Section 6: Morning, Day, and Night for the Living Dead (2/2)

Annnd back.

Are you feeling itchy anywhere? Or perhaps craving meat?

Why? You planning on opening up a beauty salon or barbecue restaurant or something?

Also, no. I'm not itchy, and I don't have any desire for meat.

Oh good! That's a relief!

All right, let's start looking for clues, shall we?

Oh man, there's so much ground to cover here...

？！

How very diligent of you, Master. Here, I'll help you.

It may be a tedious task, but that also makes it easy to tell when you're making progress.

True.

On a different note, I've heard of these wholesale retail stores before, but this is my first time seeing one. They really do have everything, don't they?

Indeed. And all in massive quantities as well.

That's for sure.

Take this milk, for instance. I didn't even know they sold it by the gallon.

Though I guess that might just be because I'm from Japan, where they sell it in liters...

Oh. Would you look at that?

There's a video aisle here, though a small one. I wonder if...

I knew it!

There was a VHS tape all the way in the corner with an unmarked white label giving off a faint trace of magical energy.

I think this must be what we're looking for.

So you found something?

I did too. It's another one of those journals.

So you're just gonna pick a shelf at random, huh? Sounds good to me too.

Me three.

Great, now we've got a whole trio of slackers.

You're one to talk, Ruby!

You're the biggest slacker of any personuh, stick I know!

Hahaha, don't be ridiculous.

I'm as hardworking as they come.

Don't let her fool you, guys! The only thing Ruby works hard at is giving us the runaround!

Quiet time, Illya.

Oh! I-I'm sorry. I forgot you prefer things that way.

?

Nah, I don't care about that. There's no such thing as total quiet in the natural world, anyway.

You can hear thunder in every direction for kilometers, and waterfalls aren't especially quiet when they're crushing everything in their path.

Oh. I see...

I just meant that if you don't keep it down now, it's only going to make this search take longer.

O-okay. I'm sorry.

... ...

Um... Is there something else wrong?

Oh, uh, I was just thinking. Servants are summoned in their prime, right?

Ahaha, well, I'm kind of the exception to the rule...

So you're a magical girl? Or was it magifender girl?

B-basically.

Now that I think of it, I wonder if that Sessyoin girl's in her prime, too.

...Weird.

I just get the impression that she'd really be in her prime if she were just a little more grown-up.

I think so, too.

Even though we're about the same age, she seems like she's three grades above me...

Right? Even when I'm just listening to her speak...

...something about her makes it seem like she's seen so many things in her life! I really admire that about her!

？！

Yeah, she's definitely got a kind of dignified air about her...though one that's closer to the Four Perils than the Four Sages.

At first, I thought she might have some connection to AbigailAbby?

But when I asked Lily about her, she didn't seem to know who Abby was at all.

Yeah?

(Nodding)

Hmm. Maybe it was just a coincidence she showed up when she did then...

Hm? What's this place? A bookstore?

It looks a little too small for that... But it does seem to have some books for sale.

Oh yeah, plenty of supermarkets have a little section for books like this.

They used to sell comics and stuff too, but nobody ever bought them, so they'd just end up collecting dust.

Kids would come in being all like "Ooh, the new issue's out! Aw, man, never mind, I already read this one."

And that'd be that.

(I don't know why this scepter knows so much about this weird niche...but I know by now it'd just be a waste of time to say anything.)

... ...I see.

So what's the deal with this book then?

？！

Looks like we found what we were looking for. Don't know why it was here, but who cares?

Oho! You found someone's journal!

There you all are.

We found this unlabeled video tape, though I'm not yet sure whether it will prove to be a lead or

？！

!

Lady Yu Mei-ren!

Ugh, great. You better not get Lord Xiang Yu's spear dirty, you hear me?

Yikes! Are you okay?

Rrrggghhh...

Guess there were more of them. Well, at least mopping them up should be easy.

... ...

Huh?

Raaahhh!

Now they can run!?

Fou fou fou!?

Th-this is terrible! We've got runners now!

How are they different from the walking ones!?

