The Greatest Battle on the Moon

Welcome back, Master! Protea Alter told me what happened. I'm so glad your mission went well!

And I'm relieved to see that you're okay too, Ex. Welcome back to the team.

Thank you. I heard all about your travails on the way here.

I feel so bad that I wasn't there to help. So much so that I don't even feel any cravings for sweets at the moment.

Well, no, that's not true. But I do feel like I should at least cut back for a while.

P-please don't. There's nothing wrong with eating your fill. Besides, it would be a waste not to take advantage of being back at the mall.

...Good point. It does look a little different, but this is still clearly the same Dubai Mall I remember so fondly.

...And the shops are still in the same spots, too.

Right. I recommend taking this chance to get souvenirs while you still can. Especially since all the delicious food here is free.

Oh! R-right! I have something to report!

Protea Alter went on ahead to Old Dubai by herself.

She said she would need to spend the evening preparing for the fight.

What about guarding the mall?

Protea could attack it before Palter is ready if she figures out what we're up to.

Good thinking, Lip. Naturally, I've accounted for that eventuality.

Protea hasn't moved since she went back to Area F.

It looks like she still needs to spend the better part of the day sleeping to conserve magical energy.

The AIs supporting her did try to attack the mall while you were away...

...but Mash and I were able to fend them off with the aid of a surprise helper.

Even accounting for their ability to respawn from their servers, we should be safe for a few days.

"Surprise helper"? Is that what you call throwing a noncombatant into the fray!?

I've got my hands full with my research. I don't have time for this idiotic election you've

Hello, Mr. Hans.

You're...not an illusion, are you? Or an imposter. So this has gotten big enough for you to get involved, huh, Kishinami?

And what's with that outfit? Does this mean you're finally wading into the fray yourself?

Well, I'm even less inclined to step in. This is shaping up to be one of those things where all the survivors wind up condemned to forced labor for the rest of their lives.

Now, now, don't be like that, Mr. Hans. You should try just going with the flow sometimes.

Besides, you're the kind of person who always has to know how a story ends, no matter how ridiculous it may be, right?

Only for books I've chosen to read for myself!

I don't even crack open the covers of books other people insist I read unless I have absolutely nothing better to do!

Ugh, this part of the mall's getting far too noisy for my liking. I'm going to bounce. Don't bother looking for me.

He really left...

It's always been hard to change Andersen's mind. Once he digs his heels in, there's no moving him.

Oh yes, I know. I've even seen him criticize the King of Heroes himself, right to his face before.

？！

Good point. Right now, our job is to make this battle between Kingprotea and Protea Alter happen.

That being said, there's only so much we can do.

Protea Alter is currently sprawled out and growing in what's left of Old Dubai.

She's using the ruins to conceal herself from Protea while she grows to a suitable size to compete with her directly!

She should be a hundred meters by tomorrow morning. The same size Protea is now.

At that scale, the rest of us won't be able to fight alongside her. We'd just end up pancaked.

So instead, I was thinking of using Old Dubai as a base so we can give Protea Alter instructions from there.

The only problem is, she's refusing to listen to anyone other than you, Fujimaru.

But, that's okay. Honestly, I'm surprised she agreed to listen to orders at all.

Anyway, I'm sure you're all pretty worn out, so why don't you spend the night here and head to Old Dubai tomorrow?

The battle can wait until then. As I see it, the two Proteas are evenly matched.

You're going to be the deciding factor, Fujimaru. So make sure you butter Alter up to make it easier for her to win!

Good morning, everyone. Did you sleep well last night?

？！

She headed over to Old Dubai last night.

Said something about not wanting to make the rest of you wait, since she's slower than everyone else.

She was concerned about slowing us down back at the crater, too. What a shame. It's really no trouble at all.

I know, right? She'd refuse to budge for anyone back when her ego was in full swing.

But now that she's back to her initial settings, she's actually worried about others? It's so weird.

Still, it's nice she's being so considerate. Make sure you find a chance to praise her for it later.

Anyway, let's go get this operation underway!

I surveyed the part of Area F where Protea is right now with a telescope. She's already awake.

We can't take the sandship and risk her spotting us, so we'll have to get to Old Dubai on foot!

？！

Right... The main street is relatively intact, but Protea completely wrecked the town square.

All the AIs who survived evacuated to the mall, so we're the only ones left whoHm?

Welcome. Customers. Welcome.

It will be lunchtime soon. How about a light meal?

We are currently out of stock of menu items One through Twenty-Nine.

I'm very sorry. Please come back again another time.

Have a wonderful day.

Welcome. Customers. Welcome...

？！

Yup. Their purpose is to support humans.

So they'll just naturally prioritize keeping Old Dubai running over self-preservation.

Even if there aren't any more humans left here.

...So they've been staying behind in this empty city working hard all this time...

？！

The other AIs will come back once the city is safe again. Speaking of which, where's Protea Alter now?

If you're looking for my manager, she's standing tall over on the southern edge of the area. See over there? She looks like a gigantic warship standing on its end.

So she's raring to go then. I can tell from the aura radiating from her.

Okay, I'll open up a comms line so you can offer her words of encouragement as her second.

？！

Lip? ...Huh. Her signal's overlapping with Protea Alter's.

Hmm. Maybe they're sharing information or something?

Ugh, I hate those stupid towers. What the hell are they made of that I can't destroy them even at full strength?

And then there are all those buildings sized for humans around my feet making it impossible to walk anywhere.

Man, I'm glad I didn't get stationed in that cramped-ass space. That's the one area where I feel bad for Protea.

Those are wurtzite towers made with transcription-synchronization processing technology, which imbues materials with the same hardness as the substance they transsynchronize with.

Apparently, those towers are about half as tough as one of Earth's own plates.

Seriously? What about their mass then? How can these towers be freestanding? Why don't they crush the whole city?

Since their density comes from synchronization, they don't actually weigh more than their appearance implies.

They're basically designed to be indestructible, since their purpose is to house this world's entire population.

In a way, each tower is like a duplicate of Earth itself.

But even if they're only relics of a past that's over and done now, I still think they're worth protecting.

...

What is it?

Nothing.

Anyway, what are you doing here? If you came to fight alongside me, forget about it.

I can't do that. Trash & Crush works by physically compressing matter.

You and Protea are going to be grappling at close range, so I wouldn't be able to target only her.

Heh. Not to mention that your little skill won't work on us now, anyway.

It takes a while for you to compress your target, so we can easily get out of the way, or hide behind one of those towers.

Right. So I'm trusting you to handle this fight alone. That said...

How exactly are you going to defeat her? Keep hitting her until she loses consciousness or something?

You can't defeat either of us that way. I'm going to rip her arms off and tear out her core.

It's the only way to stop her for good.

Well, our stupidly kindhearted Master asked me to just "neutralize" her, but that just won't work.

