Act Two: The Thunder Shooter's Fishing Ground (1/4)

Three, two, one... All stop!

...Perfect. We're right on the edge of the second area.

？！

Well, we did cut the engines and coast along silently for a good while.

There's no room for complacency now! I'll show you the skill and grace of a submariner!

All right, we made it to a new area, and we have a few resources we can spare. Can you summon us more fighters, like we discussed?

？！

Great. Like I said before, it's essential that we have a way to use torpedoes again.

I worked out all the errors and bugs, so we shouldn't have a problem summoning a Chaldean Servant this time.

That's great, but I can't think of any Servants who can fire torpedoes... Maybe one of the inventors?

That's okay. We don't need actual torpedoes. Whoever we summon has to meet several conditions.

First, they need to possess a large projectile Noble Phantasmsomething along the lines of an Anti-Ship cannon.

Second, that Noble Phantasm needs to use physical matter for its ammo, as opposed to something like laser beams. It would take a long time to explain why, but

Basically, any beam fired in the Void Sea would lose a lot of its power.

？！

True, but only because those cheaters use some kind of mysterious void-derived beams, and we currently have no idea how they work.

It seems like it'd be really hard to both analyze and apply the tech to a Noble Phantasm, so we're thinking of going back to basics on this with some good old-fashioned projectile ammo.

Projectiles are great. They're a shining example of what oil and metal can accomplish together. Masswise, they're simple, powerful, and reliable.

Best of all, they can be heavily customized. For example, we can add self-propulsion and homing capabilities to them with just a few runes.

There you go. Third, this Noble Phantasm's projectiles can't use anything like gunpowder to fire or propel them.

While we'll of course do our best to suppress any sound produced as a side effect of using this Noble Phantasm, it'd be pretty much impossible to fire a cannon silently.

Ideally, it'd be great if this Noble Phantasm were really powerful, but we can compensate for that to some extent.

If we connect this theoretical Servant directly to the Nautilus's Magical Reactors, we can power it up enough that even a D-rank Noble Phantasm would work as long as it's Anti-Army.

So taking all of that into consideration, I think we might actually have better luck with a Lancer or an Assassin than an Archer or a Rider.

？！

True, that would work fine... if we had the real Scáthach here.

But we now know that when Scáthach-Skadi forces herself to change into Scáthach's Assassin version, she ranks down so much she's no stronger than an average human.

It makes sense, really, since she isn't actually Scáthach. Anyway, suffice to say, she definitely shouldn't be taking part in combat this time.

Not to mention that she's now an essential member of the engineering team. Frankly, it would be a waste to send her out to the front line.

Then, it'll be up to the personnel selection routine to find the best Servant for the job?

That's right. Okay, Fujimaru, do it!

...Oh? Oh my.

I know I had a lot on my mind, but I could have sworn I was still training in the simulator...

？！

Oh, you're really so happy to see me? Wonderful. Mother is always delighted to see you, too.

I do remember hearing you were conducting a training exercise at sea somewhere, but I'm quite certain I wasn't on call to be summoned. Hehe, I see. Something unexpected happened, didn't it?

Well, that's quite all right. No matter what the problem may be, I'll resolve it quick as can be.

By the way... My, my, there certainly are a lot of young women aboard this ship.

Yes, it's a very good thing I came here. A very good thing indeed...

(Crap, a Berserker. This is the last thing we need. I'd...better keep that to myself if I want to make it back alive, though.)

Senpai, I think this might be

？！

Hm?

Is something wrong? I'm sensing some decidedly mixed reactions.

Not at all, knight of a foreign land. You have come at a perfect time. Help maintaining order is just what this ship needs.

I am told you once spent a summer as a veritable demon of discipline, and fortunately, I have the outfit you wore at the time ready and waiting.

!!!

The indecent outfit I wore to combat indecency...!!!

？！

Ahem... Well, if the situation calls for it... No! No, I mustn't!

I can only serve as the shadow prefect during summer, when the sun's rays disrupt public decency.

Otherwise, it will lead to all sorts of problems, such as... How should I put this...

If I were to become the shadow prefect now, I'm concerned I may not be able to, um, pull my punches? That public decency might soon become the last thing on our minds...

Oof, it's so hot in here. I know we've gotta conserve energy right now, but did the AC have to go, too? Anyway, I'm gonna go head out on patro

...

...

...Un...accept...able...

Now, Fujimaru!

？！

My eyes have been opened!!!

Now I see exactly what is going on here!

It seems this ship is indeed a hotbed of summer's wicked temptations!

