Section 2: Hero/Desire

That's no problem, Senpai. We're still on standby.

Besides, there's just something about gentle sailing that lulls you to sleep. And it's good to rest up when you can.

？！

Yes. It may not be at a fast pace, but the ship and river are both making steady forward progress.

And just so you guys know, now that the river is flowing, the chocolate miasma is starting to ease up, too.

It's good to know that our initial guesses were accurate. Not to mention the information we were given.

What's that supposed to mean? I've only ever given you accurate information.

...Whup, got a big boulder up ahead. Hard to starboard!

Wow, nice steering!

I used to go sailing a lot too, so I can tell you're really good at this, Beard Guy!

Hehe, well thanks, Your Highness.

It's nice that boulders can replenish the river too...

...but it kind of sucks that you can't always tell them apart from the chocolate. Dangerous, too.

You said it. You've always gotta be careful on the water. One wrong move on a ship can easily cost you your life.

That's right. For sailors, the time spent on board is anything but fun and games.

You're gambling with your life as to whether you'll even reach your destination.

So while I may, uh...play a little fast and loose with the truth here and there...

...it's only 'cause I have to, to make sure we get where we're trying to go.

So please don't feel like you need to keep your guard up around me.

Come to think of it, that reminds me of an anecdote I once read about you...

...where you lied to your crew to stave off a mutiny when they started to doubt there really was land up ahead.

Hmm, can't say I remember that.

But if I did do something like that, it was only 'cause it's my responsibility as captain.

I hope you can believe me when I say I'm here to make sure this ship gets where it needs to go.

I'll get you all there if it's the last thing I do.

But we don't even know where it is we need to go.

Sure, this river's probably going to arrive somewhere at some point, but how's it going to let me see someone I miss?

How should we know? We do not even know how this chocolate river came to be in the first place.

...(Staaare)

What is it, girl? What are you looking at?

Oh, I was just thinking how you kind of remind me of my mother.

Your mother was Queen Cassiopeia, right? The one from the constellation.

Oh? How do you mean?

And be warned that when comparing a supremely powerful empress to another, you had best choose your words wisely.

I mean how you're both so beautiful, of course!

Khh. I've only ever seen such unclouded eyes on infants... You know, royalty is supposed to be far less...forthcoming about what they truly think.

Ahem. Enough of this. I am expecting a report from the doves I sent out to look for boulders.

Uh-oh. Did I say something wrong?

？！

Yes, I think that's what it is, too.

She's used to dealing with a certain someone who likes to hide his true intentions behind his smile.

So an earnest smile and direct compliments are still pretty new for her.

I see...

Hmm...

That's strange. It feels like something in the wind just changed.

What is this...?

Hm? What was that? Use words I can understand.

There is no point in a report I cannot make sense of. ...River? What about the river?

...Another river?

...!

Aw hell, is that...

Damn, should've trusted my gut! All of you! Brace for impact and hang on tight!

I can't believe it... It really is another chocolate river.

It's been adding chocolate and other stuff to extend its course, just like we've been doing with ours...

...and now, it's come crashing headlong into our river's path to block it off.

Another chocolate river!?

So, the one you've been sailing on isn't the only one? There was a chocolate river branch, too?

Beats me. I can't say which one's the original and which one's the branch.

Near as I can tell, both rivers have the same levels of current and chocolate.

They're vying to see which one wins out, which completely stopped both from flowing.

Though the impact did make what seems to be a chocolate fountain over there.

？！

So wait, the boat's just completely stopped now? Then what do we do!?

'Course it is. It can't move when the river itself ain't moving.

If we can feed the river enough chocolate or whatnot to build up its pressure...

...then it ought to swallow up that other river and start moving again, but...

？！

I'll say there is. Take a look at the other river.

Those look like...bananas?

They look yummy, too. I never thought about it before, but bananas and chocolate seem like they'd go great together. (Salivating)

That river is indeed quite different from ours.

Our river accepts boulders as "fuel" thanks to the girl imbuing it with her personal traits.

So then, that river must have undergone something similar to make it accept bananas.

Look! There's a ship on the other river!

And there's someone on it!

？！

Yes, it is me.

What are you doing here, Rama?

What am I doing here? A foolish question.

There is someone I wish to see. Someone I miss dearly.

Sita, my beloved wife.

...!

And since this river lets you see people you miss, there is no question that I must make my way down it.

I must get to where my river will take me. I must.

Now move aside.

Hmm, so he's not about to yield for us. Now what do we do?

(Then again...I guess it's pretty obvious.)

Oh... I can tell. I can't help but tell.

Tell what, girl?

That guy really means every word he's saying.

He wants to see this Sita person from the bottom of his heart, and he's willing to risk everything to do that.

And, I can tell that he's an incredibly upstanding hero.