...Are you sure you can't reason with her?

Protea's not naturally aggressive like you or Melt. If we just talk to her

Seriously? Have you gone nuts?

Nonaggressive, gentle, cowardly... Those are all just surface details.

You know as well as I do that we're just weapons who look like peoplemonsters BB made by cutting out parts of herself.

It doesn't matter how many human traits we pick up. One wrong press of a button, and we'll go right back to the monsters we used to be.

And once we break down like that, we can't get back to the way we were unless someone destroys us.

It's like they say, the only true cure for idiocy is death.

Besides, Proteaand by extension, meare the most dangerous of all us sisters.

Nobody would be surprised if either one of us suddenly decided to destroy humanity one day.

I...don't think that's true. I mean, you and Protea are both AIs.

Neither of you are able to harm humans. If you tried, you'd just end up hurting yourselves, right?

...So that's what you've learned, huh? You've sure picked up a lot in the short time you've been active.

As you are now, you're the kind of AI people like to have around.

I liked you better the way you were before, how you'd openly flaunt your resentments and get yourself all worked up about who you loved and who you hated.

I-is that so? I guess that's because you're a nasty piece of work.

There. That's the kind of thing I'm talking about. I love the way you always run your mouth and inevitably say something that pisses people off.

Me, I find weaklings hideous to look at, but they're also the only kind of creatures I care about.

Conversely, I also hate people who are stronger than me. Far as I'm concerned, they may as well not exist.

Well, lucky for me, nobody like that actually does exist, but still.

Huh? You only care for creatures you find hideous? Isn't that contradictory?

That contradiction is what makes it so good. Nobody likes being around boring, perfect Goody Two-shoes, right?

Listen, Lip. Don't settle for Masters who'll only love the good things about you.

Any Master you choose needs to love your whole self, flaws and all. They're much more fun to tease that way.

But...people won't like me if I have flaws...

AIs are supposed to be theoretical beings. We're not allowed to have flaws or

(Sigh) Have you learned nothing from watching BB? Even AIs mess up sometimes.

!

And even if a perfect AI did exist, they still wouldn't be able to solve everything.

Every time we pick one thing up, we let another thing go. In fact, it's BECAUSE we let one thing go that we can pick another thing up.

We're always going to be missing something. There's just no such thing as a being that is completely perfect all the time.

Even if there's one of us who still doesn't get that.

Hellooo? Can you hear meee? Is Lip there with you?

(Sigh) Looks like Big Blabbermouth just showed up. I must've been talking for too long.

Bye, Lip. Once I've taken care of Protea, BB Dubai is next. And hey, I'll tell you what.

Whichever Servant contributes the most gets to do whatever they want with Master. How's that sound? Just the kind of exciting development you'd expect from me, right?

Okay, we're in. You're all good to go? Great.

I sent a surveillance drone over to Area F, so feel free to go crazy out there.

All right, Fujimaru, you're up. Say something to Protea Alter, would you?

？！

There you have it. Did you hear him, Alter?

It's no use pretending otherwise. We can all tell you're blushing☆

Protea Alter is moving out from the south edge of Area C in the direction of Area F!

She'll arrive at Protea's location in the center of Area F in approximately two minutes!

Okay, everyone, we all need to stay sharp!

Normally, a battle between large creatures would take a long time, but for giants like Kingprotea and Protea Alter, it'll be decided in just a few blows.

This will be the biggest battle the moon has ever seen. Whoever wins it will be the strongest being in all of Moon Dubai.

Wow, you're actually going to come right at me. Bold move for a Goody Two-shoes like you.

I heard all about the little rampage you've been on.

So, you've been decimating AIs here and in Old Dubai.

Tell me, did you enjoy trampling all over this little toy city? Did you enjoy watching these insects go running for their lives?

That's great. You always wanted to be a kaiju, right? Now that dream's finally come true.

All that's left is for you to fall to the heroic giant fighting for justice. That'll wrap this twist up perfectly, no?

Huh? Are you seriously calling yourself a hero? Who do you think you are, playing the good girl even though you're an Alter?

I'm destroying Moon Dubai for all the humans who strove valiantly to survive on Earth in spite of their weakness.

A version of humanity that had to become AI themselves to survive may as well never have existed in the first place.

They're worthless, ugly, diminutive, flawed, underfoot, filthy, tiny, and pathetic.

They're trash. Trash is meant to be taking out. I'm just cleaning up, fulfilling the duty I was given.

I'm not like you. I'm nothing like you.

All you did was show up after me, accept your inferiority complex even though it's obviously a bad thing, and spend all your time doing whatever you pleased!

You're not the one who's going to guide humanity, Chaldea, and Fujimaru to where they need to go. I am!

I was flawed to begin with, and you were made from me, so you're even more flawed!

Well, it's time for you to go away for good!

Oh wow, you really went there.

I guess I gave you too much credit. Too bad. I liked that cold, cruel streak of yours.

But deep down, you're still the same old human-lover with dreams of being a heroic princess. What a joke.

WhaHow am I

That's what I'm talking about. If you're going to put on an act, you'd better learn how to play the part, ■■■■■■■■■■.

Aaaaaahhh!!! Oh God, oh God! It hurts so baaaaaad!!!

Such a lovely scream! As elegant as I'd expect from a pretty princess!

It's over, Kingprotea. Goodbye.

？！

That did it. Kingprotea's Spirit Origin is completely gone.

As I thought, the battle was over in an instant. Protea Alter took advantage of a tiny opening and won.

I have some thoughts on how she went about it. At the end of the day, they were the ones fighting though.

There'll be time for objections, scoldings, and affinity adjustments later, once the heat of the battle has died dowHm?

There are more Servant signals now? One, two, three... Is that

I recognize them! Those are Percival, Nikitich, and Bartholomew's Spirit Origin patterns!

They've come back now that Protea is defeated!

？！

Oh! Does this mean Protea absorbed them instead of destroying them!?

So then, they must have been freed now that Protea's gone!

？！

Right!

(If that were right, Astolfo and Jinako would be back too. They aren't.)

(So she absorbed the Moon Cancers but not regular Servants.)

(Does this mean she had a way to dispose of them without actually fighting them...?)

？！

？！

Kingprotea has disappeared... I guess she couldn't maintain her Spirit Origin anymore after her Spirit Core was destroyed...

I know it's academic now...but why did Protea do all of that in the first place?

Of all the Sakura Five, she seemed like she would be the least interested in anything as barbaric as a final boss showdown.

That sort of thing seems way more up your alley, Palter.

Ripping off her arms and then pulling out her heart was a real Aztec power play. You must really love seeing people bleed while they're still alive...

Of course I don't! I'll have you know there's zero Xochitónal in me right now!

Raaaaaah! Is that the best you've got!? Here goes! Longinus Count

...Hold on. Isn't this Moon Dubai's office area?

