Section 4: Offer Prayers, Bless the Land

Hmm. So this is Csejte Cinderella Castle?

Well, we made it this far...

But I still don't see anyone else around.

How can they haaave♪ Cinderella's castleee♪ Without a single kniiight to guard iiit♪

Sooo caaareleeess♪

I mean, it works out great for us since we don't have to fight our way in, but I hate that Jacques obviously doesn't consider me a threat.

I'll have to torture her after aaall♪

Hahahaha! How about we set aside the scary, violent talk and keep moving?

Agreed. The sooner we defeat this villain and repair the Singularity, the better.

That's riiight♪ I'd completely forgooot♪

How the hell do you forget about something like THAT!? Ugh, c'mon, let's just go in already!

？！

Looks like this part is still Castle Csejteee♪

I see. So this is your home?

It's also where I diiied♪ ...I mean, it's also where I died.

What happened? Were you under siege?

I'd rather not saaay♪ If you want to know more, ask Puppyyy♪

Hm?

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Sure.

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... ...I see.

So this castle was her prison as well as her home.

Yeah, but let's not forget that Dracula wannabe didn't exactly live a life of virtue and sweetness.

I'm not surprised she died so miserably, given the kind of sick shit she got up to in her life.

Like they say, what goes around comes around.

So it would seem, from what I have heard.

And yet... Knowing that she was captured, confined, and forgotten by everyone around her...

I cannot help but pity her, despite her foul deeds.

Oh... Right. I guess you...uh...

You need not mince words. I am well aware that my appearance makes it clear that I, too, was a prisoner.

History claims I begged for my life, but to be honest, I do not remember it.

And while I would like to know for certain if the story of my doing so was fabricated...

I still believe in myself. So this time, I'm here to prove myself.

Now that I have been summoned to Palmyra near the time I lived, I will do exactly as I set out to do.

...At any rate.

My point is, there is shame in my past, too.

Is Elisabeth

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That's for sure. I don't think anything gets her down.

Girl acts like she's worried she'll die if she ever looks back. Hell, maybe she actually would.

That's a good trait.

After meeting an end like that, one could hardly blame her for dwelling on her past. And yet, that seems not to be the case.

？！

An idol...

And apparently, she's got it in her head she's in a musical now or some shit?

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Did she sing when she was alive, too?

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...I think I'd like to talk to her.

Elisabeth!

Yeees♪

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...Well, well. So you're here.

I thought you would come with all seven "dwarves," but it seems you only brought two.

Elisabeth Báthory, Queen Zenobia, and the Master of Chaldea...

...now joined by Mordred the Treacherous Knight, and Emperor Napoleon.

Not a bad lineup, to be sure. But leaving the rest of the "dwarves" behind?

Are you mocking me?

You are, aren't you?

Oh, I don't mean like that. I mean it in a way that's much, muuuch worse for you.

You see, what this means is, we're going to move a few steps in my plan here.

It's not every day I get to materialize, after all. You'd better believe I'm going to make the most of this.

So by all means, please continue to not take me seriously. I'll take advantage of every opportunity you provide!

...What did you say?

Did you guys hear that?

She just made fun of me. As if taking over my castle wasn't bad enough!

There was really no chance of me letting you go to begin with...

...but now I am really gonna go all out when it's finally time to torture you!

？！

What?

Oh!

That's riiight♪ I'm a musical idol this tiiime♪

Fujimaru is right, Elisabeth. Try not to provoke her.

O-oh yeah, good poiiint♪ I'll have to be more carefuuul♪

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Where is the other Elisabeth?

She appears to be sound asleep on the throne back there.

Oh yes, not to worry.

She said she was going to sleep because she had "nothing better to dooo♪" So I just let her.

She's not bound or shackled, and I haven't even had to torture her. I've been taking great care of her.

She IS still the princess of this castle. Even with her...quirky personality.

Quirky personalityyy? You really are a cheeky thing, aren't yooou♪

It pisses me oooff♪ Seeing how similar you and I aaare♪

S-similar? Us!?

D-don't ask me...

I don't care about being a singer. On the contrary, I've actually shouted curses at the top of my lungs in central Paris...

Just the thought that we might be s-similar is genuinely upsetting.

Why you...

(Hey, Boney?)

(This lady's clearly gonna keep yapping for a while, but deep down, she's still certain she can beat us all.)

