Closing Ceremony

Goooaaal! Congratulations! You're the winners!

Fouuu!

Fou fooou! (Clapping paws)

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Wow... The excitement here is palpable! We're so lucky we were able to see the end of the race this close to the finish line, Senpai!

Looks like there's still some time until the victory ceremony. Everyone's still taking it all in.

Huh... Was that thunder? Odd, it was really sunny here at the racetrack just a moment ago...

What the... Are those storm clouds...?

They're coming straight toward us, almost as if they have a will of their own...

That's a hell of a storm...! Hey, kids! Hurry up and get back to Chaldea!

Those gale winds aren't just gonna blow around physical objects... That lightning can even destroy Spirit Origins!

It's a quaking, crackling, criminal Andersen! Why does this have to happen now, right after I got the special celebratory champagne!?

Th-th-that thunder sounds like Gozu-Tenno. Don't tell me that's Raikou!? I'm getting out of here while my head's still attached to my shoulders!

Ibaraki's such a fraidy-cat. Me, I'm the pinnacle of elegance...

That kind of lightning is no big deal at all. I see that sort of thing on Mt. János all the ti

Awawawawawawa! What the hell was that? It zapped me all the way down to my tail!

Everyone's scattering now!

We need to get out of here too, Master!

I agree, Master! There's something strange about this storm!

？！

Hehe... Hehehe... Heh heh heh heh!

That. Was. PERFECT! Everything went JUST AS PLANNED! I'm so perfect I almost scare myself!

Fou, fooou!

Was that Ishtar!? Ah, Senpai! You musn't go back to the racetrack!

Go on, if you don't want to get caught up in this, you'd better run away! Don't worry, I'm not heartless. I'll spare your lives!

But please note that any refunds for bets placed will only be given to Servants still at the racetrack, and tickets for any Heroic Spirits who run away will be considered null and void♡

Hehehe, heh heh heh heh! If you've got a problem with that, then take it up with the most ancient of laws!

"No matter what the era, the house always wins."

All gambling is rigged to the advantage of whoever's hosting it. If you didn't know what that meant before, hopefully it's become crystal clear by now☆

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Oh. What was that, Fujimaru? I could have sworn I just heard you asking for divine punishment OF THE WORST KIND!

Senpai! It's dangerous here. Lightning could strike at any moment!

Oh, don't worry about that, Mash. I won't go zapping you after you both helped me out so much.

...As long as you don't get in my way anymore, that is.

Fouuu!

？！

No... I don't think this is an ordinary earthquake.

You're right. This is the earth itself crying out in pain. It's being sacrificed in order to make my companion.

I mean come ON, did you really figure me for the kinda chump who'd use all her money on charity!? It was all a ritual leading up to this moment!

That's right. I couldn't care less who came in first.

All I wanted was to have each team drive their hearts out while they completed the race.

To make sure the parts I had each team install in their vehicles all ended up here...

...after their tires carved a ton of magical energy into the Venus textures I placed all over this land!

There we go! That's the kind of shocked expression I wanted to see! That look right there is what makes masterminding this sort of thing worthwhile.

Did you now, Fujimaru? I knew I saw great potential and a promising future in you, Master.

But you still didn't know exactly what I was up to, did you?

？！

I'll be nice and throw you a bone here. First off, check out the true form of my Ishtar Temple!

？！

The Ishtar Temple was just a front! THIS is the top secret, painstakingly constructed heart of the operation: the Ishtar Quantum Power System...or Ishtar QPS!

Hold it right there!

We cannot simply stand idly by through all of this...whatever this is!

We overheard what you were saying. What is all this? Is it something to do with the parts installed on our vehicles?

Something to do with them? They were the whole point of all this! Speaking of which, I'll be taking them back now!

Hrm!? I didn't input any steam command like that!

Ishtar's part just came off of Babbage's body!

(I wish MY body could combine and detach... I wonder if they'd include a diagram showing how to cast parts off like that at the end of the book...)

Those parts are coming off our vehicles all by themselves... Is that thing pulling them in...?

Kyogoku may never have needed such a harness, but I still question what all this is about.

Wahahaha! Our vehicle just completely fell apart after that thing we jammed in somewhere was just ripped out!

I don't know how it managed to stay together all this time! Oh well, it can't be helped!

Those parts aren't just flying away. I'm sensing tremendous magical energy from that device...!

There we go! It's coming together nicely! And it's all thanks to you guys driving over my Venus textures!

The tire marks you all carved into this land while you were desperately trying to outrun one another functioned just like kind of magical summoning circle...

...and this little doohickey is designed to gather up all the magical energy expended during the race.

At the same time, the parts I had you install in your vehicles secretly stored the heat created by the friction of your magical-energy-propelled tires running across my textures...

