Act Four: The Unthinkable Dissolving (3/3)

Oh... Hey there, Master...

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Well... We just saw Captain go into the cargo hold looking like he was marching to his own execution or something.

Of course, we can just tell how he's feeling anyway, since we're all connected.

So when he feels down, we feel down, too, though we don't all feel it the same way 'cause we've got different personalities and all.

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Yeah. He's always had a strong sense of responsibility...

...and he's been feeling bad about bringing us all to this place ever since we got here.

Things were looking up for a while recently, but now that's all gone, right? So, you know.

But we're sure someone will figure out something eventually, so in the maritime, we're just keeping busy.

Don't worry, things will work out! Especially with these cute charms we've got for good luck!

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Uh-huh. Looking at mine always helps me relax.

We're pretty loosely defined Phantom Spirits, so it's just really reassuring to get something like this.

Man, Yang Guifei's amazing. It's not just the dolls, you know. She figures out what we want and gives it to us without us having to say a word.

She helps out with our jobs, even the manual labor, she hangs out with us during our breaks, plays games with us, sings with us...

Honestly, Yang Guifei might be half the reason the Nemo Seriesand by extension Captainhas held it together this long.

Forget being one of the top three beauties in the world! She's more like one of the top three nicest people! I hope we get to work with her again sometime!

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Okay. Later, Master...

Duh duuuh.

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It's cool in here.

But I'll leave if you don't want me here.

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Yaaay.

(Lounging around)

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(Lounging around)

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(Lounging around)

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You're really tired, huh, Master?

What's wrong?

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Hmm. And that'll help you?

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Uh. I get it. I do that too sometimes. 'Cause I get tired.

Then Papa and everyone else do lots of things for me. They're so easy.

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Oh. Did you think of something?

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Ooh. Then I'll go with you.

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Bloodstains.

Stand back, Master.

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My, did you think you could protect yourself on all sides alone?

I sensed something amiss and came as quick as my shadow prefect legs could carry me. I should be able to at least keep the two of you safe.

It's strange, though. Mash should have been the first one here, especially now that we're no longer on high alert...

Quiet. Something's comin

!!!

Yaaah!

Ha!!!

Huh? There's so many!

Khh... Be careful, Master! I'm going to carve a path straight to the bridge!

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Then we go the other way!

Understood! Then I shall make sure we get there, even if I must drench the path in the enemy's blood!

More...

I need more pain... More wounds... More punishment...

But I can't inflict any more on myself...

So I'll have to have someone do it for me...

...Ehehe, ehehe... I love pain...

Van Gogh!?

What happened!? Aah! You're bleeding!

Please... Punish me, Nemo... Ehehe...

I don't know why, but...I can't die... Ehehe, isn't that strange? Ehehe, I'm Van Gogh, but I can't die!

Wh-what the...!? Did your blood just create monsters!?

Ehehe, ehehe... I don't understand anything anymore... Who am I? Am I not Van Gogh...?

If I'm not Van Gogh, then you don't need me... Especially when I just make monsters...

So please...kill me, Nemo... Ehehe... You're the captain... You'll be doing everyone else...a favor... Ehehe...

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Fujimaru!? What're you doing here!?

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...Got it!

Ehehe... It hurts... I love...it...

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The infirmary's not far from here. I'll go get her, Master!

I heard what happened. I'll start treatment right away!

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Got it. It pains me to say this, but you're probably better equipped to handle this than I am.

I'm counting on you, Fujimaru!

Almost...there...

There's the bridge.

Now! Run for it!

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Master! Yes, we're okay!

Yu-Yu and me are fine! I'm super used to hiding out in a siege!

The marines were a little banged up, but it looks like they've all recovered now!

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Engine room here! We got a few nasties pinning us down in here! Be real helpful if you could send us some help!

This is the computer room. Need some help down here too!

This is the workshop. Baker and I are both pinned down! Send help as soon asHm? What's going on? Oh, it's you

Lambda here. I took care of the monsters in the aft compartment. They were blocking the way to the shower.

I'll pass by the engine and computer rooms next, but you might want to consider giving the whole ship an inspection to be safe.

This is the cargo hold! I agree with Lambdaryllis!

Fujimaru, we need to go over every millimeter of this ship! We can't let a single monster survive!

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Okay, I'm back safe and sound. That sure was an ordeal, wasn't it?

Yeah. I want to take a bath and go to bed.

I do too, but this isn't over yet. We still have no idea how this happened.

These monsters appeared out of nowhere. We've been anchored in place the whole time too.

Yes, about that. As I'm sure you can imagine, the Nemo Series knows everything Captain has seen and heard.

