Round 1: The Singularity's Evil Dragon

Santa means winter, and winter means snow.

That makes this the perfect place for my Santa training.

I can feel all this extra weight from the snow strengthening my core and my legs. Yes...I can feel it right now.

Are you all right, Master? Please don't push yourself too hard!

Oh. I didn't realize this roadwork would be so hard for a trainer.

In that case, you should probably forgo walking and use a bicycle instNo, wait. That would be even more difficult here.

Hmm. What IS the right way for a trainer to accompany a fighter for roadwork on a mountain?

Ah, a sled. Of course. Not I regret not ordering one. I didn't think I would need it...

？！

Sorry about that. I tried to get you guys as close to the target as I could, but putting you right on top of it wasn't in the cards.

I wish you didn't have to trudge through such a harsh environment, but there's nothing more we can do.

Even with the magecraft we used so you wouldn't have to worry about the altitude...

...you're still in an area that only the most hardcore mountain climbers would normally be able to reach.

The Himalayas are the most treacherous mountain range on the face of the earth, after all.

Anyway, I'll help as best I can from here, so just take your time and watch your step, okay?

It's okay, Da Vinci. We knew we would be in for a difficult trek when we heard where this Singularity was located.

Don't worry about me. Please devote your full attention and resources to Master.

Thank you, Karna. I can't divert ALL our resources, but if you're okay with it, I'll certainly save most of them for Master!

Okay, you're at the target area. Remember: stay alert!

...

Look out, Master and Mash. Someone's here.

!

？！

Oh? Hmm, you must have tracked me down somehow. Oh well, I thought this might happen.

A Servant!? Please get back, Master!

Hmm. Hmm, hmm, hmm.

I'm not sure who this human child or the girl with...something mixed into her are...

But I do recognize your scent, man in black. It's faint...

...but it's unmistakably Indra. Do you have one of his weapons, perhaps?

I don't have Indra's spear on me at the moment. I'm Santa right now, not a Lancer.

Keeheehee! I see. So you're this Santa person! Have you come to scold me for being naughty then?

In fact, yes. Answer me this, evil dragon: Why have you interfered with my duty to deliver presents?

(Evil dragon!? I mean, she does seem to have some sort of tail, but even so!)

An evil dragon with a connection to Indra...? Karna, is that

Yes. I'm guessing that's Vritra.

She's the serpentine demon god of drought, and an evil dragon who clashed with Indra many times.

Indeed, I am Vritra.

I don't know why I have taken this form... but it doesn't matter.

Regardless of how I may appear, I am and always will be a serpent.

Now, what is your name, bearer of the Santa mantle?

I am Karna, son of Surya.

Oho. Are you now?

？！

Hmm? You smell like a typical human... but your eyes tell a different story.

Yes, you and that girl over there seem both human...and not human.

Interesting. Yes, very interesting...

He asked you a question. Answer it.

Oh, so hasty. I would have thought the answer obvious, but very well.

You wish to know why I shut those boxes tight? They made perfect bait that way.

Bait to bring you right to me, so I can swallow you whole. Mmm, and you all look good enough to eat.

So you were just trying to lure us here, were you?

What a waste of effort.

You didn't need to go to all that trouble. Santa is always willing to accept any challenge.

If you want to eat me, then by all means, try.

？！

Right! Preparing to engage Vritra, the apparent culprit behind the Black Presents, in combat!

Santa means winter, and winter means snow.

That makes this the perfect place for my Santa training.

I can feel all this extra weight from the snow strengthening my core and my legs. Yes...I can feel it right now.

Are you all right, Master? Please don't push yourself too hard!

Oh. I didn't realize this roadwork would be so hard for a trainer.

In that case, you should probably forgo walking and use a bicycle instNo, wait. That would be even more difficult here.

Hmm. What IS the right way for a trainer to accompany a fighter for roadwork on a mountain?

Ah, a sled. Of course. Not I regret not ordering one. I didn't think I would need it...

