Farewell Yamataikoku, Until We Meet Again

(Yawwwn...) Another day of harvesting rice, huh...

This is starting to get reeeally old.

Why am I even out here harvesting rice like some peasant, anyway? I'm the greatest daimyo ever.

Okay, so I only got that recognition long after I bit the big one at Honnoji, but still!

Huh? Monkey made that list too? Why that cheeky little

That's my sister for you! Who else could keep charming the people of Japan even after her death!?

I would know; I'm one of the many you charmed!

Can you not give it a rest for just ONE morning!?

Okay, that's enough of that. Just shut up and wash your faces, please.

It's time you woke up too, Master.

？！

S-Senpai! We have an emergency!

One of the Ominous Gods is back!

Hanyo hanyo hanyooobbu!!!

A-aaaaaah!

It's one of those monsters agaaain!!!

That can't be right. I was sure all of the Ominous Gods returned to the light!

Hanyobu hanyobu hanyobu! (Munch, munch)

The haniwaI mean, the Ominous God is eating all the rice everyone gathered!

Nooo! Our rice!

If one of those things is back, we'll just have to smash it again!

Nobukatsu! I'm counting on you to get the villagers out of here!

Will do, Sister!

I'll come back to help you as soon as the evacuation is complete!

We'll handle the haniwa!

Man, as silly as those things look, they're still pretty damn intimidating when you've gotta fight one, huh?

I'm amazed you managed to take several of those things on before, Okita.

We'll just have to do our best to take it out! And this time, Mr. Saito, you're going to help us!

Yeah, yeah. Can't turn down a request for help from the First Unit captain, now can I?

All right, you bizarre-looking monstrosity, you're going back to the scrap heap you crawled out of!

Not if I have anything to say about it.

You're...that other Okita?

Okita Alter!?

？！

I've been getting by just fine thanks to all the rice there is to go around.

But at any rate, I can't let you get in that haniwa's way.

What are you saying, Alter Me!?

Nothing good could possibly come from letting that thing run free!

Sorry, Okita, but we can't let you get in its way, either.

Sakamoto!? You too!?

Don't forget Oryou.

What are you all thinking?

Don't tell me you've all been brainwashed?

Rest assured, our minds are as sound as ever.

However, we will not let you interfere with...that. That is all.

You too, Mr. Shuwen!? What happened to you guys!?

...

Well, nothing else to be done. If they're gonna try to stop us, we'll just have to make sure they fail.

That's right. Now come at me, vaguely familiar swordsman.

...

...Okay, I see how it is. Come on, Futuro!

Khh! To think we can't break our way past you, even with all these formidable fighters on our side... You really are strong, Normal Me.

Oh, like you didn't already know! Anyway, now we can take down the Ominous Go

Nope... It looks like it's all over now.

Huh?

Hanyo hanyo...

The Ominous God is...being enveloped in light...

This aura...

You're Iyo, aren't you?

...Yes, Lady Himiko. It is I.

I knew it. I thought that might be what was going on here.

This Ominous God is all that remains of the inhuman creatures who were left in this land after your final battle.

Some of them are so weak that they were unable to return to the light on their own.

Unable to return to the light?

They are a group of small and fragile beings ravaged by hunger, and all dead from war and disease.

Indeed, some are so weak they cannot even hold a grudge.

But then, why did they attack us?

Now I see. So that was Segaki Rice.

You got it. Not that I'd expect anything less from Lady Nobunaga, sworn enemy of gods and the Buddha.

？！

Segaki is a ritual where food is given as a sacrifice for ghosts or souls who are tormented by insatiable hunger.

It's basically an offering.

I see. So you were feeding them rice to heal them.

That's right. And these Servants were kind enough to assist me.

So why not just tell us to begin with?

Well, after everything these haniwa have put the people of this land through...

...we couldn't exactly expect them to roll out the welcome wagon for a new one.

So, at her request, we were protecting it until the Segaki ritual was complete.

Gotcha. That explains why your heart wasn't in the fight.