Van Gogh was...covered in blood...

And then she started making monsters out of that blood!

Okay, quiet, please. I've done a preliminary investigation. Those monsters did come from Van Gogh's blood, but it wouldn't quite be accurate to say she made them.

Indeed. Her blood merely served as a catalyst to summon those monsters. Once the blood is cleaned up, it will no longer be a problem.

It may well be that some manner of spell activated inside her body on its own, whether she intended it or not.

I have my doubts. It's clear her wounds were self-inflicted. Probably a consequence of her mental instability.

My focus in the Nemo Series is logic and reason, and that's telling me we can't rule out the possibility that this whole mess was part of an elaborate suicide attempt.

Yeah... If nothing else, we know for sure that those monsters showed up 'cause Van Gogh went nuts!

I knew she was too dangerous to keep around! You're still gonna keep your contract with her, Master!?

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Hmm. Let's just take it easy here, Marines.

I know your straightforward nature is a big part of your appeal, but to be perfectly honest, I've never cared for the way you guys so blatantly exclude anyone who's not in your group.

Hey, you get to work all cozy in the computer room! You can't imagine what it's like for us, being right next to the void all the time!

This is the kitchen. I'm sorry to say this, Professor, but I think I agree with the marines.

I wish you would try to understand what it's like being on the support side, where you can never solve any of the really big problems yourself.

Nurse, you must know what it's like to want to get rid of anything that doesn't belong here for the safety of the crew, right?

This is Nemo Nurse in the cargo hold. I'm too busy treating the patient to answer right now.

Engine room here! Knock it the hell off, bridge! Just 'cause Captain's exhausted right now doesn't give you all the right to freak out!

Our job's to beat the bad guys and protect the weak! That's all there is to it!

So, uh, if Van Gogh's a bad guy, then we'll beat her, but we've still gotta keep her safe, so... Gaah, I don't know anymore! I need some ice cream to cool down!

Yikes. Sorry about this, everyone. This is Memory Partition's biggest weakness.

When things get confusing like this, we end up with all sorts of conflicting ideas, and discussion just kind of deadlocks.

This is awful... What should we do, Senpai?

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Huh?

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That's the drawing Xiang Yu left on the wall right before this all happened...

Oh yeah, I forgot all about that. I tried to figure out what it meant a while ago, but I couldn't crack it!

Wait. Did you figure it out, Master?

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Huh...?

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O-okay, but there weren't actually any enemies there...

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...Huh? Wait. Is that what the Go piece means?

Hey, yeah. Unlike in chess, Go pieces are placed on the intersecting lines between the squares, not the squares themselves...

But wait. Does that mean the enemy's in between the squares? How does that make sense?

It doesn't! Besides, Yu-Yu and I haven't been missing anything in between the areas, Ma-chan!

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I...think I understand?

Hey, yeah... That's something we may have been overlooking entirely.

If we assume that zero-width spaces are lined up at equal distances from each other exactly where the lines that make up this grid intersect, then...

...Yeah. Yeah, that would definitely explain the strange display glitch we're seeing on the monitor.

So the very machine we used to observe this anomalous world has been bugging out...

No, wait. If these impossible spaces really do exist, maybe it's because observing this world through the monitor actually caused the world to go a little nuts?

Hey, yeah! If we can't prove whether the people observing the world have gone mad, or if the world itself has gone mad...

...Does that mean using a buggy machine to observe the world actually distorted the world's spatial structure, thereby creating gaps between spaces just like the lines on a Go board!?

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...You're right, Senpai! Someone must have distorted Void Space at the start of all this!

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Indeed, it has always been my suspicion that it was not a machine that trapped us here, but a being.

Perhaps it was someone with the same kind of special power we have witnessed, and even benefited from, numerous times thus far?

Yes, since Yang Guifei has the power to project highly advanced visuals onto Void Space entities, and Van Gogh's blood has the power to convert those entities into real beings...

...then perhaps it was another Foreigner who manipulated the Reverse Side of the World's Void Space into its present form?

If that is so, it explains the shape of the gaps between spaces.

Especially if we assume that this Foreigner got the idea by looking at this game board-like monitor, and recreated it, gaps and all.

In that case, since we know beyond a doubt that Yang Guifei was summoned here from the Throne after this incident had already begun, then the most likely suspect would seem to be

It's gotta be Van Gogh! She's the one behind all of this!

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Good point. Then let's find out right now if these gaps between spacesI'll call them "Go Board Spaces" for the time beingreally do exist.

