Section 1: From the Depths of the Abyss

At Chaldea, you can always tell when Valentine's Day is approaching...

...by the sweet smell that permeates the air.

There's something different about all the Servants gathered in the cafeteria, too.

They all seem so excited and happy!

？！

Strange?

It all happened so naturally that I didn't really register it, but now that you mention it...

There may have been some Servants mingling who don't normally get along with each other.

But that's probably just because this celebration only happens once a year, so everyone's very excited about it.

...Or something?

？！

Hmm, I'm not so sure.

Huh?

This whole mood doesn't really do it for me. Something about it gives me kind of a bad feeling...

Hi, Master. Hello, Mash.

Ahaha. I don't mind you calling me that, but maybe out in public isn't the best place for it.

Just call me Gil, like you would if I was your precocious little brother.

A-a little brother, huh... All right. Anyway...

？！

Does all this seem off to you too, Gil?

It does feel like the atmospheric magical energy density is a little higher than usual.

But then again, there are lots of magecraft experts here at Chaldea, and they don't seem too concerned...

So it could all just be in my head.

High magical energy density? That's odd. Sheba's readings are still within standard parameters...

Gooooood morning! How are you today, Master and Mash?

Oh, and a good morning to you too, young Gilgamesh. You're looking clever as ever today!

Hmm, this works out nicely. Do you three have plans today?

Tom and I only meant to get together for a light tea, but we both just got so caught up in our discussion.

We certainly did!

In fact, we realized we were never going to finish here and were just on our way to Nik's room to continue our discussion of...

Crosscurrent!!!

Where we discuss the advantages that both direct and alternating current have to offer!

Care to join us, Master!? Surely you have impassioned thoughts about electricity of your own that you'd love to share?

？！

Hmm, I see. Well, that is a great shame.

Hahaha. Now, now, Tom, do cheer up.

Or am I not enough of a conversationalist to satisfy you?

Of course you are, Nik! Don't be ridiculous!

Very well then, come along, my good man, and let us talk the day away!

Hahaha, hahahaha!

？！

I know what you mean... If we weren't sure something strange was going on before, we certainly are now.

Come on, Senpai, let's go to the Command Room.

Something strange is definitely happening here at Chaldea, just like you suspected, Gil!

？！

Nnn, you know, I'm not sure we should be making more work for her.

I mean, even with Edison and Tesla back there...

Couldn't it just be that their long and bitter rivalry finally came to an end?

I mean, I haven't experienced this myself, since I'm not my grown-up version...

But I have heard that the more you dislike someone, the better friends you become with them after having a knock-down, drag-out fight.

？！

Come to think of it, one of your Noble Phantasms has the power to see through everything, right, Gil?

Is that why you had a bad feeling about this? Because you noticed something we couldn't?

You mean Sha Naqba Imuru? Unfortunately, it's not working very well...

...thanks to an even more powerful omnipotent being messing with humanity.

...and there are still some residual imbalances in humanity.

...since you can't be omnipotent when the entire Earth's future has been wiped clean.

So this is really more of a hunch.

Anyway, why were you two at the cafeteria, anyway? Was there something you wanted to do there?

Maybe you were waiting for the right time to give a certain special someone a gift?

I... Um...

No, that can wait until later. Right now, I think we should investigate this hunch of yours.

I'm sorry. It was mean of me to ask that.

You're right. Important things should be saved for the right time and place.

You shouldn't do it now, right when it seems like something big is about to happen at any mo

Fujimaru! Oh good, you're there too, Mash.

Sorry to bother you when you're off duty, but I'm afraid we've got something of an emergency here.

Do you guys think you could help me out?

Of course. Actually, we were just on our way to the Command Room.

What's the emergency this time? A Singularity?

No, it's not that. This abnormality is taking place right inside Chaldea.

Apparently, we've got Shadow Servants running around the place.

Shadow Servants!? And they're inside Chaldea?

Nnn...

？！

Well, the thing is, they definitely look like Shadow Servants...

But their existence is so...fuzzy that we can't get a firm reading on them.

So I was hoping you could go investigate and/or take care of them directly.

Oh, and don't worry about coming to the Command Room. There's no need.

So what do you say, Fujimaru? Will you take Mash and go look into this?

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Then I think I'll go, too. You don't mind, right, Da Vinci?

Oh, hey, Kid Gil! You're there too, huh? Of course not! That'd be a big help!

