Section 11: What Awaits Beyond Death and Terror

...What a joke.

So you're going?

Yes, I am.

I have no hope we'll ever see each other again.

Well that's too bad. I'm sure I'll see you again someday.

My fortune said as much.

...If you say so. Goodbye.

I didn't do anything special.

There were just as many people who worshipped me as there were who feared me.

Xu Fu is said to have come to Japan along with three thousand apprentices...

...after telling Qin Shi Huang there was an elixir of immortality to be found here.

I'd heard there were legends about the village where she settled down in both China and Japan, but I never imagined they were real.

Lady Yu Mei-ren.

I will not ask you to tell us if doing so is upsetting...

...but does Xu Fu's research into the slaying of an immortal have anything to do with you being immortal?

Well, it did at first.

I remember I was still deciding whether to kill her or leave her be when she bowled me over with hero worship...

So I ended up explaining to her exactly why immortality sucks so much.

From then on, she kind of...grew on me.

？！

Yeah. She grew on me.

I didn't come here to Japan with her myself, but I did see her off when her ship set sail.

I see.

You must have been good friends if you wanted to say a proper goodbye.

Yeah, I guess so.

Though I had no idea what she was going to get up to, apparently.

I'm guessing she was always the kind of hard worker who would latch onto an idea and never let it go.

At any rate, I now understand the power of her immortal-slaying mask.

It can't be an ordinary Mystic Code, not when it's capable of instantly killing Servants.

Now I'm especially glad I squirreled away some mermaid meat for a rainy day.

Can you hear me, my ally?

I'm talking to you from the underworld now via something akin to telepathy.

It only works one-way, so there's no need to respond!

To be honest, even with all the medjed helping me out, I'm just about at my wits' end!

I'm begging you, please do whatever you have to do to fix this mess as quickly as you can!

Sounds like things are pretty bad on that end, too.

But before we can do anything else, we need to figure out what to do about that mask.

Then again, once we do manage to get past it, the rest should be simple, no?

Probably.

Xu Fu's own Spirit Origin isn't all that tough. It's basically a conglomerate of pure malice more than anything.

So we shouldn't need more than one Servant to deal with her. Again, the real problem is what to do about that mask.

The moment she brings that out, we're as good as dead.

And I don't mean running away to fight another day. I mean real, actual death.

Given what we saw with Nitocris and the underworld, I'm guessing that mask is able to inflict damage on Spirit Origins that can even make it near impossible to resummon those Servants.

Basically, everything depends on how we can prevent Xu Fu from killing us.

I don't think even the defensive Mystic Codes we have on hand will be enough.

I might be able to come up with a way to protect myself against a two-thousand year old cursed item, but I can't protect us all.

I'm willing to protect Master, but that's it.

？！

No, there isn't. Reality is harsh. That's all there is to it.

Besides, it's like Xu Fu said: our Noble Phantasms are a poor match for her mask.

...Then I suppose it's up to me.

You, Sigurd? But, your Noble Phantasm can't

Brynhild is right. Just because your Noble Phantasm is Anti-Fortress doesn't mean it can resist death.

No, but I do know runes that can prevent death.

Even those aren't going to be enough.

I know.

Which is why I will use my beloved's love to gain even greater power!

!?

U-um, Honey, I love you more than anything, but I'm not sure that's how that works!

Good grief... Come on, Murasaki, back me up here.

Tell them how a couple going up against a horror movie threat is basically asking to be killed.

... ...

Yes, that is true...

Being part of a couple is a surefire way to end up dead in a horror movie, especially a slasher movie.

(Nodding in assent)

However!

A couple that has managed to survive to the end could also be the exception that proves the rule.

Hmm... Hmm...? Which is it here? The exception, or the rule?

(Huh?)

Thinking about it some more, the power of love winning out against fear is a very common trope...

So I think this may just work!

You really think so...?

Love, huh.

(Snicker) I doubt it will be that easy.