I think we can say that both Yang Guifei and Osakabehime have unconsciously been conducting their searches under the assumption that the space we're in now is a typical three-dimensional one.

So we'll completely reconsider that aspect while calculating to determine if there's anything that would contradict the existence of these Go Board Spaces.

Okay, let's put our heads together, construct a magecraft function based on this new hypothesis, and update the monitor once we have.

In the meantime, we all need to keep a cool head. And actually, Captain, do you think you can come back here soon?

...I can't leave Van Gogh alone right now, and I can't bring her to the bridge now, either.

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You were right on, Master.

Once we re-examined our garbled scan data under this Go Board Spaces hypothesis, all the inconsistencies we'd been struggling with disappeared.

We also found a way to adjust our targeting coordinates to aim at these Go Board Spaces, and devised movement spells that will let our weaponry reach them.

Now we can finally torpedo the enemies hiding out in the spaces between spaces. All that's left is to give the signal to counterattack.

Really!? Then let's see if it works right now! I'm sick and tired of getting shot at and not being able to do anything about it!

Do you really think we could do that now? With all this tension?

We have calls coming from inside AND outside the housewell, ship, in this case. Wouldn't it be wiser to focus on beefing up our internal security first?

Not at all. The best strategy to distract from internal problems is to give everyone an external enemy to focus on.

...You're even more twisted than I thought, aren't you?

Just a little Genji humor. At any rate, as the shadow prefect, I have my own piece to say!

Van Gogh is innocent! Believe me, I investigated her very thoroughly, and I never found a single piece of incriminating evidence!

Oh come on. I could believe that if you were a Caster or an Assassin, but a Lancer?

Ah... Well, I suppose I can understand your concern...

Besides, she could've just glanced at the monitor. It wouldn't take any time at all.

And who knows what's going on inside a Foreigner's head, anyway?

Yeah! We still have no reason to trust her!

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

Uh-oh. This is not good...

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It's mutiny tiiime!

Van Gogh's gotta buuurn!

Khh! Please calm down, Nemo Marines! There's no need for violence!

They're tougher than I thought!

And there's so many of them... It's going to be difficult to defeat them without injuring them!

Who cares if they get injured!? They're clones, right!? Just cut them down and be done with it!

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...

Captain!? Please say something, Captain!

Yup, this is bad. The main unit's so overloaded that it's starting to malfunction.

If one of the clones gets destroyed now, he won't be able to recover their data or their Spirit Origin, which will cause a whole other set of problems. Big ones.

We can try rebooting the main unit, but myself, Baker, Nurse, and Engineer all have to authorize it.

At this rate, we'll all be killed before we decide on a plan!

Come on, guys, stop it! Why are you doing this!? We're all friends here, remember!?

Goghie's a good girl! I know it! If there's something wrong with her Spirit Origin that's causing this, then there must be a way to fix it!

And if there isn't, then...I'll stop her myself! So please, cut this ouuut!

Waaah!

My strength shall lift the mountains, and my might shall conquer the world...

There. I have used my weakest attack to subdue all thirteen enemies.

Xi

Xi

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I awoke because I initially calculated this incident would be over by now. That seems not to be the case.

My apologies, everyone. It seems my foresight was limited with regard to these events.

Even so, the fact that you are all still alive must mean the three things I left to help Master must served their purpose.

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What? Does this mean the drawing I left on the wall was not sufficiently clear?

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Aha. Now I understand.

...Oh! I get it now too, Master!

Indeed. Of all the tricks for the culprit to employ...

Huh? What are you guys talking about? Don't leave me in the dark out here alone!

Don't worry, you're not alone. Most of us here, myself included, are in the same boat.

Go on, Fujimaru, just tell us what it is already.

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.

...There are supposed to be twelve Nemo Marines in total.

So why are there thirteen!?

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...Ahahaha, I really messed up here, huh? I never thought you'd get all of us in one place like this.

I-I can't believe it... How did an imposter make their way into the Nemo Series when we're all using Memory Partition?

I think that is exactly the blind spot the culprit took advantage of.

You may all share what you see and feel, but perhaps you were too reliant on your sense of sight.

While I'm sure you would have noticed the change in your shared senses immediately if one of your Series were to do something abnormal, or if one of you went missing...

...there is no way you would have noticed any change when an imposter who looks just like you did the same. That you received no thoughts or senses from them made this easier.

B-but I've been keeping an eye on the marines all this time to ensure none of them got up to anything indecent!

Still, as long as I am around, I will not let a clone or two distract me from my duties.

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...I suppose you're right, Master. I'm sorry for failing you... (Depressed)

B-but then, who could the extra Nemo Marine possibly be!?