See, I tried asking other Servants around there to help deal with this as well...

But for some reason, they all said they already had plans or just didn't feel like it.

Really? All of them?

Yup. But anyway, there's no point laying into them about it now. Would you guys mind taking a look?

Shadow Servants in Chaldea...

Maybe this is what your bad feeling was about, Gil?

Come on, Senpai, let's go check it out!

Fujimaru! Oh good, you're there too, Mash.

Sorry to bother you when you're off duty, but I'm afraid we've got something of an emergency here.

Do you guys think you could help me out?

Of course. Actually, we were just on our way to the Command Room.

What's the emergency this time? A Singularity?

No, it's not that. This abnormality is taking place right inside Chaldea.

Apparently, we've got Shadow Servants running around the place.

Shadow Servants!? And they're inside Chaldea?

Nnn...

？！

Well, the thing is, they definitely look like Shadow Servants...

But their existence is so...fuzzy that we can't get a firm reading on them.

So I was hoping you could go investigate and/or take care of them directly.

Oh, and don't worry about coming to the Command Room. There's no need.

So what do you say, Fujimaru? Will you take Mash and go look into this?

？！

Then I think I'll go, too. You don't mind, right, Da Vinci?

Oh, if it isn't Kid Gil! You're there too, huh? By all means, I'd be grateful for your help.

See, I tried asking other Servants around there to help deal with this as well...

But for some reason, they all said they already had plans or just didn't feel like it.

Really? All of them?

Yup. But anyway, there's no point laying into them about it now. Would you guys mind taking a look?

Shadow Servants in Chaldea...

Maybe this is what your bad feeling was about, Gil?

Come on, Senpai, let's go check it out!

What the...!?

Yikes, there sure are a lot of them. And they do look like Shadow Servants.

It's okay if we take them down, right?

Hmm. Yeah, I guess it is.

We still don't know how they got here, but there's no upside to letting them run around doing whatever.

Hmm. Yeah, I guess it is.

We still don't know how they got here, but there's no upside to letting them run around doing whatever.

So yeah, go ahead and take care of them now, and we'll figure out where they came from later.

I couldn't agree more. Well then, here goes nothing.

Gate of

Wait! Stooop! No Babylon! No Babylon!

I'm sure yours wouldn't be as bad as your grown-up self's, but we still can't have Servants just slinging around Noble Phantasms all will-nilly in the halls!

Hang on. Did you just say I'm weaker than the adult me? Ouch.

I know I'm a kid, but my Noble Phantasm still works fine. I know how to control it, too.

Don't worry. I was only going to use it to restrain them, anyway.

"Beating" your opponents just by killing them is the kind of shortsighted thing grown-ups who are too lazy to think big picture do.

There, see? I'm just going to neutralize them one by one.

？！

It's working! Gil's chains just captured all five Shadow Servants!

All right, Master, let's go deal with these potentially hostile entitie

Look out!

Khh... There are even more than we realized!

I'll handle this shadow, Master! You help Gil

Huh?

What happened, Master? You and Mash are usually way more careful than that. You get sloppy 'cause it's a holiday or something?

Times like this are exactly when you've gotta pay attention to your surroundings!

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Cú Chulainn! Thank you for helping us!

Don't bother thanking me. I was just getting warmed up.

If anything, I'm sorry I took so long to get here. Didn't realize you guys needed help at first.

Anyway, this works out nicely. I was just looking for something to do.

Really?

I'd say if anyone here's being sloppy, it's you. Shouldn't you be more on top of things, being a grown-up and all?

Me? Shouldn't you be telling your own grown-up self that, too?

Next time you're at a mirror, why don't you pass him a message that he should try to hang on to at least a tenth of the wisdom and modesty you've got as a kid!

Well, I do agree with that, but unlike you, I'm just as wise no matter what age I am.

Yeah? That your way of saying you've always been this dumb!?

Ah, but never mind. This ain't the time to be arguing. C'mon, Fujimaru and Mash!

Uh... R-right! I'm good to go at any time!

Dammit, they just keep regenerating as soon as you cut them down! We'll never get anywhere like this!

These things are as tough as Clan Calatin! We've gotta figure something out before they destroy all of Chaldea!

Excuse me, Command Room? Is there any way we can get rid of these things for good?

Sorry! I wish I could tell you, but we're still analyzing these things! We've never seen anything like them!

