Chapter Nine: By My Friends' Side

The Oumiya incident? Never heard of it before.

Well it was after your time. Also, don't try to pretend everything's normal with that ridiculous head on.

The Oumiya incident refers to Sakamoto Ryouma's assassination.

Huh. Who bumped him off?

We actually still don't know, even today.

The Kyoto Mimawarigumi, Satsuma Domain, Kishu Domain, and the Shinsengumi are all viable suspects, but nobody knows for sure.

Well, Sakamoto did have a lot of enemies.

Hang on. YOU guys are all from the Shinsengumi. What were you thinking?

...I don't know anything about his assassination. How about you, Saito?

Hey now, don't look at me. I know some people say we were involved...

...but believe me, we were way too busy to plot something like that at the time, much less carry it out.

Hmm. Guess there's a bunch of different theories for a reason.

Now, remind me, why're we talking about this again?

Because the Oumiya incidentDecember 10, 1867, the day Sakamoto Ryouma diedseems to be this Singularity's inception point.

So, does that have anything to do with why none of us were able to enter it?

Looks that way. Apparently, only Servants who died before the day of Ryouma's death are able to enter the Singularity.

Though we still don't know exactly why that is.

So that's why I couldn't go.

The same's true for Mr. Hijikata, too. And of course, Mr. Saito died well after both of us.

I mean, I know it's true, but do you have to say it like that?

Well hey, it's not a big deal, right? That still means most Servants can get in.

It might be technically possible to force-Rayshift there...

...if one of the other Servants brought along a magical energy GPS we could use to lock down the coordinates.

But if the coordinates were even a little bit off, there's no telling where those who Rayshifted could end up, so it's not worth the risk.

Still, this isn't what I'd call urgent, so there's no point rushing.

Hey, you might not feel it's urgent, but I sure do! Or have you not noticed that I am MISSING MY HEAD!?

My point is, with a little more investigation...

...I'm hopeful we'll be able to send Fujimaru more backup, so I'm going to keep analyzing the situa

...Um, Nobbu? What's going on with your head?

What, you have to ask? I just told you, my head is miss

Gaah! Nobbu, your head! It's burning like a candle!

W-we've got to do something!

Now that you mention it, I think I do feel kind of hot? In fact, I might actually be burning up!?

How come I'm becoming my own personal Honnoji? And why am I joking about this!?

Ahh, Sister punishing me even though I didn't do anything wrong...

Thank you, Sister!

All joking aside, I think I'm getting weaker with every second.

What's going on? Is somebody burning my life force like it's a damn candle?

Th-this must mean something bad is going down in the Singularity!

Master could be in trouble!

We have to get there and help him somehow!

You said something about a GPS, Da Vinci? Please, have someone go there so the rest of us can follow!

I'm good to go anytime.

But you can't go, right?

I'm not good to go.

Try to think before you run your mouth next time, Wielder.

That's all well and good, but there's no one else here with anything better to

Man, when we first went out looking for giant clams...

...I never thought we'd end up fighting a giant octopus at a weird seabed temple.

At least that octopus turned out to be surprisingly tasty. It was the perfect thing to munch on with a nice drink.

True, it WAS really good! We should go back after it regrows its arms.

Huh? What's everyone doing here?

Are you throwing a drinking party or something? We've got clams if anyone wants some.

Damn, so that's what you guys were up to while we were raising hell outside.

Chacha was so surprised when that building exploded and you all came rushing out of it.

Luckily, we managed to escape thanks to Lord Shinbei.

But to think that the presidentno, Takasugi Shinsaku and that other Sakamoto Ryouma were in cahoots...

Well...he did tell us he was the mastermind the moment we met him.

Chacha thought he was kidding, so Chacha didn't take him seriously until it was too late. The bastard.

Poor Oryou...

...

I didn't think it was even possible to kill her. Now, what's this asshole doing here?

...

A bit of revenge killing? I'll cut his head off, and gladly too!

？！

It's fine. Go ahead and kill me.

WeNo. I already lost.

It doesn't matter how things got to this point, Lord Takechi. We're not going to do that.

...Lord Takechi, right? Before we cut off your head, I have something to ask you.

Who exactly is that other Sakamoto Ryouma?

...I don't know. But I do know he is definitely Ryouma.

But, that can't be right. You've been with him ever since the Holy Grail War.

...I can explain.

He IS Sakamoto Ryouma...that is, me.

Huh? What're you talking about?

Specifically, I'm guessing he's a version of me who never formed a contract with the Counter Force as a Servant.

On that day, I formed a contract with the world right before I breathed my last. I wanted to keep saving people, even after I died.

That's why, typically, I can't be summoned as a normal Servant.