Good question! Wanna take a guess?

Master, according to my calculations

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Oh yeah? Then prove it!

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Hehe. Hehehehe.

Ahahahahahahaha!!!

Well, guess the cat's outta the bag now!

Th-that's right, it's me! The invincible Swimsuit Swordmaster, painter, and fairy: Katsushika Hokusai!!!

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...

Gaaah! Just forget ya saw that, all right!?

I just can't pretend ta be my younger self sober any longer, not even to pass the Spirit Origin scan!

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...Anyway, how'd ya know it was me, Master?

Is it 'cause I'm a Foreigner?

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

You noticed, huh? Yeah, I drew those little swirls on the cheeks there myself. I thought it'd be cuter that way.

Besides, it's more fun having one that's not exactly like everyone else's, you know?

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Aha. Yeah, ya got me there. This little dolly was so well-made I couldn't help but try and one-up it.

Those swirls I drew are actually teeny-tiny dragon crests. I'll show 'em to ya later.

Anyway, now that that's settled, let's get goin'! Oh, and if you get bored, ya can always take a gander at the picture scrolls I painted.

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Oh! I've seen that one in the database, too! It's called "Kan'u Kappizu", or "Operating on Guan Yu's Arm," and it's one of the few known paintings by Katsushika Oui that still exist today!

It's a bold, gruesome painting that depicts the famous general Guan Yu ignoring the pain of his wound while playing Go!

Aww, you guys remember that painting, Master, Mash? Glad ta hear it made an impression on ya.

I'll be honest, I remembered that painting I showed ya when I saw how this here monitor looked like a game board.

I thought "That's it. If I just swap the shogi board out for a Go one, I can't lose."

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...

Toto-sama's empty right now. Well, more like he's busy bein' the antenna to the Outer God.

...!

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Yeah, you could say that!

I mixed water an' ink into the void to make these seas dangerous! I've been paintin' rocks and monsters left an' right ta slow you down, Master!

I added that sonar thingy I heard about at the workshop to the monsters! I got the idea ta hide 'em in the space between Go board spaces by sneakin' a peek at the bridge!

...And I did it all to stop you and this ship, Master.

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Ain't it obvious? For a painter, this Void Sea place's a dream come true!

It's like one giant, blank canvas stretchin' out far as the eye can see! And all ya gotta do to get all the paint ya want is stare into the void awhile. What kinda painter would I be if I didn't try ta paint somethin' here?

But for some reason, ol' Toto-sama wasn't convinced! He kept hemmin' an' hawwin' about whether it was okay for us ta paint here or not!

So just this once, I gave 'im a bop on the noggin and disobeyed him. I decided I was gonna get on the Nautilus myself, come hell or high water.

That was how he ended up like this... an' I've been doin' my own thing ever since.

No way. I don't buy it. You might be a genius painter, but you don't have any skill that would let you disguise yourself as a Nemo Marine.

Oh, that? I got somethin' of a metaphysical critical when I used Item Construction. It let me past ta ship scans.

I also lucked out when this Spirit Origin ended up fightin' for dominance with my Saber Oei one, since that knocked out my vital signs.

That made stowin' away a piece of cake!

You've got to be kidding me!

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Um, excuse me? Can I just say one thing, please!?

...It's a pleasure to properly meet you, Lady Katsushika Hokusai. My name's Yang Yuhuan, though I'm historically known as Yang Guifei.

I'm also a Foreigner, just like you are.

Yeah, I know. And damn if you ain't even more of a beauty than I'd heard! I'd love ta paint yer portrait sometime!

So, what's a nation' ruinin' princess like you wanna say to a humble painter like me?

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Have you really sworn loyalty to the Outer God?

Ahahahahaha! Ahahahahahahaha!

Couldn't be further from my mind!

I just want a little time to paint aaaaaall the pictures I can.

You don't mind stayin' a little longer, do you, Master?

I'm just askin' ya to keep the ship here about...two hundred years or so.

That way, I won't hafta sic any more beasties on ya, or threaten ya with cannons, or anythin' like that. You can all just hang out, relax, and enjoy yourselves. How's that sound?

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That so.

In that case...

Master, I think this is exactly what I was summoned for! All you have to do is give the order!

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Mingbaile! Understood!!!

I'll do whatever it takes to subdue her! Hang in there, Goghie...!

Ghh! Hehehe, looks like I mighta bitten off a little more than I can chew!

I-I can't believe how strong she is! She's nothing like her file in the database!

Is she linked to the Outer God...? Is that all it takes to make someone this much stronger!?

