Section 9: Secret Little Mermaid

Master! It's you!

Master!

Master!

？！

... ...

？！

Hey! Don't even get me started!

I'm the only me, dammit! There can't be another!

Well, you're half right.

I can only imagine how sad Lord Xiang Yu will be when he finds out there's two of me now...

(You think? 'Cause I have a sneaking suspicion that he's gonna be totally fine with it...)

Okay, let's begin by sharing what we know.

Hey, Master? I've done what I had to, right?

So can I go back to my room now?

？！

Hmph.

Hey, Abigail-senpai?

...? What is it, Illya?

If you don't have anything to do right now, maybe you and I could talk for a while?

... ...All right.

...I see.

Then as I suspected, it would seem that girl we thought was our Master was actually working for the enemy.

You didn't send her, did you, Abigail?

No, I didn't.

I was too busy entertaining everyone on Side A.

I didn't have any time to spare for Side B.

(?)

(Nodding quietly)

Hmm.

Then, does that mean Sessyoin is this Singularity's true ruler?

... ...

？！

S-stop that, Master! I never gave you permission to read my mind!

Hmm.

Then something is definitely not right.

We've all been working to get to the bottom of this Singularity.

And from what those of you from Side A have told us, I don't believe our methods were faulty.

So if Sessyoin is not the one ruling this mountain...

That would mean Sessyoin Kiara must be

A third party!!!

Militarily speaking, being a third party situated between two opposing forces is an ideal position.

All they would need to do is wait for their enemies to weaken each other, and they could swoop in and eliminate both when the time was right.

In fact, playing two opposing forces off one another is arguably one of the best ways to wage war.

Of course, doing so successfully requires exceptional skill, and the patience to wait for the right time.

After all, if you play your cards wrong, you may find yourself staring down the spear tips of both the other factions!

That is why it is crucial to make your move just before the other opposing forces settle their score!

(I'm impressed, Lady Tomoe! You truly do embody the spirit of the Genji!)

Makes sense. Thanks to that, I think I'm finally starting to see what the game here is.

Whoever's behind all this must have wanted to fix the oddities going on at this hotel.

That's right.

I know that lazy, greedy woman was up to something on Side Bthat is, this side of the lake.

Dreams and illusions... Life and death...

Even though we were doing the same things, something was still fundamentally off.

Something the complete opposite of how this Singularity is meant to be. It's creepy, and wrong.

I see.

So while that fake Fujimaru appeared to be working to resolve this Singularity on Side B...

...she was actually trying to determine who Sessyoin Lily truly is.

Still, I suppose I can't blame her, since Sessyoin is so clearly abnormal.

She must have thought that working with us after we Rayshifted here would be the quickest way to figure her out.

That's all I can tell you.

I might have formed a contract with Fujimaru, but the role I play in this Singularity is still a serial killer.

So I'm afraid I simply can't give you any more hints.

Hmph.

You're all going to end up getting killed, you know. And it won't be pretty! I'm sure of it!

Well...you know...I am technically your Servant now...

Even if it is strictly a temporary arrangement.

？！

All right, I think it would be best if we remain in our separate groups.

One group can focus on finding Mash, while the other can look for Sessyoin and take her down.

I think we should keep the group divisions as they are. What do you all think?

Fine by me. In that case, we'll focus on finding Mash.

Understood. Then we'll look for Sessyoin.

Master, I think it'd be best if you went with Sigurd's team for now.

I'm guessing they'll need your help more than we will, since they'll probably be fighting a lot of battles.

？！

Don't worry. We've got plenty of talent on our side, too.

We'll contact you as soon as we know where Mash is and rendezvous before going to find her.

Don't worry. We won't let you down.

Don't worry. We won't let you down.

Not to worry, Master.

I'll carry you myself to ensure we meet up with them as soon as possible.

I'll use my runes to back you up, too!

If I have to, I'll even use them to launch you as if from a catapult so you can take the quickest route possible!

