Section 8: Punisher Girl (1/2)

Senpai. Senpai. Are you okay, Senpai?

？！

Good morning, Senpai.

Considering all those battles we fought yesterday, I don't blame you at all for being tired.

Besides, we already know what we'll be doing today, though we do still have to discuss the details in person.

Today's the day we take down Abby.

？！

Huh? Didn't we decide on that course of action just yesterday?

At least, that's what I remember... Did I get it wrong?

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Well, good luck today, Senpai! <Well, good luck to both of us!>

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Master? Is everything all right?

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A-all right. Good luck to you too, Master. <See you outside the cottage then.>

Wait. Huh? You sound a little off, Master.

...No, never mind. It must just be in our heads.

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Yes... This IS strange. You've always been by my side...

So why does that feel so fundamentally wrong now?

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Is something wrong, Master?

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A-all right. Then I'll head to your room right

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Oh. Um, okay...

U-understood.

In that case, what about the Smiling Hotel?

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The dream hotel? But...that can't be right...

I mean, afterwards, we... I'm sure we...

!!!

...Master.

Listen to me very closely. Please come to the Smiling Hotel right away.

Also...

...I can't wait to see you.

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Huh? Mash? What was that weird sound just now?

The communicator? Who were you talking to?

Oh, it's you. Hey, Kouhai.

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That's me.

Hey, why're you using the communicator to talk to Mash when you're in the same cottage?

Is this what the kids do today?

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Come on, Kouhai, wake up already. That Archer guy's already made breakfa

... ...

... ...

Who the hell are you!?

So now they're throwing doppelgangers at us, huh? You've got a lot of nerve showing my face here, imposter.

YOUR face!? You're the one pretending to have MY face!

Why you... Where the hell are you, bitch!?

Where do you think, bitch!? I only just woke up, so of course I'm still at the cottage!

Then let's take this outside!

Fine by me!

Hey Master, got a minute? Any idea why Yu Mei-ren just ran out of the house so fast you'd think Xiang Yu was coming to pay her a visit?

Stop! Where are you goiiing!?

Huh? What's going on? Oh, good morning, everyone.

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All right, where the hell are you!?

Outside the cottage, of course! Where the hell are YOU!?

What is all this racket about, Lady Yu Mei-ren?

Oh, hey, Sigurd. I just ran into someone impersonating me.

Hmm. That certainly is a problem.

But I'm afraid it's not the only one. I can't find Mash or Master anywhere.

I don't know where Mash ran off to, but Master's right over there.

See?

... ...

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Master...

Dammit!!!

Sigurd? What's wrong?

How could I have been so foolish!?

Master, quick! Tell me all the Servants there with you!

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Understood.

So you have Emiya, the Prince of Lan Ling, Murasaki Shikibu, Illya, and Lady Yu Mei-ren.

...On my side, we have the following:

Myself, Brynhild, Tomoe Gozen, Mash, Lady Yu Mei-ren, and Sessyoin Lily, though the latter isn't here at the moment.

...Nor is Mash, for that matter.

I'm concerned about Mash too, but why am I the only one there's two of?

(Lily's there with them? That's weird... Did he find her after she disappeared?)

And that's not all, Master.

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You're here as well.

Or rather, you were.

That's why we thought Mash was contacting a separate unit.

We thought the same about you guys.

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...So it would seem.

And now, right after we heard signs of some sort of struggle, she's gone, along with the Master who was here with us.

I have an idea. You're all outside the cottage right now, correct?

So are we.

All right, next I'm going to try pointing my Noble Phantasm towards the sky. Even holding back, it should still generate a visible light.

Got it. I'll do the same afterwards.

Good. Then here goes...

Bölverkr Gram!

There, I saw it! Damn, they're really far away!

Lord Emiya!

Right.

Caladbolg II!

There!

Hmm. That came from the far side of the lake. That's quite the distance from here.

