Nepenthes' Kiss

Nice job! Way to go, getting through all six Moon Cancers!

So? What'd you think of the Moon Cancer combat simulator we whipped up?

Oh, you mean the M.C.s from Areas D and H? Yeah, sorry about that. I still don't really know who they are, so.

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Anyway, I know the NP stuff wasn't the most accurate recreation, but the rest was pretty spot-on, right?

And we owe it all to the super capable coder who joined our ranks. Thanks again, Anthony!

I'm still not sure how I ended up helping you so soon after I arrived...

But, um, I did enjoy it.

I've never worked a job before, but it turns out they can actually be kind of nice.

How can I put this... I feel...more valuable, even though my parameters haven't changed at all.

Well, I can tell you for sure that your coding skills are genuinely impressive.

With computational power and sensibilities like yours, I bet we could even expand Moon Dubai itself!

Oh, gosh, hahaha. I really appreciate that, but it's making it hard for me to be here, for some reason.

I'm sorry. I'd love to see more of the results, but I think I'd better excuse myself.

Oh, if any of you have any complaints or suggestions, go ahead and put them up on the board over there.

I'm sure I'll feel more rested in the afternoon, so I'll take a look then. Yaha. Yahahahaha.

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He probably couldn't do anything creative like this back in Area F when the Laughing Moon Knights were always looking over his shoulder.

Anyway, it doesn't look like the knights'll be coming back for him anytime soon, so I plan to keep making full use of his geek powers.

We should probably move to the big topic of the night. Here are the latest final boss poll numbers.

Now that Koyanskaya's gone, Area E is out of the running.

About seventy percent of voters have cast a vote now, with the remaining thirty percent still unsure of who to choose.

Edison's Area I is currently in the lead, but not by as much as I was expecting.

If we think of all the nonvoting citizens as having equal value...

...then you defeating another Moon Cancer could bring in tons of votes to Old Dubai all at once.

Of course, if you did that, it'd also bring Tenochtitlan crashing back on our heads to punish me.

But hey, I've got a talented engineer in Anthony now, not to mention all of you, so I'm sure we can fend her off!

So I think it's our turn to go on the offensive! How about it, Fujimaru? Is there anything you want to do right now?

Ereshkigal, huh... So far, we haven't had a single eyewitness report of her.

It'd be nice if she's somewhere by herself, but it's possible another Moon Cancer is harboring her, too.

I'll poke around the other areas and see what I can dig up.

Good point. The only ones we know about right now are Astolfo and Edison.

The amusement park in Area H hasn't made a peep so far. Wanna send envoys there and to the greenhouse in Area D?

Ooh, the classic gamer's choice! You're the kind of guy to ignore the main quest and dive into the side missions too, huh!?

Can't blame you for that. Going through life focusing on one thing all the time is boring! So what do you wanna do? Explore the desert or something?

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Sorry, another option just presented itself. We've got an urgent matter to deal with.

We just received an invitation from Area D's Moon Cancer.

It says, "Dear Master, please come see me. I would like to form an alliance with you."

It's signed "BB Lily." Sounds like you've already met. What do you want to do?

"Please come by boat," huh. Now I see why. Traveling by boat is a lot safer.

I heard there was a cruise ship that toured this river in the original Dubai, too. Fitting she would choose it.

Nikitich and Lip are staying behind in Old Dubai. If anything happens in the roughly four hours it takes us to get to Area D and back, they should be okay.

The real problem is, how far can we trust BB Lily?

BB Lily... Her real name is Kazuradrop, right?

She didn't seem hostile when we were sightseeing or when we parted ways at the Burj Khalifa.

So it's hard to imagine this could be a trap, but

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According to what Lip told us, Kazuradrop is the only member of the Sakura Five who has no real offensive capability.

As a reminder, the Sakura Five are High Servants created from BB's emotions.

Passionlip, the Alter Ego of love and hate. Meltryllis, the Alter Ego of pleasure.

Kingprotea, the Alter Ego of yearning. And Kazuradrop, the Alter Ego of affection.

I'm told there's also an Alter Ego of purity, but we've yet to see her at Chaldea.

An Alter Ego made from affection, huh. That does seem like she wouldn't be much for fighting.

At any rate, there are some things I'd like to say to her, too. This seems like a good opportunity.

There's Area D up ahead. Get ready to disembark.