Please don't. We need him back alive.

？！

All right...

... ...

... ...

That just leaves the question of what to do about them.

To be perfectly honest, I don't think even my wisdom is up to this task.

I know! We can have one of them wear a different color!

It will be just like how we distinguish between player one and player two in co-op games.

？！

She is!!!

I'm afraid you may have just added fuel to the fire, Lady Tomoe...

I-I am very sorry. I was only trying to help...

...All right, there's an easy way to settle this.

Just what I had in mind.

？！

I'm gonna beat your ass down and make YOU wear the player two colors!

Help me out, Kouhai!

？！

...Anyway, long story short, we realized it's pretty much impossible to fight yourself and win.

Pretty obvious when you think about it, really.

... (Pained expression to end all pained expressions)

Is everything okay, Emiya?

I'm fine, thanks. ...Just to make sure, there's no video camera hidden around here, right?

?

Kouhai.

You decide which of us gets the player two colors.

Good idea. That's the fastest way to settle this.

？！

It's gotta be her, right?

It's her, right?

？！

Just pick one already!

I'll get you for this, Kouhai... (*Not dead, just changed outfits)

？！

I knew I could count on you, Kouhai. Now come on, let's get going.

(I still don't think Master can tell which is which... Neither can I, frankly.)

Wait, hang on. Are you going to stay behind, Abigail-senpai?

... ...You don't have to call me "senpai" anymore.

？！

... ...

I might be your Servant now, but I still used to be your enemy. I can't pretend like that never happened.

...I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't have said anything.

It's okay, Illya. You didn't do anything wrong.

Hahaha. It seems not even a highly experienced Archer can win against an innocent young girl.

I don't know if I'd... Then again, maybe you're not wrong.

Really?

...Ahem.

At any rate, it's our job to find out where Mash is.

You guys will

Of course.

Now that we have the real Master with us, we are sure to defeat Sessyoin Kiara.

Thankfully, we still have the communicator Mash was using, so we can contact you at a moment's notice if necessary.

？！

Indeed it does.

I suspect the mastermind behind this Singularity is the cause of the communicator's malfunction.

I suppose we should be thankful it still works at all, but

True, that does make it ill-suited for emergency contact. I suppose the best we can hope for is to use it for periodic check-ins.

At any rate, I wonder where Sessyoin Kiara could be.

If I may make a suggestion, Lord Sigurd: Perhaps we should try going back to the cottage first?

Good idea.

It probably would be more efficient to go back and retrace our steps starting from day one.

Hmm... Are you all right with that, Master?

？！

All right, the cottage it is. Oh, and one more thing.

... ...

...Er, Lady Yu Mei-ren? Please try to keep the pointless arguing to a minimum.

All right, we'll take this one.

Keeping the two of them together's bound to cause way more problems than it solves.

There's something humiliating about this...

W-well, in their defense, these are fairly exceptional circumstances...

All right, let the search for Sessyoin begin!

And we'll start looking for clues to Mash's whereabouts.

？！

Yeeeah!!!

Emiya here.

We're investigating the house we found on this end, and it's really something.

？！

As far as I can tell, the two houses seem to be identical.

Given that, and what we saw with the cottage, it looks like A and B were made to be as similar as possible.

I wonder...

Perhaps these two areas were modeled after the ancient Chinese philosophy of yin and yang.

It states that an excess of yin creates its opposite, and vice versa.

So by bringing both together, whoever caused this Singularity may be strengthening their ritualistic aspects.

Is that so.

All right, Master, we're nearly at this side's cottage.

If we should encounter Sessyoin Kiara, how do you wish to handle her?

？！

Understood. And THEN we defeat her in battle!

Ugh, this is exactly what I hate about warriors. You're always spoiling for a fight.

What about Lord Xiang Yu? Is he not a great warrior as well?

N-n-n-never mind him! He's the exception that proves the rule!

He writes poetry, and he's great at math, and he's just a total gentleman all around!