Still, at least we've got her on the ropes now!

Lady Hokusai, I have one last question for you!

When I asked if you were the one behind all this, you said, "Yeah, you could say that!"

Now, I want you to elaborate on that statement.

Tell me, was the being who enticed you into doing this a god, or a human?

Beats me. All I know is, someone called ta me, and I answered.

Someone far, far away... A voice from the deepest reaches of the Void Sea!

...! Then, does that mean

Nope, no more yappin'! Fights and fires might be Edo's flowers, but battlin' with our Noble Phantasms is us Heroic Spirits' flower!

Ph'nglui ph'nglui, On Sochirishuta Sowaka, wgah'nagl fhtagn...!

Imperial edict! In the name of His Imperial Highness's Consort, I, Yang Taizhen

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Hokusai...?

Huh? Van Gogh!?

What happened over there, Nurse!?

Ow ow ow... I'm sorry. Van Gogh surprised me and tied me up...

Hokusai, Hokusai, Hokusai! Ehehe, ehehe, I've been wanting to meet you!

Well now, so we got yet another beauty on board I ain't never seen before.

You the one who called me here?

Huh? I...called you...?

Deeper, deeper...

...Further, further...

...Ah.

I... Did I...

Also, did I hear 'em say your name is Van Gogh? As in Vincent van Gogh, the painter from the Netherlands?

Yes, that's me... I'm honored...you've heard of me...

...Nah, that ain't right. Who are you, really?

...

Ever since I got summoned ta this day an' age, you better believe I been lookin' up work from artists who started paintin' after I died.

That definitely goes for Mr. Van Gogh's work, too. I spent a hell of a long time studyin' his paintings.

An' the moment I took a gander at 'em, I could tell right away that they were just like mine!

Don't get me wrong. It means the world ta me knowin' one of the art world's biggest names took a likin' ta my work.

But...

While Van Gogh mighta dug Hokusai's style, they say he was always more a fan of Hiroshige.

Haha, and ya know what? I believe it. I can practically smell Hiroshige's hands all over Van Gogh's work.

That tells me Van Gogh was a guy, not a gal. A naive, sensitive fella who prob'ly caught more than his share of colds.

Trust me, it takes a lot more than becomin' a Servant ta change a painter's whole essence. Just take a look at that Da Vinci guy.

So, I know this is the pot callin' the kettle black here, but...I don't know you.

Who are you really, lady? You might call yourself Van Gogh, but

Ha!

Guh!

That was my glamorous Alter Ego special attack. I do hope you liked it.

I trust you don't mind, Fujimaru? It seemed like she'd said everything she had to say.

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Good. Now you can deal with the bigger problem at hand. I look forward to seeing just how deep your love really goes.

I don't know exactly what sort of problem Van Gogh is struggling with...but do we really have no other choice but to pry into it now?

I mean, we're under so much pressure, and Captain isn't here with us either...

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...Who's that?

It can't be me...

It looks like...I'm just a nameless Foreigner...

...who called Hokusai to the Void Sea...and tried to kill you all...

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...

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...Can I just ask you one thing, Master?

...Do you know who I really am? The true identity of my Heroic Spirit...?

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Please, tell me...

Clytie.

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Clytie. Clytie. Clytie. Clytie. Clytie. Clytie.

Clytie. Clytie. Clytie. Clytie. Clytie. Clytie.

Clytie. Clytie. Clytie. Clytie. Clytie. Clytie.

Aah! They're all glitching!

Come on, guys, cut it out! There's a reason Captain's been keeping that to himself!

Clytie...

Clytie?

Right... Ehehe, I remember now. That name was tucked away deep inside the knowledge I received from the Throne...

I see... Ehehe, ehehe! It's the perfect name for me!

Oh... Is that why I bloomed?

Though, you know, Master...

Even after hearing that name, I still can't help but think of myself as Van Gogh. I can't escape his memories, either...

So...

So I'll go do my best to die on my own!

Somewhere deeper and further away, where I won't make any more trouble for any of you!

Ehehe, goodbye, Master! Goodbye, Lady Yang Guifei! Goodbye, everyone! A heartfelt handshake, to each of you!

Please give my regards to Nemo!

...Huh?

This...can't be happening... Goghie... Why?

This is terrible! Why do things never seem to go our way?

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...Right! This is all very confusing for everyone, but we'll do our best to help as much as we can!

I'm really sorry, everyone. I guess the Memory Partition logic still has some serious bugs.

I'll ask Sion to refine it as soon as we get back to the Wandering Sea.

