Fate/Grand Order story · Events, Johanna and the Unidentified Love:: Smash 'em Up☆Love, Lovers, and the Great Stone Statue
Section 4: Second Chain: Poisonous Empress (Under Construction)
Johanna and the Unidentified Love:: Smash 'em Up☆Love, Lovers, and the Great Stone Statue. Chaldea Gate
3 scenes, 204 lines
1. Before the battle
56 linesKeep going! Keep going!
Sorry, pops, but you're gonna have to go around the construction area. Lovey.
Oh, all right...lovey.
All clear!
Forewoman!
What is it? Spit it out. I am a busy woman.
There are fragments of stone falling off the statue.
Show me. Right now. And put a helmet on, you fool!
Yes, ma'am!
This way!
Good grief. There, all patched up. ...Hm?
Aaaaaah!
Oh, for...
Th-thanks, Forewoman! You saved my life!
Nitwit. You're working at high altitudes with neither lifeline nor helmet? Next time, I will do nothing to stop you from dashing your brains on the pavement.
Yes, ma'am!
They're doing construction on it now!?
Oh, you must be tourists. A construction site is no place for fun and games.
Um... May I ask what kind of construction you're doing?
We are reinforcing the statue. Now that it is a hundred years old, the spell has started to come apart in places.
I have no desire to reinforce an old saint statue...but, this is the job I am bound to do.
... ...
No, on second thought...this really is infuriating. Perhaps I should remake the face in my image.
You can't be serious!
Hm? You must be the model for the statue.
...Now that I think of it, that is the reason I was summoned here in the first place, isn't it?
I think you might be losing track of your goals a bit here, Empress.
Honestly, no, I didn't...
At any rate, you must be one of this statue's guardians. I'm warning you now, I'm here to cut your chain!
Clowns!?
H-hey! Who says you get to call us clowns!?
You earned the title the moment you arrived here to destroy the Lovey-Dovey Heart Johanna Statue.
Damn... I can't argue with that.
You could at least try!
Of course, as the statue's model, I suppose you do have a right to destroy it.
I wouldn't say that. But be that as it may, I can't let this statue continue to stand.
Hmm, a typical teacher's pet answer. How dull.
I don't see how that makes me a teacher's pet...
What is it, Forewoman!? You getting into a fight!?
I am. Assist me.
Construction sites are off-limits to anyone not on the crew. Especially those who mean to interfere with the project.
All right! You hear that, guys!? We've got a fight on our hands!
That's a lot more than I was expecting!
Johanna.
Yes?
To be alive is to be selfish. Arrogance can be poison, but it can also be medicine.
Without it, your heart will always be empty, no matter what you do to fill it.
...!
Hahahaha! Hit a little too close to home, did I?
Very well then, come and fight me. We are Servants, after all.
In the end, winning in battle is what our entire existence comes down to. Keeps things nice and simple, no?
Indeed, if we cannot do that, there is precious little meaning left to be found in our existence!
2. After the battle
68 linesD-dammit! Sorry, Forewoman, but this is as far as we go!
Hmm. So, that is that.
(Huff, huff...) Oof, I'm exhausted. Just breaking one chain took forever...
Reindeer, Reindeer! Did you see me!? I did my very, very best!
Nice job, Lily!
？！
Hehe.
... ...
What? Why do you look so envious?
Wh-what do you mean!? I'm not envious!
Hmm. Well, no matter. Here, take this. You will need it for what lies ahead.
Huh?
Wh-wh-wh-what the...!?
Blessings to you. Blessings upon your life. Blessings upon your contributions.
Life shines bright, death grows dull. Joy, sadness, everything in between... It all goes in the suitcase.
Pack it in. Pack it all in.
Some people lead short lives, but have many memories to pack away. Some lead long lives, but have few memories worth packing.
The suitcase's weight depends on who packs it. Some baggage will be painful. Some will be delightful.
And some people will surely throw their painful baggage away.
So then, what about you, who never had any baggage to begin with?
The answer has always been right in front of you, but you've managed to never notice.
Of course, it makes sense that you wouldn't understand just yet.
This is your journey. Your life. Your story.
Your very own giant statue.
Johanna! You're awake!
Master! Johanna's woken up!
Are you okay!?
？！
Well...
Semiramis gave you something after we fought her...
...and then you just fainted.
I see...
No...I don't think so.
Johannaaa!
Oh good, you're awake. Are you okay?
Y-yes, I'm fine. I don't think I'm any worse for wear.
We're not showing any fluctuations in your Spirit Origin in our scans. What happened?
I wish I could tell you. All I know is
That monologue... Those feelings...