？！

Sorry about that. I tried to get you guys as close to the target as I could, but putting you right on top of it wasn't in the cards.

I wish you didn't have to trudge through such a harsh environment, but there's nothing more we can do.

Even with the magecraft we used so you wouldn't have to worry about the altitude...

...you're still in an area that only the most hardcore mountain climbers would normally be able to reach.

The Himalayas are the most treacherous mountain range on the face of the earth, after all.

Anyway, I'll help as best I can from here, so just take your time and watch your step, okay?

It's okay, Da Vinci. We knew we would be in for a difficult trek when we heard where this Singularity was located.

Don't worry about me. Please devote your full attention and resources to Master.

Thank you, Karna. I can't divert ALL our resources, but if you're okay with it, I'll certainly save most of them for Master!

Okay, you're at the target area. Remember: stay alert!

...

Look out, Master and Mash. Someone's here.

!

？！

Oh? Hmm, you must have tracked me down somehow. Oh well, I thought this might happen.

A Servant!? Please get back, Master!

Hmm. Hmm, hmm, hmm.

I'm not sure who this human child or the girl with...something mixed into her are...

But I do recognize your scent, man in black. It's faint...

...but it's unmistakably Indra. Do you have one of his weapons, perhaps?

I don't have Indra's spear on me at the moment. I'm Santa right now, not a Lancer.

Keeheehee! I see. So you're this Santa person! Have you come to scold me for being naughty then?

In fact, yes. Answer me this, evil dragon: Why have you interfered with my duty to deliver presents?

(Evil dragon!? I mean, she does seem to have some sort of tail, but even so!)

An evil dragon with a connection to Indra...? Karna, is that

Yes. I'm guessing that's Vritra.

She's the serpentine demon god of drought, and an evil dragon who clashed with Indra many times.

Indeed, I am Vritra.

I don't know why I have taken this form... but it doesn't matter.

Regardless of how I may appear, I am and always will be a serpent.

Now, what is your name, bearer of the Santa mantle?

I am Karna, son of Surya.

Oho. Are you now?

？！

Hmm? You smell like a typical human... but your eyes tell a different story.

Yes, you and that girl over there seem both human...and not human.

Interesting. Yes, very interesting...

He asked you a question. Answer it.

Oh, so hasty. I would have thought the answer obvious, but very well.

You wish to know why I shut those boxes tight? They made perfect bait that way.

Bait to bring you right to me, so I can swallow you whole. Mmm, and you all look good enough to eat.

So you were just trying to lure us here, were you?

What a waste of effort.

You didn't need to go to all that trouble. Santa is always willing to accept any challenge.

If you want to eat me, then by all means, try.

？！

Right! Preparing to engage Vritra, the apparent culprit behind the Black Presents, in combat!

Hmm. I wasn't planning to eat you just yet, since you still need to be prepped and seasoned...

...but I suppose there wouldn't be anything wrong with having a little taste.

Khh!

？！

Oho, you're really struggling, aren't you? Mmm, now I'm getting really hungry.

Does this mean my Santa fists still aren't heavy enough!?

...Huh?

Karna! See that distortion in front of you!? I'm betting that's the core of this occluded Singularity!

You should be able to disable it with one good hit!

That should also knock out the field Vritra created, which might weaken her!

Karna! See that distortion in front of you!? I'm betting that's the core of this occluded Singularity!

You should be able to disable it with one good hit!

That should also knock out the field Vritra created, which might weaken her!

Got it. I'll give it a shot.

？！

Does this mean the occluded Singularity turned back into a normal minute Singularity?

Oho. So you managed to destroy the foundation of my dam world with your fist.

Ahh, you really should quit while you're ahead. You already seem plenty delicious.

Truly, I don't know what I'm going to do with you.

Still...I think that's enough for today. I don't want to gobble you up before you've fully ripened.

If you want to lure me back out, I suggest you make yourselves as delectable as possible.

Do that, and... Keeheehee!

...She's gone. Vritra's signal has completely disappeared.