They're ridiculously strong! They can kill you with a single bite!

Then, those they kill come back to life as zombies seconds after they die!

Essentially, as you may expect from their name, running zombies are all about speed!

I see! That sounds very bad!

Here they come! All hands, prepare for battle!

Whatever you do, make sure they don't bite you or Master!

Oh, it's not just their bites. In some cases, even a scratch is enough for them to infect you!

...Basically, just try not to let them touch you!

Guh, I'm exhausted... So exhausted, I almost blew up without meaning to!

I understand how you feel, but please try not to explode without at least warning us first...

At least we did what we came here to do.

Before we leave, do you think you could all give me a hand carrying supplies back to the cottage?

... ...

Something wrong, Murasaki?

I'm afraid so. Take a look outside.

Gaah!

Illya, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but I don't think that scream was very ladylike.

I-I-I-I can't help it! Just look at them! Where'd they all come from!?

Oh, yes, I suppose I didn't mention before that zombies tend to travel in packs...

They're trying to force their way into this building. We'd better barricade the entrance.

A barricade, huh!? That's more like it!

Indeed! This is just like something out of a number of great zombie classics!

You sound almost happy about that, Murasaki!

I'm...actually enjoying this a bit! Sorry!!!

Wow, she admitted it...

...So yes, many zombie movies involve scenes just like this where the characters are forced to hole up for protection.

Largely because they're much cheaper to film, and they make it easy to pad out the runtime with character infighting...

So, how do these kinds of scenes usually play out?

Well...

...they usually give the characters time to relax and catch their breath, as a kind of reprieve from the more frantic battle for survival.

I see. True, between all this food, water, and even some entertainment, we should be able to get by quite comfortably.

So we're gonna shut ourselves away, huh. That sounds great. Really great...

Stop that. Chaldea is at its quota for shut-ins.

True.

If we don't do anything, I'm afraid we'll wind up experiencing the bleaker ending for the genre, where no one survives.

？！

...Right. Well, if there's any good news to be had, it's that we've got plenty of food.

What do you say, Master? Shall we have dinner now?

Oh come on, why're you so worried?

I'm sure you'll figure something out just like you always do. Probably. Maybe.

Kouhai... You're really trying to keep your spirits up, huh? Well hey, don't worry. I'm sure things'll work out!

I swear, you humans are really weird like that.

It's like you have this way of somehow turning false cheer into actual morale...

Oh, never mind. Just forget I said anything.

？！

All right, food's ready.

'Kay. What'd you make this time?

Well...

Seeing how this Singularity's in Japan...

...and how we've got just about any kind of ingredient we could want in this store

Uh-huh.

I made pizza.

How does that make sense!?

Yaaay! Pizza!

？！

(I'm not sure why Master is so happy about this, but I'm glad he is.)

(I should be fine, right? I mean, I'm a Heroic Spirit now, so it should be okay for me to have greasy food!)

You never knooow. Do you want to take that chaaance?

It's fine! You'll be fine! What could go wrong?

(On second thought, maybe I shouldn't risk it!)

Hang on. Back up.

We're in Japan now, right? Since when is Japan known for pizza?

Yu Mei-ren, you may be a sage woman who flits through life like a butterfly...

...but even you must know that some dishes are better suited for certain times and situations than others, right?

W-well, yeah, sure.

Even I know you need the right kind of food for parties and such.

Exactly. It's no different here. Really, it's simple.

We're in a giant supermarket with no decent cookware, barricaded from a throng of zombies encroaching on us from the outside...

...and while we might not all technically be young anymore, we do all still look like we are.

So when you put all that together, pizza's the obvioushell, the only choice for livening things up.

It might be junk food, but it's the perfect food to share while engaging in meaningless chitchat!

Yay, I can't wait! Sella would never let me get away with having pizza!

I see. That does make a lot of sense. (I guess this is a way for us to bond as a group?)

Now I get it. (It's true; horror movies and junk food are practically made for each other!)

W-well...if you say so, I guess I'll take your word for it?

(I still don't get it.)