After all, innocent love falling apart in the face of fear is a very common trope, too.

I admit this would be an all-or-nothing gamble, but

Yeah, yeah, I've heard enough. Give it a rest, lovebirds.

All-or-nothing or not, that's way too risky a plan to bet our lives on.

Yes, I have to agree.

It is far too soon to bet everything on emotion. I would say that is tantamount to throwing one's life away!

War is a contest of survival, where one must employ any and all tactics at one's disposal.

Any plan that relies entirely on emotion should only ever be a last resort!

Suffice to say, we should first try all our other options.

If we fail to do so, we will surely lose this battle!

There you have it, Sigurd. What do you say to that?

Beloved, as much as it pains me to say this... I can't argue with her point.

Oh Sigurd.

Under normal circumstances, you would be making the very same argument as her.

That being said, I do think our best chance lies in Lord Sigurd breaking through the enemy's defenses, and Lady Brynhild backing him up.

In the meantime, the rest of us can provide support and

I'll take the front line.

Really? Are you sure?

Sure's got nothing to do with it.

I'm the reason she's doing all this, right? So it's only fair that I be the one to settle it.

Sorry, Sigurd, but I have to insist that you back me up. Got it?

...Understood. I trust that serving as a decoy will suffice?

Yeah, that should work.

While you're drawing her attention, I'll get in close to Xu Fu and smash that mask to pieces.

Hang on. Like I just said, that's not

There's one thing that gives me an advantage.

I know exactly what kind of death she's going to try to give me next. It's...

Now I see. That does make a lot of sense.

As far as her collection of methods of murder go, it's probably ideal.

See? This'll totally work. What do you think, Kouhai?

？！

Then it's settled.

？！

Scared, huh.

That's a good question coming from you, Kouhai. When you're immortal, fear's a completely different beast, after all.

The thing that scares me more than anything is no longer being myself.

Death already has no meaning for me, so if life no longer had any value either...

...my very existence would become something I barely recognize. And that's just not going to fly with me.

So if I don't face this challenge now, I'll never be able to face Lord Xiang Yu again, either.

You know...if you think about it, this whole thing is really Ms. Yu-Yu's fault, isn't it?

Aw come on, you didn't have to say that. I feel bad enough already...

All right, I'll make a gate. Everything beyond that will be outside my jurisdiction.

？！

Hey, I have to ask... Are you sure you have to go? I mean, this is all her problem to solve, right?

？！

...Hmph.

I really can't stand how you're just so direct about these kinds of things...

？！

Oh, you don't have to apologize.

It just means I'll have to stick close to you, like any good Servant would for her Master.

... ...

...What? Do you have something to say to me?

No, I don't.

I was just thinking how nice it is to see you acting so self-indulgently girlish, that's all.

Well sure. The real you's a grown-up woman who left that kind of childish stuff behind some time ago.

Hehe. If that's what you think, Emiya, then you still have sooo much to learn, too.

Anyway, I'll go ahead and use my power of Shen to make an illusion.

I can't promise this will be enough to completely fool her, but it should be enough to have her lose herself in a dream for a while.

All right then, we're all set. Go for it, Yu Mei-ren.

Okay, I'll give it my best shot.

I trust you're all prepared to step through the gate?

？！

No problems here.

All good.

Just remember, you're going to emerge in a different place than last time.

...Okay, jump in!

I'll go first! Yah!

My turn.

Okay! I'll be right by your side!

Fou!

？！

Tch. Now every enemy we've faced so far is all gathered in one place!

So it would seem!

I see zombies, ghosts, slashers, monsters... It almost feels like a final examination of sorts.

Hah, this is nothing. We can handle an assortment of foes like this with our eyes closed!

I-I'll do the best I can!

Looks like this is all set to end with a bang.

All right, Master and Mash, let's get started!

There are quite a lot of enemies here, even for a final battle!

Master, Lady Mash, Lord Sigurd, Lady Yu Mei-ren, please, go on without us.