There don't seem to be any soldiers waiting in ambush, but we should still be ready for a fight.

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Indeed. I did see this area from the Burj Khalifa's elevator, but the greenery is denser than I thought.

These buildings do look like ruins, but if you look closer, you can see the buildings and the plant life are both being cared for.

I think this ward was designed to exist in harmony with nature.

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They said Moon Dubai was modeled after this world's Earth sometime after A.D. 2300, right?

Then I think it's modeled after a similar building from that Earth's Dubai.

It looks to me like an attempt to build a cutting-edge city surrounded by four-hundred-meter-tall walls.

Just building a regular modern city out in the desert would require tons of money and manpower.

I guess they weren't satisfied with that. They must have wanted to make a more futuristic city insulated from the hot winds and sand.

Then I can see why they would have chosen "future city built in the middle of an unforgiving environment" as a motif for their lunar surface city.

Hey now, stop that. I'm about to meet with your leader, you know.

I see the animals love you here as well, Percival. For a second, you looked like a walking bird tower.

I guess so. It appears you were right, Master. Nature here is no different from how it is on Earth.

This place must be a paradise for the birds, flowers, and insects. There's even plenty of fruit to go around.

Although...I do wonder why there doesn't seem to be a single other person around.

Oh, right. I just realized this must be where Old Dubai gets its fruit.

This looks to be one giant greenhouse. It must be crucial to citizens with organic frames.

Welcome, everyone. I'm glad to see you understand what makes Area D so valuable.

It looks like there are...four of you? Very well. Everything is prepared for our tea party.

Please follow the beacons to the garden. We don't have much to offer, but we'll do our best to be good hosts.

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It's been awhile. Please, sit, enjoy the Ceylon tea. I recreated these leaves just for this occasion.

I'm quite proud of how close they are to the original taste and aroma from our time.

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Oh? What's that?

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Why, yours, of course. The side of old humanity.

I suppose I can understand your suspicions since I STILL haven't been summoned to Chaldea.

But I can assure you, that's not because I've been staying away.

It was only BB Dubai of all people who summoned me first because I don't have any ties to Chaldea myself.

It's infuriating, really. I'm still sore about how Lip, Melt, and Protea all beat me to the punch.

You were summoned here by BB Dubai, Kazuradrop?

Yes. She ordered me to show you around Dubai. She said:

"Make sure Fujimaru has so much fun he doesn't realize he's actually on the moon."

"If they find out this is actually Moon Dubai before the counter is maxed out, I'll erase you myself."

Being a guide at least seemed fun, so I didn't mind much.

But then, Lip showed up on the second day, so I had to make myself scarce.

I swear, BB Dubai is a chip off the old block. All that big talk and she still couldn't account for the original BB's plans.

Does this mean you're BB Dubai's Servant, that you have to follow her orders?

She's letting me act freely right now since I've joined the final boss showdown. She does control whether I live or die, though.

If she were to use a Command Spell on me, she could even force me to take my own life.

Which is why I sent you that invitation.

Strictly speaking, I'm not helping Chaldea. I'm just forming an alliance with Area C.

This way, I'm not breaking BB Dubai's rules, so I can at least make that case if she finds out.

What I want is to take BB Dubai down, form a bond with Chaldea...

...and be summoned in grand fashion at the highest rank so I can finally show the other Sakura Five a thing or two!

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But that's still not enough for us to trust you, even taking your helping us at the Burj Khalifa into account.

This could all be a trick, maybe a part of some greater scheme!

Well, it's a good thing I have some proof that I've been helping you from the shadows, then.

The reason you, Percival, and Karna survived BB Dubai's mass banishment...

...was because of my stamp.

Well, Bartholomew...you actually don't seem to have needed the stamp, but still.

Back when you were facing BB Dubai, you were the only one who suggested retreating, right?

She seems to have liked that, which is why she didn't force you to disappear.

I knew she was going to banish all of you Servants at the end of your trip, you see.

So I determined which of you had the strongest ties to Fujimaru, and ensured you'd also have ties to Moon Dubai.

Of course, those ties were only temporary, so if you had suffered fatal injuries...

...you would still be sent back to Chaldea even if Fujimaru were to use a Command Spell to try and keep you here.

Come to think of it, it did seem odd that Bartholomew was the only one to escape being banished.