All right, here you go. I made sure to use the best flour this store had, and projected the brick oven to cook it in myself.

Bon appétit!

Oh, the way you said it just now is actually French, not Italian.

O-oh? Well, uh, just consider that part of the charm.

Man, how're you supposed to eat this stuff?

Maybe one of these paper aprons will help? Here you go.

Oh, yeah, this does seem better.

It's delicious.

I only wish the cheese didn't make it quite so difficult to eat.

Aah, it's so spicy! The hot sauce is almost overwhelming! But it's also so good I can't stop eating it!

I can't believe how many delicious things there are that I never even knew about!

I'm glad you like it, but it's not done yet. When you're having pizza, you've also gotta have...

？！

Usually, I'd never pair a mountain of carbs with a drink that's basically just liquid sugar...

...but today, I'll make an exception.

After all, I can't deny it's yummy stuff!

I really don't get it...

Pizza...and soda!? No way... It's happening... It's finally happening!

And I really don't get why this girl's so weirdly worked up about all this!

Can you blame her?

Pizza, soda, and licorice are the crown jewels of the U.S., and she's never had a chance to try them before.

Not that I have either... (Munch, munch)

Isn't pizza an Italian food?

Maybe originally, but they changed it so much in the U.S. that it's practically a whole new thing. Try ordering one in Chicago some time if you don't believe me. In the meantime, can I have another slice?

Yes, of course. Here you...

!!!

How dare you!? Did you really think I'd let you get away with this!?

You've barricaded yourselves away in a wholesale supermarket while surrounded by the living dead...

...and you still think you can enjoy your lives as long as you've got enough food and water saved up!?

Well, think again. Nobody is living out that happy American dream on my watch.

...Except maybe for Master.

You're all right with him doing that?

He's special. So is Mash, though I hate to admit it.

But the rest of you are dead. And the dead don't get to dream about living happy lives anymore.

...!

(Lord Emiya.)

(Right.)

Oh my, such violence.

I should still thank you for the pizza though. It really was delicious.

What do you want, girl? What's your endgame here?

What, that's what you want to know? Well, too bad. I don't have to tell you that.

Then I'll rephrase the question.

Who's backing you?

...

Oh, don't pretend to be surprised.

You may be strong, but only because someone arranged things so you could take advantage of your strength more fully.

So I want you to tell me who that someone is.

... ...I'm not sure.

Oh?

So you have an idea of who it is, but you're choosing to play dumb, huh?

？！

Hm. Oh, I know! Let's try this!

If you can escape from this building with Master in two hours or less, I'll give you a little reward.

...!

I wonder what you'll do. Maybe you'll fight your way through the zombies while incurring heavy losses?

Or maybe you'll take so long to deliberate that you end up trapped here anyway.

Here, have a filthy, muddy blessing. Have a pure and undiluted curse. My treat.

Aha, ahaha, ahahaha!

She's gone.

All right, let's get out of here.

W-w-w-wait! Not so fast!

If we go outside now completely unprepared, I promise you we'll all end up dead!!!

...You sure?

I am.

If we're going to break a movie's rules, we need to go in fully prepared.

I see. And Abigail must have known that when she dared us to escape.

I was hoping to spend at least a day planning our escape, if not two, but

Just a moment, please. I think we're forgetting something.

What about that journal and videotape we found?

Since we found them here, maybe they contain clues that could help us escape safely?

But we presently lack a VCR with which to watch the tape.

Well, hang on there. I might just know where we can find one.

Found one.

Not bad, Kouhai. I mean, Archer!

？！

The security room.

I noticed there were security cameras here, so I figured they must still have some old equipment in place to watch their recordings.

Luckily, they had a TV and the cables we need, too. Just give me a moment to set it all up.

Man, there's nothing you can't do, is there?

Well, you know what they say about jacks of all trades. But I have always enjoyed fixing things like this.

And like they say, do what you enjoy, and you will do it well.

Of course, this is just a hobby of mine, so I'm not even remotely in the same ballpark as Edison and Tesla.