If those towers and Lip are anything to go by, yeah, it looks that way.

We've definitely made it out of whatever weird space we were in. But

Why is Protea dressed all in black now? And where's Master? I don't see him anywhere.

You're all okay!? No, never mind that. Where did you all come from!?

I knew it. You can breathe easier now, Lip.

That Protea who just disappeared while screaming pathetically wasn't actually Protea. It was an imposer.

...Okay, that also means this imposter must have killed the real Protea, but at least the real one didn't suff

!

(Is nobody else seeing this!? Are the buildings in the way or something!? Stupid little people!)

(Dammit, that thing is bad news! One hit from that thing'll kill even me instantly! Not even these towers will block it!)

(Do I dodge it? I can dodge it, right!? Even if I'm the only one to leap out of the way, at least I'll)

Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have wasted so much time talking! Dammit, now I've got no other choice!

？！

Eight of the towers from Area F have collapsed! The attack appears to have come from Area I!

I'll bring up the drone feed now! There! I'm picking up a Servant above the Marion Hotel!

That's

Just had to stick your nose in, huh, Protea? If not for you, I'd have demolished all those accursed towers with that strike.

Still, I have to commend you. You're the first one to ever take my Astral Sword Epitaph head-on.

Not that it'll make much difference, since this next attack will demolish everything from here to Old Dubai.

Hear me, citizens of Moon Dubai!

I am Anki Ereshkigal! I am a Beast, an Evil of Humanity!

Though I have been called here from another universe, my duty remains the same.

You foolish new humans have lost yourselves to the allure of immortality. Now, in the name of the underworld, I will wipe you all out and restore the natural order!

Attention, BB Dubai. Humanity preservation towers E14 through E21 have ceased functioning.

Two percent of the towers' internal data has been lost. Cost of repairs is prohibitive, making the operation impossible.

Spatial distortions are interfering with communications, primarily with Area I, though they are also affecting Areas E, H, and F.

This interference is making it impossible to inform citizens of the details of the towers' destruction.

Based solely on available visual data, panic appears to be spreading across all of Moon Dubai.

Shall we disseminate an emotion suppressant to calm them?

No need for that. This kind of excitement will encourage them to take the election that much more seriously.

More importantly, give me details about the situation in Area I.

We believe the hostile Servant that has appeared there belongs to the Beast class.

After her initial attack, she announced her intention to eradicate the entire population of Moon Dubai.

Area I's Moon Cancer, Edison Alter, has also suffered an attack from this Beast.

Ah, I see. He kept her around in hopes of using her to his advantage, only for her to strike when his guard was down.

I swear, even by the standards of old humanity, that Servant is an idiot.

Don't worry about rescuing Edison. He dug his own grave. Just tell me more about this Beast.

The Beast has a means of destroying the towers and is currently preparing a second strike.

The giant Servant absorbed the brunt of her first strike, so only approximately six percent of its power reached the towers.

However, another similar attack would render Areas C, F, and I completely irreparable.

Moon Dubai alone does not have enough resources to defeat a Beast.

We therefore recommend purging Area I before she can launch another attack.

Heh...

This is perfect! Her being able to destroy the towers is more than I could have hoped for!

I always thought preserving the data of all humanity was a waste of resources. Who needs so many humans, anyway?

Destroying Moon Dubai would mean eradicating humanity as well. Which means...

...we have a new candidate and accompanying proposal for humanity's extinction. Transfer all of Area I's approval ratings to the Beast.

Hehe. Hehehe. Hehehehe! I'd say our election is a foregone conclusion now☆

I mean, a Beast AND a Moon Cancer!? What proposal could possibly top that!?

The damage to Area F is so bad we can't even measure it! She just outputted approximately seven thousand times the magical energy she was supposed to!

Our fellow soldiers are outraged, too! They say there's nothing in the company motto about destroying the towers and that doing so is beyond cruel!

Believe me, I'm right there with them! Those towers are humanity's last bastion! Proof that we've overcome death!

They're our means of conversing with the dead one more timeno, as many times as we like!

Ours is a future in which we can talk with people from any era at any time!

All time is equally precious now!

How could you destroy that invaluable, eternal space, Anki Ereshkigal!? This isn't what we discussed!

You were only supposed to take Kingprotea out and deal with the competition from our neighbors in Area H!

I never ordered you to attack humanity's prized jewels!

Not what we discussed? Funny, I don't remember discussing anything with you.

You people have defiled death. You twisted the meaning of "preservation" to suit your own selfish ends.

Now, I am here to correct your mistakes. My slogan is "eradicate immortality"!

So I will be preserving humanity forever by killing all of you before you become immortal!

Graaaaaah! Curse you, Beast! To think you and humanity still can't coexist, even in the future!

This experiment is a failure! Cut the power, men! Sever the cable if you have to! Once this dimensional gate is closed, even a Beast won't

It's no use, Mr. President! The power cable's been Spiritronized!

We can't physically cut her off from the underground fusion reactor anymore! All its energy output is going straight to her!

The cable's been Spiritronized!? Then, she's using all this power wirelessly!?

Dammit, this is that purple-suited fool's grand delusion made real! We have to stop it, whatever the cost!

Otherwise, we'll go down in history as the irredeemably corrupt company responsible for destroying Moon Dubai!

Never mind that, sir! At the current output, we'll be wiped out before that happens! The Beast is distorting space itself, with her at the center of the distortion!

Our entire army is falling into the Beast, along with everything in the immediate area! It's clearly a black hole!

You must retreat, Mr. President!

Despite how things turned out, we still found salvation in your ideals!

Moon Dubai may have been an ideal city, but it wasn't the city we hoped for!

We made a mistake somewhere. A big one. Somehow, we all lost sight of that fact!

Even if you don't win the election, sir, as long as you live on in Moon Dubai...

...we're confident you'll figure out what the mistake was, and solve it with a hearty laugh just like you always do!

I appreciate your incredible faith in me! But I'm afraid there's no hope for me here, either!

Farewell, Moon Dubai! Farewell, my glorious Alvatron Company!

Farewell! Farewell, my all too short-lived delusions!

Ah... Aaahhh! Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

Okay, now that everyone's here, let's get started. Obviously, things are looking pretty dire.

I'm sure you've all got a lot you'd like to say, but let's leave celebrating the reunion until after the Beast's defeated.

I was worried about my restaurant, so even though I'm scared, I came anyway. I'm the only one here so far, though.

Parts of Old Dubai have been destroyed. Some buildings, like this one, are still intact though. I'm so glad.

Now that I know my restaurant is okay, I'm going to go back to work. You don't mind, do you?

Not at all. Just having you make tea for us like this is doing wonders to take the edge off.

You're a big help. Thank you for being here.

Oh good. I promise I won't interrupt your meeting. I'll keep quiet.