I don't know his name, and I've never seen him before, but I gotta be right, right?

Yes, you are.

Rama is a great hero from an epic poem. He's an upstanding young king who always tries to do the right thing.

Hehe, I knew it.

I may not recognize his face, or his voice...but there's just something about him that reminds me of Perseus.

I can tell he's strong enough to face any foe, and an unshakable sense of virtue.

No matter what kind of obstacles he may encounter...

...he'll always face them head-on, and overcome them in the end.

Perseus had that kind of vibe, and I can tell this guy does, too.

That's what makes them widely recognized as heroes.

Hmph. So what?

Haha, exactly. That's why I'm struggling with what I should do now.

I know we're advancing this river so we can get rid of this world's big anomaly...

...but, maybe it doesn't have to be MY river?

？！

Like I said, I can tell his feelings are the real deal.

And I can tell he's got a special reason for them, too.

I also miss Perseus, and it definitely is the real deal...

...but I don't have any special reason like Rama does.

So if only one of these rivers can keep going...

...maybe it's better if I give up mine and let his become the main one.

Nope. That won't work. His river'll never make it to the end.

Huh?

Okay, let me just tweak this, adjust this, and... Yup, I knew it!

Watch out, everyone. That isn't Chaldea's Rama!

His signal is still right here. That other guy is someone, or something, else entirely!

？！

Hm?

Look! He's changing color!

？！

I think so. He changed back right away, but I saw it, too.

What was that, Da Vinci?

As far as I can tell, that Rama's not a Servant. It's an imitation made out of chocolate.

Some kind of magical energy or something with a unique orientation became connected to the chocolate...

...and made something that resembles a Servant Spirit Origin.

I guess we can call it a Choco Servant.

I still don't know exactly how this happened, though!

？！

？！

Chocoramis? I have no idea what you are talking about.

But if you say one more word, I will be forced to make you take forgetfulness poison, Master or no.

That thing's gotta be based on the desire of someone powerful to see another.

So that desire then gets isolated and connected to the chocolate, I'd guess.

It'd be one thing if that really was a Servant, but a chocolate imitation? No way.

Only someone with genuine feelings has a chance of making it to the end of this river.

So no, missy, you can't yield to him.

If that river becomes the main stream, it'll just go around in circles without ever getting anywhere.

If that happens, we'll never be able to fix this Singularity. So we have to make sure we win.

(How are you so sure about that?)

I see.

So, then, how are we supposed to win?

Easy. The river stopped flowing 'cause it ran into another river that's flowing just as strong.

So we've gotta upset that equilibrium with brute force.

And that means doing the same thing we've been doing so far.

We gotta toss more fuel into this river, make it pick up its pace, and overpower the other one.

So, we need to add even more boulders and chocolate to our river then?

That's right. And to take it a step further, that other river's getting mixed in with ours at the fountain point.

So while this'll probably only work near there...

...I think we can use filler from that other river that've gotten your magical energy on them, missy.

In fact, whichever side can better use the other's trait might even be this contest's deciding factor.

So, by "trait," in this case, does that mean...the bananas?

Looks that way.

This whole thing might sound a little silly, but our opponent's dead serious.

Oh, and of course, the other guy's gonna try to do the same thing. He might even try and interfere with us directly.

I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to overpower us so he could then take his time with his river.

This could be tougher than we thought.

In that case, could we not do the same thing by completely eliminating the threat this Choco Servant poses?

Even if they are from Chaldea, if they mean to stand in our way, I see no reason to go easy on them.

Nah, that ain't gonna help. This is just a guess, but I'd bet the chocolate that guy's made of comes straight from that other river.

So even if we did kill him, he'd just keep coming back until we did something about the river itself.

Forgive me, but I have no intention of standing down. If you will not yield, then battle is our only recourse.

Though of course, I will never kill you, Master, Mash.

(So he recognizes them. I guess at least part of him is the same as Chaldea's Rama then.)

(It looks like Columbus was right. It seems he really is a copy of Rama's desire to see Sita.)

I know this is selfish on my part.

But to me, this selfishness is worth taking on the entire world. It's the one thing I cannot compromise on.

Your river is tied to rocks, huh? Very well.

My good friend Hanuman once carried in a mountain to save our lives.

It would be amusing to do something similar in front of Hanuman's...distant relations.

So I will cut down that rocky mountain and throw it all into the river!

I'm seeing a lot of monkeys all carrying bananas!

Look closer. They are dotting the shore as well as that ship.

It would seem they are the ones who have been procuring all those bananas.

They're on the shore, too? Then we've still got a chance.

If we can steal those monkeys' bananas, we can whittle down the enemy's forces while also bolstering our river.

Two birds, one stone.

？！

...Yeah. We have to do this, no matter what.