Is she telling the truth about the stamps, everyone?

Yes. Kazuradrop secretly stamped my hand back while we were touring Dubai.

Mine, too. And it seems she also did the same for Karna.

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That, I don't know. Remember BB Dubai's Noble Phantasm?

My stamps ensured that Karna and Percival would be secretly transported away right before that light hit them.

But it happened so suddenly, I didn't have time to choose destinations for them.

So that's how I ended up in the KOYAAN Mall. Then, putting aside what happened after I woke up...I suppose you really did save me.

Thank you, Kazuradrop. You may look young, but you're clearly extremely capable.

I-I, uh... Thank you.

(Oh man, that incredible dad energy! I'm so happy, I can't believe it!)

Well, if you've done that much for us, it would be boorish to doubt you any further.

Sorry for suspecting you, Kazuradrop. I appreciate what you did for us, too.

So, in short, BB summoned you, and you were originally an Alter Ego like Lip...

...but you became a Moon Cancer so you could participate in the final boss showdown.

And while you do have an annihilation proposal, you're not serious about pushing it.

You're just competing to deceive BB Dubai; you have no serious intention to win. Do I have all that right?

Yes, that's correct. My slogan is:

"A project to turn Earth green resulted in plants rising to the top of the ecosystem...

...whereupon they then hunted humans to extinction."

But I don't actually want a ridiculous future like that! The only thing I want to use humans as seedbeds for is fungal mycelium!

...Ah, sorry. I got a little carried away there.

Anyway, now that you know my full story, what do you think of working together?

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Okay, but I still don't know much for sure, so this will only be speculation. Is that okay?

I think BB Dubai is BB from the future.

The one thing we know about her for sure is that she is separate from the BB at Chaldea.

As for her goal, I think she wants to be free.

I got the impression that she's very upset about being forced to manage all of Moon Dubai.

My guess is she's looking for a way to be free of her job.

But, so long as humanity exists, she'll never really be free.

That's why she wants the human race to go extinct.

If we can describe exactly how humans all died out, then she'll be able to act entirely for herself.

So she's the complete opposite of Chaldea's BB, at least in that regard.

Our BB always took pride in acting for humanity's sake first and foremost.

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Oh, that's the same as with the BB we know. It's the same for all the Sakura Five, really.

Even though BB Dubai hates humanity, it seems like she can't destroy it directly.

However, she is permitted to attack individual humans, so you'll still want to be careful around her☆

So you don't know much more about BB Dubai than we do... I guess we'll just have to find some way to get it from the horse's mouth.

Anyway, you want us to help you bring BB Dubai down? Because that goal would align with ours.

Yes, I do. But first, I want to defeat the other Moon Cancers.

Especially the ones who are sincerely in favor of the Final Boss of Humanity's Annihilation Showdown.

The last thing we need is one of them joining the fray while we're fighting BB Dubai.

Better to weaken the enemy as much as you can before engaging them, right?

Good point. But how do we tell which Moon Cancers are on board?

The only ones I know of for certain right now are the idiots in Area F and the mechanization empire in Area I.

Astolfo in Area F... Well, we don't really need to investigate that. He and his people are just flying by the seat of their pants.

And the Great Angel of the Sea in Area A will probably self-destruct sooner or later, since there isn't any sea in Moon Dubai.

So I'd like you to handle the empire in Area I, since they're the most dangerous...

...and I'd also like you to investigate Area H, since I still know almost nothing about them.

If you can discover their Moon Cancer's base, military capabilities, and ideally, their weaknesses, then we can go on the offensive. What do you say?

That's great! Thank you so much! I knew you wouldn't let me down, Master!

Fine with me, of course. Kazuradrop came to meet us on her own despite not having any combat ability to speak of.

That's all I need to want to help her.

She's also the reason we're still here.

It's only right that I aid her in return.

I agree, too. As far as I could tell, she was being completely truthful with us.

Wow, I could get used to all this praise! Now I'm really glad I went to all that trouble!

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Wait, what about Area G? We know there's no Moon Cancer there, but still.

Oh, that one, you can just ignore.

There used to be just a giant crater, presumably the remains of a battle, but some strange monster has taken up residence there.

It's a voracious eater, too. It's even destroyed some of my orchard.

So if you don't want to be gobbled up, I'd stay away from there unless absolutely necessary.