We will hold back the enemy forces!

Good idea.

If we're going to be decoys, we might as well grab all the attention we can.

G-good luck!

？！

All right, kouhai, let's get going! Both of you!

Understood!

Fou fou.

Lady Yu!

...Hey, Xu Fu. Long time no see.

Don't be ridiculous. We saw each other just a short while ago, remember?

Yeah, but I don't feel like that counted.

Between everything that happened, I never got a chance to greet you properly, after all.

So let me fix that. I'm back to kick your scrawny ass.

Hehehe. I can't believe you came all this way just to die.

But I do appreciate it.

Yeah? We'll see how appreciative you are when this is over. Only one of us is gonna survive this, and spoiler alert: it won't be you.

Of course it will be!

We'll see about that.

Very well.

Now that everyone has said what they needed to say, let's begin the battle, shall we?

Here we go!

You said it. Come on, Kouhai!

？！

...!

("Kouhai?" Did she just say "Kouhai"!? She never, EVER called me that!)

You there! I know this might seem sudden, but I'm going to k-kill you now!

？！

And just so we're clear, it's not because I'm jealous! Nope. Understand!? N-now...d-diiiiiie!!!

Flustered much?

Whaaat? Why would you say that!?

How could you be so mean? What did I ever do to you, anyway?

？！

Sorry to interrupt again. I know I'm not the best in social situations, but I really think it's time we started fighting!

Nooo! Stay away from me! Go on, Immortal Slayers, get them!

I WILL endure this, one way or another. ...Let's go!

Ghh! The power of love got me through that first assault...but I won't survive another.

It's all up to you now, Lady Yu Mei-ren!

Got it! I should still be able to make it!

P-pyaaah! G-get out here, Prince of Lan Ling!

Huh!?

...Heh.

Prince of Lan Ling? You

I'm afraid I have thrown my lot in with Lady Xu Fu.

I have given myself over to darkness. You may call me...

Um, what was it they could call me again, Lady Xu Fu?

Dark Lan!

Because now you're a brutal man who will emerge from the darkness to strike at Lady Yu wherever she may hide!

There you have it. Now, prepare to die!

Khh... Give me a hand here, Kouhai! You don't want to go up against Prince of Lan Ling alone if you can help it!

？！

That's not how I remember it. In fact, I actually don't remember it at all, and I'd like to keep it that way.

Come then, have at you!

How utterly selfish can one person be!?

Ghhh!

You're always flitting around wherever you please, never staying put for more than a moment!

You hate dealing with people, but the moment you come to trust someone, you cling so tightly it's absurd!

So you continuously wish for good people to be rewarded, even as you remain strictly outside the human world...

Do you have any idea how many people have ruined their lives by hopelessly pining for you!?

W-wait, what was that last part again? Where'd that come from?

Th-that's strange.

He was supposed to berate Lady Yu by laying out all his day-to-day frustrations with her...

Hahahaha! That was never going to happen, Xu Fu!

Prince of Lan Ling is as devoted to Lady Yu Mei-ren as a knight to the princess he is sworn to protect.

Any frustrations he may have with her would only be expressed as loving admonitions.

H-hang on. J-just give me a moment.

No, I will not.

This is a golden opportunity to tell you how I really feel, and I'm going to take full advantage of it.

C-come on, give me a break!

Wouldn't YOU be embarrassed if someone you knew when you were alive told you how attractive you are!?

I would. But, I am Dark Lan right now, so I don't care.

Why you little...!!! This is exactly why I hate you!!!

Be that as it may, this is the only way I can express my day-to-day frustrations.

Now you listen to me, Lady Yu Mei-ren. At times, that beautiful form of yours can be toxic.

While Lord Xiang Yu may be able and willing to support you with his iron intellect, the same cannot be said of other Servants.

But, that

Doesn't matter? Yes, I know.

But you're the only one who thinks so. As far as other Servants are concerned...

Some aspects of you are so overwhelmingly attractive that they would be willing to become beasts for your sake!