So if I was summoned to the Holy Grail War that took place here...

...it would have to be me from a world where I was registered in the Throne of Heroes as a Heroic Spirit instead of a Guardian.

That means this Singularity's world is one where I managed to survive the attack at the Oumiya Inn.

So that other Ryouma is still you, just with a slightly different history.

I can say this much for certain: you were nothing like him.

The Sakamoto Ryouma I knew could never run a woman through with a smile on his face.

That's the one thing I don't understand, either. Why did I end up like that?

Is that just what I was always like on the inside?

I'll take it from here.

Yes, that Sakamoto Ryouma is indeed you, Lord Sakamoto. But on the inside, he's completely different.

I got a glimpse of his true magical energy when he used that strange power to control Tanaka Shinbei.

What do you mean?

That was the ancient, unruly god I failed to track down and seal away when I was still alive...

...Ama-no-Sakagami.

...I was born in a village in Izumo.

Its purpose had long been to raise shrine maidens who could pacify and seal away evil forces.

That may sound noble, but in practice, they were nothing but a bunch of shitty bastards.

While sealing away evil forces is of course important and necessary...

...these bastards went about it by kidnapping orphaned girls from all around the country.

They then raised these girls to be human sacrifices in the form of evil-sealing shrine maidens. They were used as much as possible and thrown away when they were spent. Have I mentioned what absolute bastards the people of the village were?

As for me, I was one of the girls they kidnapped and forced to become a shrine maiden.

Ow!

You again? How many times do I have to tell you? You are not to move at all during prayer!

I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!

Hmph. Let this be a reminder to the rest of you. This is what happens if you don't focus on your prayers!

Please! I'm so sorry!

No, no. Today, you don't get off easy. Today, I teach you a lesson you'll never forget!

Die, bastard!

Bwuh!?

Are you okay, Ohana?

Okuni... It hurts... (Sob)

You scumbag! What possible reason could you have for beating her this badly!?

...I've got your reason right here!

Urk! Y-you piece of shit!

It looks like you need a lesson too, Okuni. Throw them both in the training room!

Yes, sir! All right, you two, this way! And settle down!

Hell no, I won't settle down! I'm gonna fight you scumbags every step of the way!

I hope every one of you dies and your whole shitty village gets wiped off the map!

That girl... She never learns, does she.

Okuni... I'm so sorry. It's all my fault...

What, this? Don't worry about it. It's nothing.

But, they beat you so badly...

Believe me, I'm used to it by now. What about you, Ohana? Are you okay?

Yeah. It still hurts, but it's nothing compared to your face.

Ahahaha, I must look a real fright then.

Hey, Okuni? Where did you live before they kidnapped you?

Good question. I wish I knew.

You have such a refined manner of speech, and you're so smart you pick up things so easily. You must have been born to a very important family.

You think so?

This is just the way I've always talked, so it's hard for me to really notice.

Maybe I'm some kind of princess? I could see that.

I'm sure you are. You're nothing like me. I'm slow, and clumsy, and it takes me forever to learn anything...

Hey, Ohana? What do you want to do when you grow up?

When I grow up?

That's right. Me, I want to be a dancer.

Remember when that dancer came to the village to perform? As soon as I saw her, I knew that was it!

Getting paid to visit different places and dance for people?

And on top of that, you get to see the world? That sounds like the best job ever.

Plus, I have a feeling I'd be a pretty good dancer.

Hahahaha, you're so funny, Okuni.

You know that can never happen. We're sealing maidens.

We have to stay here and keep praying to ensure the country stays safe.

And who decided that?

Wh-who? U-um, the gods, I think...

No way. Gods are supposed to help people. Any god who would want to keep us trapped here is no god worth following!

If that kind of god really does exist, I'll kick their ass myself.

You're going to kick a god's ass...?

Hahaha, that's funny. Maybe then, I could leave this village, too.

Of course. One day, let's demolish this whole village and see what the world outside is like. We'll bring everyone else.

That sounds so wonderful. A dream come true...

...

...

...I'm hungry...

Please don't say that, Ohana. It just makes me even hungrier.

Chacha can't believe it! Who made such a horrible village!?

Where is it!? Izumo? Right, Izumo! Chacha's going to tell His Imperial Highness about it and have it razed to the ground!

Huh? Wow, I didn't expect you to be so sympathetic. I'm touched.

Anyone who would do that to children is trash!

Yes, I completely agree.

But you don't have to worry. The whole village is already gone...

Gone? What do you mean, gone?

Well...

Ohana? Ohanaaa! Where are you!?

...Man, I still can't believe this was underneath the shrine all this time.

There's something strange about it...

