The Lost "Reaper"

...?

Is something wrong, Voyager? Why did you stop?

...I found her.

Huh?

That's her.

？！

...What do you guys want? If you're here to stop me, I'll end you.

I've been looking for you, Erice.

...No way. Voyager? Is that you?

What are you doing here? And who are they? Why are you with them?

？！

You're a player of this game, too?

And I guess this means you're also, um...Voyager's new M-Master?

？！

I see. Then that means we're rivals.

Though of course, unlike you, I don't have anyone else helping me out.

Um, I think Voyager said your name is Erice? Is that right?

Some people used to call me that. Not that any of them are still around.

But these days, I think the other name I go by might be a better fit.

You have another name? What is it?

The Grim Reaper.

The Grim Reaper?

Of course, right now, I'm just playing this game here in the Monde du Jeu.

I'm sure you're not thrilled with the idea of fighting for your lives, but I really can't stand needless dramatics.

So don't worry. I'm going to destroy this entire messed-up world, and all of you along with it.

Once I've done that, everything should go back to normal!

Don't give me that nonsense! Every game needs its winners and losers!

Sh-shut up! It's just a nickname, okay!? It's not like I chose it myself!

？！

Khh...!

Erice, please listen to us! Voyager's been trying to save you all this

So what, you're saying I owe you!? After you went and stole him from me!?

You're wrong, Erice.

This isn't over. Not by a long shot.

I don't know what the deal is with you guys, or what's going on in this world...

But I'm going to put an end to all of it!

Erice!

I take it you're all okay?

Edison. Nursery Rhyme. Alter. You're all here!

We saw you fighting that girl. Who was she? Is she a Servant?

That was Erice. She's lost.

So that's the friend you've been telling us about, Voyager?

Uh... Yes? ...I'm not really sure.

But, I do know one thing... She wasn't always like that.

Then something must've happened to her. Something that happens so often people hardly notice.

People decline, they make mistakes, they rot from the inside out. It's common for someone to grow entirely unrecognizable over time.

But you still want to save Erice, don't you, Voyager?

Yes. That's why I came here. And why I wanted you to come.

Will you save her?

？！

Thank you, Fujimaru.

I'm happy. It was good that it was you.

Congratulations!

Eep! You startled me...

By the way, I know this is short notice, but I have some good news.

Fujimaru, you now have enough tokens to try your hand at the next stage!

？！

You can always play it again if you like. Especially if you ever need more tokens.

In the meantime, the tram to the next stage will be leaving soon. Good luck!

Hey, if you have to deal with all this craziness, the least I can do is try to explain it in a way that makes some kind of sense, right?

That obvious, huh?

But hey, sometimes, you've just got to relax your mind if you want to win the game, right?

？！

Where's the tram she mentioned? I don't see one anywhere...

Over here. Follow me.

You're going to lead us? Are you sure you know the way?

Somehow, I can just tell...

...that Erice is up ahead.

I, for one, have no doubts that Voyager can lead the way.

I've never been on a tram before.

A tram that crosses the sea of stars, huh. How very poetic. No doubt it's using direct current for its power supply.

I, um...suppose it could be...

Hey guys! Miss me?

Da Vinci!

Phew, I finally got our comms link established. Glad to see you're all in good shape.

So, how're things on your end?

？！

...Gotcha. That does sound pretty weird.

I take it this Erice is almost certainly a Servant then?

Based on the extraordinary combat prowess she demonstrated, I do think that's a likely possibility, but...

Something's still nagging at you?

Yes. The fact that Erice was all alone.

Back in Akihabara, everyone had their own personal Holy Grail, and lived alongside their Servant.

But as I said, Erice was acting all on her own. Which must mean

？！

Gotcha. In that case, we can't discount the possibility that Erice, like you...

...is actually a human mage.

Interesting. That would definitely explain why she doesn't seem to be like other Servants.

So Voyager, based on everything we know so far, it seems like a safe bet that you were Erice's contracted Servant.

What do you know about her? Anything you can tell us?

The Erice I know is...human. The last one in that city...

That's why I...

...It looks like he's confused, too.

Hey guys! Miss me?

Da Vinci!

Phew, I finally got our comms link established. Glad to see you're all in good shape.

So, how're things on your end?

？！

...Gotcha. That does sound pretty weird.

I take it this Erice is almost certainly a Servant then?

Based on the extraordinary combat prowess she demonstrated, I do think that's a likely possibility, but...

Something's still nagging at you?

Yes. The fact that Erice was all alone.

Back in Akihabara, everyone had their own personal Holy Grail, and lived alongside their Servant.

But as I said, Erice was acting all on her own. Which must mean

？！

Gotcha. In that case, we can't discount the possibility that Erice, like you...

...is actually a human mage.

Interesting. That would definitely explain why she doesn't seem to be like other Servants.

So Voyager, based on everything we know so far, it seems like a safe bet that you were Erice's contracted Servant.

What do you know about her? Anything you can tell us?

The Erice I know is...human. The last one in that city...

That's why I...

...It looks like he's confused, too.

Let's say Voyager here is a Rogue Servant. If that's true, then what does that make her?

If she's a Heroic Spirit, then what great feat did she accomplish? What's the legend giving her life?

Unlike with Voyager, I couldn't even begin to guess what her story might be.

？！

Agreed. She looked like she had some divine elements about her.

Unfortunately, her magical energy flow's so complex, she was hard to get a good read on. Seemed like a sea-god, water-god, or a god of the underworld.

Making her a High Servantan amalgamation of multiple gods all in a single human vessel.

For example, she could be a single human vessel housing multiple gods...

