Act One: The Unknowable Reef (1/2)

Of course it was. I'm not about to let Da Vinci outdo me at steering my own ship.

Now, as promised, it's time to have some fun.

Great! I'll go ahead and switch gears!

Ahem... Today, at 13:30, the Nautilus encountered a hostile force. We proceeded to undertake evasive action in the form of a Zero Sail, thereby losing contact with Chaldea.

Therefore, in accordance with the procedure for a Code Four incident, the Nautilus is now operating independently!

During this time of emergency, Master Fujimaru will serve as acting commander...

And I, Mash Kyrielight, will serve as his acting v-vice commander!

In accordance with these regulations, we have assumed command of the Nautilus. Any objections, Nemo?

This is Nemo. As captain of this vessel, I approve of the change in command.

You're now officially the commander, Fujimaru.

That said, the ship's captain always retains sole authority over the ship's operations.

If a captain were to order someone to get off their ship, that person would have to obey, even if they were the admiral of that ship's entire fleet.

So while I'll certainly respect your orders as much as possible, I'm also going to do everything I can to keep my ship safe.

Is that clear? If you issue too many strange or pointless orders, you're going to see me very, very angry.

？！

Don't worry. As long as you do your job right, I'll play along as obediently as a coral fish.

Now, moving on: this is going to sever my link to the Wandering Sea for a while, just like we planned.

That means I'm also going to lose my connection to Sion, effectively making me a Rogue Servant.

I should be able to stick around longer than an average Servant thanks to my direct link to the ship's Magical Reactor, but I'll still be at risk of disappearing if I run out of magical energy.

So if something happens to me, it'll be your responsibility to get everyone back to the surface Reality Space, that is.

So, um... Since we already agreed on this and everything, I guess we should form a temporary contract.

？！

Hmm... That was pretty different than it was with Sion. It almost feels like I've got a fishhook stuck in my gullet.

Anyway, this makes us officially Master and Servant, though only temporarily.

Maybe this would be a good time to properly introduce you to all of us? Then again, you met everyone at the launch ceremony, so we can skip that if you like.

Got it. Okay, everyone gather round! This'll also be a good time to introduce you all to the passengers!

？！

It really is a breathtaking number of people, isn't it, Senpai!?

Well, well, well...

Ahaaa. Now I wakarunderstand.

Let me introduce you to everyone again. This here crew is the very lifeblood of the Nautilus.

I call them...the Nemo Series!

Let's start with the Nemo Marines. They steer the ship and man the radar. For this voyage, I've got twelve of them in constant rotation.

Hi, everyone! Hi, Master! We're doing our very best, so please don't be mad if we mess up!

？！

Next, we've got Nemo Nurse. She runs the medical bay, and she's an old hand when it comes to treating injuries.

Hello. I'm both a nurse and a doctor, and I sincerely hope I won't be needed at all.

But if I am, rest assured that my Medicine skills are all ranked A, so please don't hesitate to come see me should you get hurt.

？！

Next, we'd usually have Nemo Baker...but she won't be joining us for this mission, since the Border doesn't have enough space for a full kitchen.

But don't worry, Master. To make up for that, she freeze-dried and vacuum-packed some yummy meals in case you get hungry.

We've also got a nice selection of drinks if you'd care for one. And if any of you adult Servants would care for a cocktail, just let me know, and I'll make you one.

？！

Next, we have Nemo Professor, the most eccentric of the bunch.

Even I don't understand how she can be so laid-back all the time, but I've given her as much of my brainpower as I can afford to allocate.

She'll have numerous important roles to fulfill during this exercise, including research and strategy development.

Yes, hello, I'm Nemo Professor, the one who's so laid-back as to apparently not merit a particularly enthusiastic introduction.

You actually already heard me on the P.A. system earlier, so feel free to say hi if you see me around. I don't mind a little elbow rubbing, either.

I'm manning the computer room on this mission, but I'm not as good at steering this ship as Da Vinci, so don't expect me to pull off any crazy maneuvers or anything.

？！

And finally, we've got Nemo Engineer. She's in charge of the engine room, which is almost literally the beating heart of the ship.

She has as many responsibilities on this ship as I do, so you can think of her as a shadow captain of sorts.

Be careful about giving any orders that'll strain the ship. That'll make Engineer angry, and you wouldn't like her when she's angry.

The hell're you talkin' about, Cap bastard!? Here, I'll make it real simple: overloading my ship is evil!

Lemme give you a word of warning too, Temporary Master: the only way you and your pals are gonna get to enjoy your fancy-schmancy boat trip's if the engine's running smooth as butter.

Also, it gets crazy hot in the engine room, so don't forget to send down water or some ice cream that won't melt too quickly on the regular!

Remember, you piss me off, and the Nautilus is done for!

？！

...

I-I see. Well, yeah, I guess I am pretty cool. Well, me, and engineers in general.

Tch. You're kind of a weirdo, aren't ya, Temporary Master?

True, Fujimaru's appetite for adventure is a little bigger than I was expecting.

Anyway, between the twelve marines, Engineer, Professor, Nurse, and me, we have sixteen crew members altogether.

And that's the Nemo Series lineup who'll be manning the ship for our training exercise today.

They're the heart, brains, and blood of the Nautilus, keeping it running smoothly at all hours of the day.

The better you can get along with them, the more homey this ship'll be.

？！

Okay, dismissed! All hands, return to your stations!

Hey, Captain? Those sailors aren't familiars or anything like that, right?

Given how you just talked about them, I'm guessing they're clones? Did you partition your mind and give one partition to each individual personality or something?

I can't go into the details too much since I'm using Sion's patented technique, but you're essentially correct.

Technically speaking, they're all still me.

I just divided the work involved in running the ship among them to avoid confusion and ensure there'd always be enough hands to go around.

Of course, they all have their own distinct personalities, since that's the bare minimum required for them to act autonomously.

Well, except for the marines; they all have basically the same personality. You can think of them as one person sharing twelve bodies.

I also gave each of the Series their own private memory space, so we really are equals in the true sense of the word.

The only hierarchy we adhere to is the one required for any chain of command to function.

Wooowie. I know you're not making a big deal about it, but man, the Atlas Institute really is sugoi.

I tried something similar with my origami once, but I broke my brain pretty much right away.

Anyway, now that the formalities are out of the way, it's time to get to work.

Your first job as acting commander will be to see each part of the Nautilus in action for yourself.