Of course, that doesn't change the fact that I put all of you in danger. And on top of that, now Van Gogh's up and disappeared...

I can't tell you how sorry I am. I don't think I'll ever be able to make amends for this mess.

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...Thank you, Fujimaru.

All right, getting back on track: we need to prepare for the final phase of this operation. Let's start by assessing our current situation.

Right. First, the Nemo Marines that were behaving erratically are still operating, albeit with their personalities temporarily suspended.

The rest of the Nemo Series are still functioning as usual, though their opinions on what we should do next remain divided.

That's largely because I'm still conflicted about this whole thing myself. I won't ever let my thoughts shut down like that again though.

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Hokusai's in the slammer. But she looks sane.

Indeed. Toto-sama has woken up too, though he claims he doesn't remember anything.

Maybe so, but that doesn't mean we can let her out. There's no telling when she might start acting up again.

The professor and I examined her Spirit Origin graph, and it seems her skills were illegally modified.

Father-Daughter Bond, the skill she uses to fight off the evil god's influence, was temporarily weakened, and in exchange, her Item Construction skill was significantly enhanced.

Disturbing though it may be, if this is the method the evil god used to influence her, then it is well within our means to counteract.

I have already equipped her with a Mystic Code that should neutralize the weakening effects. Now, all we can do is wait and see what happens next.

Fortunately, she has been quite cooperative since her capture, so for the time being, she should no longer be a concern.

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Right... We searched the entire ship top to bottom, but we haven't found her anywhere.

There's no trace of her in any of our system logs, either. It's like she completely disappeared...

Chotto a minute! Are we really not gonna talk about how she wasn't actually Vincent van Gogh in the first place!?

For that matter, who is this Clytie person, anyway?

I'm sorry. I think there were a lot of gaps in the knowledge I received from the Throne...

...Clytie's a figure from Greek mythology. She's not very well-known, so it's no surprise that you might not have heard of her.

She's one of the three thousand Oceanidsthe water nymph daughters of the titan of the seas, Oceanus, and his wife and sister, Tethys.

Her story is one of tragic love, envy, and desolation.

I never would have imagined that Van Gogh was actually a character from Greek mythology...

Anyway, did I get Clytie's story right, Captain?

Yes, that was spot-on. Thanks, Mash.

When we first met Van Gogh, her flower girl motif almost immediately reminded me of Clytie, the water nymph who had a falling out with Apollo.

The flower she becomes at the end of her story is called a heliotrope, which means something like, "to always face the sun."

However, later retellings often depict her turning into a sunflower instead.

Of course, the Van Gogh we know also uses sunflowers prominently in a variety of ways, but so did Van Gogh the painter.

He often used sunflowers in his paintings to represent the sun's warmth. In fact, some of his best-known work is actually a series of paintings titled "Sunflowers."

On top of that, both our Van Gogh and the painter Van Gogh tended toward self-destruction.

True. Vincent van Gogh was very intelligent, but he also struggled to manage his passions, which sometimes led to him harming himself.

While Clytie's story definitely shows how unrequited love can make one do foolish things...

...I think the fact that her intense regrets made her turn into a flower could also be seen as her need to punish herself.

When you think about it, for two Heroic Spirits with different backgrounds, and even genders, Van Gogh and Clytie do have a lot in common.

...I'd guess Van Gogh's Spirit Origin is actually mostly Clytie.

For one thing, further analysis shows us that she has a high ranking of Divinity, something you rarely see in Servants from modern eras.

At first I thought that was just because she's a Foreigner, but if she's actually a nymph directly descended from titans, that would explain it much better.

Yet despite that, her memories are all Vincent van Gogh's, rather than Clytie's.

？！

She could also be a High Servant. Both her Van Gogh side and Clytie side seem fairly high-ranked, after all.

I don't know. But I do know that, unlike you and me, she's been melded together from very disparate parts.

Now, she's a Heroic Spirit with the mind and body of Clytie, a female nymph, and Van Gogh, a male artist.

Her very existence is one giant contradiction. It's no wonder she's so unstable.

Now I see. That must be what the Outer Gods are after.

？！

I do. I can tell. After all, in one sense, I am an "outer" god myself.

So I can understand what they're thinking, though only up to a point.

When these gods set about making the Heroic Spirit we know as Van Gogh...

...it must have been for the purpose of invading your worldthat is, modern-day Earth.

The way from the outer to the inner, and from void to reality, is long and treacherous. It is not the sort of path that can be crossed in a single leap.

Indeed, even the strongest of gods could die a sudden, ignominious death if they were to stumble in the wrong spot.