Anyway, you should probably head back to Area C now.

We'll have to stick to old-school communication in the form of letters, but if you run into trouble, please let me know right away.

I've prepared a getaway vessel in case of emergencies. The Relics Cube in this area was originally built to be an evacuation ward.

It should be pretty much indestructible, so please do use it if you have to.

Hey, you're back! How was your talk? Any good news!?

I see, I see. I thought that little girl might be a BB Dubai Boycotter.

She'd always nitpick whatever BB Dubai had to say at every meeting, you know!

Not to mention that, according to Lip, all the Sakura Five dislike BB. I kind of get why.

Nobody likes a maman who's always on your case.

So she's still being coy, huh.

Does that mean you don't completely trust her yet, Fujimaru?

I definitely don't. This is all awfully convenient. Plus, it felt like she was up to something.

Master probably picked up on it too. Though it doesn't seem like Percival found cause for suspicion.

No, I thought she was suspicious as well. That is only to be expected, though. Or maybe I'm just used to it...

Girls her age tend to have at least a handful of secrets, no?

So, being older, it's never a good idea to initiate a conversation by reproaching them for that.

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Anyway, sounds like we ought to get our investigation started. How're we thinking of splitting things up?

Maybe Fujimaru leads one team and Percival leads another?

Actually, I have a suggestion, if that's okay.

Master, I'd like you to stay here in Old Dubai. We can handle these investigations on our own.

In part, this is because I'd like you to get some rest. But it's also because you lack a spirit form.

We won't be going to these areas to fightat least, not yet.

So if we're just going there for recon, we should be fine even without your magical energy.

That sounds good to me, too. So how do we divide up the teams then?

How about you and Nikitich investigate Area H, the one we still know the least about?

Meanwhile, I'll ask Lady Ciel for help investigating the mechanization empire in Area I.

Mash, Master, and Lip can stay here on standby.

I know you might be disappointed, Master, but would you mind sitting this one out?

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They should be back by tomorrow evening. Why don't you relax and enjoy yourself until then?

We could also visit the KOYAAN Mall and bring Andersen a gift to thank him for his help.

Um... If you have some time on your hands...I'd like to visit Area F.

It sounds like my sisterone of the other Sakura Five, I mean, is there.

Oh! That's right! We still haven't thanked Protea for saving us back then!

I agree with Lip, Master.

And as long as she's with us, we should be able to handle the Laughing Moon Knight Brigade.

Well, it could be difficult if we run into Roland and Astolfo, but

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Man, Protea's so pretty. I love how she sleeps seventeen hours a day.

Just look at that angelic sleeping face. Sure, she becomes an angel of destruction when she wakes up, but who cares?

I don't want to share this sleeping face with anyone else. I hope we can get that extra tough wire soon.

We couldn't get any at the KOYAAN Mall 'cause we couldn't get authenticated, so I ordered some from the Alvatron Company instead.

Not even Protea can destroy these towers. They're designed to remain intact even if Earth itself falls apart.

So if we use that wire and the towers to make a fence, we can make an electrified cage that'll keep her inside.

This may be our sixth attempt at building the fence, but we're not giving up! We're gonna get her to join us, no matter what!

And not 'cause she's strong, but because she's beautiful! We're not gonna let her fight once she joins us!

We're gonna make her wear a dress and an apron, then we'll have her clean this whole area with a giant dustcloth!

Woooooo! Our tower is gonna be spick-and-span by the time she's done!

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I agree. I've never seen people so evil before. I'll hit them so hard they won't be able to respawn for a week.

Wait, wait! Seriously, hold up!

You're gonna wake Protea up with all that racket! ..."So what," you say?

We're going to meet a tragic end? Yes, of course, but that's not the point.

The point is, waking her up while she's still sleepy would be cruel!

First, you want to imprison her. Now you suddenly care about her well-being?

Imprison her? We would never! We just want to make her a nice room!

We're gonna throw an optical camouflage cloth over the wire so it looks like a tent, and therefore a room!

We're still in the process of making a cloth big enough to cover the entire district, though!

It's been hard making one that meets our quality standards. Thanks to Captain Astolfo's instructions, though, we're also making a cute, flowery lace curtain!

Um, Master? Are these people...

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Nn... Hrngh...

Oh crap! She's gonna wake up and swat us like insects again!