？！

Okay, let's start by going over how we got to this point.

After Kingprotea began a destructive rampage, Chaldea recruited Protea Alter to stop her.

Protea Alter was victorious in their battle, causing Kingprotea to vanish.

When she did, Percival, Nikitich, and Bartholomewall of whom we thought were defeatedreappeared.

However, before anyone had a chance to celebrate, an enormous sword flew in from Area I, destroying both that area and Area F.

The sword also toppled a number of the supposedly indestructible towers, and would have continued its path of carnage all the way to Area C, where we are...

...had Protea Alter not stepped in and blocked it. We've since lost contact with her.

We're still getting a faint reading from her, but it appears to be no more than a final flicker before she's snuffed out for good.

It's taking everything Protea Alter has just to maintain her Spirit Origin. She won't be able to help us.

？！

We did everything we could for her before we left Area F to come back here.

Unfortunately, I can't say whether it did anything to help. The wound is truly massive in addition to being fatal.

I doubt even a master healer from the Age of Gods could treat her now. Maybe if we at least had Xu Fu here...

It wouldn't work. Xu Fu's an Avenger right now, not a healing specialist.

All we can do is hope that Protea Alter somehow pushes through this.

This is the entity who defeated Protea Alter.

Anki Ereshkigal, an invading Beast from a whole other universe.

XX Alter should know more about her than we do. Take it away.

Oh, right. I'm XX Alter and I'm currently reeling from suddenly being put on the spot like this. Seriously, lady?

Anyway, I've never been to the Sapphire Galaxy's underworld, but I did hear some rumors during my time at Dark R.O.U.N.D.S.

I think they said Anki Ereshkigal is a Divine Spirit from Servantverse legends.

Back when the universe was still red, in a sector where life cycles had stabilized...

...a religion formed around beings we call the Origin Goddesses.

One was Ashtart, the goddess of revenge, and the other, Ereshkigal, the goddess of the underworld.

"Anki" comes from our words for heaven, "an," and earth, "ki."

As her name suggests, Anki Ereshkigal is the deification not of a single concept, but the entire world.

So she's what we'd call the incarnation of nature, then. Okay, so what world is she the deification of?

Basically, a black hole.

That's only a facsimile of the real thing.

You know how two kinds of pharmaceuticals can have the same effect, but the generic one is cheaper to make and buy? Her black holes are a lot like that.

In a way, it's an even more impressive feat of engineering than using real black holes.

？！

This next part is the kind of opening crawl commonly seen at the beginning of stories about interstellar warfare.

A long time ago, in the Origin Universe...

There was once a celestial body designated as the "destination of souls." Born from the gravitational fluctuations of multiple stars, it was a multi-layered black hole called a nestar.

Drawing in and preserving all surrounding information (souls), it became feared as the cosmic abyss: the Underworld.

Yet roughly twenty billion years later, in the Servantverse

the Sapphire Galaxy born from the red Origin Universe

humankind had transcended death itself.

After all, all humans were now Servants, meaning they would simply respawn in the mortal realm upon death.

Oh, come to think of it, that's how it works in Moon Dubai too, isn't it? No wonder the goddess of the underworld is so pissed off.

I only just realized that. Chakerim's delightfully sweet tea must be responsible for the revelation.

Ahem.

Thus the Sapphire Galaxy (universe) escaped death... but one world was suffering for it: the Underworld,

which welcomed and preserved the souls of those whose bodies had perished.

Though countless dead had once arrived at its gates, traffic dropped to zero with the dawn of the Sapphire Galaxy.

Enraged by this, the goddess of the Underworld launched an attack on humankind. The people of that era fought back with all their might.

The result was a stalemate, a painful draw.

The goddess of the Underworld forbade respawning within her domain, while humankind remains unable to eliminate the Underworld to this day.

And that was the story of the goddess of the underworld. I hope you found it useful.

I see. So this black hole could be the underworld itself.

The soul data for any dead person "buried" in that hole is erased, thereby preventing them from being dug up again.

From our perspective, that kind of thing would definitely qualify as a dark space sector of death.

When you say data is erased, is that another way of saying there's no way of escaping from the black hole?

That's right. In this universe, data, or information, or whatever you want to call it, can never really be lost.

But being trapped in a black hole is an exception to that rule.

Any data that can't be removed from the black hole is effectively lost.

Or to put it another way, data that can be recovered is effectively never lost and will never run out.

This means that as an information society grows and advances, there will be no more dead, since they can always be revived as AIs.

That's probably what the goddess of the underworld has such a problem with.

Oh! So when she attacked earlier...

Yeah. It was a clear act of hostility against third-gensor rather, new humanity itself.

All the Moon Cancers we've seen so far have proposed theories as to how humanity died out in the past.

Anki Ereshkigal's thinking, however, is firmly rooted in the present.

She's denying Moon Dubai and the new humanity's very right to exist.

I refuse to accept this immortality situation. I refuse to let life continue on in perpetuity.

You want to know my objective? There it is. I don't want to kill humans. I just want them to die.

Well, Master of Chaldea? Are you ready with your repudiation of everything I'm doing?

Do you think I'm more evil than this city of Moon Dubai?

？！

Thanks for the exposition dump, XX Alter.

In Proper Human History, Ereshkigal was the Queen of Kurthe overseer of the underworld.

But Anki Ereshkigal is the deified incarnation of the underworld itself.

Virtually identical as they are, the two entities must have fused together, giving us her current Beast form.

As for the question of why a primordial goddess from the Servantverse appeared in Moon Dubai to begin with, pure accident seems to be the answer.

If there is some kind of cause, it probably has to do with Ereshkigal coming to Moon Dubai.

When you first came to Moon Dubai in 3019, you thought you were actually in regular Dubai in 2030.

Anki Ereshkigal probably sensed the instinctive revulsion Ereshkigal must have felt upon arriving here through the gate, leading to the two gods fusing.

Through the gate? You mean a summoning circle? I didn't see anything like that here.

I'm talking about the particle accelerator that looks like a Ferris wheel. It's basically a giant Rayshift device.

This futuristic city was meant to be used for space R & D. To accomplish its goals, it needed to escape Earth's gravitational field.

To do that, it would have to travel at a minimum of eleven kilometers per second.

The more mass something has, the more energy is necessary to increase its velocity.

Imagine a space shuttle.

Even as big as they are, with so much money poured into them, they can still only launch a scant handful of humans into space.

At best, that might allow people to escape Earth ten, maybe a hundred at a time.

But a spaceship capable of carrying the entire human race? Even the sum total of Earth's resources wouldn't be enough.

So the program's director had to figure out a way for people to leave Earth that didn't depend on speed.

And that Ferris wheel-looking thing is the result.

It might be out of commission now, but the fact that it exists is a sign that people once tried to escape Earth through a wormhole.