After that, I've put together a training program for you that will brief you on the process of emerging into Reality Space.

Finally, you'll practice undersea warfare in the simulator. I'll be joining you for that part.

I know it's a lot to get through, but once you do, there will be a delicious dinner awaiting you.

？！

Just what I like to hear. All right, no time like the present to

Report! What's going on!?

You rang? Huh? There's an alarm going off!?

Sorry 'bout that! I was just taking a break since we can't use sonar in Void Space, so it wasn't me!

Maybe the Professor did it?

Professor?

Nope, it wasn't me, either.

I'm guessing it might've been the bridge. Maybe you should check the admin console there?

Hm? That's weird. The sonar we use in Reality Space is...active.

Hold up. Did you just say sonar? As in, echolocation? I'm our resident bat expert, so doesn't that mean

Yup. This alarm is telling us we're about to run aground.

Gyaa! I knew it! C-c-come on, Captain, what're you waiting for!? Don't we gotta be all "evasive starboard" or something!?

It's okay, Osakabehime. We're in Void Space, remember? There is no ground here.

Ugh. I've never been able to wrap my head around this meta magecraft stuff, especially when it comes to Void and Reality space.

Unlike my Norse mythology's dualistic worldview, other religions tend to think of the early stages of existence as primordial chaos.

They saw it as a writhing, seething mass of everything in the world all mixed togetherland, water, heat, cold, good, evil, and so onthereby harboring limitless possibilities.

In one sense, Void Space is similar, in that it too possesses untold possibilities.

But unlike primordial chaos, which accomplishes this by mixing everything together at once, I believe Void Space does so by being unobservable.

That is to say, this is the Reverse Side of the World, a completely opaque domain where not even established laws of physics can be glimpsed.

As a result, there is no possibility here that cannot be assumed to exist in some form.

？！

Ah, an insightful question. The truth is, we are not actually seeing this rainbow-colored vortex, at least in the true sense of the word.

Under normal circumstances, the reality we belong to and the void of this domain cannot interact.

While we are able to "see" this void thanks to the Zero Sail's engineering, it cannot overcome the insurmountable gap that still lies between us.

Thus, our senses are only able to experience false impressions of the void, making this rainbow sight no more than a hallucination.

As a matter of fact, you and I are not even seeing the same rainbow when we look out that window.

Conversely, if there were any beings who called Void Space home, they would no doubt be unable to observe our world as it truly is, either.

So long as this insurmountable gap exists, Reality Space and Void Space will remain fundamentally incompatible and unable to interact with each other.

？！

Very well, my pupil, listen closely.

According to the gods' explanation, it is impossible for us to see or touch anything that belongs to the unobservable domain.

Therefore, it should also be impossible for us to detect any manner of obstacle here, let alone be obstructed by one in any real sense. I believe our captain here already said as much.

Yeah, that's right. While there are technically some shock waves on the mirror world plane of existence that could theoretically be obstructions, we've already calculated a way around them.

So I'm guessing this alarm is just some kind of glitch caused by the Berserker messing with things he shouldn't. Hmph.

Come to think of it, Xiang Yu wasn't around for the Nemo Series' introduction, either. I swear, what could he be thinking?

You wished to see me, Captain?

Aah!? You're actually here, Xiang Yu!?

I apologize for my absence, and for the insufficient explanation I'm about to give you.

Everyone, cover your ears.

？！

(Eek!)

(Gwaaah! My eaaars!)

(What's he up to this time!?)

(A-are you all right, Senpai!?)

？！

(Huh? Now Xiang Yu is taking the bundle of bamboo he's holding... No, wait, it's a brush! And he's drawing something with it at incredible speed, all while continuing to shout at the top of his lungs!)

There is nothing more I can do. Here, Master, take this.

？！

As my body will be quite unsuited for this upcoming battle, I opted to take numerous advance measures to prepare for it. My apologies once again for doing so with neither permission nor explanation.

I implore you to hit the brakes and open the box. In the meantime, I will sleep until I am needed once again, so that I may better conserve energy.

...Good luck, Master.

I'm not sure I can recall Xiang Yu ever saying anything like "Good luck" before, Senpai...

？！

...Were you not listening earlier, Master? There are no obstacles in Void Space. None.

Every one of the Nemo Series agrees that this is just an equipment malfunction. The only thing we're worried about is you letting that Berserker jerk you around.

？！

...All right. But only because you're the commander now. Engine room, full reverse. Emergency stop.

Tch! An emergency stop when there ain't a damn thing in the way!? Fine, fine. Triton Wheel, reverse!

Roger that!

It's going to be a little bumpy, so you may all want to hang on to the

Waaah! Nooow whaaat!?

U-um, Captain!? Is stopping a submarine usually this violent!?

No! I don't know how, but...we've run aground!

Hang in there, everyone! Nemo Series, damage report ASAP!

Engine room here, that impact knocked a few of us out! Dammit, what idiot put a reef in the Void Sea!?

Infirmary here, all my equipment is still working fine, so let me know if we have any casualties.

Observation room here! We've got a huge crack in the outer shell, and we're taking on water...rainbows!

We're WHAT!?

Computer room here. Things aren't looking great. Whatever we hit has pierced the hull and lodged itself inside...

Also, I'm trapped under some equipment that got knocked ovWait. What the...!? How is the void flooding in here? That shouldn't be possible!

Impossible... Then our observation of the void is converging!? Professor! What's going to happen if we don't do something to stop the flood!? Give it to me as simple as you can!

Simply? We'll all be wiped out... Out, out, ou ou ou o o o o

...Abandon lower compartments four through six! All hands, I want all bulkheads to abandoned compartments welded shut! Erect an observation-disrupting Bounded Field as soon as they're done!

？！

I can always clone them again! I might have to deal with some mental damage from the fear and pain they'll experience, but

？！

Wh-wh-whoa... I-I'm saved!

Yay, I'm still alive. I might have peed myself a little, but please don't hold it against me.

A-are you nuts!? Just because you can restore them with the Nautilus's Magical Reactor Core, that doesn't mean you should be so quick to use Command Spells

？！

...

I see. That explains a lot, actually. Thank you, Acting CommanderNo, Master.

What WAS that, Captain!? Why was I drowning in rainbows, of all things!? Also, I think I was starting to lose my mind while that was happening!