Some of the poems he wrote over two thousand years ago are still around today, you know!

Oh yes, like the one where he worries about what will become of you.

"Ah, Yu, my Yu... What will your fate be?" I believe it goes?

I'm familiar with it as well. It is indeed a lovely poem.

Right?

Hmm. I'm not so sure.

It sounds to me like he could just be concerned...

...that someone so prone to failure might never be able to get by without upending everything around her.

Who's there!?

Also, how dare you!?

Oh, I'm sorry. I was just offering my honest opinion, but I do apologize if I've offended you.

"Is anyone in need of assistance with finding the mastermind?" Hehehe. One day no see, everyone.

...! Hello, Sessyoin...Lily.

I heard Mr. Fujimaru there wanted to talk to me, so here I am.

I also decided to revert to this form, at least temporarily.

Oh, and please don't worry about my memory. I've got that all back now.

... ...

Now I understand! Sessyoin Lily and Kiara were the same person all along!

That really shouldn't come as a surprise to you at this point.

But never mind that now. So, what would you like to know?

？！

Ahh, I see.

So you're worried about Mash, are you? Well, that's only to be expected.

I did do my best to stay unnoticed between the light and dark, and help her...

...but I'm afraid I was blindsided while I was transforming back into my grown-up self.

I do know Mash is still in this Singularity, and that she is very much alive.

Good news? Oh good, it is.

(I do not think she is lying...)

(I agree. She doesn't seem to be trying to confuse or trap us either.)

(It genuinely feels to me as though she's simply reporting the facts.)

？！

Hmm. Hmm...

It's difficult to explain, but...

I guess you could say that my usual imperative is to ease the burden of those in need of assistance.

Th-that certainly sounds like a noble motive.

Why thank you.

... ...

Hold it. That sounds great and all, but I don't think it lines up with what you've actually been doing.

Ah. Picked up on that, did you? I guess you've lived a long enough life to pick up a few things.

Still, the way I see it, everything I've been doing here serves that end quite nicely.

For starters, showing people an illusion of their perfect world serves to eliminate their suffering.

There's nothing wrong with that, right?

And for the pessimists convinced that life could never go their way, or that reality is simply cruel and heartless...

...I showed them an illusion of a world that was awful for them, just like they wanted.

Essentially, I provided both good endings and bad endings in equal measure...

...to the people who wished for them.

The one thing they all had in common was needing assistance, since their lives weren't going as planned.

...I see. True, some people do desire nothing more than a life filled with challenge and adversity. However

If these people are all seeing illusions that have no bearing in reality...

...then will the disappearance of those illusions not cause them to suffer even more?

I, for one, can hardly begin to describe the pain of learning one of my favorite games was getting a sequel...

...only to wake up and realize I merely dreamed the whole thing!

Indeed. It seems to me that your actions here will only ultimately serve to increase suffering, not reduce it.

Hehehe.

It's only natural for hardship to follow joy, and joy to follow hardship.

Really, isn't that essentially what life is? Hehehe. Pain and pleasure are all the same.

I do enjoy seeing people be happy...

...but I also find joy in seeing them suffer.

？！

That's right. Anyway, I think that's enough chitchat.

These last few days have yielded some terrifying experiences, and my different selves have enjoyed them immensely.

Now, to wrap up the final day, I, Sessyoin Kiara, who came from the depths of the sea...

...shall entertain you personally. I do hope you all enjoy the pain and pleasure I have prepared for you.

？！

Indeed. Everyone, take up your weapons!

Come, my beloved. Let us fight together!

Yes, my love!

... ...

Excuse me, Lord Sigurd?

Yes, that is my name.

And this is my beloved, Brynhild.

Yes, I'm well aware.

But I am a bit confused as to why a great hero from the Age of Gods like yourself...

...is wearing glasses?

These glasses represent my Crystallized Wisdom. My beloved has told me they suit me wonderfully.

