gladly accompany you to the Antarctic.

But that is not what you want, is it?

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Good. That is the Fujimaru I know.

You should be at a loss for how to respond to a question like that.

...Listen well, because I'm only going to say this once.

... ...

...Hm.

N-now what? H-he's not backing down an inch.

Hmm. Fascinating.

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What a hassle. I recognize that look. That is the same look on Shana-oh's face as whenever she insists on having her way.

This does seem bad.

I have no memories of this myself, but according to my Caster self's memories...

...once my contracted Master gets like this, it's very difficult to get him to change his mind.

He may well insist we accompany him to Antarctica.

!

(Panicking)

Alter.

(Panicking)

Calm down, Alter.

...I really am no match for you.

Very well, then. We will leave shadows of ourselves on the Spirit Origin graph.

They won't be as strong as us, but they should still be useful.

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Fujimaru.

You do understand we can no longer accompany you, yes?

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Master.

I... Um...

You heard the asshole, right? Please, don't make this harder than it has to be.

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...We're back to that again?

Look. I don't really fit in anywhere, right?

I don't have a hometown. I never went to school.

No family, no friends... Nobody's gonna miss me when I'm gone.

I don't really care what happens to Earth, either.

I don't care if it all burns down, stays bleached, whatever.

But...

But none of that's true of you.

There are things you want to get back, right?

You have a home you want to go back to... People you want to see again...

You can't give up on any of that.

At least, that's the kind of person I thought you were.

Was I wrong?

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Forget vengeance. Forget about us. You have your own path to travel.

Leave your anger and grief behind.

Leave your fire to us. Let your tomorrow be filled with hope.

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Wait, but dare to hope.

The stars in heaven see all. Where you go, their light will be with you.

It's been a long journey for us both...my accomplice.