...Hmm. Hmm

There's something nagging at me, but I can't put my finger on it...

Sigurd. Maybe now would be a good time to use your Crystallized Wisdom?

Oh! You're right!

This is exactly what my Crystallized Wisdom was made for!

I didn't modify it with all those runes for nothing, after all.

(So that is how those astounding runes are used...)

All right, here goes. Sigurd's famous Noble Phantasm...

Hi-Fi Glasses!!!

That's a Noble Phantasm? Really?

No, not really. I'm just allowing myself a small indulgence since it's summer.

(So basically, there's no real point to it whatsoever...)

Fo fou, dim fooou. (Special Translation: For such a smart guy, this swordsman can be a real dim bulb sometimes.)

Well indulgence or not, it's really goddamn bright! You trying to blind us or something!?

I'm afraid I must ask that you bear with me for the time being.

Well, good thing I brought these sunglasses, I guess.

Phew, that's better.

Hmm, hmmm, hmmmmmm...

I've got it!!!

Ahem, ahem. Master? Can you hear me?

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Initially, I thought you and I may be in different worlds.

For example, perhaps we were still stuck in a dreamworld while you were back in the real one, or vice versa.

I also considered the possibility that we were in the same place, but at different points in time.

Something that happened during our Rayshifts that caused us to emerge here a few years apart, perhaps.

There was also the possibility that we were in different dimensions... But no, the truth was much simpler.

We are in different locations on the same mountain.

And if we integrate our respective sets of map data...

There you have it!

We ended up Rayshifting to opposite ends of the lake, all the while thinking we were working in separate units in the same location!

... ...

...Okay, I got it. I got it reeeal well.

Now, I just have one question.

Go on.

Why's there another one of me on the other side?

... ...

An excellent question. Indeed, that is central to causing this misunderstanding in the first place...

Well, let's just say the world is full of mysteries and leave it at that.

(Nodding in assent)

That doesn't answer anything! Besides, we still have to figure out which of us is the imposter!

And don't forget that both sides have their own Master! How can we tell which one of THEM'S the real one!?

Yes, well, putting the question of the mysteriously multiplying Lady Yu Mei-ren aside for the moment

Hey!

In regards to the more pressing matter of Master's apparent twin...

...we can be sure the one who was with us was the imposter. Look no further than Lady Mash's sudden disappearance.

Some mysterious power must have taken her away once she realized the truth.

Unfortunately, this must also mean that whoever the imposter is, they are no friend to us.

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Calm down, Fujimaru!

Don't forget, she has a Servant contract with you. You'll know the moment anything happens to her.

So for the time being, we can assume she's safe.

Hmm. I thought as much.

It would seem the midpoint between our two mountains, which I'll call Mount A and Mount B for the time being...

...is the Smiling Hotel.

Now that I think about it, that third day was odd indeed.

It was almost as though someone guided us towards that hotel...

...where our rendezvous served to cover up the fact that we hadn't actually met in person.

Indeed, I suspect the Smiling Hotel is the bridge that connects Mounts A and B.

We should meet up right away and

We've been cut off. And that must mean

Looks like his theory was right.

Though that still doesn't explain what's going on with my doppelganger...

Well, knowing you, Yu Mei-ren, you probably regenerated after part of you was cut off.

What do you think I am, a starfish!?

I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please don't be mad! It's not my fault Ruby's such an idiot!

... ...

You got something to say, Archer? You think I'm a starfish, too?

No comment.

Now come on. We need to get to this Smiling Hotel place as soon as we can.

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I do.

!!!

Abigail? ...No, it's just a projection.

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Sure. After all...

I'm there right now.

So

If you want to get back to that hotel, you'll have to defeat me first.

Assuming we can, that is? Is that what you're saying?

That's right.

Go ahead. Give it your best shot. I'll show you heights of fear you haven't even dreamed of!

Teehee, teeheehee, teeheeheeheehee!