Section 7: A Fun Halloween Eve with Wandjina

Hello. How are you?

I'm Wandjina, and today's word of the day is "Super-duper fun for everyone."

Anyway, the jig is up. That's right. I was the Holy Grail all along.

Well, maybe it'd be more accurate to say it's a version of me who's having the Holy Grail grant her wish.

...What's that? I don't sound very excited?

That's just how this version of me is. I don't have the kind of energy to spare that the other one does.

I mean, you saw how big I am. And I'm still smaller than usual.

(Sigh)

I wish I could keep having fun awhile longer...

...Hm? How much longer?

Hmm... ...

Not that long. I just want to play just a little longer.

Even just ten thousand willno, wait. That probably wouldn't work, would it?

Then, I think just a thousand years should be fine, right? I'm sure the environment will still be mostly the same.

All right, I've made up my mind. Let's all keep playing in this Singularity for another thousand years.

...Okay, see you later.

？！

That's strange. I could have sworn we covered a whole lot of distance with Wandjina.

Oh, I get it now.

Erice?

Remember what Elisabeth said about Halloween being the greatest festival ever?

I think she probably wants to enjoy Halloween a little longer.

I see...

Then she might have moved us somewhere that still feels like Halloween.

？！

I think so. It's pretty much synonymous with Halloween at this point.

You think?

Yeah, it is.

It sure is!

I guess...

So Castle Csejte is here, which means Elly must be as well.

Oh? Do you not care for her, Lady Kriemhild?

It's not that. She's just...exhausting. It's like... Hmm...

Heh. I understand. Some personalities simply mesh better than others.

？！

Good idea. Elisabeeeth!

Elisabeth, are you theeere!?

Waaaaaah! Puppyyyyyy! Some weird blue girl took my caaastle!

How could this happen!? Castle Csejte belongs to me! Halloween belongs to MEEE!

？！

(Inhale...) (Exhale...) ...What am I gonna do, Puppy!?

This girl who took your castle... Was her name Wandjina, by any chance?

Oh, yeah, that's it! She said her name was Super-Duper Fun Wandjina!

Do you know her, Puppy? Then hurry up and convince her to give me back my castle!

I guess we should go see what's up.

...Oh, hello, Master of Chaldea. Your timing is perfect.

Let's do something fun. I've kind of gotten bored of walking around the castle.

That's MY castle!

Oh. Hmm, I guess...

But, then again, I made this Singularity, so...maybe it could be mine, too, no?

No! Besides, I was still getting ready for Halloween!

Too bad... Oh, right. Halloween. That reminds me.

I heard Halloween was supposed to be a fun festival, but...it doesn't seem all that fun to me.

The castle's very impressive, but with no one else there, it's

What was that!?

Elisabeth, please try to calm down. Wandjina, um, Halloween hasn't actually begun yet, so...

Oh. Then I'll wait.

I can wait as long as it takes. I don't mind.

Ho ho ho. That's not true, Wandjina.

Um... And you are?

I'm Santa.

Wandjina, you said you don't mind waiting, but you're mistaken.

Or perhaps I should say, NOW you're mistaken.

...?

Remember what you just said to Master a few minutes ago?

Let's do something fun. I've kind of gotten bored of walking around the castle.

And this Wandjina said something similar before.

Aha, I knew it! Long time no see, Chaldeans!

？！

How could a great spirit like yourself grow bored after just a few hours?

I don't know how much time passed in the Servantverse after we parted ways in the summer, but however long it was, it should have felt like an instant to you.

So then, why did you say, "Long time no see," when you saw them?

Why did I say that...?

... ...Why DID I say that?

You are a great spirit, the planet's sense of touch. You should have no trouble passing long stretches of time.

But now that you've begun interacting with people, that's no longer the case.

You've reached a point where years, days, hours, minutes, even seconds, feel like an eternity.

That's the price you've paid for meeting humans on their level.

...Y-you're kidding, right?

No, I'm not. Santa always tells the truth.

(Nodding along)

B-but...I was planning on having fun for at least the next thousand years...

It's unlikely any of us would still be here then. Keeping Master's soul alive for so long would be no easy task.

Really!?

Th-then, how about just a hundred years? You could handle that, right?

A hundred years is a very long time for a human. Most don't live that long.

Ten years?

We don't have time for this, so I will be direct: we can play with you for one day.

That's it!?