That's both incredible and useless. How did you find that out, BB?

I didn't spend all that time investigating the desert for nothing! I know pretty much everything about Moon Dubai's structure now!

So I can tell you for sure that the Ferris wheel-shaped gate led to Ereshkigal becoming Anki Ereshkigal.

Like I said before, a being like her can only exist on Moon Dubai.

I hope you can accept that.

And as for you, Ereshkigal...

You can never go back to your original world. Your only choice here is whether you'd rather keep living here or vanish.

Which means the keyhole, so to speak, she used to come here from Chaldea just won't fit her current Spirit Origin anymore.

That goes for whatever it was that changed her into a Beast too, so there's no returning to that thing's original universe, either.

As you are now, Ereshkigal, you're a new Divine Spirit that was born in this world, and can only exist in this world.

？！

Okay, that covers how we got here. Now let's talk about where we go next.

According to my unparalleled analysis, the Beast possesses two weapons.

The first is her ability to control space. It's why all the space surrounding her has been so powerfully warped.

The increased spatial density also creates a lag in the passage of time. Up close to her, one second for us is equivalent to three hours for her.

That's not a good thing, mind you.

It means that for every second we spend here, the Beast has three hours to spend as she likes.

Time dilation is pretty common near black holes. I take it that also means there's spatial collapse to deal with, too?

There is. I see you know your gravitational weapons!

The sheer mass of Anki Ereshkigal's Spirit Origin causes the space around it to collapse in upon itself.

You know how an ant lion pit works? Pretty much like that, but with space.

Imagine you're playing a video game where you can move at light speed, enabling you to dodge any kind of attack.

However, you can still only move within the confines of the TV showing the game. If that TV gets destroyed, the game is over.

It's a lot like that. Since space itself is caught up in the distortion, it doesn't matter how quickly anything within that space can move.

So if we get close to her, time slows down, which means she'll catch us no matter how fast we are.

Okay, got it. That's a heck of a weapon on its own. What's the other one?

The sword that destroyed the towers humankind believed to be completely indestructible.

The blade is eight hundred and twenty meters long. Add in the hilt and it's about a thousand meters.

That sword is one of a kind, a true superweapon that completely ignores the laws of conservation of energy.

Now take a look at this image. A drone returning from Area I captured it.

？！

Fortunately, this sword doesn't have the same mass as the first one. Yet.

That's why Anki Ereshkigal hasn't moved from the Marion Hotel; she's still in the middle of forming this sword.

According to my analysis, we have thirty minutes until she completes it. That's our time limit.

That's how long we have to figure out a way to penetrate Anki Ereshkigal's gravitational field...

...and get close enough to her Beast form to destroy it, all while staying clear of that enormous sword.

Unfortunately, we have a precisely zero percent chance of completing this mission. It's hopeless.

As things stand now, the means to save Moon Dubai simply don't exist.

Oh, yes they do!

The reason the Beast is able to wield such Authority is because of her link to her original universe!

So if we can close the gate connecting Ereshkigal and the Beast, we should be able to radically reduce her power.

？！

Mwahahahaha! Thank you for the welcome drink, my good man!

Indeed! I am the one responsible for the Beast's complete awakening, the indomitable genius known as...

Thomas Alva Edison Alter!

Now, allow me to present you with some brand-new information for your campaign against the Beast!

Let us begin with a flashback.

I'm being sucked up into the air! But I'm not giving up, in, or out!

Instead, I'm going to take my devastating intelligence and use it to punch this strange phenomenon dead-on!

Stop struggling! It's time for your divine punishment! Abandon all hope and become fodder for my astral sword!

Hohoho. Hohohohoho. Ooohohohohohohohoho!

Ah... Aaahhh! Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

Grrraaaaaaaaah! Something just slammed me back down into the ground with all the force of a rocket!

You got shot down!? And you're still alive!? Aaah!

Good, you're awake. Stand up, Thomas. You don't have time to waste sitting around.

General Ben! Then, was that the experimental space-time piercing warhead we were developing!?

That's right. They were just lying around unused after you switched over to this dimensional gate plan.

That's why I could only make six of them. And I plan on using the remaining four right here.

Huh? What are you saying?

Get out of here, Thomas. Leave this battlefield, and resign from the election.

Join the Master of Chaldea. Put your incredible knowledge to good use.

You brought the Beast into this, so it's your responsibility. As head of the military, I am relieving you of duty.

Don't be ridiculous! You want me to be a washed-up loser of a company president!? Are you mad at me for trusting the Beast!?

No. I agree with all the decisions you've made.

The fact is, we needed something stronger than Kingprotea if we were going to defeat her after she began surging in the polls.

It was just bad luck that our weapon of choice turned out to be an uncontrollable monster.

That demon devoured every cent of my company's capital. She is the living embodiment of the phrase "Money is power."

Excuse me!? I didn't devour anything, thank you very muAaah!

I'll draw the Beast's attention. Farewell, Thomas Alva Edison.

I have faith that you, one of the greatest inventors in all of human history, will restore light to Moon Dubai.

General Ben! Noooooo!

Mwahahaha! Well? All very straightforward, no!? The Beast's lines were my own original contribution!

Though it came at a great sacrifice, I am still a man who lives up to expectations! That Beast foolishly allowed me to escape. Now is the time forAck!

？！

N-nn. I'm sorry you had to see me like that.

My Alvatron Company is gone. The Beast has destroyed all but a few of my faithful employees.

I'm afraid I'm not long for this world, myself. Soon, I, too, will disappear.

But there is something I must do first. I'd be letting all the others down if I allowed things to end with me as a loser lion.

So please. Let me assist you in your campaign to take down the Beast.

Hmm, I don't know. Your company is gone. You can barely stand, let alone fight.

I know we could use all the help we can get, but if that help's not actually going to be helpful...

My animal instincts tell me this guy hasn't turned over a new leaf at all.

I figured. I can also sense his, "I'll betray you the first chance I get," energy clear as day.

So yeah, since you already gave us that tip about closing the gate, could you just leave now?

Don't be ridiculous! If I were to leave now...

...what would become of my plan to gradually ingratiate myself into your team, buy up all of Chaldea's stock, and use the enormous profits generated as its only shareholder to rebuild my company!?

Well, you heard him, Master. He's not even trying to hide his ambitions. What do you think?

Oho! No wonder you're the last Master of humanity. To think you already accepted me as an ally! Incredible!

Huh? You want my opinion?

Well, Edison was our enemy in Old Dubai. I also don't like how he confiscated me and treated me like a decoration.

He's loud, selfish, and his thinking is painfully behind the times.

Even back when we were at the beach, he showed he hadn't learned a thing when he told me:

"Wahahaha, go on, eat up! The more you weigh, the better you look!"

Ghh... Don't misunderstand me, Lip. I was merely encouraging you to improve upon your existing strengths, for your own betterment.