Please, no need to be so modest.

Okay, everything's hooked up. Let's see what's on this tape.

？！

It's okay, Master.

Any cursed tape that would show up in this situation would have to be a low-budget sequel with quality to match.

So I'm sure we have nothing to worry about.

Rrrggghhh... Nnnghhh...

More zombies. And they seem to be as real as the ones we encountered.

If it isn't a movie, it could just be recording the same ones.

Where is this place, anyway? Some kind of cave?

Ugh, this is so frustrating! I don't even have time to change into my swimsuit!

You're all corpses now. You shouldn't even be standing anymore, let alone walking or running!

(Sigh)...

Maybe it wasn't a good idea for Scheherazade and me to split up after all...

Either way, it seems I won't have much time to relax and enjoy myself this year. The underworld is still the underworld, even if it is a much smaller one from a foreign land...

So if its god or king or whomever is supposed to watch over it isn't around, I'll simply have to do so myself!

Who was that?

She sounded kind of familiar.

？！

Yup. I never forget a fellow scepter...

...and that was definitely hers.

Looks like that's the whole tape.

I think it's safe to say that whoever recorded this video did so very recently.

And Lady Nitocris's Noble Phantasm does use the Mirror of the Underworld, doesn't it?

It sure does.

Come to think of it, she even mentioned the underworld on that tape, didn't she?

This sort of thing happens frequently in zombie movies.

In some of them, the dead walking the earth is said to be because there's no more room in hell.

...In fact, now I'm wondering.

Maybe there's some genuine hell or underworld somewhere in this Singularity?

Hmm.

In other words, an afterlifelike the kind we saw in Uruk and the Enma-tei, huh.

So you think this Singularity might be a world where that concept never faded?

But if that's true, where would this afterlife be?

... ...

Probably that way, right? (Pointing straight down)

Underground, huh...

Let's go check it out.

It's risky, but if this works, we might be able to bypass a lot of this.

？！

It's a common horror movie trope for the characters to find themselves in hell after making a desperate attempt to run away from whatever threat they're facing...

...and what happens once they get to hell is usually left to the viewers' imaginations.

Which means going to hell now could let us bypass all sorts of other scenes and get to the bad ending world sooner.

And THAT means we may be able to escape from here sooner than we thought!

That sounds great, but we still have to figure out how to get to this underworld in the first place.

？！

Hm? What is it, Kouhai?

An elevator, huh? Looks like it goes to the second floor, and the basement.

I really doubt this'll work, but do you want to give it a shot?

We're actually here...

The elevator doors opened...and there's the underworld right on the other side.

...That sounds like the opener for a novel that I'd love to read!

Rrrggghhh...

And here come the underworld's zombies.

Please be careful, everyone.

There are all kinds of zombies in movieswalkers, runners, weapon wielders, talkers, romancers...

But zombies with a connection to the occult are one of the strongest kinds around!

They can kill you with a bite, or even just by looking at you!

Some of them can even turn you into a zombie yourself before you realize it!

And if that weren't enough, some of them can teleport, too!

That sounds like a pretty narrow definition of "strongest"...

Fooou...

They really were strong, weren't they?

Lucky for us there weren't too many of them.

Though it does look like there are more them in the distance.

Yeah.

She needs to tell us everything she knows about this underworld, down to the last rock.

Nitocriiiiiis!

？！

Is that...? Be right theeere!

My ally! So it IS you. What are you doing in a pitiful underworld like this?

Oh, right. Your mission is to investigate this Singularity. Of course you'd be here.

I came here as part of the advance team myself, but I've been so busy I forgot all about that...

But never mind that now!

What in the world is going on with this minute Singularity!?

？！

Yes, I'm sure you do! The way things are going now...

Chaldea will be obliterated!

... ...Say what?

Chaldea? Obliterated?

Oh for... There they go again!

They? Oh, the zombies!

They just keep coming back no matter how many times I kill them! I swear, this underworld is broken! Broken!

...!

I'm going to bring my Noble Phantasm up to full power. In the meantime, I want you to hold them off!