And now, this summer, my dear Brynhild has a pair of her own:

The Imitation Crystallized Wisdom we made together in a most intimate collaboration.

Intimate collaboration...!

I-I mean, yes, that is accurate, but it sounds so...salacious when you put it that way...

P-please, you mustn't...

... ...

I see. Well I do hope you're enjoying your new glasses, because I am about to fog them up.

?

?

Never mind how.

This isn't working. Even my Crystallized Wisdom is telling me it's hopeless.

Brynhild!

R-right. Come, everyone, let's fall back for now!

Are you nuts!? We still haven't even seen what kind of moves she's got up her sleeuh, shells!

We know that we don't know, and that is knowledge enough for now!

I agree. Now is the time to retreat!

I have seen just how childish Sessyoin Kiara truly is, and it is like nothing I have ever encountered!

She's setting off my Genji Sense like crazy!

My, oh my. You wound me.

Now then, if you'll excuse us!

？！

... ...

Perhaps I came on a little strong for the first encounter.

The pair in glasses was just so aggressive about flaunting their relationship so loudly...I forgot to hold back...

...Phew.

I know our retreat was sudden, but I am absolutely confident I made the right choice.

I agree.

This Sessyoin Kiara was absolutely determined to win at any cost, regardless of what she would have to resort to.

She also seemed strangely fixated on you, for some reason.

Hmm. I don't think I've done anything to earn her ire...

Now what are we going to do?

I suppose we'll need to come up with a strategy, much like we did with Abigail.

True, but

Geez, talk about missing the forest for the trees.

Hm? Did you notice something we didn't, Lady Yu Mei-ren?

Think about it. We still don't even know what Sessyoin Kiara is.

Well, she did tell us she is Yaobikuni's Pseudo-Servant...

Yeah, but use your brain. Wasn't she ENTIRELY too strong for that?

I can accept that Abigail was that tough thanks to this Singularity's mastermind supporting her...

...but that doesn't explain why that Kiara woman's so strong.

Hmm... You do make a good point.

Yaobikuni is certainly quite famous, but I have never heard of her wielding so much sheer power...

And don't forget, she said she was using dreams to show people illusions, right?

Are there even any stories about Yaobikuni being able to do anything like that?

I am afraid I cannot answer that.

For that matter, how do we know that stuff about her being Yaobikuni wasn't a lie? Maybe her power comes from something else entirely.

At least, that's the impression I get.

The power to control dreams, huh...

So don't you think we should start by looking into the source of her power?

Hmm. You might be right.

But where would we even begin looking into such a thing?

？！

..."The Little Mermaid 2"? Ah yes, that story Nursery mentioned.

Indeed, that does sound intriguing.

Given how that author has been writing away in that strange apartment building without losing his mind...

...and the fact that Sessyoin Lily was apparently taking care of him herself...

...the odds are better than even that he knows something.

I know it is already nighttime, but it may well be worth the risk to visit him now.

Especially as I doubt Lady Sessyoin will be making any further moves tonight.

？！

We should nearly be at the apartment building...but it seems there are now killers wandering this area.

Let's go ahead and take them out first.

Agreed. We await your orders, Master!

？！

Apologies for the sudden intrusion, but I am afraid we have urgent business.

So that's what all that noise outside was about. More Servants.

Go away. I'm busy writing ...On second thought, I guess I'm not.

As luck would have it, I was just taking a break. Anything interesting to talk about?

Hmm. You there, the youth scout. You're not the same you I met before. What's going on here?

If this is a new kind of scam, don't bother. You can see how many valuables I have, which is to say, none.

？！

...Ugh, I swear. I know I said I wanted some more exciting story ideas...

...but this is much too intricate for my blood. I'm not a mystery novelist, you know.

Still, this does connect a lot of dots.

So, the other version of you who came here before was an imposterprobably the mastermind behind all this.

And on top of that, this mountain was once home to a commune devoted to studying immortality...

...and it's got laws of death swirling about it that can even kill Servants, huh.