Retreat! Retreeeat! Dammit, we'll get you for this, old humans!

(Yaaawn...) Hm? Oh, if it isn't Fujimaru, Mash, and...

Passionlip!

Oh wow, it's been forever since I last saw you! Were you worried about me or something!?

Not especially. I'm just here because Master said he wants to talk to you.

Huh? You do, Fujimaru?

(Oh no, I knew it. I bet I really made trouble for them when I fell asleep...)

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Oh!

You're very welcome! Oh gosh, this is amazing! I can't believe you came all this way just to see me!

...Which means Koyanskaya is gone now.

Ironically, it was because her love for the citizens of Moon Dubai was real that they cared so much for her in return.

Brought down by love.

I'm planning to ask Shakespeare to adapt these events into a play once we get back to Chaldea.

Hehe, I see. So she lost because her plan was perfect. How funny.

So what else has happened since I last saw you? What are the other areas like?

Sandworms! Those must be the big machines I see jumping around in the desert!

I've been curious about them, since they look pretty strong. It's also kind of cute how they like to pop their heads up out of the ground!

Protea, the desert is right next to this area. If you're curious about them, why not catch one for yourself?

I'm sure you won't destroy the ground, and culling their numbers will help Master, too.

Hmph, you can be real mean sometimes, Lip. I might be a good swimmer, but I can't swim in a sea of sand.

Besides, if it's like a bog, I might sink and suffocate. And if I panicked and broke the dome while flailing around, that would be real, real bad.

Huh? What's a Masterbucks?

It's a café. We all went there again just this morning.

They have a large selection of coffee, of course, but they also offer some simple meals.

Mash gets a bagel, Master likes their tortillas, and I tend to order their waffles. If you're interested, I can bring you some.

Th-that's okay. I think I'm good. Besides, I doubt they'd come close to satisfying me...

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By the way, Protea.

Those knights, the ones trying to capture you, who we just chased off...

...are you really friends with them?

Kind of, yes. At first, it was annoying having them running around underfoot...

...but then they started sharing resources with me when I was hungry or building a fire for me while I was sleeping...

Astolfo's even come by to entertain me with songs while I was bored.

So yes, we're on somewhat friendlier terms now.

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Hmm... I wish I could tell you that was the case...but they tend to be very, um, inconsistent.

Right now, I'd say I have to chase them away half the time they show up. When they cross a line, they really cross it hard.

They'll say things like, "Monster or not, it doesn't matter! As long as we're in Area F, follow Roland's example!"

But when they ARE acting rationally, they're all really nice, so I think we could be real friends eventually!

...This doesn't fit with my records. Are you really Kingprotea?

Lip?

The Kingprotea in my records was an Ego who only ever communicated through incredible violence.

But you're not like that. You're not afraid to talk to others.

The Sakura Five are the aspects of BB she discarded. We're the embodiment of her negative emotions.

And yet...for you to have changed so much...

Now I see. You came to see me so you could see how I changed for yourself.

Because among our sisters, you and I are the most alike.

"I don't want to talk to anyone. They'll just hate me, anyway." "If I'm going to be rejected anyway, I'll reject them first."

...Yeah, I still feel that way sometimes. I'm an Alter Ego, after all. The feelings I have deep down will never go away completely.

But...

...I realized it's okay if people are scared of me, or if I can't grow to love myself.

Because everyone has that problem.

Do you know what you once told me, Lip? "I'm happy when I'm being helpful. I'm happy when people praise me.

But I'm happiest when I'm thinking about what I can do for someone else."

I swear, you never sounded more like a big sister than you did then! It reminded me of Melt!

That was the previous Passionlip. I've reset to my default parameters.

You sure? You seem like you're having fun to me.

You may have lost the memories of the time you spent with everyone, but deep down, you're still the same person.

If you changed once before, you can change again. I'm sure you can, as long as you stick with Fujimaru and his companions.

And when you do, I hope you'll come back and show me how beautiful your Spirit Origin has become.

We're all named after flowers, after all! It would be a shame not to become as pretty as possible!

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I can't wait! Please take care until then!

So, they're gone now... Oh well, I can't blame them. It is almost nighttime.

Once I fall asleep, they'd probably have to fight the knights again.

Besides, I'm used to this kind of thing. Everyone sees me as a monster, after all.

This is just how it always is.