P-please, no more.

I don't know how to respond to hearing that sort of thing from you...

Beasts? Beasts!?

Have you been harboring such filthy animalistic desires for Lady Yu all this time, you closet pervert!?

Not really, no.

I've always thought of love, desire, affection, and yearning as fundamentally different things, so.

O-oh. I see. Well, I can understand that.

Sometimes, she can be so beautiful she seems more like a marble statue than a person, after all.

!?

Me too.

Most of the time, she just goes around doing whatever she wants, but every now and then, she gets this fleeting air about her that takes your breath away.

Now don't you start too, Mash!

Indeed I do.

I'm certain that the more you observe her, the more her charms will become apparent.

？！

Now then, I think I'll compliment you some more.

Hehe, I must say, it does feel good to cut loose and say exactly what's on my mind for a change!

Gaah! I can't take it anymore!

If we don't stop him now, Prince of Lan Ling and I are BOTH going to die of embarrassment!

So we'll just have to beat his ass unconscious!

It's not enough... I still have so many more compliments left to pay...

I-I'll pay them, okay!? Me! S-so just shut up already!

All right, if you insist... (Falls asleep)

Man, just when you think you know a human...

Ghh... Ghhh!!!

But anyway, at least we've won now! Give it up, Xu Fu!

This isn't over yet. I still have an ace up my sleeve!

Oh yeah? Then let's see this death you're going to give me already!

But if you think it's going to be your last massacre that ends with me dead...

You've got another thing coming!

Oh no, that's where you're wrong. This will most certainly be the end, Lady Yu!

I still have one death left to give you.

A death that you could never have seen coming even in your wildest dreams...

You will die by battling...yourself!

...!

No way. It's...me!

This is exactly why I split you in two!

Once you have killed yourself, my collection will finally be complete!

Yeah, well, I always knew it was going to come to this.

Right? Of course you did!

... ...

Wait, what?

That other me was pretty much bound to end up as my evil doppelganger, right?

So all I've got to do is match her timing! Come on, me, let's do this thing!

Got you!

If you fight death with death, and life with life...

...then of course, you've got to fight explosions with explosions.

Huh?

Heh heh heh. You thought you would kill me, with me?

That would mean losing a battle against myself, and that's never going to happen.

If it ever came to that... I'd sooner blow myself to kingdom come!

Y-y-you're going to self-destruct!?

My curse simply obeys his will! Bloom and scatter...like the poppy flower of my past!

Anti-Fling Rondo!

If I'm blowing up, I'm taking you with me!

A-aah! Aaahhh! Blood! Blood! Blood everywheeere!

？！

It's best you not get too accustomed to this sort of thing, Master.

H-how can you be so heartless!? Didn't you see that!? Lady Yu just...j-just went BAM! Like an overinflated balloon!

？！

Huh?

？！

Annnd I'm back!

Oh, she's back. Thank goodness...

Wait! No! Dammit!

Wh-wh-what's going on, Lady Yu!? And where'd the other Lady Yu go!?

She blew up too, right? So when she did...

I merged with her.

Merged? Merged...?

Did she say "merged"?!

See that, Kouhai? There's nothing I can't do!

W-we saw. It's, um, very impressive.

？！

Fou...

Huh? What do you mean, weird?

A fly? Don't be ridiculous. I'd never merge with anything like that. I'm fine.

...At least, I'm pretty sure I'm fine. Be honest with me: Do I have any weird wings or antennae?

It's okay, Yu Mei-ren. You're still your usual (swimsuited) self!

Right. Of course I am.

How about you, Fujimaru? What do you think?

... ...

Double Kouhai points for you!

Exactly.

Now I've got double the Spirit Origin, double the density, and the same amount of love for Lord Xiang Yu as ever...because I'd long since maxed it out.

？！

G-grr... I-it's not over yet! I still have the immortal-slaying mask!

Sure do. So I'm gonna smash it now.