...which in turn completed the preparations for the excited state for each part.

Hehehe, ahahahaha! It's all so deliciously perfect! Soon, sooooooon Operation Rebuild Gugalanna will be complete!

Gugalanna...the Bull of Heaven, and the Divine Beast that once served Ishtar.

But when we were in Uruk, I thought she told us she had lost it somewhere...

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...Hehe. Now that I look back on it, I've spent a long, looong time waiting for this day.

The Queen of Kur stole all the best parts for herself, even though I'm the Queen of Heaven.

The other goddesses all pitied me, calling me pathetic just because I lost my trump card, the Bull of Heaven...

Goldie would laugh at me and say things like "Well of course the Bull of Heaven left you! Who'd want a master that was built like a washboard!"...

It's been a long and humiliating road to get here, but at last...I've finally reached my goal!

You there! Don't you look at me like that! This is NOT just about taking out my frustrations on others!

Don't worry. Since I'm the highest class of goddess there is, I'll tell you what was really going on with this race.

Up till now, I would spend all my free time searching for Gugalanna, or trying to resummon him...anything I could think of to get him back, basically.

Considering how tight we were, it should've only been a matter of time until he came back to me.

...But no matter how hard I tried, he never came home. I couldn't find him anywhere. I couldn't summon him. I couldn't even sense his breathing.

I realized that I hadn't just lost him. Either he was taken someplace my Authority doesn't reach, or

...Or disappeared after the connection between Divine Spirits and humanity was completely severed, and his role had been completed, right?

Exactly. Which means it wasn't my fault that I lost Gugalanna in Uruk.

At that point, he had already become detached from me, so it was no wonder I wasn't able to summon him again.

Gugalanna had returned to heaven. It was a gift from my father, but he had earned his retirement. I had no problem with that. Really.

So I had a change of heart, and decided to take a different tack. If the first Gugalanna was broken, I could just make another!

Wha...? Th-then, you really are trying to make another Divine Beast, like An the demiurge!?

Yup! If Dad could do it, no reason I can't!

I mean, how many times do you think I've come THIS close to destroying Mesopotamia?

Maybe you guys didn't take me seriously since I've really only showed you my good side, but this is who I really am.

A goddess among goddesses who collects Authority from every other god and uses it as ornamentation.

The most powerful Divine Spirit ever: Ruler Ishtar!

Incredible. That Divine Beast really is starting to incarnate! Singularity or not, it's amazing that she was able to pull this off all on her own!

Oh man, I definitely wasn't taking this seriously enough! Ishtar! I regret my error, and stand in awe!

？！

Well, this whole race ritual DID have a pretty big mystery to it right from the beginning.

I told myself that Ishtar was odd, and her ways would naturally be odd too, and just let it go, but...

Hahaha, I really did not see this twist coming!

Basically, this whole race was nothing more than a way of creating a new Gugalanna, right?

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Sorry about that. You gotta understand, we geniuses don't get many chances to have our expectations exceeded like this. It's sort of novel.

I mean, it's just so much fun! I mean, how do we not get excited when we finally get to experience actually being surprised by a twist for once?

That said, I know I need to keep that under control this time around. The surprise is over now, and it's time to deal with this mess.

Well well, that's some big talk, Da Vinci. Didn't you just say you were standing in awe of me?

I did. And I still am.

I'm feeling regret AND awe. But for the Bull of Heaven, not you.

Unfortunately for you, Ishtar, you're still just a Pseudo-Servant using a human as a vessel.

Your Spirit Origin is A-rank at best. Suffice to say that we can handle anything you can throw at us.

...That said, the severity of the beating coming your way may change depending on what you decide to do with your reconstructed bovine friend.

More big talk, eh. All right then, let me just go ahead and finish up building my Bull of Heaven.

And then I'll show you just how terrifying I can really be!

First, I'll use the Ishtar QPS to put together the different living body parts overflowing with magical energy, with an immature organism as the nucleus!

...Here it comes! This is the birth of my new Gugalanna: Gugalanna Mark II!

Uh. It's so big.

So you mean all that work I did was just a ploy to bring this giant cow to life? Why didn't anyone tell me!?

What are you, a movie villain killing off her allies now that they've outlived their usefulness!?

No, if anything, it's more like agreeing to give a race promoter a cut of your winnings, then having him fleece you for everything you've got!

...Mind if I ask a question? I get what you're really trying to make now.

But is this ritual still going to serve the function you originally promised it would?

Th-that's right. This race was originally supposed to erase the Singularity here.

You CAN still do that...right?

...

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That IS a good question. All of the magical energy collected in this race has been poured into Gugalanna.