...(Sigh)

Still, they looked like they were really enjoying themselves...

I wonder if I could have gone with them, if I was as small as Lip...

Come to think of it, I wonder how Moon Dubai's climate is being controlled.

While we were touring Dubai, I thought it was natural. It's not though, is it?

I don't know which facility is controlling the climate.

But it appears to be set to replicate Earth's environment to keep it hospitable for the third-gen new humans with organic frames.

The sun is merely a symbol on the dome's surface. It's there as a service, even though it means little to AIs.

Frankly, organic frames and the act of recreating Earth's climate are both meaningless and inefficient as far as AIs are concerned.

I don't understand why they would choose to emulate the old human race's lifestyleOr rather, such a restrictive lifestyle.

Well, we still can't shake the habit of telling time by the sun's position, so I find that service very helpful.

I also think it's good to split up days into day and night periods, so you know there are times when you don't have to do anything.

I think that is one of the things that makes human life more fulfilling.

...I don't understand what you're talking about. It's all very abstract.

So, you're saying when the likelihood of everything is one hundred percent, the notion of certainty ceases to have meaning?

It's true that a world like that would be binary, but that's how AIs like me prefer it.

Because to pursue anything other than efficiency is to pursue individuality itself.

Romantic? What do you mean by that?

Romance may not be absolutely necessary for survival, but it is for living a happy life.

It's the feeling you get when you look forward to tomorrow, or the joy of being alive.

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Hello, Fujimaru? You busy right now? If not, what do you say to hunting some rares!?

Just kidding. I already know there's no unending MMO in this world.

I was actually hoping you could stop by so we could talk about our next steps. You must be hungry after spending all day out, right?

I asked Chakerim to make dinner, so you'll be eating good tonight!

Oh, good evening. Are you having dinner here today?

That's right. I pushed Jinako into it. It's lonely always eating by yourself, right?

It's good to share meals with the people around you now and then, and AIs like us don't need to eat, so.

So that's why. Thank you for the invitation, everyone.

Nah, the meal's just a bonus! I swear, the way Hasara acts sometimes, you'd think he was my personal trainer or something!

Anyway, let's talk about how Chaldea's mission is going! You went to Area F today, right?

Can you tell me how things looked over there? Over dinner, of course!

Hmm, I see. So Area F's the same as usual. Sounds like Kingprotea's being a good deterrent then.

Honestly, I find Astolfo scarier than Edison, since there's really no predicting what he'll do...

...but it looks like he and his knights won't invade us here in Area C as long as Protea's around!

Chaldea's BB really did leave us some great parting gifts.

Both Passionlip and Kingprotea have been invaluable in keeping us safe.

You said there were three of the Sakura Five stationed in Dubai, yes?

Let's hope the last one's similarly protective. Not that we know anything about her at this point.

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Hey, it'll be fine! Since we're up against BB Dubai, I'm sure she'll join us with no reservations!

Anyway, now that we've discussed Area F and eaten our fill...

...I'm gonna open up a line for tonight's regular check-in with our field op teams! Go ahead, teams!

This is Percival. We're currently infiltrating Area I.

Lady Ciel has made her way into the Presi-King's offices and is mapping them out as we speak.

We'll come back to Old Dubai as soon as we know the layout of Edison's headquarters.

Although... So far, I haven't seen any sign of the astonishing manufacturing capacity you mentioned, Master.

The whole city is almost dead quiet. Not even the factories are running.

I can't say what that might mean. Something about this place sends shivers down my spine, though.

It's clear from his approval rating that Edison's our greatest enemy right now, but it looks like he still has more tricks up his sleeve.

Good day, Master. Or evening, I guess, if you're having dinner? We're just taking a little break, too.

So far, we're not seeing anything dangerous in Area H. It looks to be just an ordinary amusement park.

This probably shouldn't be surprising either, but all the attractions are free, too.

Nikitich has decided to prove she can dominate all the rides. I warned her it might well be a trap.

She just laughed me off and said, "Even better." Me? Nah, I don't have the guts for that.

I'm just staying on lookout in case this area's Moon Cancer shows up.

Oh, right. We haven't seen a single AI here, either. First-gen, second-gen, third-gen... Nothing.

That explains why Area H has zero support right now. It feels like a world entirely devoid of AI.