What was that rumbling? It came from back there...

...And you'll really help me escape this village if I break this seal?

Yes, I will.

I am the last surviving descendant of gods; the gods of Izumo that have been here since ancient times.

Evil men tricked me and trapped me here.

If you let me out of here, I will reward you with your freedom.

...My freedom...

Then, once I'm free, I can help Okuni, and everyone else, too...

O-okay. I'll do it.

Ohana! What are you doing!?

Oh yes, I will set you free. You and everyone else here.

At last! At last, I'm finally free!

Now, will you set me and everyone else free too, like you promised?

Oh yes, of course I'll set you free. You'll be free from everyone...even yourself!

Huh? S-something's...coming inside me...!?

Aah... Aaaaaah!!!

Hm? This body is far weaker than I expected. Oh well, I'll just move to another once it breaks.

What the...? There's something inside Ohana!?

...Okuni?

Ohana, stop! I don't know what that thing is, but I can tell it's bad news!

...Shut up.

Huh...?

Shut up! You've always looked down on me, just because you're more talented!

Th-that's not true...

Wh-what the...? I've never felt that way...

Oh yes you have. Deep down, that is exactly how you feel.

Yeah... Yeah! They all look down on me! They make me take all the punishments while they laugh at me behind my back!

I'm the only one who gets beaten! I'm the only one who gets punished!

Exactly. And you know what people like that deserve?

...Death.

O-Ohana, no! What are you saying!?

Ohana!

Yeah... They all deserve to die...

...So I'll kill them myself.

That day, everyone in the village was slaughtered.

What about Ohana? What happened to her?

She was thrown away and abandoned in a corner of the village. She never did get a chance to leave and explore the world...

H-how dare that...that...thing! What in the world was sealed there, anyway!?

It was a descendant of the ancient gods, known as Amanojaku, or...

...Ama-no-Sakagami.

It's an evil, malicious god, who's able to control people by taking the negative emotions in their heart, no matter how small, and amplifying them.

Once released, Ama-no-Sakagami moved from host to host.

It lived for many long years, plunging the world into chaos and confusion.

So that's why Tanaka Shinbei attacked his boss...

And you went around chasing after this Ama-no-Sakagami thing back when you were alive?

Yes. After everyone in the village was wiped out, some big shots decided it had been a mistake...

...and tried to bury all evidence of the village's existence. Pretty shitty of them, really.

So I in turn stole one of their most powerful evil-destroying treasures from their vault and put Izumo behind me.

That treasure? Zanzaburo here.

They say he's a divine statue made from the husk of a god, though I have no idea whether that's true.

Regardless, he looked like the world's lamest haniwa when I took him, so I made a bunch of modifications to make him into the super awesome badass he is now.

Zan...

Chacha feels like there were some real bombshells casually mixed into all that exposition, but whatever. So that's what happened, huh?

That's right. I traveled all over the country fighting evil and dancing for a living...

But I never managed to find Ama-no-Sakagami.

...I think my regret from being unable to avenge my fellow shrine maidens is what forms my core now.

Even after I died and became a humble Heroic Spirit, my desire to seal away Ama-no-Sakagami remained unchanged.

So looking back at it now, the very fact that I was summoned here as a Servant had to mean that Ama-no-Sakagami was here as well.

So, this Ama-no-Sakagami thing is possessing that other Sakamoto Ryouma? Is that what's going on?

Yes. It must have moved from its last host to Sakamoto after he was summoned for the Holy Grail War.

It worms its way into the tiniest slivers of negative emotion in a person's heart to control them, ultimately leading to their destruction.

You know of other, similar Servants?

Yes. They may be different on the inside, but as far as their Spirit Origins are concerned, they're both the same Servant.

？！

At any rate, now that I've finally tracked Ama-no-Sakagami down, it's my duty to seal it away.

It's also the one thing I desire most as a Servant.

So I'll find some way to take care of it.

You can't go after it on your own! That would be way too dangerous!

Besides, I still need to reclaim Lady Nobunaga's head from it.

I'll go, too. I don't know how much help I can be without Oryou.

But since I'm obviously mixed up in this, I know I've got to do something.

Ryouma, I...

It's okay, Takechi. You don't have to say anything. I'll handle it from here...

...Hey, Ryouma.

...Yes, Izo?

Don't even start with that, "You don't have to say anything," crap!

Urk!?

That goes for you too, Takechi!

Guh! Izo, you...!

You two never say what needs saying! Just say it so even an idiot like me can understand, dammit!

None of us are gods or the Buddha.

So how the hell're we supposed to know what the other's thinking if you don't just freakin' say it!?

Izo...

Izo...

