Section 1: Beyond the Walls of the World

Our target point is 60°55'N, 101°57'E!

Now approaching the skies over the old forest of Tunguska...

We're keeping a close eye on Tamamo Vitch Koyanskaya's magical energy.

At the moment, the target shows no signs of moving from the forest area upstream from the old Tunguska River.

For the time being, we're calling the area the old Tunguska Forest.

The Storm Border is flying straight as a marlin, and we'll soon be entering its airspace.

I know we covered the operation plenty back at Chaldea Base, but let's go over it one more time for good measure.

Our destination is the old Tunguska Forest, located in Siberia.

Our objective is the elimination of the immature Beast herean Alter Ego who calls herself Tamamo Vitch Koyanskaya.

Once the Storm Border has arrived at our destination via the shortest possible route...

...we will descend to the site we're calling Point X, where Koyanskaya's magical energy signal is originating.

On reaching our destination, we will bring all the force we have at our disposal to bear against Koyanskaya.

If all goes according to plan, we should be able to complete the operation in record time.

However, if Sion's warning is accurate, then we should expect the environment of our destination to be special in some way.

There's no telling what might await us. All hands, be prepared for anything.

Aye, aye, captain!

Let me say this one more time as well:

While this operation's objective remains the elimination of Beast IV, aka Koyanskaya, that is not all there is to it!

I trust you remember what I'm talking about, Fujimaru?

This operation is also

？！

Right! An operation built around the Black Barrel!

You got it. The Black Barrel is still really tough to tune, but now, we have a new collaborator.

Habetrot, our resident fairy guardian, will help us out by protecting the Black Barrel's wielder.

Oho, did I just hear my name? I'd probably better manifest physically then!

Habetrot the Spinner, at your service☆ Don't worry, Mash's Spirit Origin is safe with me!

I have detected a new magical energy signal, in Russia.

？！

Yes. Russia.

It is far from the old Russian Lostbelt, and most of the area has been bleached, like the rest of Earth.

Only now, it is suddenly giving off a magical energy signal.

Well, no, that is not accurate. It was not really sudden.

This signal has been present for a few months now, but it has grown quickly over these last few days.

So it would be more accurate to say whatever veil shielded it from human perception has disappeared.

To be more precise, the signal is located in central Siberia, in the Krasnoyarsk Krai.

Which would place it in the forest region upstream of the Tunguska River.

And I'm quite certain any Heroic Spirit who hails from the same era I do must also be familiar with the enormous flash of light that occurred there.

Tunguska...

I wasn't alive then, but I've read about the Tunguska incident.

Fou fou?

Precisely. It was a massive airburst that occurred over Tunguska in 1908.

At the time, we weren't sure that it even was an explosion at all.

I still remember quite vividly how blindingly bright the light was.

Fo...

You saw it yourself, Holmes? All the way from England?

I did.

The explosion was so massive that the light it created was visible all the way from England.

It flattened a forest, and the accompanying shock wave left a great deal of damage in its wake...

But miraculously, there were no reports of any human casualties.

Though of course, given the sheer scale of the explosion, it is entirely possible that there were casualties that simply went unaccounted for.

And at the very least, the explosion left a huge mark on the area's biosphere. There is no telling how many animal lives were lost.

？！

That was the story, yes. And the magecraft world has apparently confirmed as much.

I looked into the matter, and I could not find any magecraft causes pertaining to the incident.

It's not out of the question that there may have been some occult aspect to the incident, but if nothing else, even the Mage's Association concluded that the Tunguska explosion was caused by natural phenomena.

So it's safe to say there were no traces of any Mystics at work there.

Though that only makes this latest incident that much more mysterious. Why Tunguska?

Well, I could speculate, but

Let me guess: "Now is not the time"?

Precisely. So for the time being, allow me to simply convey the facts.

A Special Region has arisen in the Tunguska area of the bleached earth; it is neither Singularity nor Lostbelt.