There are no resources left that can be allocated to erasing the Singularity. Much as I hate to say it, it would seem that Ishtar has deceived us and

N-no I didn't. I totally accounted for this, okay? Getting my Gugalanna Mark II was all part of the plan!

I always meant to use his ultra Divine Beast power to take care of the Singularity!

I just have to get rid of the distortion, right? I'll just have him stomp on it like a roll of bubble wrap!

Th-that's too rough! It would be like using a bomb to get rid of a ketchup stain!

What Mash said. That may get rid of the Singularity, but it would also wipe out Connacht along with it!

Fortunately, there's still time. All Ishtar needs to do is give back the magical energy she diverted to Gugalanna.

Oho... So it is not too late to reverse the flow of energy, is it?

The primary reason I took part in this race to begin with was to help Master resolve this Singularity.

...While I will not deny that I had reasons of my own as well, I cannot allow this most important of aspects to come unraveled at the end.

Yes. Master...happy...best. Master...not happy...bad.

Then I guess we all know what we have to do now, don't we?

I'm glad you children are so quick on the uptake. It saves me a lot time sharing my hard-won wisdom!

Hey, I'll never stand out on the stage with that thing in the background!

Of course, if we set it up so that it blows wiiide open and I come flying out of it on a wire for my grand entrance, well that's a whole different story!

A true god shouldn't be selfish, Ishtar.

They should always keep their promises, even those made to inferior humans.

Wait... Hang on a second. When did I get to be the bad guy here?

Okay, maaaybe I went a little too far with swindling everyone out of their bets...

But in general, my getting a new Gugalanna is a good thing, right? Just imagine all that power, fighting on yoour side!

Sure, its divine radiance might be so intense that it crushes all sorts of tangible and intangible things...

...but that's a small price for such a big payoff. If anything, you should be thanking me for bringing him back.

I-I mean come on, it's like humans always say: bigger is better!

...

...

So it's gonna be like that, huh!? Fine! I'm not backing down after coming this far. Let's do this thing!

Let's see how its materialization is coming along... Just one foreleg? Hmph...that's more than enough!

Ishtar, Mode...Change!

Taste this power for yourself, and bow down before me! Soon, you'll wish you'd never messed with this goddess!

She's unleashing her true strength! Come on, Master! Let's stop Ishtar's misguided plan and bring this to an end!

!!!

Hehe, not bad! But you're still completely outclassed! Resistance is futile!

An incarnated Divine Beast IS law in this world! And as the Queen of Heaven, I'm the only one who can control it!

Gugalanna is practically invulnerable to the likes of you! You guys don't stand a chance!

...! I'm afraid she's right, Master!

Nero, Altria Alter, and everyone else are putting up a great fight, but they just don't have anything that can bring the Bull of Heaven down!

There you have it! Now just sit back and wait while Gugalanna finishes assembling!

Once he's complete, I can go back to being my true self!

Instead of Ishtar, I'll be Inanna...and I'll have the Authority to control the heavens themselves!

Argh! Having an ally become stronger is normally a good thing, but I have a rather unfortunate prediction about this goddess and her plans!

I'm so confident, I am willing to wager on it! She is the type to self-destruct spectacularly by betting everything on what she mistakenly believes to be a winning hand!

(Nodding vigorously)

No I'm not!

When I win, I win big, and when I lose, I make sure to take my opponent with me!

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...O-okay, I'll admit that this case bears more than a passing resemblance to that scenario...

...Crud. I'm getting a bad feeling about this...

N-nice try, but you can't psych me out! I've already won, no matter how you slice it!

I'm not self-destructing, and you guys have no chance to turn this around! In another minute...no, two minutes, I'll have

I don't think so!

While you were busy focusing on your enemies on the ground, I got to your bull's head, yes!

! Th-this voice... This divine aura...

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Gracias, Fujimaru! That's so sweet of you to say, if a little embarrassing!

Now I'm all fired up for my last show! To thank you for cheering me on, I'll show you the essence of lucha...

A "Neck Hang" into a "Heaven Drop," on an unprecedented gigantic scale!

...Quetzalcoatl is bending Gugalanna's horns!

Amazing... Now she's tied them together, and...no way...is that a "Backbreaker" into what I think it is!?

Quetzalcoatl!? What are YOU doing here!?

I thought you got taken out along with Medb!

I did, yes! Or at least, someone who looked just like me did!

You weren't the only one who was scheming behind the scenes, Ishtar.

My request is very simple.

When they break out of prison, it will be my job as the vice-warden to go after them.

When that happens, I want you to disguise yourself as me and fight in my stead.

This is not to deceive Medb, but the goddess helping the prisoners. I want her to think I'm off the board.

Of course, it won't work if you just run away from them, no. Basically...

I want you to die for real, yes!