So they must have sought a place they could use as a foothold into your world, a bridgehead or outpost of sorts.

They found one in Void Space. It is a completely unobservable zone, both next-door neighbor and distant destination to Reality Space, separated only by a thin wall of recognition.

Um, excuse me! I'm sorry for interrupting, but does that mean this mysterious enemy already knows about Void Space?

I would think so, yes. We will need to come up with a means to counter that strategy upon our return.

At any rate, we now know that their plan was to send a Heroic Spirit to Void Space on an expedition to discover more of the yet unknown paradise.

To do this, they summoned Van Gogh to the void, where she proceeded to call Hokusai here and wait for us to arrive.

They clearly already have a means of accessing Void Space, yet instead of coming here directly, they chose to send a Heroic Spirit in their place...

I cannot profess to know what led to that decision, but given what we know of their goal, certainly their chosen Heroic Spirit must be capable of creating the base of operations they would need.

Furthermore, if we think back on what Van Gogh has accomplished thus far, we can surmise that she was given three duties to fulfill.

One: requisition local personnel. Two: create a local base. And three: deify the requisitioned personnel.

N-now I get it. They planned to use Chaldea's Foreigners to bolster their ranks...

That's correct, Osakabe. I expect the cost of summoning Heroic Spirits to the void must be too great for them to amass an army that way.

So they must have thought to take advantage of our Servant resources and our access to Void Space, which they've done quite well.

In answering Van Gogh's call, Hokusai developed a madness of her own, warping her skills and making her amenable to the Outer Gods' desires.

Thus, once she had successfully disguised herself and stowed away aboard the Nautilus, the Outer Gods had everyone they needed.

Just as they planned, Hokusai transformed Void Space into a sea, and went on to paint trenches, battleships, and other grand works into existence.

Had we not stopped her, she may have eventually succumbed to her madness completely and painted a temple for these evil gods that they could use for their outpost.

I do not know how they planned to mount an assault on Reality Space from there...

...but if nothing else, I expect we would have been forced to give up the Paper Moon in order to stop them.

And that, of course, would have put an end to any hope we had of restoring Proper Human History.

Hehe, now, now, none of that. This may sound strange coming from me, but now that we have come this far...

...I certainly have no wish to see your world come to an end.

Indeed we were.

？！

Then the Outer Gods must have had Hokusai in their sights right from the start. So when they realized they could use her ukiyo-e connection with Vincent van Gogh to bring her here...

Indeed. That is no doubt one reason they chose Van Gogh. But I suspect their true aim lies elsewhere.

Van Gogh's Noble Phantasm, The Starry Night, is a painting capable of swallowing the very world with its alternate depiction of reality. It can transform Foreigners into gods, and spread madness to all who gaze upon it.

So once the Void Space temple was complete, they must have planned on her using her Noble Phantasm to deify the other Foreigners.

No doubt that is the final phase of their planthe grand mechanism through which these evil gods meant to descend upon Earth.

But...but that doesn't make sense!

If Goghie really wanted to do that, she could have turned me into an evil god whenever she liked! But she didn't!

Exactly.

Huh?

Though some types of Foreigners may be compatible with Void Space, if they should cease to be Servants...

Or rather, if their inner Divinity were to take control of them, would they not then lose those abilities as well?

...Are you saying Goghie was going to betray us?

No, I am certain she had no desire to do that. Which is exactly why her Spirit Origin was melded with Clytie.

？！

I too have read up on Vincent van Gogh's history. While some may call him a mad artist, I could see that deep down, he was a man of strong convictions.

Though he may well have yearned for a connection with the gods beyond the stars, he would never willingly be party to their plans once he learned they were evil in nature.

One need only look to the life he lived as proof.

Wait. Are you saying the reason Van Gogh took his own life was because he learned that painting The Starry Night inadvertently invited an evil god into our world?

I am saying that if that was indeed the case, then he would be bound by a similar restriction even as a Heroic Spirit.

Vincent van Gogh would never succumb to madnessthat is, the Outer Gods' influence. He would sooner take his own life.

This must have been a great conundrum for the Outer Gods. The Noble Phantasm they desired above all others was wielded only by Heroic Spirit who would never obey them.

So they hatched a horrific plan: they would create their own patchwork Heroic Spirit who would meet their needs.

They thought, "What if we were to take Vincent van Gogh's memories and talent, and give them to Clytie instead?"

In Clytie's case, she refused to take her own life regardless of how much she loathed herself, choosing to become a flower rather than fade away. That is the crucial part.

Then, you mean...they prevented their chosen Heroic Spirit from being able to commit suicide, as her doing so would ruin their plans!?