I still can't say with confidence that I should be the one leading this river. I definitely don't want to deny his wish.

But if this is the only way I have to help others...

...then I'm going to follow my own feelings wherever they lead!

Sorry, other hero, but...we're the one who'll be going on ahead!

Taaake THIS!

Ghh...

We did it! Chocolate Rama is defeated...

...and our river is starting to flow again after overpowering the other one!

It also looks like, now that our deadlock is broken...

...the chocolate fountain has turned into a chocolate mountain!

... ...

I'm glad that our river's flowing again, but, what's going to happen to him?

That guy's kind of like a ghost born from the original's desire to see his loved one.

That ghost then merged with and took over that chocolate river, causing it to advance temporarily.

But once our river absorbed that river and forced it to stop, the ghost basically returned to its senses...

Ahh... I see. I'm actually...

...and now, the only thing it can do is disappear.

？！

Hey now, cheer up.

I'm just talking about the Choco Servants in this Singularity.

The original Servants are still back in Chaldea, and their feelings aren't going anywhere.

...Where you going, missy?

I'm sorry.

I know we can't let you keep advancing your river, but your feelings are still just as real as mine.

I can tell.

... ...

...It's okay. I understand now. I AM Rama's desire to see Sita again.

I am essentially one facet of his mind given self-awareness.

I have no more substance than a mirage, or a shadow.

And besides...even if I did see Sita again, I could never face her knowing I had taken a dishonorable path to reach her.

Still...even now...

...there is a part of me stubbornly insisting that dishonor is okay if it means seeing her again.

How unbecoming. No king or hero should be having such conflicting thoughts.

But then, I'm a jumble of weakness and indulgence. It's no surprise that I would

No. You're wrong there.

I know what it's like.

I know that the people we call heroes are still just people, with the same doubts and hardships as anyone else.

I know that sometimes, they worry even more because they're heroes...

...and that sometimes, they agonize even more than most because nobody else understands.

And I know that no matter how great a hero you are...you're still more than just your heroism.

I know because I've lived my life with someone like that. I've seen what it's like up close and personal.

Andromeda...

So, it's okay. You don't have to convince yourself that you were mistaken.

Don't worry about acting like a hero. Just hold your head high, and go where your feelings tell you to go.

For what it's worth...I really hope you find what you're looking for.

...I see.

You know...hearing you say that does make me feel...better...

...Phew.

Huh? He dropped something.

？！

It would seem so. I think this is what was used to give Chocolate Rama his form.

Hey, guys, got a second?

I've got a guest here who wants to talk to you, just for a little.

I have been watching the situation on the monitor, so I understand what is going on.

Whoa! Are you the real Rama?

Indeed, I am. I apologize for the trouble my feelings have caused you.

Hehe. But you're not actually sorry, are you?

Well, I cannot help how I feel.

Indeed, I can't say I'm surprised that my desire to see Sita again was strong enough to assume this chocolate form you met.

If another situation like this were to arise, I expect the same thing will happen yet again.

There's no way to stop it. All I can do in advance is ask for your forgiveness and your understanding.

Now that is the sort of arrogance I would expect from a king. I trust you have no objections to having purged your chocolate doppelganger then?

Of course not. Besides, even if he had continued down the river, what would be the point of having only my personified desire see Sita again?

If anyone's going to see her again, it should be the true me!

So no, pay it no heed.

Thanks! Honestly, it's kind of a relief to hear that.

Oh, right. What should we do with this chocolate I just picked up?

That is just the container for my feelings. It does seem as though it has retained its core, though.

Feel free to use it as you would any other chocolate. You need chocolate to fuel the river now, no?

Hmm. I don't think one piece of chocolate will make that much difference, so I think I'll just hang on to it for now!

Do with it what you will. You may even eat it as an emergency ration if you like.

At any rate, let me ask you one final question.

Are you one...who exists alongside heroes?

I'm not sure.

Honestly...I kind of feel like that alone wouldn't be enough?

So, if I do happen to see your Sita, I'd love to talk with her about this.

I see. You and her are very different, but something tells me you would still hit it off.

If you should meet her, then please, tie her down with those chains of yours until I can get there myself.

...Farewell.

Good, the ship's picking up speed again.

Great! Then we can pick up where we left off: gathering boulders and chocolate, and using them to extend the river.

It doesn't look like bananas will work for that anymore, though. That was only for the area you were just in.

Never mind that. What was that last conversation about?

Hm? Ehehe, well, since you asked...

...I guess this is a good time to tell you guys.

Especially now that meeting that last hero jogged my memory.

Well, it's not like I ever forgot, really. It just got me thinking about it again.

？！

Well, I guess you could say it has to do with my current goal?

You see...I'd like to try becoming a hero myself.