I am impressed you could tell, vaguely familiar guy with the strange style of swordplay.

Now, thanks to the rice these Servants so kindly let them gather, these creatures' souls should also be able to return to the light.

Thank you, everyone.

I see. You're just as kind as ever, aren't you, Iyo?

All right, little ones, come along now. I'll show you the way home.

Hanyo hanyo hanyobubu...

All right, everyone, it seems this is goodbye.

Oh, and Lady Himiko

I know. See you later, Iyo.

Iyo...

...By the way, is that Futuro over there?

Y-yeah, that's him.

Then this is perfect. Go on, Lady Himiko, introduce me to him.

I-I don't know. This is kind of sudden...

In! Tro! Duce! Meee!

Okay, okay! I'll introduce you next time, I promise!

In the meantime, take care of those children for me, okay?

Hmph. All right, but you'd better remember your promise!

...May I ask what you two were talking about?

O-oh, you know, just a little queen talk. No big deal.

I wouldn't say it was no big deal...

Well, everyone, boy from the future...

I hope to see you all again someday...

？！

Phew...

Well, that ought to finally wrap everything up.

Thanks for everything, Futuro!

Sheesh. Does this mean we can finally go home now?

I think it does. In some ways, it feels like we've been here forever, and in others, it feels like we just got here.

Huh? Hang on. We might've cut down on the overwhelming amount of rice, but did we actually solve the problem?

Nope, you haven't! Which is where this latest invention of mine comes in! I call it...

...Da Vinci Crop No. 20, Chaldean Paddy Rice!

D-Da Vinci Crop No. 20?

This new rice is made from the same type of rice that originally grew in Yamataikoku...

...except it's also designed to kick the husks off of Da Vinci Crop No. 1, metaphorically speaking.

Basically, it's got the power to convert all of No. 1 into No. 20 and put Yamataikoku's rice situation back the way it was.

All you've got to do is plant it, and it should bring the rice situation back under control.

That's amazing! Way to go, Da Vinci!

That should also repair this Singularity and restore Yamataikoku to its original self, Senpai!

Hang on. Just a second.

You're saying we need to plant this new rice crop in the rice fields?

Sure am.

As in, ALL the rice fields?

Yup. I'm afraid there's just no way to deal with an invasive species besides good old-fashioned manual labor.

So, after all that harvesting we've been doing, now we've gotta plant a bunch of new crops?

...

...

...

Hi, Sister! I just finished evacuating the civilians, and now I'm here to help!

...Huh? What is it? Why all the long faces?

...

This Rice Planting Order is now in effect! Get to it immediately!

This too is a battle to defend rice itself!

C-come on, Senpai! We'd better get started!

？！

This could totally have been helped!

Nope, you haven't! Which is where this latest invention of mine comes in! I call it...

...Da Vinci Crop No. 20, Chaldean Paddy Rice!

D-Da Vinci Crop No. 20?

This new rice is made from the same type of rice that originally grew in Yamataikoku...

...except it's also designed to kick the husks off of Da Vinci Crop No. 1, metaphorically speaking.

Basically, it's got the power to convert all of No. 1 into No. 20 and put Yamataikoku's rice situation back the way it was.

All you've got to do is plant it, and it should bring the rice situation back under control.

That's amazing! Way to go, Da Vinci!

That should also repair this Singularity and restore Yamataikoku to its original self, Senpai!

Hang on. Just a second.

You're saying we need to plant this new rice crop in the rice fields?

Sure am.

As in, ALL the rice fields?

Yup. I'm afraid there's just no way to deal with an invasive species besides good old-fashioned manual labor.

So, after all that harvesting we've been doing, now we've gotta plant a bunch of new crops?

...

...

...

Hi, Sister! I just finished evacuating the civilians, and now I'm here to help!

...Huh? What is it? Why all the long faces?

...

This Rice Planting Order is now in effect! Get to it immediately!

This too is a battle to defend rice itself!

C-come on, Senpai! We'd better get started!

？！

This could totally have been helped!