Forget a day. Ideally, I'd prefer to have this Singularity wrapped up in an hour!

It is not uncommon for nonhuman beings to have a different sense of time from humans...

...but if you think about time passing in terms of millennia, it seems that yours is on an entirely different scale.

... ...

Hey, me? Maybe this is okay after all.

It looks like time passes way, way faster than we thought.

B-but...just one day?

That'll be over in no time at all...

You think? A day's pretty long. Oh, wait, maybe not. Hmm...

It's more that...it feels long to us now.

...!

So, what do you say?

Wandjina...

I...

No! No way! This isn't fair!

You got to have so much fun...

...and I only get a day?

N-no, that's not

No! I don't wanna hear it! If that's how it's gonna be, then...I'm gonna have as much fun as I can, too!

You're being very selfish right now, you know.

No, I'm not! I just wanna play! Now, get out of here while I get things ready!

？！

Yes, I'm fine. I'm especially glad to see you're okay, Master.

It looks like everyone else is uninjured, too.

The other Wandjina was very careful not to hurt to us.

Stupid me! Why do I have to be so selfish!?

Well, this is a problem.

I don't think she'd actually keep us here for hundreds of years, but I wouldn't put it past her to try for ten.

Hey, you think the other Jina-Jina's gonna be okay?

Okay how?

She just wants to have fun, right? But being all by yourself is no fun at all!

G-good point...

I would argue there are ways to have fun by yourself, but I can't imagine any of them would suit her.

Especially considering how jealous she was of this Wandjina.

That other me WAS all alone, wasn't she? What do we do now?

... ...Hmm.

Ho ho ho. Master, may I say something?

？！

Yes. I'd like to go with the other Wandjina.

!

Altera...

I'm Santa, after all.

I'm supposed to bring presents to lonely children, not ignore them.

And right now, the child who needs a present the most is

？！

That's right. ...Is that okay?

Altera. The way she was acting, we're probably going to have to fight her once or twice to get her to settle down.

Yes, that's true. And if it comes to that, I'll be counting on all of you for help.

Counting on us for... (Sigh) So, what will it be, Maste

？！

Ugh, I KNEW you were going to say that!

Hmm... I'm gonna go, too!

Huh? Why?

'Cause I know what it's like.

Being inside the ground, all alone, without any of my little selves to keep me company...

It felt all lonely. And boring.

So I think that Wandjina's gonna need someone else besides Santa if she's gonna have any fun!

That's a good point.

So can I go?

？！

Got it, got it!

Here, Taisui Xingjun, you can ride on Zerco with me.

Let's go give her the warmest welcome we can.

Ho ho hooo.

Altera and Taisui Xingjun have flown off...along with Dumuzid.

Are you sure this is a good idea, Master?

Good question.

The quickest solution to this problem would be to defeat that other Wandjina.

Even if she is a great spirit whose massive body turned into a huge Singularity, Wandjina is still Wandjina.

I'm sure she'd never try to seriously harm a human like you.

I expect we could even have dealt with her back there, had we been able to cut off her escape.

... ...

You may be right, but that would be, in a word, dull.

Dull?

...Well, I suppose you're not wrong.

Yes, we could gang up on her, take the Holy Grail by force, and fix the Singularity quickly...

...but I think doing that wouldhow can I put thisleave a bad taste in our mouths, Don't you agree, Director?

Huh? Why are you asking me?

You're the one who provides the grown-up perspective at times like this, aren't you?

Granted, I'm cutting you off before you can voice it in this case, but the point still stands.

So much for my chance to say anything...

Well, never mind that. You've already made up your mind to do this anyway, yes?

？！

Good energy! Very well then, but be warned that failure is not an option!

Also, you're to submit a report immediately upon your return! No extensions, and no relying on Servants for help!

Good luck!

It's okay, Master.

I'll help you write the report!

(Didn't he just say he can't rely on Servants for help?)

(If she's called on it, she's likely to insist it's okay because she's technically a Demi-Servant, or a member of Chaldea's staff if that doesn't work.)

(Makes sense. Mash can be really clever at times. It's one of my favorite things about her.)

Besides, um, as the oldest sister here, I also have responsibilities I need to fulfill!

I mean, in a way, this is kind of a family crisis, after all!

？！

I see. That does make sense.

It does? Oh well, I suppose it's fine.

？！

Y-yeah?

？！

...Yeah! Sorry about this, Master, and thank you! All of you!