This shouldn't be possible, but...the only explanation that makes sense is that Void Space is somehow observable now.

？！

Like that goddess lady said earlier, under normal circumstances, there shouldn't be any possible way for us to properly observe the void.

If you asked a hundred people to describe what they saw, you'd get a hundred different answers, none of which you'd be able to verify in any way.

So, void entities always maintain their unobservability, making it absolutely impossible for reality and void to interact. At least, that's how it's supposed to be, but

If someone, or something, changed Void Space in a way so that everyone who observed it saw the exact same rainbow vortex, then both reality and the void would each be able to observe the other.

And that would cause those of us from reality, and this world of void, to start...bugging out.

？！

Listen, every human sense and ability to process information we developed over thousands of years that is, our senses and even our connection to the worldwould go haywire.

？！

...Okay, fine. Either we go completely mad, or the world around us does.

More specifically, our perception of the world, or perhaps the world itself, would become twisted beyond recognition. Proving which of the two was being affected would be impossible, but either way, the result is the same: total annihilation.

Suffice to say, we can no longer look at any light coming in from the outside, we can't afford to touch it, and we definitely can't let it flood the ship.

As of this point, we can no longer count on Void Space's unobservability to keep us safe. The world outside the pressure hull and our Bounded Field is now just as deadly and hostile as the deep sea!

？！

Of course it is! Any kind of completely unobservable domain you can imagine was never going to be anything less than the stuff of apocalyptic nightmares!

But even so, this was supposed to be the safest sea in the world to dive into, if only because I thought we wouldn't have to worry about reefsthe bane of submarine crews everywhere!

Well, so much for that! Dammit, I knew we should've at least finished developing the ship's defensive barriers!

Bridge here! We just finished sealing off the bulkheads, and the ship's come to a complete stop! The rest is up to you!

...Right! First of all, we need to prepare for a low-speed emerge

Oh come on, nani the hell is it noooooow!?

(Collapsed in white-eyed shock)

No way... Are we under attack!?

We sure are, Acting Vice Commander! Incoming attack to our portside pressure hull, bearing three-two-three! The barrage looks to be about as strong as a C-rank Noble Phantasm!

A C-rank Noble Phantasm... That puts it in the same league as Mori's Ningen Mukotsu and Kintoki's Golden Spark!

？！

Of course it's bad. I mean, we're okay for the moment, but... An attack? In Void Space? What could possibly be attacking us?

？！

I know, but we don't have any means of fighting back! When we sealed off the lower decks, we also lost our entire stock of torpedoes!

And even if we hadn't, how are we supposed to fire them in Void Space!? We never dreamed combat here was even possible, let alone that we'd be forced to engage in it!

？！

Master, wait! I just remembered! Didn't Xiang Yu also tell you to open the box!?

？！

？！

Wh-what's one of my outfits doing in here!? ...Wait. Master, look! There's also a note with some familiar-looking handwriting inside!

H-huh!? You want me to change into this swimsuit!? Here!?

？！

I-I can't say I'm entirely okay with this, but there, I'm all changed, Master! Although, I still don't see why I

...

？！

The sea...

The sea is calling to me!

Captain! Permission to use the ship's air lock!?

Y-you don't mean

I do. I don't know what BB did to this swimsuit, but I think I can move about in this sea just like any other now!

So I'll go out and fend off the attacks myself! Don't worry! I'm not a Shielder for nothing!

I do have things I'd like to say about my forced swimsuit change, but that can wait until later. For now, I can at least say this outfit BB gave us works extremely well.

Not only does it let me perceive Void Space as easily as I can Reality Space, it even feels like it's boosting my physical capabilities.

That said, I still wasn't able to get a visual on the enemies attacking us. All I could do was flail around at random and use my Noble Phantasm...

That's waaay better than nothing. I don't even wanna think about what might've happened if we hadn't had that.

Then, Xiang Yu and our ally from the moon must have foreseen this predicament in far greater detail than we imagined...

？！

...Hmm.

Very well, I think I will rest a bit longer then. Worry not, I am still listening. Yes...

Xiang Yu seems like he would know what's going on, but he's shut himself inside his room and isn't responding to any of our questions.

The only thing he said before entering sleep mode was that he was doing so to conserve energy.

Yeah. It looks like he was right about everything.

The sections we abandoned contained our computers, navigational equipment, torpedoes, food, and most of our magical energy resources.

With all of them gone, the Nautilus will only be operational for about one-hundred and fifty more hours.

Xiang Yu must have known that maintaining Servants' materializations constantly consumes small amounts of magical energy, and taken what measures he could to make up for that...

？！

He must have been so focused on his calculations that he couldn't spare the time.

Anyway, the fact remains that if it wasn't for him, we probably wouldn't be here now. I can't believe I ever doubted you, General Xiang Yu...

？！

When you realize you've been wrong, you admit it as soon as possible. That is a law of life at sea.

...Not that it's going to make up for my idiocy now. (Siiigh)

(Siiigh)

？！

...If you're still that optimistic about our situation, Acting Commander, maybe I need to revisit just how bad things are right now for you.

Our ship has run aground on a void reef (ridiculous as that sounds) and now we're stranded.

We can still move, but only just. What's more, we can only use our legs, so to speak, since our sonar and torpedoes are gone.

To keep the body metaphor going, we've lost our eyes, our ears, and our arms. Though I suppose we can at least blindly stumble about.

And if that wasn't bad enough, we've also been attacked by a mysterious enemy with attacks as strong as midrange Noble Phantasms. So now, we need to evade this enemy, and the reef, without nearly enough in the way of food or fuel.

We're left with two rather unappealing options: wait here to die, or run around blindly until we die. So forgive me if we're not exactly bursting with enthusiasm.

？！

...?

Captain, the acting commander is fully aware that our current situation is dire.

But we've found ourselves in seemingly hopeless situations before, and we always managed to pull through.

And we didn't do so alone. We wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for Chaldea's staff, the Heroic Spirits, and the people we met on our travels.

Even here, we've already received help from the moon despite being cut off from Chaldea.

So remember, we're not the only ones here. There's also you, the Nemo Series, Osakabehime, Scáthach-Skadi... Suffice to say, we're far from alone.

Y-yeah. I know I was kind of freaking out earlier, but with things this yabad, I'm ready to do my part!

On which note, I suppose I can no longer simply lie down on the job. It is time I got serious.

...You're right. I shouldn't have been so quick to succumb to fatalism.