Phew. There, that should buy us some time.

Now then!

What's going on here, Master? What's happening up on the surface? Where are the other Servants?

We have lost track of a number of them these past few days.

Of course, there are also plenty of Servants who are still doing just fine, but...

There were also a number who were caught up in...various things.

Hmm. Then it sounds like things are even more dire than I'd thought.

What about you, Nitocris? What are you doing here?

Believe me, it's not because I enjoy being stuck in this place.

I just came to the supermarket to do some shopping when I sensed the entire place was just dripping with death.

So I came down to this underworld, only to find it was an even bigger mess than I'd imagined!

Of course, I realize that all these dead and undead will disappear along with this Singularity, so I could have just left them alone...

...but I couldn't do the same for the Servants.

Servants? What Servants?

The Servants who first Rayshifted to these camping grounds. Parts of their Spirit Origins appear to be trapped here.

I'm guessing they either lost a battle, or were hit with some sort of strange attack.

Given how chaotic the situation is, I can't say anything for certain...

...but I have a feeling they may not be able to return to Chaldea unless their Spirit Origins are fully recovered.

In the worst case, their Spirit Origin values may fall to Phantom Spirit levels, leaving them unable to materialize.

Um... Is that bad?

It basically means they wouldn't be able to fight anymore, not even after being summoned.

So yeah, it's real bad.

Indeed. So I've been focusing my efforts on securing those Servants' Spirit Origins over dealing with the zombies.

So please, make sure you restore their Spirit Origins before you repair this Singularity. It's very important.

Just a moment please, Lady Nitocris.

Yes? What is it, Murasaki?

Well, you see...

Now I understand. So you want to escape from here and make your way to the cottage.

And what's more, you want to do so in two hours or less...

If that's even possible. At this point, we've only got about an hour and twenty-five minutes left.

Well, while the store above may be overrun with the dead, there are thankfully much fewer of them down here.

Unfortunately, few or not, they are still a hassle to deal with since they just won't stay down.

If only about half of the ones left down here were to make it up to the surface as well...

...then you might be able to make your way through this cave and arrive somewhere beyond the store...

Got it.

Then let's split up.

One person can lure the zombies down here up to the surface, and everyone else can use that opportunity to escape.

I'll do the luring, the rest of you do the escaping.

Whoa, whoa, hold on. You can't just call these shots on your own.

We all have to discuss who

No, you don't.

Whoever lures the zombies away has to end up trapped by them, right?

And once they're trapped, there'll be no way for them to escape...

...unless they're me.

Ugh... Just hurry up and give the order like a good Master already, will you?

Don't look at me like that, Fujimaru.

You're a Master, right? Then you shouldn't hesitate to give this order.

We knew what we were signing up for when we answered your summons, remember?

？！

？！

Understood. Here, Yu Mei-ren, I'll show you where they are.

All right, see you later.

Lady Yu Mei-ren!

Wait!

Don't look at me like that, Prince of Lan Ling. In the grand scheme of things, hellos and goodbyes are no more than a few grains of sand.

...I know. That's why we treasure those grains while they last.

Heh. Gotcha.

...All right, that's enough small talk. Begone, all of you!

Right. Good luck out there. And thanks!

... ...

All right, this place should do. First, let's get the elevator open... Then...

Heeey! Zombies! Come and get meee!

Still a bunch of them left, huh. Looks like I'll have to do that at least five more times or so.

Ugh, what a pain.

All right...

Yup, nothing but moving corpses as far as I can see now. Hell of a thing to be surrounded by.

Ah, Yu, my Yu... What will your fate be?

...Hehe.

I would have been happy with anything as long as I was with you, Lord Xiang Yu.

Anyway, those other guys should all be gone by now, yeah?

Then there's no more need for me to hold back.

Soulless creatures like yourselves have no right to touch this body of mine.

In fact, seeing as you creatures are about as far from Lord Xiang Yu's splendor as you can get, I can't even stand you looking at it!

Noble Phantasm reveal...

Anti-Fling Rondo!!!