Okay, let's do this!

... ...(Sigh)

This castle is boring. I've walked around it five times already.

Maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to kick the Chaldea people out...

Then again, if I didn't kick them out, I would've had to run away. I mean, I can't have them defeating me.

I guess I'll try going to the next place. Hopefully there's something more interesting there.

Heeey! Do you have a moment?

I am the ray of light that stops any and all smooth currents in their tracks. That's right. It's Dumuzid, your interceptor.

Aah! You scared me! Huh? Aren't you from

Ho ho ho. Yes, it is I, Santa.

And I'm Taisui Xingjun! Hi hi!

WhaHuh? Wh-what are you doing here?

We came to play!

That's right. And I also brought you a present.

Huh!?

I see. I think...I understand now.

B-but, how exactly are you going to help me have fun?

I mean, now that you know I have the Holy Grail...

...aren't you better off just beating me up and taking it?

...Yes, that may be.

Of course, you would be a formidable foe. It would be a tough, grueling fight.

But we've overcome countless hardships before. Defeating you might be tiring, but it wouldn't be impossible.

But...it isn't what we want to do.

And it's not just us. Master feels the same way.

As Santa Claus, I can't help but want to make children happy.

I'm not a child.

Of course not. Let's just leave it at that.

Agreed. Personally, I was already planning to give you a Best New Design award.

Yeah.

(Sniff) You're all being so nice to me...

Well, this part doesn't have anything to do with you...

...but you may have got me thinking about what it means to spend life as a terminal.

?

I meanAhem. Ho ho ho...

So, Tera-Tera and Jina-Jina, what do you guys want to play with Master?

Hmm.

It might be a little humdrum to greet him in this castle...

...Yeah.

I think we may need to recreate a famous place the children told me about.

Wandjina, what do you think of a building like this?

(Sketch, sketch)

What is this?

Something I'm sure Master will be both surprised and delighted to see.

Delighted... You really think so?

Yeah! Oh, but if you're gonna make this...

...I think you should try adding this to it, too!

O-okay... I-I'll give it a shot!

Here goes!

An earthquake?

？！

This is the Storm Border! We're seeing a metric crap-ton of magical energy being consumed!

I think the other Wandjina must have used something! Whatever it is, it's enough to transform that entire landmass!

The entire landmass? Transformed? Ooh, I don't like the sound of that.

I wonder what's going to happen...

The tremors seem to have stopped.

Whoa... This is amazing. Hehe. I'm just seeing it on my screen and I'm still blown away!

What is it, Da Vinci!?

Um, Master?

I just tried contacting Da Vinci, and she seemed to be very worked up...

Waaaaaah! Ma-chaaaaaan!

？！

Waaaaaah! Nani the what!? So many people I've barely ever met!

Osakabehime! If you're here, then that must mean

So like, all of a sudden, something yanked it away out of nowhere, and then our Rayshifts kind of gattaied...

...and now, it, um, ended up like usual... Hahaha...

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Oh wow... Look, Master! It's the old Csejte Pyramid Himeji Castle!

I-it's actually real!

？！

Wooow...

I see. So that's the famous Csejte Pyramid Himeji Castle.

It would appear so.

I have been told it is a magnificent monument which combines architectural styles from cultures throughout history.

Sounds kind of like fusion cuisine.

Wooow, this is amazing! And it's so big! What a fun place!

？！

Huh? A picture? Like a selfie? I don't know anything about that stuff, so whatever you think is best!

Okay, everyone, line up.

Me? Never mind me. I have no need for a reminder of my own appearance.

Then I shall stand in the center. Is this a suitable pose?

(For a stern old samurai, he's a surprisingly good sport.)

Okay, say cheese.

Haaahahaha. Haaahahaha.

That sounded like...Altera?

Yes, it is I, Santa.

Well done on making it to this castle. I commend you.

Um...thanks?

That's it. Gratitude is the mark of good civilization.

Now then. I, Taisui Xingjun, and this Wandjina, have decided to welcome you all to Csejte... Uh, how did it go again?

Pyramid Himeji Castle! I'd really appreciate if you didn't forget the Himeji Castle part!

My apologies.

Anyway, we decided to welcome you all at Csejte Pyramid Himeji Castle.

We're gonna play a whole bunch!

Chaldeaaans!

I hope we can have lots of fun together!

？！

Then let's start with a little test run. Ho ho ho.