All right then, Mash and Fujimaru, let's look for the silver lining in these dark clouds.

Well, first off, there's this bamboo scroll Xiang Yu left for us. I think this is what people in ancient China used to take notes.

At any rate, it contains an incredibly detailed diagram of some sort. It looks like a navigational chart.

Say, I just had a thought. Maybe that super-loud yelling was actually him doing some kind of echolocation scan?

Let me see that... Hmm. If you're right about what this is, it looks like there's a pretty intricate oceanic trench here. In fact, it kind of looks like a maze.

The chart even shows our current location, the route we should take, and a mark indicating what appears to be our destination. Maybe this could help us escape?

As if he hadn't already helped us enough... Then again, I suppose I should expect no less from him.

Still, this only makes the loss of our sonar and torpedoes all the more painful. It would be one thing if they were still repairable, but with them gone completely, well...

Unfortunately, we also don't have any of the engineering know-how or facilities we would need to make new advanced electric and Spiritron equipment from the machinery we still have on hand.

So, Acting Commander, what do you think we should do next?

？！

...I see. Normally, I'd be pretty dubious about the prospect of finding anyone in Void Space, let alone someone who could help us...

...but since we've already run into reefs and enemies here, it seems clear that the usual rules no longer apply.

As for the summoning option, we'll need to be very careful if we take that route. Like I said before, it costs energy just to keep a Servant materialized.

Honestly, keeping too many Servants around would be extremely risky even if the ship were in perfect condition.

Not to mention there might be circumstances where we need to shut off the Magical Reactors.

But we also can't deny that having someone here help us make new versions of the lost equipment would improve our situation dramatically.

It's also the only strategy we can actively pursue given the current circumstances, so that alone may make it worth trying.

I just ran the numbers. With Xiang Yu sleeping, we should have enough energy to keep another Servant around no problem.

I guess that settles it, then. In that case, Fujimaru, I have something important to tell you, and a suggestion to make.

Remember, we're not in a Lostbelt or a Singularity.

Void Space or not, we're still in the Wandering Sea... which means we're also still on Chaldea Base premises.

And while we may have suffered some significant damage, we still have Magical Reactors and a Servant handling computer duties.

That makes this ship something of a Chaldea branch office, which means you can use the Spirit Origin graph for this summon.

？！

That's right. Which means we can summon a Servant we know we can trust, and who has the skills we need.

Performing an additional summon during a Nautilus voyage would normally be unthinkable, but in this case I think it's an acceptable risk.

That's also why we need to be extremely careful about who we choose to summon. So my suggestion is to let Professor make that choice.

My suggestion is temporarily activating the personnel selection routine Sion implanted in my mind to arrive at the best possible choice.

The upside of this approach is that it'd let us almost completely eliminate any risk of our making a mistake and choosing the wrong Servant.

The downside is... Well, I've never run this protocol before, so I'm more than a little nervous.

Oh, and also, Sion's routine has been known to make some incomprehensible personnel choices before, as I'm sure you've seen for yourself, Master.

？！

Right. Still, as General Xiang Yu's exploits here proved, there are ultimately good reasons behind those choices.

So, what do you think, Fujimaru?

？！

All right. I don't see any reason to refuse, so... As Captain, I officially endorse this plan to summon help!

？！

Right, Senpai!

Huh!? This class signal... Is that

Hao haooo♪ I heard someone summoning and thought I'd try answering it! I'm Yu-Yu, a Foreigner!

？！

？！

I-if I may, Senpai, I don't believe we know this Heroic Spirit! Are you a court musician? Does anyone here recognize her?

Judging from her clothing, and her choice of greeting, she would seem to be a Heroic Spirit from somewhere in Proper Human History's Asia...

But never mind that now. What happened to summoning a Chaldean Servant, Professor?

Yeah, this is weird. Give me a sec while I check the logs...

...Hmm. It looks like the personnel selection routine ran into an error while it was searching for aptitude, and failed to use the Spirit Origin graph to narrow down the possible summons.

That caused the Heroic Spirit control program to glitch out, so it ended up summoning a Heroic Spirit from the usual Throne instead.

I suppose this just emphasizes how important it is to test things like this ahead of time. Lesson learned.

？！

Dammit. Our only hope, down the drain... No, not yet. I refuse to give up just yet!

Yu-Yu, you must be an accomplished Heroic Spirit, right!? Would you please tell us your True Name and special skills!?

Hmm. You guys do seem like you're in a pretty tight spot, but, my T-True Name? Right off the bat? I don't know...

Uso... I can totally tell...

？！

This genuine nobility and elegance shining through even as she attempts to hide it behind a friendly demeanor... I'll call it PDF (Princess Dominion Force) for short...

As a point of comparison, I have a PDF level of two...and hers must be at least three-hundred thirty-six thousand!!!

？！

Even in Chaldea, which is its own kind of jigoku thanks to all the high PDF princesses running around there, the only other one with a PDF level in the six digits is Lady Cleopatra!!!

So this beautiful lady from China with enough PDF to rival one of the greatest empresses of all time, can...only...be...

...Uh, yes, I guess you're right.

My True Name is Yang Yuhuan, though I usually go by my nickname, Yu-Yu.

Historically, um...I guess I'm probably better known as Yang Guifei...

Oh gosh, this is so embarrassing... Um, nice to meet you all, I guess?

？！

I recognize that name! Yang Guifei was known far and wide as a peerless beauty during China's Tang dynasty, when she became Emperor Xuanzong's queen consort!

It's said that she set a hundred men's hearts aflame with a single smile, and she was also highly proficient in numerous fine arts! Is that why she has a musical instrument with her!?

Anyway, that's Yang Guifei in a nutshell. She's a beauty so stunning she influenced all of Chinaa true woman of the people!

Nooo! Please, no more! I'm nothing like that, really! I'm just a commoner! The same nondescript lychee-loving village girl you'd find anywhere!

And she's unbelievably humble too, Master! I can't help but be a little nervous around her!

Still, as acting vice commander of this ship, it's imperative I ask questions that need answers!

Yang Guifei, do you know why you materialized as a Foreigner?

...

Foreigners are exceedingly rare, even among the Extra classes, and there's still a lot we don't know about them.

All we can say based on our experience is that Foreigners can turn the very laws of this world on their head.