But, as he's just shown, he's always thinking up ways to make things better, even when you don't ask him to.

So I think he'll be helpful even if he can't fight personally. I support bringing him on.

Oh my! What trust! What camaraderie!

One of these days, I WILL make a swimsuit that perfectly suits you. I swear it, Lip!

？！

(Sigh) Fine. We don't have any time to waste, so I guess I can relax just a tiny bit around him for now.

All right then, let's make the most of our new recruit.

You said the Beast can make full use of her Authority thanks to a dimensional gate connecting her to her original world.

So if we can close the gate, she should be significantly weakened. Do I have that right?

Yes. She won't return to her original class, but her ability to control the space around her should be dramatically diminished.

Dramatically, huh. Well then, my Noble Phantasm might be able to neutralize that ability.

I noticed the space around her is most profoundly warped at her feet...

...so if I create another black hole rotating in the opposite direction, it should cancel out the space-time distortion and reduce the time dilation.

So how do we actually go about closing this gate? Is there a power cable for us to cut or something?

Not anymore. The cable we were using was Spiritronized. Now it's pouring all its power directly into the gate.

But there is another effective method we can use: cut the power entirely.

That's right. We're going to destroy my entire power plantArea I's underground fusion reactor.

A bold plan. It seems viable, but what about the environment within the rest of the dome?

There's not much use in shutting off a gate if doing so kills Master.

No need to worry about that. The fusion reactor currently supplies about thirty percent of Moon Dubai's total power.

If it's destroyed, the grid will switch over to auxiliary power.

The output will drop, but the dome will still be able to maintain its environment. We'll just have to be more careful going forward.

Regardless, Moon Dubai is finished if we can't take that Beast down.

Once the reactor has taken care of everything, we can take all the time we need getting it back online.

Good point. Shutting down the fusion reactor still leaves things at acceptable levels by my health management standards.

All right, that just leaves the matter of that swordEpitaph, I believe she called it. What do we do about that?

？！

Sadly, it's not that simple. Now that it's already taken form, we won't be able to stop her from launching a second attack.

The moment we shut the gate down, she will almost certainly realize what we're up to and launch Epitaph right then.

What's more, since Anki Ereshkigal is still technically your Servant, she should also know your general location.

So the moment you take any action she could construe as hostile...

...there's a very high chance she'll launch Epitaph immediately too.

Then you'll need to be very careful about leaving this place, Fujimaru.

You'll need to wait to make your move until absolutely everything else is in place.

I'll put you on my steed. That sword can only fly in a straight line, right?

Then I'll show you my last-second midair dodge.

(Dodging a thousand-meter projectile?)

(That's just not realistic. The shock wave from its passage alone would liquefy them.)

(If that sword was maybe half that size, then they could probably avoid the shock wave, but)

...

What is it, Lip?

O-oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking, even if Nikitich and Master do manage to dodge Epitaph...

...what would it do then?

The Beast is going to fire it the moment Master does anything she doesn't like, right?

And anything he does will obviously begin here.

So, um...wouldn't that mean Epitaph will strike here the moment he leaves?

Good point. Just dodging Epitaph won't be enough. We need to figure out what to do afterward, too.

Once Fujimaru moves out, we should all follow suit and leave Old Dubai immediately.

No need. Mash and I will defend against the attack. I refuse to let this city suffer any more damage.

Having said that...the most I can manage is deflecting the sword. I'll need your help to do even that much, Mash.

Yes, of course. I'm honored that you'd trust me with this, Sir Percival.

I see, I see. What a lovely exchange.

Closing the dimensional gate will weaken the Beast, giving us a way to deal with its overwhelming spatial distortion advantage.

We can also use the dragon's mobility to evade Epitaph, as well as the Knights of the Round Table's power to deflect it.

This has done wonders for our chances of victory. I'd go so far as to say we have a clear path to victory now.

However, we still haven't found a solution to our biggest problem.

So far, we've been discussing how we can get close to the Beast.

But we haven't even begun to address how we might actually defeat her.

Since we're prioritizing speed, the only ones here who could get to her fast enough are Nikitich and Master, riding Nikitich's dragon.

That means they're the only two who can actually engage her.

Usually you need seven Grand Servants to even stand a chance against a Beast.

One Master and one Servant alone could never be enough to beat her.

One Master and one Servant, eh. And you're saying that with full knowledge of the implications?

Huh? What are you talking about?

I'm sorry. Forget I said that. I was the one choosing to see things uncharitably.

Anyway, you're right. One Master and Servant alone can't defeat a Beast. But in this case, they don't have to.

Fujimaru, you can defeat Anki Ereshkigal without having to fight her because you're not just any Master.

You're HER Master. If you can touch her directly and use your Command Spells, that's it. It'll all be over.

There was another Master once long ago who used that method with their contracted Servant to issue an edict with three Command Spells at once.

Not the kind of thing you can do every day, but an effective last resort. I'll cast a spell on you so you can do it yourself.

Using this method, even Chaldean Command Spells should be enough to inflict a fatal wound.

This is Edison Alter, taking over command from BB Cosmo. Let's go over the operation one last time.

BB Cosmo and Kishinami Hakuno left for Area I twelve minutes ago. We just received word that they've arrived at the underground fusion reactor.

As planned, they will begin an emergency shutdown of the reactor in two minutes.

At the same time, Nikitich and her dragon will begin flying towards Area I at two-hundred fifty kilometers per hour. They'll have Fujimaru with them.

The Beast will launch her weapon, Astral Sword Epitaph, in response.

Nikitich will then perform whatever aerial maneuvers may be necessary to evade it.

XX Alter has gone ahead. She's in position by now.

The Beast will only be tracking her Master's movements, so she is not likely to notice a single Servant using Independent Action.

XX Alter will use her unique flight unit to approach the Beast via a different route.

She will then deploy her gravitational weapon while remaining out of range of the Beast's spatial control, then use it to neutralize the spatial distortion in the area.

Finally, Mash and Percival will stand by here in Old Dubai, Epitaph's predicted impact point...

...and do their best to nullify the shock wave.

And that's the long and short of the operation. Any questions? No? Good. We don't have time anyway.

Oh, right. Deep, controlled breaths are good for moments like this, aren't they, Senpai? I've been a little anxious myself, so I'll try doing the same.

(Inhale... Exhale... Inhale... Exhale...)

...There. My pulse has stabilized. Don't worry, Master. I promise Sir Percival and I will keep Old Dubai safe.

So please make sure you stay safe, too.

Don't worry. You can count on me and my steed.

I'll make sure you get to Ereshkigal, no matter what!

Leave it to me!

？！

All right, everyone to their positions! The operation will commence in forty... Thirty... Twenty...

Before we begin the operation...

...There's something I want to say to all you Servants, and especially to you, Fujimaru, as their Master.