It felt like both of them were talking about what I'm lacking.
Is...?
Never mind. Sorry. So, um... I see it's nighttime now.
Yes. We were just talking with Master about calling it a day.
Good idea. Lady Semiramis was a tough opponent.
Oho, was I now? That is good to hear.
You're here!? Uh, I mean, I thought you had vanished.
I lost my fighting ability when my chain was destroyed, so I could disappear now, yes.
But that would be boring, so I decided to stay and see how things turned out.
I, uh, I see...
Oh, do not get me wrong. I have no intention of helping you. I will simply use a familiar to watch the proceedings.
Really? Why would you do that?
Hehe. Curious, are you? I am an empress. I understand the value of a gala quite well.
Galas?
You mean, like festivities? Hehe, what a lovely ring. It sounds fun.
What do you mean by gala?
Oh, was it embarrassing to say "Lovey-Dovey Heart Johanna"?
Also, were you embarrassed to say the statue's name?
？！
A...bit, yes.
I don't blame you!
3. Before the battle
80 linesSaint Valentinus. The holy man who tried to spread, and ultimately died for, love.
Every year, people celebrate his memory by shouting "Happy Valentine's Day!"
And they do so joyfully, loudly.
This is good. Wonderful, even. We should all be glad of it.
...There's a haze in my heart.
Timidly, trepidatiously, I peer into that haze...
...and catch a glimpse of myself staring back at me in silence.
You're
I let out a scream. In that instant, my cold expression changes.
Now, she looks at me with a mixture of disbelief, pity, and amusement...
...never breaking eye contact.
... ...Nnn...
That hallucination felt like a warning. But a warning of what? Still confused, I take a look around.
Mash is fast asleep. All the other Servants, except Lord Rama, who is on watch, seem to be in their spirit forms.
And Master is
Is something wrong, Johanna?
Where's Master?
Oh, he said he wanted to get a bit of fresh air.
I see. Okay, I'm just going to go talk to him for a bit.
Keep it brief.
I will.
Of course I'll keep it brief. With a spring in my step, I make my way towards Master.
(Maybe it's time I headed back...)
？！
Staying up late tonight, Master?
Hehe, you really should be in bed. Skimping on sleep's not good for you.
Of course. I know that.
？！
Juuust kidding.
I'm sure even the Lord doesn't mind the occasional late night.
The breeze is lovely, isn't it?
Yeah...
...even at night, the...Lovey-Dovey Heart Johanna Statue really stands out, doesn't it?
I was doing my best not to mention that...
？！
How could you not!? It's impossible not to notice!
I mean, like Mash said, it must be at least as big as the statue on Corcovado.
I know this supposedly happened because the Holy Grail granted my wish, but I'd never wish for anything like that!
I can't help but wonder what you would wish for, then.
Good question. What WOULD I wish for... World peace? Happiness for everyone?
Maybe that sounds cheesy, but it really is what I want.
I can't imagine wishing for anything else. Wanting the best for everyone else is all I've ever known.
So this really isn't what you wished for?
Hehehe. Tell me, Master.
Do you honestly think there's anyone in the world who would take an omnipotent wish granter...
...and use it to build a ginormous statue of themself?
？！
Well, if the pope hat fits...
？！
It most certainly does not!
Any wish of mine would be for the benefit of all! I know because I lived my whole life that way!
Listen, Master.
I don't have any regrets from my life. How can I? I never existed to begin with.
So I don't have any desire for a fresh start, or to accomplish things I couldn't in my life.
Then where did that statue come from?
？！
Well, maybe...it's someone's malicious idea of a prank, designed to upset me?
...No, maybe not...
Despite the late hour, Master and I continued to talk about the statue as it loomed over our heads.
If not a prank, maybe it's a misunderstanding? If not that, maybe it's meant as entertainment?
Some Holy Grails supposedly grant a distorted version of the wishes made upon them, like a monkey's paw.
This must have been one of that type of Holy Grail.
But that still leaves the question of exactly what kind of wish I did have granted.
Did I want to be loved by everyone? Did I want to be adored and fawned over?
Is that all it comes down to?
？！
Well, of course I'd rather be liked than hated.
But that's true for just about everyone.
I can't imagine that alone being the catalyst for something like...this...
...It feels like some of the pieces are starting to fall into place.
Hmm...
But, they're still so shrouded in haze, I can't make them out clearly.
Shall we head back inside now?
Little by little, the haze is starting to clear up.
What will I see once it's completely gone?
Maybe it won't be a big deal. Maybe it will be a huge deal.
Or maybe...it'll be something that matters to me and me alone...