Fortunately, Abby and Hokusai know what they are, and have kindly agreed to both keep themselves in check and help us with our mission, but what about you, Yang Guifei?

Do you understand that you're a highly unusual kind of being? Are you able and willing to keep your Spirit Origin under control?

And most importantly...

Are you willing to help Master Fujimaru, and us, during these unprecedentedly dire circumstances?

Ehehe, I'm happy to say my answer to all your questions is shì! That is, yes! Allow me to explain!

First, I'm very aware that the Heroic Spirit summoning system is meant first and foremost to keep humanity safe!

Next, my Spirit Origin! I appreciate you dancing around it, Mash, but the fact is, historically I'm a femme fatale so dangerous I could bring an entire nation to ruin, right?

I, um...can't deny there are some historians out there with that opinion, yes...

It's fine. I don't love it, but it is what it is. Anyway, thanks to that...

...I do think I've been given the Authority to wreak widespread havoc and destruction.

？！

Still, at least in this Spirit Origin...

I feel terrible that I ended up indirectly sparking a rebellion, and would never go around hurting people like some sort of Avenger!

Also, since my beloved emperor would obviously never want anything bad to happen to humanity, I'm not about to let some strange god get away with destroying them!

So yes, I, Yu-Yu, swear to make use of all the power at my command to help you, Master!

You could even use a Command Spell on me to make sure I do just that, if you like.

？！

Fujimaru... Great! Nice to meet you, Fujimaru!

Now, would it be okay if I get to work right away?

？！

I'm guessing it's because many people thought I was a great performer, but for whatever reason, I have really, reeeally good hearing.

You do!? Then, does that mean you can even hear what's happening outside the ship!?

Shì! In fact, ever since I got here...

...I've been hearing someone outside pounding on the ship and saying, "There are enemies coming!"

Someone outside the ship!? In Void Space!?

？！

Captain, permission to exit the ship again! I'll go rescue whoever it is that's outside!

Permission denied! I can't let you go out there alone when we know there might be enemies nearby.

(If it was just me, I could move about like normal in Void Space too. But...)

(...No. I can't. It wouldn't be safe for me to leave the ship when we still don't know what's going on!)

Not to worry. That should not be a problem anymore.

Huh?

Yah.

Gyaaah! What the heck kind of kinky stuff is happening here!?

There! I have transformed into my other self!

I will explain later. For the time being, now that we have more personnel who can move about in Void Space...

...we should have no issue defeating these enemies and securing this mysterious being outside the ship.

(Gnnn. What IS this outfit!? I cannot understand why my other self would ever choose to dress this way...)

There you have it, Captain Nemo! What about a three-person team?

...I guess that could work! All right, Acting Commander, it's your call! I'll go along with whatever you decide!

？！

I see, I see. So you're going to be fighting close-quarters battles in Void Space, yes? In that case, if I tweak this, and change that...

There we go! I think I can do something to help!

What kind of something!?

Since this place's true nature looks to be something akin to the pitch-dark depths of the sea, lit by false light...

...I'll use the flame illusions I give off to imbue these enemies with an appropriate visual concept, thereby making them visible...ish!

Basically, I'll determine the enemies' position, size, and class through the sound they make, then project a nice visual on top.

That should let you fight them without getting confused!

...It looks like Yang Guifei both has a handle on our current situation and she's best-equipped to do something about it.

I'll admit, I was worried about this summoning at first...but it looks like we really did get the Heroic Spirit we needed.

？！

There! I can see more void enemies in our vicinity, as well as a vast expanse of land that looks like a seabed!

Good, it worked. But don't rely on this ability of mine too much; I can't visualize enemies I can't hear!

Also, the topography you're seeing is a rough projection based on the reverberations I picked up during your battle. I'll refine it once I can use real naval charts as a reference.

In the meantime, now that the fight's over, you should save whoever's in trouble out there! Their voice has been getting weaker and weaker!

I think they're still hanging on to the port side of the outer hull, but if they let go... Well, anyway, try to save them before that happens, Mash!

Um... Maybe if I hold out this Gáe Bolg thing and have them grab onto it...

Ugh, some help this goddess is gonna be! Mash, you go and look for them while I fold up a rescue team!

Understood... There! I see them!

Good, 'cause I'm too nearsighted to tell! Lead the way!

Right!

There, I see them! Chiyogami Rescue Squad, you're up! Hakuro Sea Monkeys!!!

We did it, Master! We rescued them!

？！

Rescue squad, returning to ship! Requesting airlock access, Captain Nemo!

Bridge here, granted. We'll give our new guest a proper welcome.

...You know, Fujimaru, it's strange.

This whole situation is utterly ludicrous, but I can't help but be kind of excited.

The Void Sea is beyond deadly, and yet, someone was still drifting around in it. What sort of person could do that?

When we managed to rescue the mysterious castaway outside the ship...

...I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams who they would turn out to be...

Teehee. Ehehe.

Thank goodness. I thought I was going to end up disappearing into the void like so much kelp... Heh, kelp. That's a funny word.

It's really tasty, though. Heh. Ahh, kindness... Thoughtfulness... Ehehe, I love people.

Oh, right, I'm sorry. Eheheh, I almost forgot to introduce myself!

I'm a Foreigner Servant. As you can see, my True Name is Van Gogh! Ehehe...

It's been five hours since the rescue operation. So far, there have been no further enemy attacks.

Your course of action turned out to be correct, Acting Commander. Yang Guifei has been a huge help, and the person we rescued is assisting us now, too.

Despite how hopeless things seemed before, I think...we're finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Ehehehe. Stop it, Captain! You're going to make me blush!

Thank you, though! I'll keep doing my best to be your eyes and ears!

By the way, would it be possible for me to work outside the ship, too? How did you make it so you and Osakabehime could do that, Lady Goddess?

Well...the swimsuit our ally from the moon sent us was embedded with this. I believe it is called a "memory chip."

There is a mysterious spell burned into it that appears to be, if not void magecraft, then something similar.

When this chip is installed into a spirit's clothing, it makes its wearer compatible with Void Space. Additionally, it improves their physical capabilities.

However, the only Servants who can make use of these outfits are those who possess swimsuit Spirit Origins, or who have otherwise acquired a swimsuit in the past.

Unfortunately, the only such Heroic Spirits here are Osakabe and Mash. I, well...

I'm sorry, but...it was simply too soon for me to wear one.