All we know so far is, they don't have Spirit Cores, their Spirit Origins disperse, and your attacks make them disappear!

Sorry! I wish I could tell you, but we're still analyzing these things! We've never seen anything like them!

All we know so far is, they don't have Spirit Cores, their Spirit Origins disperse, and your attacks make them disappear!

The only thing is, they're not staying that way! Man, I wonder why they keep coming back!

...She's really enjoying this, isn't she? Whose idea was it to put her in charge, anyway?

Hey, I think it's great that we've got someone so enthusiastic about her job backing us up. In the meantime, we'll just have to do the best we can to wrap things up he

Hang on. Is someone there!? I just got some major chills down my spine!

Well, well, your senses are quite refined. I wish my assistants had that kind of sensitivity.

Aah! I've never felt chills like this before! No, wait. It's actually kind of familiar!

Buon giorno. Don't worry, I mean you no harm.

Allow me to explain why those things refuse to stay gone.

They are not actually Shadow Servants.

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There is no point in using violence against those born in the depths of darkness.

No, there is only one way to truly make them disappear.

Hehe. Only one way, huh. That's pretty bold, even for me.

But I'm not embarrassed at all, since it's the unvarnished truth.

You see, the only way to get rid of them is something that is of utmost importance to all humans...

Love.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Love? Did she really say "love"?

...You're not very sensitive at all, are you? Are you sure you're the ultimate Celtic ladies' man?

The very same who jumped into bed with every beautiful woman he met on his travels even after he gave his true love a castle?

...Ugh, just saying it out loud irritates me all over again. Are you just that selfish, or does your "little spear" actually have a mind of its own?

You'd better apologize to Aífe the next time you see her.

I know, I know! It was all my fault, okay!? Now would you mind keeping your nose out of my business!?

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Hehe. I only got the broad strokes but those were some lovely thoughts.

You pass. I officially recognize you as a Master worthy of being hoisted into the air.

Hello, and good day. Your fortune this morning is five out of five stars.

Your romantic outlook for today is, "Prepare for unexpected encounters." Put another way, "Trust the goddess before you rather than the person next to you."

That's right. I have deigned to descend from on high to raise your fortun

...I suppose I should have known they wouldn't be polite enough to let me finish. Oh well.

I usually make it a point never to provide help without an explicit agreement, but in this case, I suppose I can consider it part of my sales pitch.

Feel free to command me as you see fit, Master.

This is your chance to test your power as a Master and the power of my love to your heart's content.

Huh!? Did she just form a temporary contract with you, Master!?

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All right, let me show you what I was talking about. Just sit back and enjoy the show.

This is the light of love that banishes darkness...

The light of love that will fill the entire world!

God Bazooka. Die.

Phew...

Was it good for you, too?

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Who, me? Don't be silly.

Also, that was clearly just a bazooka blast. Where did love come into it!?

Er... That said, the, uhnon-Shadow Servants? do seem to have disappeared now...

...(She's bad news, isn't she?) (*Conveyed to Kid Gil via subtle wink)

...(Oh yes. Very bad news.) (*Conveyed to Cú Chulainn via subtle wink)

...Hey, kid. She's a friend of yours, right?

So go on, get her out of here already. And make sure she never comes back.

Hahaha, don't be ridiculous. This is the first time I've seen such a person around Chaldea.

If anything, you're the one who seemed to recognize her.

Are you sure she's not from your neck of the woods? Maybe you used to date her or something.

Now who's bein' ridiculous!? Trust me, not even the Celts go in for love that crazy!

No, I've never seen her before, either. She looks vaguely familiar, but that's all.

Besides, no way would I forget such an evil face.

There, you see? I'm sure she remembers you even if you don't remember her.

(Slaps)

Yeowww!

Quiet, both of you. When did you two become such whiny little mongrels, anyway?

Careless words lead to disaster, and vague memories lead to confusion. So if you're ever unsure whether you should say something, here's an easy rule of thumb: don't.

So, um... I appreciate you helping us out here... but you're not a Chaldean Servant, are you?

Who in the world are you, anyway?

Me?

My name is Amor. The god of love.

I'm a beautiful, dainty Divine Spirit where what you see is what you get. A pleasure to make your acquaintance♡

Amor? God of love!?

... ...

What we see is what we get...?

Beautiful and dainty...?

(I don't trust this goddess one bit!)