Or...she could be a Pseudo-Servant being possessed by gods so minor I can't imagine who they could be.

A Pseudo-Servant...!?

I'm impressed with your knowledge and how you've applied it, but how can you be so sure of the details?

I come across a lot of these things in my line of work. Once you know their scent, they're easy to spot.

Besides, isn't it obvious from the way she fought? She was clearly combining elements from multiple myths and legends.

Goes to show that even in a modern, materialistic place like Akihabara, there's still land with ties to mythology.

Now that you mention it, there IS a shrine smack-dab in the middle of Akihabara, isn't there?

If I'm not mistaken, it's dedicated to Onamuchi, Sukunabikona, and Taira-no-Masakado.

？！

I'll be honest, I'm going purely from the gut here. I don't have a single shred of evidence to back it up. I'm a big believer in flashes of insight though.

For example, Onamuchi is said to have brought many gods into a single amalgamation, eventually changing his name to Okuninushi.

If that's true, then he's basically the god-equivalent of a High Servant.

Legends also say that Onamuchi worked with Sukunabikona to build Japan, only this version of Sukunabikona was actually a wise Lilliputian who came on a ship from far beyond the waves.

Apparently, in his final moments, he's meant to cross over to a paradise for the dead far across the sea called Tokoyo-no-Kuni.

However, that's not the only land of the dead in this legend. There's also one called Ne-no-Kuni, which is said to exist underground; it's pretty much a literal hellscape.

In fact, now that I think of it, Onamuchi got his start at building Japan by enduring hardships in Ne-no-Kuni until he'd become a full-fledged god.

So thinking about it like that, while Erice almost certainly has some aspects associated with the underworld to her personality...

...her actual role might be much closer to a god of creation.

And if that's true, it would mean her spear is probably

What, the Amenonuboko?

Ha! Good one. No way in hell it could be that.

Why not?

That spear's a fake. It's basically a magecraft photocopy, and just as empty on the inside.

That, I can't say.

？！

If any Servant were to possess something like the original Amenonuboko, it'd have to be a high-ranking Divine Spirit.

But this Erice girl's Spirit Origin isn't anywhere near strong enough.

I see. You do make a good point.

Strong case or not, this is still all just speculation, since we have yet to find anything in the way of hard evidence. So I say our next order of business is to do some serious investigation.

All right then, I'll leave you guys to it. Let me know as soon as you find something. Ciao for now!

Now that you mention it, there IS a shrine smack-dab in the middle of Akihabara, isn't there?

If I'm not mistaken, it's dedicated to Onamuchi, Sukunabikona, and Taira-no-Masakado.

？！

I'll be honest, I'm going purely from the gut here. I don't have a single shred of evidence to back it up. I'm a big believer in flashes of insight though.

For example, Onamuchi is said to have brought many gods into a single amalgamation, eventually changing his name to Okuninushi.

If that's true, then he's basically the god-equivalent of a High Servant.

Legends also say that Onamuchi worked with Sukunabikona to build Japan, only this version of Sukunabikona was actually a wise Lilliputian who came on a ship from far beyond the waves.

...only this version of Sukunabikona was actually a wise Lilliputian who had come on a ship from far beyond the waves.

Apparently, in his final moments, he's meant to cross over to a paradise for the dead far across the sea called Tokoyo-no-Kuni.

However, that's not the only land of the dead in this legend. There's also one called Ne-no-Kuni, which is said to exist underground; it's pretty much a literal hellscape.

In fact, now that I think of it, Onamuchi got his start at building Japan by enduring hardships in Ne-no-Kuni until he'd become a full-fledged god.

So thinking about it like that, while Erice almost certainly has some aspects associated with the underworld to her personality...

...her actual role might be much closer to a god of creation.

And if that's true, it would mean her spear is probably

What, the Amenonuboko?

Ha! Good one. No way in hell it could be that.

Why not?

That spear's a fake. It's basically a magecraft photocopy, and just as empty on the inside.

That, I can't say.

？！

If any Servant were to possess something like the original Amenonuboko, it'd have to be a high-ranking Divine Spirit.

But this Erice girl's Spirit Origin isn't anywhere near strong enough.

I see. You do make a good point.

Strong case or not, this is still all just speculation, since we have yet to find anything in the way of hard evidence. So I say our next order of business is to do some serious investigation.

All right then, I'll leave you guys to it. Let me know as soon as you find something. Ciao for now!

Come on, Voyager, say something. You must know Erice better than anyone.

No, I don't know much about her at all.

That wasn't the Erice I know.

The Erice I know would never want to put an end to everything.

？！

Yeah. Everything is off here.

So I have to stop her.

Well, she obviously isn't on this tram, so she must have gotten on the one before us.

Then we'll have to catch up to her.

Oh, don't worry about that. I'm quite sure we'll run into her again in the next city.

I hope you're right...

...

Oh, look! We're coming up on the tram's destination!

So that's the second game world of Monde du Jeu, hmm.

This next one seems to be considerably smaller...

It looks more like a Western farming village than a city.

If you think the sticks are all good-hearted people and an easygoing life, you're in for a rude awakening.

Oh yes! Heart-thudding, pulse-pounding, breath-stealing... I just love those sorts of things!

...But I do have to wonder, who is this game going to be for?

Will we be pieces wandering around town? Or pawns on a battlefield?

I do hope it's the former. I don't want to spill anyone's guts, or have my own spilled.

？！

Either way, at this point, all we know for sure is that we know nothing about this world.

There's no telling what could be lying in wait once we arrive, so we'd better be prepared for anything.

That sounds scary. Your journey must have been...hard.

But it can't be too bad. There must be some really good things, too...