Still, if we are able to summon any other swimsuit-capable Servants at some point, I can ensure their clothing is similarly Void Space-compatible.

I may not know much about modern-day electronics, but I can still duplicate the entire chip with my rune magecraft.

Well, things from the engine room ain't lookin' great!

We've been lucky enough to avoid any critical damage, but the drivetrain's still a mess since we ran aground.

We need to get to drydock to even begin doin' something about our crazy fuel inefficiencies and that loud-as-shit engine rattlin' you're headin'!

And since we lost a whole ton of fuel, best not to expect any rapid maneuvers or speed changes anytime soon!

We got beds set up for everyone in the crew compartment. Meals might be a little basic, though.

Most of our food supply was lost along with the fuel, so we're afraid the Servants are all gonna have to make do with just magical energy for a while.

But hey, aside from that, everything's fine! We're really happy we've got so many guests☆

Thanks, everyone! Then with that out of the way, let's talk about our biggest problemwell, mystery, really.

I'm speaking, of course, of Van Gogh.

Is she really THE Vincent van Gogh? And, is she really on our side?

Well, I tested a sample of her blood. On the magecraft side of things, her spirit body is circulating an unusual kind of ether at very high densities.

Servant blood is already fairly different from standard blood, since it's homeostatic magical energy meant to keep the Servant's Spirit Origin working...

...but Van Gogh's blood appears to be a step removed even from that.

While we're still waiting for Professor to conduct her examination, I can say that Van Gogh's Spiritron composition and reactions are similar to a type of plant-based elixir.

She may be a Heroic Spirit using a nonhuman body, like a special kind of homunculus, for her vessel.

By the way, the reason I've been using female pronouns for her is because, at least medically speaking, she's one-hundred-percent, well, female.

Hmm. Well that is not so unusual. That sort of thing happens in Chaldea quite frequently, does it not?

Just because there's precedent for it doesn't mean it's not significant.

Hasn't there always been a clear reason for why Servants have materialized as a gender other than the one they're generally known to have been?

...Yes, there has.

There have been cases where a Heroic Spirit's legend was lost or altered, like with Altria and Raikou...

Others were summoned as part of a unit, like Hokusai...

And then there's Musashi, whose circumstances are entirely unique.

But the common thread among them all is that they are from time periods with very few reliable records.

But Vincent Van Gogh was a world-famous painter from nineteenth-century Holland and France...

We have ample historical record, including his own self-portraits and even a few photographs, to confirm he was male.

Well, what did she have to say about herself? You talked to her a bit, right, Master?

？！

Heh... Ehehehe, you want to know what I was like when I was alive? Oh gosh, that's embarrassing. My life really wasn't all that special.

I couldn't hack it as either a salesperson or a missionary, so I just mooched off my parents and my little brother, Theo, and spent all my time painting pictures that never sold...

There were lots of painters I would've loved to be friends with, but my attempt to befriend Gauguin was kind of a disaster...

After that, I, um, kind of fell into a funk and, ultimately, weeell...

I put a gun to my chest out in the little village of Auvers-sur-Oise. Heh...ehehe...

I never would've dreamed that my paintings would be so popular a whole century later... Ehehe, I'm sorry, I can't help but smile about that.

Was there anyone I loved? Of course, teehee. There was Kee, who you might've heard of thanks to her famous quote, and Sien... Hm? Yes, they were women.

Same-sex relationships? What are you talking about? I'm a woman, and Kee was a... Oh. Uh...

...

...Ehehe, what were we talking about again?

？！

Right. The details she shared do line up perfectly with our records of Vincent van Gogh's life...

But then there are the grave contradictions her gender brings up considering when Van Gogh lived.

For example, the fact that Vincent is a male name, or the fact that her cohabitation with Paul Gauguin would have been a tremendous scandal back then if she had been a woman.

And then there are all her relationship troubles the database lists, as those all involved other women, too.

I don't think she's lying to us...but she definitely seems a little mixed-up about her memories.

That said, she does seem to be fully cognizant of the fact that she's a woman.

？！

If that's the case, I can think of three possibilities.

One, she's an unrelated person who truly believes she's Vincent van Gogh. Two, she is Van Gogh, but her gender and memories are scrambled by a Spirit Origin abnormality.

And three, she's actually an enemy who's lying about being Vincent van Gogh. What do you think, Master?

？！

No waaay! Hokusai's materialized, too!? Really!? Ehehe, ehehe, I'd love to meet her!

I'm a huge fan of Japan. In fact, Japanese artists were a huge influence on my work!

I don't know much about this Foreigner stuff, but if you form a contract with me, I'll gladly do anything I can to help! Ehehe!

It's a little worrying that she doesn't seem to realize she's a Foreigner, but at least she's not hostile.

Right. In the meantime, whether she's the real Van Gogh or not, she's already shared some valuable information about Void Space with us.

I'm still analyzing what she's given us, but at this point, it looks to be about ninety-nine point nine percent accurate.

My hypothesis is that she was essentially born knowing things about Void Space by virtue of having materialized here.

What's more, she's obviously already proven that she can move about Void Space freely even without a compatibility chip...

...so we can say for sure that she possesses protections pertaining to the sea that are at least as strong as ourser, Nemo's.

Given those abilities, as well as the information she's given us, it seems like she could be a valuable asset in battle...

Since she's a Servant, that decision is entirely up to you, Master. You're in charge of the ship now, after all.

What do you want to do?

？！

I see your mind is as made up as a sea turtle's shell is hard, Master!

Uh... Oops. I guess I kind of sounded like Captain Nemo there, didn't I?

For future analogies, you might try a sea snail's tooth. Very tough, those. Er, but I digress.

A temporary contract, huh? Understood. We should be able to scrounge up enough resources to keep one more Servant.

But, that being said...

Everyone, would you mind excusing us for a bit? I'd like to talk to the acting commander in private.

I'm afraid that goes for you too, Acting Vice Commander. I'd also like to ask you to stand guard, to make sure nobody else overhears us.

(Oh wow, this must be really important!) All right, understood!

...Good. Professor put up an audio jamming Bounded Field for us, so not even Yang Guifei should be able to overhear.

All right, Master, what I'm about to tell you is a little, well, sensitive, but if I'm going to serve you properly, I think you should know.

I think I might know who that Servant really is.

Nnn, that darn field is causing so much static I can't hear a thing. Wish I knew what they were talking about... Aren't you curious, Your Excellency Acting Vice Commander Kyrielight!?