What, that? Don't sweat it. This helps me as much as you. Besides, we're partners☆

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Anyway, now that we're all full, and we've all checked in with each other, how about we call it a night?

You're all set here, Fujimaru.

Go take advantage of your break and relax in your room!

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Yes, good night, Jinako. We'll come say hello tomorrow, too.

Phew. I'm so glad Fujimaru and Mash are feeling at home here.

I can rest much easier knowing the worst has been avoided.

Hm? What do you mean by that?

Were you worried they might sympathize with another area's Moon Cancer?

That hardly seems likely. Fujimaru and Mash seem to be very rational old humans.

They'd never agree with the other Moon Cancers' opinions, right?

Yeah, I know. Them being so rational is actually why I was scared.

I was worried they might look around at this city full of new humans in a world where only AI survived...

...and come to resent AI as a whole because they're so clearly behind the times here.

You really thought that would be enough to make them resent us? The fact that they're old humans is only that, a fact.

There is nothing either good or bad about it; it's simply a difference between us.

I can see where she's coming from.

There are a number of AIs who see all old humans as enemies.

It's just that those feelings come from punching up, so to speakreactions born of jealousy and fear.

But no matter how much old humans might pale when compared to us in terms of specs, we all respect them for the fact that they're natural organic life.

Well, of course. They're life-forms that weren't made through calculation.

It's the one thing old humans have that AIs like us never will.

Right. We see value in rare things we don't possess, regardless of what those things are.

But old humans aren't like that.

To people from the twenty-first century, AI will only ever be an artificial creation.

Even third-gens like us would probably only seem like imitations of the real thing, which is to say: them.

AIs were made using human history as their foundation, and individual records as their genetic code.

Old humans would never see us as anything more than monsters meant to replace them, no matter how much we were celebrated as a new kind of humanity.

That's fine. That's how it should be. It's only natural for them to see us that way.

The problem isn't with old humans. The problem is that we ourselves haven't been able to shake those doubts.

Do we really deserve to call ourselves "humanity"? Are we really their replacement?

I'm sure this thought crossed all our minds once BB Dubai reactivated us, but...

...if there are no humans left on Earth now, maybe AIs like us should never have been made in the first place.

...Hmm. Well, I'm sure the old humans would feel that way, since they've all gone extinct now, but...

Ugh, I swear. For someone who claims to be a scoundrel, Hasara, you can be a real neurotic mess sometimes.

Speaking as a member of old humanity myself, nobody would ever think that.

AI is a crucial technology, and guys like you who take it to its logical conclusion are the ideal humans.

You never rest, yet you never fight amongst yourselves. You never slack off. Somehow, you never hold that above anyone's head either.

Many religious people spend years to get to that point. You AIs were basically born that way.

I used to know a guy like that, actually. He was almost like a Buddha figure, though I wouldn't go that far.

If he saw the people of Moon Dubai in action, he'd laugh himself silly, sit down, and say something like...

"I suppose my wish to save all living things is outdated now. Perhaps I no longer need to work myself to the bone."

...Hmm. I appreciate you saying that, Jinako, but why?

How can you have such unshakable belief in us?

It's not like that. I'm just straight up happy.

Your very existence is our life's work.

We old humans made plenty of mistakes, but ultimately, we managed to create guys like you.

We're basically your parents. And as parents, of course we want to see our kids doing well.

...

For that matter, are you sure AI didn't get fed up with humans first?

I mean, new human third-gens aside, first and second-gens don't even qualify as people.

If I was an AI, I'd find the whole idea of taking care of humans too ridiculous to even bother!

That's...

Well, I guess you have a point. Sometimes I find even taking care of Anthony a ridiculous use of my time.

Like, "You can do all this yourself, so why do you keep relying on someone else, you incompetent boob!"

What!?

I-I'm still getting used to things here, so it's just more efficient for you to handle those things!

That's exactly what I'm talking about, you big baby. Don't blame others for your own shortcomings.

Anyway, all that isn't enough to make me give up on him, and that's even more true for old humans, fundamentally different from us as they are.

Whenever I look at Fujimaru, Mash, or the other Servants...

...it makes me think about what humans used to be like.

It feels like you all have something we never will, so I can never look away.

What is it we couldn't do? What was it we were supposed to do?

I was never programmed with the answers to those questions...

...but it feels to me like you old humans have probably known them for a long time.