(What do you think she's hiding?)

(I don't know...)

(But you're right. She's not the least bit flustered by us making our way in here.)

(So, either she's a complete idiot, or she's got something real nasty up her sleeve.)

(Right?)

(We'll just have to stay on our guard and be ready for whatever she might throw at us.)

(...Hmm. Jacques de Molay, huh.)

(The last Grand Master of the Knights Templar. I remember they got up to some real bloody stuff in their headquarters at the Tour du Temple in Paris.)

(That's why I ended up tearing it down during my reign.)

(Maybe I ought to apologize to her for that?)

(...Nah!)

I don't usually go around calling myself an iiimp♪ But when I see someone eeelse acting impishlyyy♪

It really pisses me oooff♪

All right, Jacques de Molay! I've got you cornered! Whatever you're up to ends now!

Are you suuure about that?

(Grrr!)

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Hmm. Are you letting your anger get the better of you?

... ...

...I...

...I'm okaaay♪ I'm an idol. A musical idoool♪

I always have fun singing and danciiing♪ No matter the occasiooon♪

All right, you evil, castle-stealing wiiitch♪ Give me back the other meee♪

Refuuuse♪ And you'll have to face my kniiights♪

What she said.

Hahaha! I appreciate hearing you call me your knight, mademoiselle.

Needless to say, I'm happy to oblige!

Ooh la la! How wonderful to see you in such high spirits, Your Imperial Majesty!

Thanks, Grand Master! You know, I don't believe we've met. Were you a woman when you were alive, too?

I'm sure we'd have plenty to talk about, since we're both French Heroic Spirits...

But that will have to wait for a moment when we aren't on opposing sides!

Here I come!

If I must defeat you to restore peace to my Palmyra, then I shall hold nothing back!

I got a bad feeling about this...but I guess we got no choice!

Heh hehehe. In the name of the Mother, the Young, and the Depraved, I shall oppose you!

Ooh la la!

Hrah!

Take this!

...!

...Urk.

We did it!

I mean, we did iiit♪ We finally defeated the bad guy behind all thiiis♪

Lalalaaa♪ I'm in such a good moood♪

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Agreed!

She's still asleep. Hey, wake up. Wake up!

(Hrm, zzz...)

Nnn...

...Hweh?

Oh, Molay's collapsed... Huh? And there's another me?

Welcome back, my other self♪ You're finally awaaake♪

!

Now I get iiit♪ That look told me aaall I need to knooow♪

I might have been acting like Sleeping Beautyyy♪ But I'm actually Cinderella this tiiime♪

A singing, dancing, idol Cinderellaaa♪

Oho. Impressive.

She actually did get it all in one look...

？！

Lalalaaa♪

We've finally been reuniteeed♪ We're so very, very happyyy♪

Hey, other me?

Yes, other me?

You're so charming and beautiful. You really are just like a fairy-tale princess.

Not at all, other me. You glitter like a star in the clear nighttime sky.

Lalalaaa♪

Man, they're really hitting it off. Guess it makes sense though...

Well this is something. They met seconds ago and they've already slipped into a perfectly coordinated song and dance routine!

It would be absolutely perfect, were it not for the fact that this is no time to be performing!

I guess that's true, but still!

？！

Good point, Puppy!

We've made a great duo, but if we're gonna save Halloween...

There can be only one!

Right on!

Okay then, let's get started.

Here we go!

Cinderella Fusion!

Phew! There we are! Back together, good as new!

I have pleeenty of experience when it comes to splitting up and fusing back together at this point.

I'm finally my complete and invincible seeelf♪ Lalalaaa, a truly perfect Cinderellaaa♪

？！

The Holy Grail iiis♪

... ...Huh? Where IS it?

Don't we usually just grab it from the final boss after we've beaten them?

The Holy Grail!

The object that transformed the desert, and my empire...and divided Elisabeth in two!

I just searched Molay, and I didn't see it on her anywhere.

She might have absorbed it into her body, but I figure even I could've spotted that.

Hmm... You want I should cut her open to make sure? I don't mind!

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Tch.

So this whole disturbance comes from the Holy Grail's power, huh. Hopefully it's somewhere in this castle. What do you think?

I got no idea.

We might be able to find it if we could get in touch with Chaldea, but we can't right now, right?