Just Mash is fine, please!

Okay then, Mash, what do YOU think Captain and Master are talking about all by themselves?

I think they're probably discussing some very fine particulars of this operation, so it makes sense they'd want to keep things confidential.

I see. Yeah, I guess you're right. Oh well, what can you do? Politics is always a ridiculously complicated hornet's nest, no matter the issue or era.

So instead of dull and depressing stuff like that, I'd much rather talk about something exciting, like romance! Tell me, what do you make of those two's prospects?

...Huh? Are you saying Captain Nemo and Master are, um...involved?

I have no proof, of course, but doesn't the idea of a commander abusing their authority to have a private tête-à-tête with their subordinate just sound dreeeamy?

...

No. No, it does not.

Hey guys! You looked like you were taking a break, so I brought you some drinks!

Thank you! It looks delicious. (Glug glug)

Oh, wow! That tastes so odd. Is this modern alcohol?

It sure does! That's a cocktail called a depth charge!

(Gurk!)

Don't worry, these are nonalcoholic! The captain loves to chug these down when nobody else is around!

Hao hao! What a lovely drink that everyone can enjoy! How about you, Mash? Do you like it

This... This is terrible... If I drink anything called a cocktail, I... I...

Wh-whoa, I don't think I've ever seen anyone be so affected by, uh, nonalcoholic stuff so quickly! Your face is as pink as a peach!

My heart rate and blood pressure are rising rapidly... Rational faculties declining...

Oh no. If I don't do something soon, I'll be overcome with the urge to burst into the bridge and grill Master with questions!

I need to shut myself down immediately, if not sooner! Button! Button! Where'sh the button!?

Look at this. I was looking through the storeroom and happened to find this self-destruct switch.

Sion certainly has a sense of humor, including something like this among our

Perfect, thank you! Mash out! (Click)

Ah.

Aah! What was that!?

This is the backup computer room. Someone just activated the self-destruct device we made for April Fool's.

？！

I told Sion it was a bad idea, but she insisted it would be harmless! What's the damage, Marine!?

Waaah! Everyone's hair is burned to a crisp, but otherwise, we're fine!

How can you call this fine!? H-how are you going to fix my poor hair!?

Owie... My eeears! Huh? Wait. This ringing isn't from the explosion...

...Uh-oh! Okay everyone, can the comic relief! There's a ton of enemies headed our way!

What!?

I'm here to help! I forgot to mention this earlier, but Void Sea monsters are actually reeeally sensitive to sound!

So if you want to survive out here, you really shouldn't make any loud noises! Ehehe! Sorry, I laugh when I'm nervous!

...All right, which of you is ready to deploy!?

Mash has fainted, Osakabe is...missing? Damn, she must have run away!

Very well, I shall just have to go out there again myself! Marines, bring me the strongest liquor you've got! It might help me forget my shame!

Even if you do with that, I still can't send only one Servant out there alone!

Hmm. Very well then, how about this?

Aah! What's going on!? Why did my outfit change all of a sudden!?

I embedded a void compatibility spell in your clothing. It is a little rough since you have yet to undergo an Ascension, but it should be enough for you to operate outside the ship.

Really!? Xie xie! With this new Ascension form, I can help out outside the ship, too!

E-er, um, ehehe, I'd like to go outside as well!

Huh? You would!? Are you sure you can?

Oh yes, heh. I'm already compatible with Void Space, and my brush is itching for some action, so... Ehehe...

Would it be okay with you if...we formed a contract...Lord Fujimaru...?

...

Probably not, huh... I never could...attract any patrons...

？！

Contracts are your domain, Master. But I can tell you, if I'd had any objections to her joining our crew, I'd have voiced them before we rescued her.

？！

Y-yes!?

？！

...Whaaaaaaaaaaaaa...!?

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...!?

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa... This is awesome!

Ehehe, ehehe, I promise I'll do my best!!!

Hooray! We won! I knew I could kick butt in combat!

And I have to say, Van Gogh, you and I fight really well together!

You're amazing, Van Gogh! Say, would you mind if I called you Goghie?

Huh!? Uh, ehehe...

This is great... I always wanted to try collaborating...with an artist from a different culture... Heh...

Gnn... I knew it. I cannot abide this shame. No, I must find Osakabe and drag her from hiding, whatever it takes.

？！

She must have caught on to the tactic I was about to suggest.

？！

We send her out to perform reconnaissance...by firing her out of a torpedo tube.

Nooooooooo!!!

I captured the deserter, Captain!

This should make up for my crime of somehow inebriating the acting vice commander by giving her a nonalcoholic cocktail, right!?

Good work, Marine. But no, it doesn't.

You there, other Marine. Have the culprit write a formal apology after tickling his armpits for six hundred seconds.

Aye, aye, sir! I'll tickle the heck out of him!

Eee! Save meee!

All right, returning to the matter of Osakabehime serving as the focus of our groundbreaking sonar substitu

Iyaaaaaaaaa!!! (Flailing around)

...Would you all mind explaining how it will work?

As has been so recently demonstrated, Void Space is overrun with vicious monsters that are sensitive to sound.

？！

Allow me then. Just so there's no confusion, it's best if you think of the Void Space we're in now as something completely different from the original Void Space.

You see, the idea that Void Space was always full of dangerous reefs and monsters is simply too divergent from current theories in magecraft.

With the information we have now, the most likely explanation is that someone tampered with this Void Space to make it observable, then scattered reefs and monsters all throughout it.

While I'm curious as to what that someone can do, and what their goal might be, it's not relevant to our current predicament.

More importantly, the fact that these monsters are sensitive to sound would seem to indicate that they're well-acclimated to this new Void Space's characteristics.

Ehehe, it's like the unknowable chaos here divided itself into waters of arche and monsters of Logos...

Hmm. Ms. Van Gogh's explanation may not be entirely clear, so to elaborate...

Whatever originally occupied Void Space seems to have split into two clear types of entities thanks to our ability to observe Void Space now.

If we were to compare this Void Space to a painter's palette, both the monsters and the reefs would be made up of thick paint, and the rainbow light that now permeates this space would be made up of thin paint.

The rainbow light is dangerousso much so that just viewing it with the naked eye is riskybut it also possesses other notable characteristics.

I've been referring to it as light, but that's just for simplicity's sake. It isn't actually light.

