Act III: The Nutcracker, Once More (1/3)

It looks like another location on SE.RA.PH, but I don't remember any passageway with a layout like this.

Guess we made it to the rear side safe and sound. Nice job, Fujimaru.

How can you be so calm about this!? We just left Gawain behind!

No, we didn't. Staying behind to hold Passionlip off was his call.

...Hmph. Getting in close to fight an enemy who can crush anything she sees? Reckless, but gutsy.

And it paid off.

Passionlip deals best with faraway, slow-moving targets.

Enemies in close, darting around quickly are another story.

Thanks to his sacrifice, we made it safely to our destination, and didn't lose anyone else.

Sorry about that. I guess it was too soon for you.

You bet he is! No way a knight like him would go down so easily! If anything, I'd bet that giant bust would only get him more fired up!

？！

You can argue later. We've already got another Sentinel to deal with.

Well duh! Like, of course I'm gonna come and crush any intruders! Though TBH, I'm kinda impressed.

I know I said you should text me, but I never thought you'd just drop by like this! Give a girl some warning!

But you totes made it! You avoided Lip, BB, and, everything. I can't even!

So of COURSE I'm gonna give you like, a lit AF welcome! I am so hype to have some good prey to play with!

Hey, monkey boy! What's your name, anyway?

？！

Got it! Fujimaru, huh. What kind of lame-o name is that? You choose it yourself or something?

Still, I like you. You're a lot better than those suuuper boring Masters who can't move at all!

I get it. You're not the type to give in to BB or the Alter Egos. I'm gonna take like, such good care of you!

My my, looks like she's really taken a liking to you, Fujimaru.

If you want to break our contract to make one with her, now's your chance. I bet she'd be pretty devoted...in her own way.

Of course, since she's also more beast than human, affection and appetite may not exactly be mutually exclusive for her.

I see. Then I hope you've learned your lesson about going around telling others your name. Remember, I'M your Servant here on SE.RA.PH.

Well said, Master! Don't go around making too many friend contracts!

？！

...Hold on. Did you add to your loser posse or something?

Let's just swipe left on that mega emo-looking brooder who is SO not my type...

Hm? What's your issue, fake foxgirl? Why're you looking at me like that?

I'm not a fake! YOU'RE the fake!

I dunno why, but you are just all kinds of nope for me. What the hell are you even supposed to be? A shrine maiden? Fox ears? Catgirl? Devoted wife?

How did "devoted wife" get in the mix here? Is there anything AT ALL that would make you think that about her?

I-I see... So you think domestic skills are important too...

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I mean, what the hell even IS this? Just, like...pick a theme! We are SO not gonna be mutuals.

No, seriously. What even are you? C'mon, spit it out before I give you a curbstomp!

Hmm. It looks like the fake foxgirl has some kind of history with my original.

But that's okay. I'm an honest and upstanding Tamamo! If someone asks me my name, I'll tell 'em!

I am none other than one of the Tamamo Nine that split off from Tamamo-no-Mae.

Intellectual heroine, possessor of warm paws, and domesticity master extraordinaire...

The faithful white-aproned Servant who accompanies her Master everywhere: Tamamo Cat!

...

...She doesn't know what to make of this. Suzuka may not look it, but she's actually quite earnest.

In fact, I think her whole teenage girl act is taking a toll on her. She's not equipped to deal with an airhead like Cat.

Y-yes I am! And it's not an act! I've been a teenage girl Servant literally forever!

Don't kid yourself, foxtail! Even a cat like me can see right through you!

？！

...

Oh I am so over this! You are DEAD, you stray cat-fox!

I like, do NOT care that BB asked me to show you guys around anymore! Besides, you started it!

Oh we are DOING this, right now! I'm proving once and for all who the REAL shrine fox maiden is! Get wrecked!

Hahaha, your true colors are showing, Suzuka Fox! If it's a fight you want, you've got it!

I'll use my ex-Sentinel paws to slap some sense of love, justice, and friendship into you!

Well well, look at you being all aggressive!

Now this is what I'm talking about!

A one-sided beatdown can be great for blowing off steam!

But the best Servant fights are when you're REALLY all up in each other's business!

I gotta say, you've got some nice moves! It's too bad you're stuck being a Sentinel!

In fact, why ARE you a Sentinel? I only became one after I almost died, and had no other option...

Was it the same for you too? Or was it just you getting sick, like, from eating something off the ground, and BB taking you in and nursing you?

Of course not! She recruited me after seeing my totally fab winning streak!

I have like, no clue what my Master looked like, but I know they were def someone who wanted to win the Holy Grail War!

So what kind of Servant would I be if I didn't do my best to make that happen!?

I don't care about whatever BB's up to! All I care about is being the last Servant out of all 128...

...Hang on. Ugh, why'd she have to call now? Wet blanket, much?

Hi-hi, it's Suzuka. What's good, BB? Yeah, I'm here with the Chaldea crew right now, just like you said...

Huh? You want me to head back to the temple? Don't fight them?

...Uh, and why the actual hell not?

I thought we were totes hype about the whole killing all the Servants thing. Was it just me?

Why do they get special treatment? Now my wish will never come true.

...All in good time? Chaldea Servants don't count? Oh, okay... I guess that makes sense...

(...Sigh) Anyway, you've got some kind of plan in mind, right? Okay, okay...I got it.

Well, Cat, Fujimaru, looks like we'll have to pick this up some other time.

Direct orders from the boss and all. I'm being a buzzkill, I know, but I gotta bounce.

You're headed for the Command Room, right? Then I'd check out the Nape if I were you.

Though I'd also look around other places first. This place has all kinds of different stuff than the front.

Remember what I said before? It's not just BB's fault that Seraphix ended up like this.

The humans here brought all this on themselves. This place was never just an oil rig.

？！

...

I knew something fishy was going on. Looks like we're finally getting to the heart of the matter.

Unfortunately, it also looks like every facility around here has been completely SE.RA.PH-ized.

I did some digging around, and the front side has almost all the facilities an oil rig would need.

So what around here could have prompted Suzuka Gozen to say that? And where would it be?

Hold up! Let's come back to that complicated stuff later, Master!

I almost forgot about it while fighting Suzuka, but we have to get back to the front side right now! Before something bad happens to Sir Gawain!

I know he doesn't look it, but he really is prone to getting into all kinds of trouble!

Don't be ridiculous. We'd just be wasting time if we went back there now.

We should be taking advantage of this opportunity that Gawain has given us.

I say we get to an area near the Chest and turn the base back over.

That way, we can reach the Central Command Room without having to fight that Alter Ego.

I'm pretty sure Gawain would agree if he were here.

...

Well, if you're just talking about going there, then I agree with Archer. No objections here.

？！

Then it's settled. Come on, let's go.

The sooner we settle this, the sooner you'll get to see Gawain again too.