What are you, a demon!? The hell kind of deal is that!?

You don't like it? I see. I could kill you right now if you prefer.

(Gulp)... Right. I guess you WOULD kill me if I refused, huh? And if you did, I wouldn't be able to fulfill the first request I accepted.

So I can either die without fulfilling any requests, or die after fulfilling two requests, huh.

Well that's a no-brainer. Okay lady, you've got yourself a deal.

Muchas gracias! I'm glad you're such an understanding Heroic Spirit, yes!

You bet. But if I'm going to accept your request, I need you to come through with a suitable reward, you know?

That said, I'm good on money and booze now. Authority's nice too, but I think I've had my fill of that.

...When you can become anyone at all, sometimes you've got to make a conscious choice to do something for yourself.

You follow me, lady? You know what it is I want more than anything?

...Yes, I believe I do.

Very well then, nameless warrior. The next time we meet...

I swear on my godhood to face you in a no-holds-barred match of strength.

As you can see, I love hand-to-hand combat, so I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time, yes!

...Got it. Right then, you've got yourself a deal. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure your plan succeeds.

...And here we are. But don't feel too bad, Ishtar.

It's not that my scheme was better than yours so much as his performance was just too good.

That said, it's time you had a stern talking-to!

I understand how awful it feels to be unable to fight when something really matters, or to be helpless to save those who are in need, yes!

But still, you went too far this time! As a fellow goddess of Venus, I can't just stand by and let you continue in this foolishness, no!

If it is beyond the capacity of humanity to stop this beast, then I shall destroy it myself!

Gugalanna, Bull of Heaven and servant to the goddess of Venus! If you feel a kinship with my power, then hear me now and obey me!

This drop is too much even for you! I'll drive you back into the earth and return you to your slumber!

Moooooo!

Aaahhh! Please, noooooo!

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Okay everyone, line up now. Closer together, please. Winning team in the middle! They've earned that.

Just a moment. You there, evil aristocrat, get out of the way. You will not be waltzing into this picture!

This commemorative photo will consist only of the racers and the race's administrative staff!

You, goddess, stay put. Don't bother trying to get out of frame.

Good. Now hold that up so we can see it!

King Gilgamesh gave this to us himself. It may be recycled, but that doesn't mean we should waste it.

(Sniff)... No fair... I didn't do anything to deserve this kind of cruelty...

I lost my fleeting Authority... I lost Gugalanna... And when I get back to Chaldea, there's even a special anti-goddess punishment waiting for me.

Whose idea was this, anyway...? Oh, right... It was mine... Hehe, hehehe...

Go on, Fujimaru. It's okay to laugh...

It's just like Nero said. I'm a pathetic goddess who blew all her money on a single winning ticket that turned out to be anything but...

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Um, Senpai? Ishtar seems to be genuinely repentant, and it looks like we should be able to do something about this Singularity now that Gugalanna is gone.

So maybe we don't need to punish her TOO severely?

Hehe... That's kind of you, Mash...but it's okay. Even I'm fed up with myself after this ordeal.

I don't even care what happens to me anymore. Go ahead; do your worst. I can't stand the thought of being broke.

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Huh...? "Save up from scratch again"? You mean...

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I agree, that sounds like the best solution!

Ishtar, no matter what you might say, you're is still among the highest class of goddess around!

Just the fact that you're on Chaldea's side is something more precious than anything money can buy!

Y-you think...? So even though I can never call on Gugalanna again...you still need my power?

You think I'm Chaldea's true goddess of victory or something?

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I-I see. In that case, well, I really am sorry about all this.

And I do feel better now that I know for sure Gugalanna is never coming back, so...

Okay! I guess there's a first time for everything; even a goddess working for free!

So I swear to you once again: I, Ishtar, officially vow to be your Servant!

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...My, my. That one came out rather well, if I do say so myself.

Now, I think I shall take another one focused on the victory cup. Will the winning team hold it up, please?

Yes, there we go. Those are some lovely smiles. ...All right, say cheese.

Come to think of it...

This may be the longest I've ever been outside Chaldea with Senpai since I became a navigator...

I guess it really would have been unhealthy to spend the whole summer staying inside playing board games.

I should thank Ishtar for giving us a reason to go outside.

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Oh, hi Senpai. Hi Fou.

Fou fou!

I-I see. I guess that makes sense, given everything that happened...

Okay, I'll let her take care of it then.

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Fortunately, we were able to get rid of the Singularity with the resources we secured after Quetzalcoatl stopped Gugalanna Mark II.

So I guess this really does wrap everything up.

Fouuu!

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Yes. Of that much, I'm absolutely certain.

It may have been one thing after another...but this summer still turned out to be a lot of fun!

I'm sure everyone else feels the same way!