Figures that the place I chose to get away would turn out to be the worst resort in the history of resorts.

With all this fascinating stuff happening outside, it's no wonder I can't focus on the manuscript in front of me.

Just my luck this place would turn out to be a perfect place to torment authors.

Putting aside the question of whether this mountain is a resort or not for now...

We came to you because we thought you might know something about Sessyoin.

Sessyoin... So that's her name. I only knew her as Lily.

Sorry, but I don't know anything about her other than the fact that she asked me to write her a story.

I don't care if she's your enemy, or even the enemy of all humanity. I'm still not going to fight anyone.

Besides, I already told you I wasn't going to help. If that's what you were counting on, you're barking up the wrong tree.

Now that you mention it, you did say you had no intention of working as a Servant...

No, it's not... On second thought, never mind.

...Ouch. I guess you really do know me.

？！

...Anyway, that being said, I can still show my appreciation for that entertaining story you told me.

Even if it was only a story about how you're no match for this Sessyoin woman.

Sadly, we were not. None of our attacks could so much as scratch her.

Even when we landed a direct hit with our Noble Phantasms, she simply kept returning to life just like that.

On top of that, we kept losing stamina at an alarming rate. It truly felt like we were in the palm of her hand, so to speak...

That's a bit odd as well. The Yaobikuni of legend never had that kind of power.

In battles between Servants, knowing your opponent's identitytheir True Name, can make all the difference.

Your opponent's legend can tell you their strengths, their weaknesses, and sometimes, even their vulnerabilities.

Essentially, when it comes to information warfare, you're already losing your battle against this Sessyoin.

So if you want to defeat her, you should start by figuring out her True Name.

？！

Given what happened in the hotel, it seems safe to assume that Sessyoin Kiara can control dreams.

Dreams, huh.

Dreams are essential in all sorts of myths and legends. Understandably, since people have been dreaming for as long as they've been around.

It's not at all unusual for many heroes' journeys to begin with a dreamsay, one of a dragon crawling inside their mother's womb.

Very true.

But, that still gets us no closer to

There may be countless legends involving dreams, but there are very few beings capable of controlling them.

Most who possess that ability tend to be Divine Spirit-level beings, after all.

In Greek mythology, there's Hypnos, the god of sleep, and his brothers, the Oneiroi, the gods of dreams.

I suppose there's also Morpheus, if we want to really get bogged down in the weeds...

...Hmph, but none of that matters anyway. This is all one giant red herring.

It's all a scam made possible by the existence of a Servant who can control nightmares.

From everything you've told me, some Servants must have been awake, and yet they still fell prey to Sessyoin's power.

Plus, let's not forget that Servants are beings primarily of spirit.

Certain exceptional circumstances aside, they have no need to sleep, and they don't have dreams of their own.

Which means the dreams you were all shown must have taken place without you falling asleep.

？！

？！

Exactly. Your opponent is by no means invincible.

You're only seeing her as such.

I see... So it's like an extended reality that covers this entire mountain, to say nothing of all of us.

But, unfortunately, even knowing that doesn't change the fact that our attacks won't land.

Whatever illusion she's using is fooling all five of our senses. At that point, it may as well be another reality entirely.

Right. Attacks that depend on focusing on your opponent won't work here. What you need are attacks that don't depend on any perception on your part at all. In other words

I see! We need to close our eyes when we strike at her!

Uh... Well, in your case, you probably could track down an opponent even with your eyes closed...

Butand I do hate to dampen that smile of yours...

...closing your eyes won't change the fact that you're still explicitly focusing on your opponent.

After all, it doesn't matter if your eyes are open or not when you're hacking at an illusion that isn't really there.

Aww.

...No, I think you have the right idea, Lady Tomoe. We just need a way to attack more indiscriminately.

Perhaps the aftermath of a large explosion would do the trick?

Like my Brynhild Sigurtein!

Y-yes, that is true! My Noble Phantasm should definitely be able to do that!