Okay, Kouhai, Perfect Yu Mei-ren is gonna do her thing! Sound the gong!

？！

Senpai? Where did you get that gong!?

Then do your best gong-pression!

？！

There! Now I'm all fired up and ready to punish you for your misdeeds, Xu Fu!

Really? Ooh, I can't wait Wait! Do-over!

Very well then, Lady Yu, if that is what I must do to give you the death you so desire, I will just have to kill you myself!

Sorry, Xu Fu, but I stopped wishing for that death a while ago.

But, oh well. Now that we've come this far, I'll just have to knock some sense into you.

From this point on, this horror movie is now officially an action flick. Ever seen one of those, Xu Fu?

In action flicks, you can destroy just about anything with a strong enough attack!

Now let's do this!

Ah...

It's over.

Ah... Aah... Aaah...

There. I smashed it to pieces.

And my hopes and your dreams along with it.

It took me two-thousand two-hundred years to make it...

I'm sure that sucks, but unfortunately, I just don't need it now.

What about a hundred years from now? Are you sure you'll still feel the same way then?

...

You might be happy now, but you don't know what's going to happen over the next hundred years.

Someone could summon you, and force you to do things that eat away at your soul.

Someone could discover your inhuman nature and imprison and torture you for their own gains.

So why? How can you be so sure that

Heh. You think you know my own mind better than I do?

I'll cross that bridge when I reach it a hundredhell, a thousand years from now.

I'm sure my future self will curse my present self sometimes. Hell, I'm sure there will be times when I'll be pissed off at my past self, too.

But I'd never think of making any requests for my future self to uphold.

Now that I've been reunited with Lord Xiang Yu, my placemy feelingswill always be right here.

？！

... ...

...Ahem.

And, well, I guess teeechnically, the group of kouhai there might have a little something to do with it, too.

Only a little, though.

Thank you, Yu Mei-ren!

？！

Don't you mean "in the universe"?

Heh. Hehe...

Ahh, I've never seen anyone so fickle. You're naive, selfish, and standoffish all at once.

...Remember when you used to yearn for death?

Yeah, I do.

That's why I made that mask, you know.

I thought you had a right to choose whether to go on living, or to rest in peace forever.

But, see... The problem with that's

Oh yes, I know.

That goal began to warp into something else even when I was still alive.

My pursuit of immortality became about killing it...

...and I imbued that mask with countless false deaths in order to realize that goal.

I wasn't playing around, but I was taking a risk.

... ...

When I first came to this Singularitymy old home, reallyI was honestly taken aback.

I never would have dreamed that my apprentices could have made it this far.

It took them sacrificing their lives and conducting countless inhumane experiments...

...but they came tantalizingly close to reaching the goal.

Yeah, they did.

They might've picked the worst possible way to go about trying to kill an immortal...

...but it might have just been the simplest approach humans could take.

...All the time it took them aside.

Yes, that's the most regrettable part, isn't it? Oh well, nothing to be done for it now.

No, there isn't.

Like they say, you reap what you sow, and what you've sown has reaped you a miserable disappearance.

Heh, hahaha... If that's true...

...then it's only a matter of time until you fade away miserably, too.

...Yeah, you're not wrong.

But that's not happening just yet. I'm happy to let my future self deal with it when the time comes.

Hehe... You really are the worst...

Oh shut up.

You know, Lady Yu?

Even if I have to suffer eternal torment in hell for what I've done...I don't regret any of it.

Goodbye, Xu Fu.

...It's finally over, huh.

Fou fou.

Yes, it is. Even Fou is exhausted.

My ally? Is that you, my ally?

I'm happy to report that all the Servants who were being held in the underworld are being freed as we speak.

They should all make their way back to the land of the living momentarily!

Aha. We thought you guys might be all wrapped up here.

All the slashers, zombies, and ghosts we were fighting have disappeared.

Well, there do seem to be a few stragglers left behind, but I'm sure they'll follow suit soon enough.