Then we'll just have to search the whole castle ourselves.

Ha! Fine by me! I'm great at tearing castles apart!

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Thank you, everyooone♪ Good luck with your seaaarch♪

...It ain't here!

At the very least, I could not find anything giving off magical energy.

Perhaps it's being concealed somehow?

Yeah, probably. That means the fastest way to find out where it is'll be waking up the Grand Master here.

Hey, Grand Master. Grand Master.

You, Jacques de Molay. I need you to wake up now.

...

Oh good, there you are.

You're gonna answer some questions for us.

Hooraaay♪ It's torture tiiime♪

Not just yet. Might prove necessary later, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

You can't just start off with torture. There's a process to these things.

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Whoops. Guess that's not how you do things, is it, Maître? Sorry about that.

Anyway, let's get to it! First of all, Grand Master

... ...

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...Mordred!

Shit!

？！

？！

Hehehee♪ Theeere's my Holy Grail!

I wouldn't struggle if I were you, Master of Chaldea. I've got a veeery firm hold on your neck.

You're only human, after all. I could snap your spine like a twig if I cared to.

I trust the rest of you understand that as well, yeees?

...Sorry, guys.

I let the other one throw me off.

Guh...!

Oh man, oh man oh man oh man!

What're you doing, Puppy!?

I really don't need to explain myself to you, but... Hehehe, hehehe...

Since I'm in suuuch a good mood right now, I think I will anyway.

That Holy Grail you were turning the castle upside down searching for? It's right here...inside him.

Oh, I was quite surprised when I found out, too.

I was so sure I'd tracked the Holy Grail down, only to find it had just...vanished.

Then, after searching everywhere, and casting every curse I could think of...

I finally discovered it had been inside this boy all along.

？！

That's why I had no choice but to instigate this little situation.

Remember this, Master of Chaldea.

Even the smallest oversight can ultimately prove fatal.

I see.

So you actually wantedno, NEEDED him to come to this castle all along.

Mais oui, of course, Votre Majesté Impériale!

It was all so I could get my hands on him, and the Holy Grail inside him!

Hehehe! I was never worried about anything! I knew exactly what was going to happen!

I knew you would do everything you could to make your way here and rescue the damsel in distress!

You've done as much every other Halloween!

？！

That's riiight! It was all me!

And now, you're finally mine! You're literally in the palm of my hand!

And it's all thanks to the little princess there!

Huh? You think I'm really a princess?

Elly. Not now.

？！

I'm sorry! I just realized how silly I was being!

All right, Master of Chaldea. Put this mask on.

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Wha...

What the...?

He's growing...? He's getting freakin' huge! What the hell's going on!?

As soon as Fujimaru put on that mask, he started to transform!

In the name of the Mother, the Young, and the Depraved!

Limitless release. Endless pleasure. Free your heart, and give yourself over to the ultimate depravity!

Iä! Iä! Lord of the Woods! Bearer of the harvest!

Show yourself before the cave of night, and praise the abyss of the starry sea! Iä! Hear me, Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young!

Release yourself from your mind and soul, and claim this new young body! May the dark mother goddess bless you!

!

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...Huh? There are two Puppies now? Did he just split in two!?

Now there's a big Puppy...and a smaller, semitransparent Puppy...

Hey, it's kind of like what happened to me!

I may not have been transluceeent♪ But I'm glad you're getting to experience what I diiid♪

Enough with the singing!

!

Crap. I don't know if we should hit him or not!

Dammit, we've just gotta run for it!

I'll bring up the rear!

Oh no you won't, beautiful mademoiselle. That's my job.

Nonsense. I am a queen! It is my duty!

And I'm an emperor!

...Hmm... All right, why don't we both handle the rear together?

Acceptable!

B-but, what about Puppy!?

The translucent one seems as though he might fade away at any moment!

If we don't do something, he could end up dispersing into the ether!

If only there were some sort of container or vessel in which we could keep him safe...!

Use this.

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...Never mind me. Go on, get going.

Guh... This power is incredible!

Merde! It's gonna blow us all away!

Puppy! Hang on to me!

Hehehe...

Heh, heh hehehe! Ahahahahahahahahaha!

Iä! Iä! Good morning, my little goatling!

In the name of the Mother, the Young, and the Depraved, I ask you to bless this land with your curse, O Holy Mother of the Abyss!