？！

Now you've got it.

It may seem to you like you're not hurting the enemy at all, but in practice, you must be.

This Sessyoin woman is almost certainly healing her injuries in secret so that she seems to be invincible.

I'm sure the mermaid flesh's healing effects are real, but they've also got to have limits.

I see. Then we should pretend to be frustrated that our attacks aren't landing even as we prepare our Noble Phantasms to pummel the entire battlefield.

I believe that's the best way we can approach this current situation, just as you suggest.

I get it. If she's trying to fool us with illusions, we play along and make her think it's working.

Sounds good to me. Let's go with that.

I can't wait to take the blood from my own injuries and rub it right in that bitch's smirking face!

Um... I'm glad we have a strategy we can use to fight her now, but what about her True Name?

If Sessyoin Kiara isn't actually Yaobikuni, then we can't just ignore the power of her real Noble Phantasm...

I'm not obliged to tell you that much. You lot can figure it out for yourselves.

Between the ocean, the illusions, and that compact Lily had on her, it's only a matter of time until you put the pieces together.

Don't you have any Heroic Spirits who know a lot about Japanese monsters? I don't have much interest in him myself, but what about, say, Kyokutei Bakin?

You don't know him, but you do know Katsushika Hokusai? ...So close, but not quite.

Well, no matter. This discussion is over. I seriously need to get back to writ

... ...

Huh? Is something wrong, Lady Yu Mei-re

I've got it!!!

The reason why this guy's here!

You should be grateful I'm here, Kouhai. Hehehe.

？！

Anyway, I figured it all out. I know what she wants, and how we can beat her.

And the next time we go up against her, I'm gonna smack her over the head with it myself.

Don't even worry about uncovering her True Name. Just sit back and let your senpai take care of everything!

Huh? Hang on, why are you grabbing my arm? I told you, I'm not going to help.

That's fine, you don't have to fight. We're just going to take you along with us.

Having you there's going to be the key to our victory!

...Huh?

Fou, fou fo fo fou. (Special Translation: Whatever she's up to, she's not gonna waste any time trying it out...)

Oh. I wasn't expecting to see you all again so soon.

By now I expect you've all had enough time to realize you don't stand a chance against me.

So if you've come all this way simply to become my playthings, that strikes me as more insane than brave.

Hehe. Don't tell me. Getting beat up excites you, doesn't it?

Of course not. We're here because we know how to beat you now, obviously.

Listen up, Sessyoin Kiara. I know your weakness now, so this is your last chance to give yourself up peacefully.

My weakness? Oh, you ARE funny.

Do tell.

Why should I kneel before rabble who can't even see what's right in front of them, let alone what's around them?

Heh. Maybe this'll change your tune.

Hey, not so rough.

You said all I'd have to do is come with you, remember?

...All right. Why is he here?

I always thought it was weird. And I wasn't the only one.

Fujimaru and the other Servants all thought so, too.

What was a weak-ass Servant who doesn't know when to shut up doing in a decrepit old building like that?

But when you stop and think about it, the answer's obvious.

You've been keeping this cantankerous blue-haired children's book author around, Sessyoin, because...

You love him!

What do you say to that!?

... ...

(Most condescending sigh of all time) Come again?

？！

...(Sigh) Very well, Lord Fujimaru. If you insist.

All right, Lady Yu Mei-ren, what could possibly have given you such an absurd idea?

What else could it be? The whole reason you turned yourself into an innocent little girl was because you...

Um... What was that guy's name again? The one in Murasaki's famous story?

Hiccup Grungy?

Um...

Might you be thinking of Hikaru Genji, by any chance?

That's it! I knew I was close.

That's right, Sessyoin. You wanted to make this author guy your Hikaru Genji!

(Speechless)

？！

Fou, fooou!

...

Oh, wait. Maybe it should've been "You wanted to be Hikaru Genjied by this author guy"?

Ah well, either way.