For this operation, we'll be splitting up into three teamsMaster transport, offensive support, and base defense.

What you all need to understand is that each of your teams is at risk of vanishing.

I've run my own analysis. Less than half of you will survive this operation.

Any Chaldean Servants that suffer fatal damage to their Spirit Origins will return to Chaldea when they disappear...

...but for Fujimaru and Mash, vanishing means death, plain and simple.

So, I ask that all Servants bear this in mind: Fujimaru and Mash's survival are our top priority.

？！

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three...

There! Reactor shutdown confirmed! Begin the operation!

？！

Hang on tight, Master! We're going all out!

Keep your head down! Ignore the cold! Breathe steadily! Don't open your eyes! Just leave everything to me!

!

...Wha

...Ha. Haaa, haaa, haaa...

...Haaa...

...I'm sorry for dragging you into my recklessness, my steed. But

...

!

Yes! I...can...do...this!

...There they are. This is good, Bartholomew. Please stop the ship here.

This isn't going to work. Nikitich's dragon just isn't capable of dodging Epitaph.

Even if he manages to avoid direct contact with the blade itself, just passing near it is still tantamount to suicide.

We're talking about a thousand-meter long hunk of metal flying towards them at the speed of sound, right? The shock wave alone will be enormous.

Even if they manage to avoid THAT, the eddies left behind will still send them flying.

If that happens, there'll be nothing left of the dragon, Nikitich, or Master but a bloody smear on the ground.

I know that. We may not be able to stop Epitaph completely, but we can make it smaller.

If we can compress it to a third of its size and half of its mass, we can reduce the air resistance enough for them to pass by safely.

You were the first to realize that during our rundown earlier, Lip.

You also said you could make that first wall they need to breach surmountable.

I see. As long as you can see the entirety of something, you can use your skill to compress it.

But I thought Master also said you can't use that skill on Moon Dubai.

Something about how your entire Spirit Origin will fall apart if you try to use it in standard space.

That's right. And Epitaph is even bigger than Kingprotea.

If you try to use Trash & Crush on it, Passionlip, the load on your Spirit Origin will be so great, you'll compress yourself instead.

It'll be fiendishly difficult. Just like with Protea, it could kill you if you try. But there's one major difference between now and then.

This time, if you succeed, you'll be able to really save someone. So I'm leaving the final decision to you.

...When we were facing Protea, there was nothing I could do to help. No way for me to save anyone.

I was helpless. Trying to compress her would only have destroyed me.

But not this time. This time, I can really help.

...Even from here, I can tell that sword has greater information density than SE.RA.PH.

Man... If this were cyberspace, there wouldn't be any recoil. It would just be a matter of "Can I" or "Can I not."

Ugh, she makes it sound so easy. Why doesn't she just do it herself then?

They're about to start the countdown, Lip. Are you sure about this?

Yes. Please don't come near the deck while I do this, Bartholomew.

One.

...Right.

...Wow. This is amazing! I'm not afraid. I'm really not afraid!

...I'm not the old Lip. But ITHIS meam still going to save you...Master!

You want to know Epitaph's predicted trajectory?

...those directly in the sword's flight path are numbers Twelve and Six.

I calculated Nikitich's route to minimize the damage as best we can. This is the optimal approach.

I expect her dragon and Epitaph's paths to intersect here, in the middle of Area F.

From there, Epitaph will run through Tower Twelve, followed by Tower Six, and finally impact the ground in Old Dubai.

...What do you want me to tell Mash?

Okay. Then I'll recalculate Epitaph's expected collision energy on the assumption that Lip's compression succeeds.

...There. Assuming your Noble Phantasm and Spirit Origin both function at full capacity and at max durability...

...try to divert its trajectory to the rear left at an elevated ten degree angle. That way, the towers won't suffer any damage.

I'll also let Edison Alter know that Epitaph's predicted impact point has shifted by two hundred meters.

Let me just confirm one thing: Are you making this decision in your capacity as a knight?

Ereshkigal's still one of us. I don't want her to be the only one carrying a heavy burden.

...

I'm not going to wish you good luck. Not when I already know you'll succeed.

Farewell, Percival. On behalf of AIs everywhere, thank you for being such a good friend.

Aah... Ah... Ahhh...

...

YEEEAAAHHH!!!

Enemy sighted. Twelve hundred klicks to target Beast.

We're dealing with a Beast, so this is the perfect time to focus on raw power and ignore galactic safety regulations!

...Damn. Seriously?

Altereactor seal...broken! As the ancient king crowned with the very galaxy!

Dyad, Cross. Great Attract...

Genesis Flash, Disorder into Chaos. The will of the divine decrees the earth and nebulae.

Lift your head, Master! We're here!

？！

I know! I can do that! XX Alter's... Damn, she didn't make it!

I'm okay, though! I can still fight!

That's what it means to be a Bogatyr! I'll be with you right to the end! Isn't that right, my steed!?

!

(...So, you even made it past Epitaph, and while protecting the new humans' city more dearly than your own lives.)

Very well. If you are so committed, then I will give no quarter.

Even if I've physically changed back into the goddess from this universe, I remain Anki Ereshkigal, the underworld incarnate.

I am the singularity in which all souls are laid to rest. I am the inviolable domain where all memories are preserved.

And if you think a mere human can lay so much as a finger upon me, you are gravely mistaken!

You caught my sword!? You, a mere Servant!? How dare you!

Ha! You see that!? I finally got the hang of dealing with those big swings of hers!

But I won't get another chance! This is it, Master! Don't worry about me! Just jump!

All you have to do to win is touch her! Doesn't matter where!

Huh? What could an unarmed Master possibly hope to do just by touching...

Now I see! You mean to use your Command Spells to order me to self-destruct!

Hah! You're as foolish as you are naïve!

I told you! You will never lay so much as a finger on me!

？！

？！

Overcoming death. Escaping death.

This future is wrong. The succession of the prime species is a mistake.

You must protect the haven for souls. You must protect their peace, their dignity.

Our duty is to preserve. We must not let that which belongs here disappear.

The underworld should not be a place of fear, but of finality. You know that.

It is engraved deep in your very soul.

？！

No. This is Anki's underworld. The great beyond, where souls come to their final resting place.

Basically, you're inside of me.

What? No! You came at me really suddenly, right? So you got converted into Spiritrons, and now you're inside my underworld!

Must you ask every single question that pops into your head?

You're used to Rayshifting, right? I just converted your body into Spiritrons and brought you into my underworld.

？！

It was just an instinctive response. I was so flustered, I couldn't stop myself. That's all.

...Anyway, I'm still going to have to kill you here... But maybe this is a good opportunity, since it's just you and me now.

？！

I want to understand what you think of Moon Dubai and this underworldthat is, me.