Talk it out like we used to back when we stole those persimmons from that one retainer's garden!

Spell it out so that even a dumbass like me can follow along! Then I won't have to wonder what you guys are really thinking!

Why do you think a piece of shit like Takasugi got the jump on you?

'Cause you idiots always figure there's no point talking to me, and just go off on your own!

Hm, that sounds more like a child having a tantrum than an adult making an argument.

For a moment, I thought he'd been possessed by Ama-no-Sakagami, too.

Wahahahaha! When idiots can't compete with words, they go for volume. But, then again...

...that's exactly why their words land so hard.

...!

...!

...I can't believe we just lost an argument to Izo.

No, I knew he was actually the wisest of all of us. This just demonstrates why.

Don't forget, he was also the best at stealing persimmons, too.

Hmph. That's just because you two sucked at it.

Thank you, Izo.

Cut it out. I don't wanna hear your gratitude right now!

All right, Boss, now that those guys have all buried the hatchet, how about we get to the point?

We do already know what we gotta do!

Things always turn out like this with you around, Ryouma.

No, it's not me. It's him.

...!

Yeah... You're right.

？！

So Izo, do you have a plan?

What? No. Of course not.

You and Takechi are supposed to take care of that.

That's quite a weighty responsibility, but very well!

Let's go steal every last persimmon from Takasugi's yard.

There's that rumbling again!

We are now imposing martial law on Ki-ki Restoration City, SAITAMA.

We repeat: we are now imposing martial law on Ki-ki Restoration City, SAITAMA.

All citizens, please return to your designated blocks. Once there, remain in place.

Hey, what was that all about?

Did they say martial law...?

Haha, my apologies if that broadcast wasn't as clear as it could have been.

We're saying you should all go home and stay inside. It's for your own good.

Is that the president of Takasugi Industries?

What's going on? Why should we listen to you?

Because soon you won't have a choice.

Wh-what the!? My strength... It's...fading!

You see? What did I tell you?

But hey, as long as you stay put at home, you probably won't die. Probably.

Wh-what...? It feels like my life force and magical energy are being sucked out!

So it would seem.

A drain like this shouldn't be fatal for Servants like us.

Normal humans may well be another matter.

So it works the same as my armor.

Now I see. So this whole city is a giant reactor designed to collect magical energy.

But why would they do something like that...?

I suspect Takasugi means to actually go through with the plan I'd dismissed as a pipe dream.

What plan?

A plan for humans to create their own god...

...The Kishin Project.

So, we've finally made it this far. I've managed to move things along pretty well.

I knew I was always fated to do great things.

How else could I have gotten lucky enough to get my hands on both a Holy Grail and Nobunaga's head, of all things?

So, how much longer will it take until it works?

I've got all of the reactors collecting as much magical energy from around the city as they can, but it'll still be at least half a day.

I see. So that's when this bizarre god will finally reveal itself.

As long as nothing gets in our way.

Speak of the devil.

Okay, listen up. The city is divided into six blocks.

Each block has its own Magical Reactor.

And I'm guessing the energy they collect all goes to YAMATO, the Restoration Reactor in the central tower.

Our goal is to take control of all six reactors.

No matter what Takasugi's plan involves, he will need a great deal of energy to accomplish it. All we need to do is cut off his supply.

Goddamn bastard. He says he's doing this for the people, but we're the ones who have to actually keep them safe.

Heh. At least I can feel good about one thing.

All the Kinnou Party's attempts at sabotage turned out to be worthwhile after all.

Still, six reactors? Isn't that a lot?

We only have Nagayoshi, Okuni, Ranmaru, Sakamoto, this Takechi person, and Okada.

Even if you include Chachaand Chacha would really rather you didn'tthat still only makes seven Servants on our side.

True. Even if each Servant took out a reactor on their own, there wouldn't be much point if we couldn't attack the main tower, too.

I can't see any choice but to split up, even with the odds against us... Especially with all those people out there still having their magical energy drained.

No point standing here thinking about it. We've just gotta dive in and get to work.

What happened to you, Okada? Usually you'd be out on your own sulking with a bottle of alcohol.

Who asked you, you damn brat!?

By the way, Izo, who is that young lady?

Oh, her? This little brat's Toyotomi's princess. Think her real name's Yodo or something.

You're descended from the Chousokabe clan, right? Chacha apologizes for the trouble Chiyo's husband's people put you through.

L-Lady Yodo... As in, Toyotomi's concubine? I-I see...

Still, Lord Okada is right.

We don't have any time to spare, so we should just start taking action!

What a pain this is turning out to be.

But oh well. At least we oughta see some good fighting with the odds stacked against us!

...Hehehe. You all seem like you could use some help!