It's okay, Sessyoin. I totally get how you feel.

I wish I could've been with Lord Xiang Yu ever since I was little, too!

I wish we could have been born at the same time and grown up together, our affection for one another growing naturally over time until blossoming in a full-blown painfully awkward bittersweet adolescent romance!

So I get it. That's what you wanted for you and that author too, right?

Hehehe. I wouldn't so much as lay a finger on that pathetic Heroic Spirit even for a dozen Holy Grails.

Now, if you're done with your wild and baseless speculation, it's past time I stopped holding back.

This magical energy... It is unbelievably dense!

This goes well beyond the realm of illusion. It is as though we've entered another world entirely!

？！

Hohoho. Though it shames me as Yaobikuni to bring my full power to bear against such insignificant little creatures...

...I'm afraid your horrendous insults have left me no other choice. I must warn you, any hope you had of this being an ultimately harmless illusion is well and truly dead.

Huh? Did I make a mistake somewhere? I could've sworn my theory was right.

It was. But unfortunately, just because a relationship is right does not mean every other issue is resolved.

There are some things that should simply never be voiced. Bluntly, you touched a nerve.

Ahh, the poor thing. Not even summer magical energy is enough to get her to accept her true feelings...

Then again, maybe she truly doesn't feel anything for him at all?

Hehehehehe. Lovey-dovey couples like you should all be wiped off the face of the earth.

Besides, the little mermaid never needed love. Love is what ended up turning her into sea-foam.

No dream can ever truly be realized on land. They're sticks and mud stuck together on ever shifting sands, merely biding their time until the weight of reality comes bearing down to crush them.

So I'll make them come true at the bottom of the ocean instead. Why go to Mt. Hourai when you can visit Shangri-la in my sleeping chambers?

My bed has no place for malice; it has neither entrance nor exit. It is merely the place where I can grant any desire you may have...

...No, I think that's far enough, "Yaobikuni." In fact, let's call you what you really are.

You're Shen: the great Divine Beast that dwells at the bottom of the sea, said to be another world all in herself.

!

These days, we know that the impossible city of water we think we see in the desert is an illusion

A trick of the light we now know as a mirage.

But long ago, people dreamed there was a being responsible for showing us such visions.

In both ancient China and Japan, they were said to be the work of a clam-monster that made its home in the seabed.

They believed this being was both dream and illusion that took solid form to intrude upon reality. Even today, the Japanese word for "mirage" is "shinkirou," which literally means "Shen's tower of the mind."

These "towers" were said to be strange and mysterious illusionsfar too strange for human hands to create.

They were dreams of sea-foam that bubbled up from the ocean floor to create impossible visions on land.

And the being who spit them out was a great clam-monster by the name of Shen.

So forget the pretense and come clean with us, you filthy cannibal.

The first thing you ate was Shen, and you only ate the mermaid while you were at it. Am I wrong?

...Oho. Well, well, well.

I never thought a Heroic Spirit from the West would ever figure out my True Name.

Yes, you're right. My true nature is as a miragean illusory paradise.

Please, call me whatever you like. Pleasurable Boddhisatva... Sessyoin the Demon of the Sea... Anything at all.

？！

However, there is one thing I don't understand. What do you think you're doing here?

Am I mistaken, or did you not say you weren't going to help Chaldea?

I didn't want to help either side, but your dragging "The Little Mermaid" into this left me no other choice.

Normally I'd charge you through the nose for the rights, but given your sheer gall in pretending to be a mermaid with a body like that, I'll waive them just this once.

Well, how magnanimous of you. Now, would you please get back to your desk and stick to writing?

I prepared a perfect writing environment for you, so you must surely be almost done by now!

...Heh.

Hehehe, heh, hehehe. (Special Translation: I'm not saying one word about my progress.)

Now then, I'm going back before things get any more uncomfortable for me. The rest of you can figure something out from here.

...By all means. But know I'll be coming to collect that manuscript once I've dealt with...these idiots.