Wait... This is the same cave we visited this morning! I had no idea it was actually connected to the underworld...

We should keep going a little further. Come on!

What was that!?

See for yourself. That store's entire roof has been blown off!

She must have used her Noble Phantasm at its full power. Poor thing...

Still, if it wasn't for her sacrifice, we may never have escaped in time.

Poor Yu Mei-ren. She was so nice... Well, she could be kind of dopey sometimes...

And she was covered in blood almost all the time... And she never stopped talking about Xiang Yu...

Well, hey, what's done is done.

And since there's no point dwelling on the past, we might as well cheer up and head back to the cottage!

Ruby! How can you be so cold!?

？！

Oh hey, there you guys are.

Oh wow, you got back here quickly, Yu Mei-ren.

...Wait. How!?

(Yup. I knew it.)

(I had a feeling that was going to happen.)

(I suppose we're in a horror comedy now.)

Fooou.

？！

What do you mean, how?

After I blew myself up with my Noble Phantasm, I turned into a tornado and made my way back here. Duh.

You're the ones who took forever to show up.

Yaaay. I'm glad she's all right, but this also seems really unfair...

Yu Mei-ren's whole existence is unfair, Illya. You've just got to get used to it.

Anyway, since we beat the two hour deadline, we should find Abigail and get our reward.

If you mean the young lady, she has already been here pining for some time...

What's that supposed to mean?

I'd appreciate it if you didn't make it sound like I wanted so much to see Master that I broke curfew or something.

Ahh, there she is now! The dreamer girl!

Stop that! I don't dream myself, and I most certainly don't help anyone else dream!

(I knew it. More trouble.)

...Ahem. All right, Abigail, tell us what we want to know.

... ...

...All right, I'll allow it. That was our deal, after all.

I just happened to be summoned here. She's the one who asked for my help.

And since her goals seemed to match my own prayers, I decided to help her make this Singularity.

Of course, this land was always hers to begin with.

Well, her and her apprentices, I suppose I should say.

Apprentices?

They're gone now. They died out a while ago.

They're the spirits who keep coming back to life no matter how many times you kill them.

The masked slasher... The ghost girl...

The restless dead spirits... The living dead...

Are you noticing what they all have in common? It's

They're a collection of dead things, right? William already told us.

... ...

Has no one ever taught you to interrupt people? What kind of thoughtless human being are you?

Never said I was human.

Hmph!

N-now, now, there's no need to squabble, Abby.

...Abby? Really?

He can get away with it because he's Master, but there's got to be a better way for you to address me. Even if we are both Servants, you're still younger than me, after all.

Oh... Um, just Abigail then?

No, no... There must be something more appropriate, but I can't think of what it could be.

？！

Uh-huh, uh-huh...

Um... Abigail-senpai?

... ...

That's more like it. Now, where were we?

(Yay!)

I'll admit, my collaborator is seeking death.

Well, maybe not death so much as the concept of mass murder.

Huh? Mass murder?

... ...

...You poor, pitiful thing. I guess that's the only way of life you know, huh?

Huh? You don't know anything about me.

Anyway, I'm going to go now. Be warned: if I see you again tomorrow, I won't show you any mercy.

In particular, I'll tear your wings off like you're a butterfly who's been forbidden to fight back.

...Hmph.

So, that leaves two, maybe three still to go? Hehehe. I can't wait for what comes next...

A collection of death... or, more accurately, mass murder, huh?

Well, in the meantime, we'd probably better turn in for today.

Yes, I think so too. I know I'm exhausted after fighting all those zombies...

？！

Good night! Come on, Ruby, let's go turn in.

Righto. Sleep well, everyone! Until tomorrow!

？！

Fou fou.

？！

Hello, Senpai. What's up? Is everything okay?

？！

You weren't kidding. I can't believe that happened. <Sounds like another tough day. We'll work harder tomorrow!>

？！

Is something wrong, Senpai?

You seem tired. Maybe you should turn in early. <It might be best if you all sleep in one room.>

？！

Good night, Senpai.

Fou... Fou?