Correct. Do you remember? Van Gogh herself said that she wished to die, but was unable to do so.

So, the Van Gogh side of her felt she should die in order to stop the Outer Gods' plans, but the Clytie side refused to allow her to do so...

Poor Goghie. That's the cruelest antinomy I've ever heard... No, even without those fundamentally opposed beliefs jostling for control, the sheer discrepancy between Clytie's mind and Van Gogh's memories alone must have been so hard for her...

It seems the Outer Gods and madness are inextricably intertwined. Foreigners, indeed.

With suicide no longer an option, if Van Gogh lost the battle in her mind and succumbed to the madness, then she may no longer have had any compunctions against using her Noble Phantasm.

If that had come to pass, it would only be a matter of time until the evil gods' temple was complete, just as they planned.

How awful...

Man. I know Heroic Spirits are basically living weapons, but twisting one of us to this degree is just...yabai.

？！

Fine, I'll be the one to say it. There's one simple solution here. It's as efficient as it is cruel.

We honor her wishes. We kill her.

？！

Oh, shut off the waterworks. I just stating the obvious. If you really want to save her, you'll have to do the work of thinking up something less obvious.

But I will say this. We're agreed that she can't kill herself no matter how much she wants to, right?

That means, now she's disappeared, she must be running around lost and desperate at being unable to use her last resort.

The fact that she gave up on the only way left to make her wish come true by having someone else kill her may even be a sign that her madness has reached its peak.

...!

Oh come now, Ms. Timeless Beauty. Glaring at me won't accomplish anything here.

We all need to be aware that Van Gogh is only one step away from entering her final, most dangerous phase.

If you want to save her from that fate, then you'll have to rack your brains to come up with a plan that's just, kind, wise, and smart.

If you manage to pull that off, then I suppose I might consider helping you out a bit more. If I feel like it.

I'll help too. I want to slack off more with Van Gogh.

Go get Van Gogh... Go Gogh.

I, too, will do my best to save this poor girl from her sad fate. Any honorable warrior would do the same.

And of course, the very idea of letting these evil gods descend upon our world is outrageous! That would be an absolutely unacceptable affront to public decency!

Yang Guifei, the NautilusNo, wait.

Speaking as Captain Nemo, Phantom Spirit, I promise I'll do everything in my power to save her.

And if I've learned anything about you two over the course of this voyage, Acting Commander and Acting Vice Commander, it's that you both feel the same.

？！

Absolutely!

There you have it. We're all of one mind on this.

So, will you help us save her too, Yang Guifei?

...!

Yes! Oui! Shi! Of course! I'll do whatever it takes to rescue her!

But first we have to find her! So I'm going to have to make use of your mobility whether you like it or not, Lady Lambda!

We'll also need resources! Goddess, anything you can help us findnew weapons, new information, anythingwill be a huge help!

Oh, and we'll also need to defeat the enemies hiding in the Go Board Spaces if we're going to get anywhere! Fran, Lady Raikou, I'll be counting on your help with that!

As for me, I'll put everything I have into finding those enemies! Will you look for them with me, Batty!?

...Kyah! O-o-of course I will, Yu-Yu!

Sorry, I got so caught up in watching everything unfold that I forgot I'm actually part of it.

But yeah, rescuing Professor Van Gogh? That sounds awesome! I'm gonna work just as hard to make that happen as I did to make my deadline that summer!

Excuse me.

Aah! Lord X-X-X-Xiang Yu!? I-I'm so s-s-s-sumimasorry about calling you "Hegemon-King"!

Hm? Oh, no, I am not at all concerned about that. As all paths I take are necessary, it was inevitable that history would come to know me by that moniker.

I only wish to know if the naval chart I left you was entered into the computer's mapping system correctly.

Uh, yes, of course. I mean, we'd never have made it this far in a million years without it.

Then why are you all acting as though Clytie van Gogh's whereabouts are unknown?

Huh?

Huh?

Then, does that mean this final destination here is

Indeed. I already accounted for Clytie van Gogh's disappearance in my predictions.

You should therefore be able to find her at that point.

That said, my predictions show further conflict in the future, so I expect there will indeed be a fierce battle during the final stage of this incident.

I also expect that our stockpile of resources will be the key to winning this battle, so I suggest we make every effort to ensure we are sufficiently prepared.

？！

...!

And Captain, belated though it may be, I owe you an apology. As much as time was of the essence, it was still wrong of me to tamper with your ship without your permission.

...Don't worry about it. If you hadn't done that, none of us would be here right now.

I'm glad you're on our side, Xiang Yu!