But worry not, dear Master! If I must abandon my motherly duties and don this forbidden outfit to protect you, then that is what I shall do!

Unacceptable! Unacceptable! Absolutely unacceptable!

？！

Wonderful, wonderful. Now, come with me. We must formulate a plan to combat indecency aboard the ship.

Hm? Huh?

But, I was going to start by confiscating all of Lady Osakabehime's abundant indecency attribute...

Ma-chan, please tell me you're going to console me since she tried to korossacre me the second she showed up!

？！

All right. I have heard the entire story in excruciating detail.

Really, you could have simply told me what was going on when I was first summoned.

Then again, I suppose that may be easier said than done...

At any rate, now that I truly understand the situation, rest assured that I will make full use of my Indra-given burial lightning to obliterate these Mystics from a foreign sea!

？！

Hehe, and that is not all. In addition to combat, Raikou's powers should also allow us to significantly expand the size and scope of our recon capabilities.

Indeed. If I deploy an envoy of Gozu-Tenno to the Void Sea and have them run scans by sending out lightning waves, that should

R-really!? Yatta! I'm free! Hiko life, here I come!

Don't be silly. We still need all the recon we can get. In fact, we will be counting on you now more than ever.

Also, I know nothing at all about interpreting the scan results, so I plan to foist that off onI mean, have you handle that part.

Gyaaah! Now I have more work than ever! Come back, sweet freedom! Come baaack!

(There we go. Her backbreaking workload should keep her indecency in check, thereby leaving Master's body and soul safe once more.)

(But of course, one can never be too careful! I must remain ever vigilant in my pursuit of public decency!)

...I was kind of worried how things were going to go there for a while, but it looks like it worked out. Though I still don't understand how Chaldeans can change Spirit Origins just by putting on swimsuits...

Swimsuits... Swimsuits... Maybe, if I wore one... I could be a different class, too...

Ehehe... Kidding... Just another Van Goghk for you... That would never happen... Never...

...Is there something you're worried about, Van Gogh?

Huh? Not at all, Captain.

I'm just enjoying my second lease on life by making pictures with the paint the goddess lady snuck me... Ehehe...

(...Master, there's something I think you and the other leaders should know. Could I talk to you for a bit once we're done here?)

？！

All right, now that our private discussion is over...

What do you make of Yang Guifei's story, Fujimaru?

You see, I actually do remember what happened when Van Gogh used her Noble Phantasm...

I thought you three should know too, but please just keep this off the record!

So Van Gogh's Noble Phantasm was...Le Père Tanguy, I believe it's called? It's certainly one of Van Gogh's more famous paintings...

So according to Yang Guifei, Van Gogh painted an old man surrounded by a variety of things in space, all of which then basically came to life and rescued us...

...and she's worried about the fact that Van Gogh was able to make things she painted in Void Space into reality-based objects, right?

Right... To tell the truth, the only reasons we're able to interact with Void Space at all are the void magecraft chips and Van Gogh's blood.

Really, her Spirit Origin's practically a treasure trove of ways to manipulate Void Space. And now, we have additional information from Yang Guifei's Noble Phantasm.

While it's difficult to make much sense out of the logs our sensors recorded during that battle, since they're so unlike anything I've ever seen...

If Van Gogh really did manage to create an enormous mass out of nothingsomething that would be completely impossible in Reality Spacea lot of things start to make sense.

Let's say that Yang Guifei's illusory textures weren't able to keep up with this new being that suddenly appeared, and the resulting mental shock to everyone out there fighting made them forget what happened.

If that's accurate, it would explain a lot. Not just about that battle, but the entire situation we're in right now.

Now we know it's entirely possible that all these obstacles and monsters that could normally never exist in Void Space were created by her Noble Phantasm.

...To be honest, I think a lot of us were suspicious of Van Gogh when she first showed up.

But she seemed so harmless that we all slowly let down our guard around her.

Speaking personally, I don't think she means any harm, but she also wouldn't be the first Heroic Spirit to be, um, going through some stuff...

So I think we need to keep all of this in mind going forward.

I agree. Plus, she also seems to be confused about who she is right now.

？！

If only we knew for sure who she is...

Hmm. Well...

Hmm. Something's not right... Do the acting commander and the captain know more than they're letting on?

Ehehe, is something wrong, Lady Yang Guifei? You're pressed up against that door tighter than a tree frog.

Eek! I-i-i-it's nothing! Really!

But, uh, Goghie!? I just want you to know that, as a Foreigner myself, I'm on your side no matter what! Well, bye!

Huh...?

Sometimes...I really have no idea what's going on. Ehehe.