I'm sure you tried to protect Moon Dubai because you thought it was worth your efforts.

You probably like the idea of a world where you'll always come back to life, leaving death no more than a thing of the past.

？！

Of course. I'm going to destroy it as soon as I'm finished with you.

Not really, no. It's what every human dreams of, isn't it? I understand. Plus, that can still only go on for so long. So no, that's not where I have a problem.

？！

As the underworld, I'm the place where soulsthe data that comprises people's livesgo to be preserved for all time.

Put another way, I am the final chapter in the story of every person ever to live.

People are only meant to have one Spirit Origin in their lives. The idea that they could just start using it again even after it stopped working is too ghastly for words.

In a world like that, the stories of all the souls who are still resting for eternity in the underworld lose all meaning.

That's what happened in the Servantverse, when all of humanity became Servants.

"...What do you mean, finished stories are getting sequels just because they 'came back to life' without any rhyme or reason?"

I understand this fury. I feel it. It resonates with me.

This is the very height of blasphemy to me, Queen of Kur, charged with guardianship of the underworld until the end of the universe.

Life HAS to have an end. That is nonnegotiable.

And when it ends, that life's soulits recordhas to remain in the underworld for the rest of time.

Most importantly, this place, completely devoid of anything, must be of the same standing as the rest of the universe.

That's why I'm destroying Moon Dubai, why I'm annihilating the new humanity of this world.

I'm committing mass murder to protect the underworld, which is my very self, and my pride.

Anki Ereshkigal has watched over the underworld for billions upon billions of years. She has every right to be angry.

Well? Now do you get where I'm coming from? It's not too late to switch sides.

You can still abandon Moon Dubai and swear loyalty to me.

Ereshkigal, who survived all alone in Kur; and Anki, forgotten and abandoned by humanity, are one and the same.

You're jealous of these humans and the immortality they've gained, aren't you?

It's been painful coming to the future and seeing just how far short you fall of them, right?

It's okay, Fujimaru. It's fine to feel that way. You're qualified to come with me if you like.

？！

？！

...Why not?

？！

I see. Then this is where your story ends.

If you think you can order me to take my own life, you're welcome to try!

This is my underworld! My own personal domain! The voices of the living have no power here!

As the Sapphire Galaxy's Evil of Humanity, I will collect the souls of everyone on this lunar city, starting with yours!

■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■ ■■■■■!

■■■■ ■■, ■■■■■■■■■■!!!

Um...okay? I actually AM awake, thanks?

Aah! Don't faint on me!

Come on, get a hold of yourself! Are you sure you're not the one who needs to wake up here!?

Geez. What were you thinking, wasting your only chance on such a pointless order?

How so!?

？！

？！

？！

？！

？！

I... I can't believe it. What kind of person passes out on the enemy he's just been fighting?

It's ridiculous. He's not taking the threat I, a Beast, pose at all seriously. Maybe I'm not as intimidating as I thought.

...(Sigh) I swear...

So that's what he meant by "never understand."

Ereshkigal wouldn't get angry about something like that. She didn't become the Queen of Kur for the glory.

Okay, you win. I'm awake now. And now that I am, it's over.

The underworld of Anki and the underworld of Uruk shall never meet. With Ereshkigal's feelings having left me...

...I can't maintain this Spirit Origin anymore. Which means no more Space Beast.

Don't worry about keeping your promise to visit me in the farthest reaches of space. I know it's impossible.

This battle was enough of a miracle on its own. It would be a waste to ruin that by piling on more.

So...

...farewell, Master of Earth. I'm sorry my underworld had neither flowers nor stars for you.

I really enjoyed this battle. It's just too bad I don't have anywhere to go now that it's over.

Spatial anomalies in the Beast's vicinity have returned to normal! And the Moon Dubai-wide communications outage has cleared up!

We've just received word from our comrades in Area I that the Beast's disappearance has been confirmed!

I know! I can see that from here!

What's more, the sword sticking in Protea Alter and the sword that was deflected towards the desert region are both gone!

Fujimaru did it! So this is the truest bond a Master and Servant can share!

Men! A hearty round of applause for both of them!

Very good! Then with that, let's get straight to work, my fine forty comrades who escaped Area I!

Now that the battle with the Beast is over, go retrieve Nikitich from where she crashed and bring her to the infirmary!

Where did XX Alter land? The desert? Then send word to Bartholomew! He's still over there!

Have him retrieve XX Alter and take her to the infirmary!

And of course, don't forget to prepare a proper welcome for Lip when she comes back with him!

As for Percival, who so valiantly defended the towers from Epitaph... After an impact like that, I sadly doubt he's

What's that? You want to go look for him anyway? Very well! Go right ahead!

Mwahaha, who knows? A Servant that brawny just might have survived!

As for the other brave Servant who saved our lives...

The dragon has taken off! Epitaph will reach Old Dubai in sixty seconds!

Okay, Mash and Percival, we're counting on you! ...Wait. Where's Percival!?

Sir Percival went on ahead to protect the towers! I'll be guarding Old Dubai on my own!

...! (I see. So this is why BB changed the sword's predicted impact point!)

Don't be ridiculous! All hands, prepare for an emergency evacuation! You too, Mash! Forget about this place!

No! Sir Percival is going to deflect Epitaph here, and I'm going to deflect it even further away from the city!

Everyone, please brace for impact!

What!? Can you really do that by yourself!?

I can! Even if I'm on my ownNo!

I WILL do this on my own!

You've already taken Mash to the infirmary, yes?

So, one Servant saved the lives of countless citizens of Moon Dubai, while another protected Old Dubai itself.

We owe her our lives. Make sure she gets the very best treatment from our top-of-the-line units!

Yes, sir! All units, move out!

...Phew. That's one matter over and done with.

I wish we could go help Protea Alter as well, but I simply don't have any more manpower to spare.

I suppose I'll just have to bring in some of the Old Dubai weaklings from the mall and employ them as temporary hands.

Um, President Edison?

Aren't we going to go pick up Fujimaru, too?

I would love to, believe me. But we can't pinpoint his location.

Remember how he fell into those dark clouds swirling around the Beast? There was still no sign of him even after they cleared up.

Oh, we know he's still in Area I. I have a line open with BB Cosmo right now.

She and Kishinami Hakuno should both be just fine.

So once they emerge from the underground facilities, I'll have them look for Fujimaru imme

What is it, Mr. President? Did I make a foolish, plebian mistake?

...ere. ...Up there, Lieutenant Boliyar.

Take a look at the skythat is, the outside of the dome.

Outside the dome? But that's just empty spa Wha...

WhaAh. Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!?

Aaaaaah! Mr. President! Mr. Presideeent! That's... But... No... It can't be... But, it is!

That's right, it's Earth! Earth itself is falling towards the moon!

We don't have time to worry about an election! All of Moon Dubai is in mortal danger!!!