Well that's weird.

I was sure you and the author were going to declare your love for one another, and that would be that.

Would you please stop putting such horrid images in my head?

I was originally planning to compromise, but now, you've forced my hand.

Don't blame me for this, Master. The blame for this rests solely with that romance-addled fool of a woman.

Hmph, that's rich.

I'm not about to let my dreams evaporate. I'm a fragment of everlasting stardust.

I'm lucky enough that my every day is like a dream come true.

And there's no way I'm letting you take that away.

Now come on, Kouhai, it's time to finish this!

You too, dammit!

That's what I like to hear. I think you've earned an extra Kouhai Point.

？！

Very well then...

My name is Sessyoin Kiara. I am the one who cultivates, and devours, pleasure, pain, desire, and illusion.

A genuine illusion is that which disappears. A genuine nightmare is that which comes true.

And you are all only genuine in that you are about to disappear like so much foam on the surf.

Now please, by all means: Do try your best to destroy me, won't you?

Ahh, my lovely Shen outfit is ruined. I never imagined you would be so focused on saturating the entire battlefield with so many hard-hitting attacks.

Crude though it may be, it was certainly...invigorating♡ I felt as though I were at the center of a massive, ongoing explosion... Hehe.

Fou. Fo fou.

(How can she smile like that even after we've got her over a barrel? Yikes.)

A-anyway, we clearly won this fight! Give it up, Shen Kiara!

...I'm sorry.

I know I said you could call me whatever you like, but I have to draw the line at...that.

At any rate.

While I'll admit that these repeated bombings have proven to be greatly effective against my mirage self...

I couldn't help but notice that you also seem to be blowing up along with every blast.

Are you not at all concerned by your own death?

Not at all. If anything, I wish I COULD die.

Hell, I've been wishing for that for thousands of years, long before I ever became a Servant.

...I see. So that's why this mountain

Huh? What's that supposed to mean? This mountain have something to do with my immortality or something?

Oh, I'm sorry. You're bound to figure it out for yourself. I will refrain from spoiling anything.

As humiliating as this defeat has been, at least the threat on this side has been defeated.

Since you have all put up such a tremendous fight, I will let you in on a little secret: all I have done on this mountain are acts of charity.

I am in no way responsible for this Singularity, and I am also willing to offer you my help.

If you feel you cannot trust a former enemy, you may simply cut me down where I stand.

But if you believe this humble clam may be of assistance, I would be most happy to provide it.

？！

Yes?

？！

Why of course.

Hehehe. At last, I'll finally be able to pay her back.

Fine by me.

Having you on our side would be a tremendous help.

Honestly, I'd prefer to see you showing at least a little remorse...

Oh?

Eh, it's not like I'm in any position to lecture anyone about morality.

If Master's fine with you helping, I've got no objections.

Hehe. Well aren't you a thoughtful Master?

Would you mind not staring at me quite so intently? You'll make me blush.

？！

Master, are you all right?

Good. I can confirm we've seen a decrease in paranormal activity over here on Side B.

The fog has lifted, and many Servants are being freed from their illusions.

Ahh, how sad. No sooner do I make all those lovely (to me) worlds for them than they wake up as though nothing happened.

Unfortunately, we're no closer to finding Mash or figuring out who's behind all this.

All we managed to find were a few reports and videos.

We were just about to go through them, but I can't promise they'll tell us anything about Mash.

？！

Indeed, the rules of night are still very much in effect.

We are very likely to encounter other strange phenomena if we wander about any further now.

I understand you're worried about Lady Mash, but even so, I believe it would be best to hurry back to the cottage for the time being.

Got it. Then we'll meet up there.

I'll borrow the VCR we found in that house on the way back and set it up so we can watch the videos.

Okay, let's get going. Just make sure you're ready to tell us everything you know about where Mash is.

'Kaaay♪

...I can't put my finger on why, but turning back out of nowhere like that seems really unfair.