Its luminescence is entirely illusory, which is why it doesn't illuminate anything, and it refuses to let our retinas retain its true image. Like Ms. Yang Guifei said, this place is essentially pitch-dark.

If anything, the rainbow light we're "seeing" nowthe thin paint, if you willis more like water in its consistency.

So although it has the same low density as air, it also swells, leaks, and vibrates like water...which means it's very good at carrying sound.

That also explains why these void monsters are more sensitive to sound than light. Seems reasonable.

So using the propellers and engaging in combat, to say nothing of the absurd commotion of a moment ago, will all attract enemies.

Ghh... I'm sorry, everyone... I'm so sorry...

？！

So basically...this is pure submarine warfare.

We're stuck in the deep sea, devoid of light, and we basically have to find our enemies by sound alone, without making any noise that could give away our own position.

Unfortunately, that also means we're incredibly disadvantaged, in numerous ways.

First and foremost, with the Nautilus in her current shape, even starting the engine could make enough sound to trigger an attack.

Second, the enemies seem to generally lie immobile, and only attack when they notice us.

That's for sure... I was drifting around here for a long time, and, heh, they didn't do anything to me...

But, if you make a sound...anything from the little guys who just attacked us, to things bigger than this entire ship, will be on us like paint on canvas... Ehehe...

It must have been the large enemies that were blasting us with Noble Phantasm-level attacks, though we still don't know exactly what those attacks WERE...

At any rate, we know there are a lot more of them than there are of us, they've got us surrounded, and they're just waiting for us to make a sound so they can find and attack us.

Meanwhile, with our radar out of commission, Yang Guifei's hearing is all we have to guide us. And with the enemy not making any sounds of their own, we have no choice but to do so ourselves.

You mean like, active sonar? Where you send out a sound and determine your enemies' position by how long its waves take to bounce back?

That would be really, really dangerous.

Right. If we were to do that right now, it would obviously draw the enemy's attention. So that option's off the table.

Which is where Osakabe comes in. Her Bounded Field Noble Phantasm, and the divination she uses to prepare for it, are really quite remarkable.

In essence, she performs a fairly wide-area curse-based scan to distinguish friend from foe before firing her Noble Phantasm.

It is like a third eye that relies on neither sound nor sight. With this ability, we can locate our enemies while remaining completely quiet. I think it is an ideal solution.

But to do that, you're gonna shoot me out into the Void Sea all by myself, right!?

That's way too excitI mean, dangerous for my blood!

Of course we're not going to send you out there by yourself without any way to get back. It'll just look like we are.

Oh crap, now Captain's actually thinking about doing it! Nooo! I don't wanna shinidiiie!

You're a survival game expert, yes? Then you must understand how important recon is.

Urk. Well...yeah, I do get that. I guess I just hoped for a...umm...indoor option?

I see. I'll do my best to make that happen. Now, what's the radius on your Bounded Field scan?

Um, let's see... It extends out to about Himeji Castle's inner moat, so...maybe six hundred meters or so?

It looks like the naval chart Lord Xiang Yu left for us is at least a hundred square kilometers...

Dammit, there's nowhere to run!!! A-at least make sure I'll have a way to get back safe! And a reward if I pull this off!! Onegaishiplease, Ma-chan!

？！

Reverse Command Spell play!? I didn't even know that was a thing!

Um, Master!? Are you sure it's safe to give Osakabehime that much freedom!?

？！

Are you suuure? Remember, I once masterminded a pretty badass coup as the lord of Csejte Pyramid Himeji Castle!

Okay, Captain, if this means I'll get a Do-Anything-I-Want ticket (read: Command Spell) from Ma-chan, then I'll do it!

Great. That takes care of our sonar substitute.

Now, our ultimate objective is to reach the escape point General Xiang Yu laid out for us, and our immediate goal is to seize control of every region along the way!

Professor's already come up with a route, and identified four areas that we'll need to pass through on our way to our goal.

Until we can ensure a region is safe, we'll have the Nautilus remain on standby at its periphery and send Osakabehime out to probe the area.

Once she's determined an enemy's location...

...we'll have her, Van Gogh, and Yang Guifei swim over and eliminate them in close-quarters combat!

Okay! Whether it be to see or fight, you can count on Yu-Yu to help!

I'll do my best, too! Ehehe!

Acting Vice Commander Mash, you'll remain on board as our last line of defense against any extremely dangerous attacks we may face.

Scáthach-Skadi, I'd like you to work with Professor as our head of engineering. Is that all right with you two?

Of course! I'll do whatever it takes to restore my honor!

That is all right with me too, but are you sure we have the time it will take to enact this plan?

As I recall, we only have enough fuel for a hundred or so more hours, no?

You're right, but we don't have any other choice for the time being. We'll just have to keep working on repairs and try to think of a better plan as we go.

Let's start with the region we're in right now.

For better or worse, this area is fairly narrow, so it should be ideal to determine whether our strategy is viable.

Once we've finished sweeping the area for enemies, we'll see how much energy we used, andUm, who's tugging on my sleeve?

Captain, Captain. Why does everyone here look like the Grande Armée about to go up against General Winter?

You know, that's a perfect analogy. The fact is, we're running low on resources, so we're having to power through on empty stomachs.

Huh? Does that mean we don't have any food?

That's right. We don't have nearly enough food or, most importantly, magical energy. While we're at it, we also don't have enough metal or chemical substances for all the repairs we need.

Hmm. Umm, heh, I don't know anything about ship repairs, but...I think we might be fine when it comes to food and magical energy?

...What do you mean?

We can just eat the Logos monsters, like I did when I was drifting around. Ehehe.

She's right! It turns out that the void enemies we defeated can be processed into both high-purity magical energy and food!

So from here on, the combat team will also officially double as the resource procurement team!

All right, Acting Commander, give the order!

？！

Hao haooo! Okay, everyone, let's get our first sortie started!

Noooooo!!!

Oh, stop it already! You are something of a goddess yourself, right? Start acting like it!

But nobody told me I was gonna be tethered to the ship with monster intestineees!!!

It's all right! The guts we collected from the large enemy are more than strong enough to serve as a lifeline!

In fact, we may even be able to use these parts to repair the ship! Be proud, Osakabe! The Nautilus's fate is in your hands! Hehehe!

What's so funny!? Admit it! You're enjoying this, aren't you, you baka sadist goddeeesss!!!