Phew. Congratulations on a job well done, everyone!

I think it is time we returned to the cottage and played some party games!

Are you and Mash okay, Fujimaru?

We're fine, thank you, Illya. I'm glad to see you're okay, too!

Ehehe. Yay!

I see... So it's all over then.

？！

Don't thank me. If you want to thank someone, it should be my father and his elder friends.

I'm only the shrine maiden serving as the vessel for the Outer God's power, after all.

？！

... ...

...Well, I suppose I can live with that.

(Hmm. Is it just me, or does Master tend to pay more attention to kids who are a little bit naughty?)

(Hey, it makes sense. Well-behaved kids don't need as much care.)

(Naughty kids get more attention, huh...)

Nn... Nnn... Hey, Fujimaru!

？！

U-um... Well...

Can I whisper something to you?

O-okay, here goes.

Jerk... Dummy...

？！

Ruuuby! It's not working!

Welp.

Sorry, Illya, but you're just not cut out to be naughty.

So now I'm just a girl who spouted a bunch of nonsense at Fujimaru!?

... ...

Master, could you lend me your hand for a moment?

？！

OM NOM NOM NOM!!!

Wh-what the!? Abigail-senpai!? What in the world are you doing!?

Oops. Looks like that pathetic naughty move you pulled only lit a fire under her butt.

Hey! Don't call me pathetic!

Hehehe. How adorable.

It seems all the Servants who had been drowning in Shangri-la managed to make their way out.

I did do my best to stop the mastermind from assembling her collection of death...

...but I'm going to miss this now that it's over. I would have liked to enjoy myself just a little more.

...Man, you're a piece of work, aren't you?

Still, while I hate to admit it, I do get the sense you didn't do anything wrong.

Maybe it's just in your nature to throw things out of whack even when you're helping...

...and end up saving the world when you're being evil.

Hehe. I take it that's your way of warning me to behave myself?

You know, I originally came here just looking for a nice little getaway, but I really must say, this has turned out to be a summer to remember.

I may not have been able to save any of those in need of assistance as I'd originally hoped...

...but I still got what I really wanted out of this, and that's enough for me.

Now then, if you'll excuse me, Nameless Heroic Spirit, I think I'll head back to Chaldea now.

What she really wanted...?

...Know what, I'm not going to worry about it. I'm just going to head back to the cottage.

No sense overthinking a woman whose true nature I couldn't pin down if my life depended on it.

Well, I guess this is the last night we'll be spending here.

So it would seem...

Soon, night will give way to dawn, and dawn, in turn, to day.

All right, everyone, I'd say we've all earned ourselves a day to unwind and relax.

What do you say we all spend this last day as we see fit until we're ready to return home?

Incidentally, I'm thinking of taking my beloved on a nice, relaxing fishing trip.

Hmm. Fishing, eh?

I like the sound of that...

I'm a little sleepy, so I think I'll just go to bed.

How about you, Abigail-senpai?

I'm getting tired of being called "senpai." O-oh, me? Um, I'm not sure...

Then would you like to join me? I've been wanting to talk to you about all sorts of things!

Especially Fujimaru!

...Well, I suppose.

？！

'Kaaay!

Well, I do not know about everyone else, but I am more than ready for some video games! Would anyone care to join me?

You know, I've never played one before. Could I ask you to teach me, Lady Tomoe?

Absolutely! Come! We will begin with a tutorial!

All right, I'm gonna go rest up, too. I'm pretty beat after all that happened.

How about you two?

Well, um... I was thinking I'd stay here a little longer and watch the sunrise.

...That so. All right, later then, Kouhai.

？！

And you'd better appreciate it. It's not easy being a senpai, you know.

... ...

It's a beautiful sunrise, isn't it?

Right.

It's been a tremendous honor getting to spend another summer with you, Senpai.

That sounds great! Summer is still just getting started, after all!

？！

Okay, Master.

We only have a little more of this precious time left...

So let's make the most of our summer!