I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let her get away...

Don't worry about it. None of us expected to run into such a huge dragonkin out here, especially right off the bat.

I mean, we're talking about a dragon that could even give Indra a tough fight, and Indra was an actual god.

She's a Servant, so she's probably limited to only a portion of her power, like Divine Spirit Pseudo-Servants...

...but even so, she looks to be one of the biggest dragonkin we've ever seen.

Honestly, that you guys did so well against her with such a small team is pretty amazing.

...She's gone. Vritra's signal has completely disappeared.

I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let her get away...

Don't worry about it. None of us expected to run into such a huge dragonkin out here, especially right off the bat.

I mean, we're talking about a dragon that could even give Indra a tough fight, and Indra was an actual god.

She's a Servant, so she's probably limited to only a portion of her power, like Divine Spirit Pseudo-Servants...

...but even so, she looks to be one of the biggest dragonkin we've ever seen.

Honestly, that you guys did so well against her with such a small team is pretty amazing.

That is no consolation.

A true Santa should be able to defeat anything that threatens Christmas...and should be able to do so with their own power alone.

I couldn't do that, which means I am not yet a true Santa Claus.

Clearly, I still have a long road ahead of me...

？！

Well, at least we know a few more things now.

Dealing with Vritra herself would be the fastest way to fix all this, but not the only one.

There are still some other occluded Singularities like the one you just erased out there...

...and their cores are acting as the sources of the interference affecting the presents.

Think of them as conduits of a sort, through which the interference is being channeled.

So you should be able to stop Vritra from tampering with the gifts by taking out each of those Singularities.

Unfortunately, we lost Vritra's signal. She must somehow be preventing us from tracking her.

Still, it's a safe bet that she's hiding out in one of those Singularities.

Well, at least we know a few more things now.

Dealing with Vritra herself would be the fastest way to fix all this, but not the only one.

There are still some other occluded Singularities like the one you just erased out there...

...and their cores are acting as the sources of the interference affecting the presents.

Think of them as conduits of a sort, through which the interference is being channeled.

So you should be able to stop Vritra from tampering with the gifts by taking out each of those Singularities.

Unfortunately, we lost Vritra's signal. She must somehow be preventing us from tracking her.

Still, it's a safe bet that she's hiding out in one of those Singularities.

I see... Then yes, it seems like our only choice is to erase these occluded Singularities one by one.

Of course, we may run into Vritra again while we're doing that...

If we do, then I'll defeat her. That's all there is to it.

(That's definitely the right idea, but much easier said than done when we're talking about an evil dragon the likes of Vritra...)

(Especially with the Rayshift restrictions these occluded Singularities have in place.)

(We might have to make some tough decisions about who to bring along to raise our chances of victory.)

(Luckily, not only do we have several Servants with ties to Indra, we also have a bunch of legendary dragon-slayers.)

(All we have to do now is come up with a plan that takes advantage of those assets!)

(That's definitely the right idea, but much easier said than done when we're talking about an evil dragon the likes of Vritra...)

(Especially with the Rayshift restrictions these occluded Singularities have in place.)

(We might have to make some tough decisions about who to bring along to raise our chances of victory.)

(Luckily, not only do we have several Servants with ties to Indra, we also have a bunch of legendary dragon-slayers.)

(All we have to do now is come up with a plan that takes advantage of those assets!)

Mmm, I can't wait! I simply can't wait!

At first, I thought it would just be an amusing change of pace to block the concept of Christmas presents instead of water.

But now, I've been rewarded for my efforts with some of the tastiest looking morsels I've seen in a long time.

...Come to think of it, I thought I sensed another with an aura like Indra's as well...

Well, no matter. That can be tomorrow's delight to look forward to. Ahh, this is so exciting.

Yes, that's it. Suffer. Suffer in endless, miserable torment!

Then, at the very end... Keeheehee!

Still, my other preparations can wait until tomorrow.

For now, I think I'll take a nice bath.