The signal at its heart is wholly different from a Holy Grail, so no, we do not believe it should be classified as a Singularity.

Correct. There are no storm walls surrounding it, and it is not a hypothetical alternative time line in human history, either.

？！

We do have some possibilities in mind, but

As we currently lack any hard evidence upon which to base our assertions, any further speculation is likely to only invite misunderstanding.

At the moment, all we know for certain is the source of this anomaly...or rather, the name of the enemy we must defeat.

Both Trismegistus II and Sheba have confirmed that this magical energy belongs to an immature Beast.

We can therefore assume that this Special Region is Tamamo Vitch Koyanskaya's headquarters.

!

Fooou...

Are you all done? Then I'll sum it up.

A magical energy signal has been discovered in the old Tunguska forest!

We have determined this to be Koyanskaya's hideou What the...!?

Fou fou!

Wh-what are you so worked up about, fur ball? I don't have any bacon right now!

Fou, fooou!

Stop that, Fou! Here, stay with me.

(Huff, huff...) Keep a good grip on that thing, will you?

A-ahem.

Now then, where were we? (All business)

Tamamo Vitch Koyanskaya. She possesses a Spirit Origin, the same as any Servant.

She is also the executive director of NFF Services, a private military contractor founded in January 2019 following the Incineration of Humanity...

...and the immature form of Beast IV, the Beast of Taming.

At present, I suspect Koyanskaya sustained some form of injury during the events of the British Lostbelt...

...and is therefore not in optimal condition.

She demonstrated incredible power when we encountered her in Olympus in the Atlantic Lostbelt...

But, at least according to Sheba, her current magical energy signal doesn't appear to have surpassed it.

I agree, Senpai...

Because I can't be certain that she has.

Fooou...

？！

So, the first big question this raises is:

Just what is she doing there?

I know she technically saved our lives in Britain...but the fact is, she's still an enemy of humanity.

And we all know she's not the type to turn over a new leaf just because she's badly hurt.

So there's probably some reason she's holed up in the Russian boonies.

Yup. If I had to guess, it's likely so she can recover her strength.

That, or she's trying to grow even stronger...

I mean, if I were in her shoes, I wouldn't suddenly reveal my hideout to the world just because I got hurt.

So she may well not be hiding it anymore because she just doesn't need to bother.

Indeed, that's entirely possible.

I strongly suspect the amorphous form we encountered in Olympus was not her fully matured self.

For one thing, we saw no sign of the great horns that are indicative of a mature Beast.

Immature... Fully mature...

...All right then. Listen well, all of you.

Meunière is right. Koyanskaya protected our ship back in Faerie Britain.

(Whoa. I can't believe it...)

(Director Goredolf actually got Meunière's name right for once!)

Regardless of how we might feel about it, it remains a fact. Most of you probably don't know this, but...

...as the president of a major company, she also, frighteningly enough, used to conduct herself in an exemplary human manner.

I'm not only talking about military deployments, either. She provided a great deal of medical supplies and humanitarian aid to impoverished communities.

It may have been no more than a business strategy, but whatever her reasons, she responded to the plights of the needy with genuine sincerity.

Despite her femme fatale nature, she was not one to squeeze someone dry without fair compensation.

There was something attracI mean, about her that could be reasoned with.

However... However!

Regardless of what she may have done in the past, we cannot sit idly by while a Beast grows to full maturity!

And besides...this is something I need to take responsibility for.

I expect those of you from the old Chaldea know that all too well. Some of you no doubt still have wounds that ache at the thought of what you lost that day.

I...I am well aware that I have no right to command any of you.

But that is all the more reason for me to hope you'll allow me to take responsibility for what happened.

Listen up, everyone! As of this moment, we are going on the offensive!

For now, we'll set our top prioritiesthe battle with the Foreign God and the resolution of the Bleached Earth Phenomenonaside...

...and focus all of our resources on eliminating Koyanskaya!

？！

Yes, sir!

That said, I must also stress that this side excursion is not without benefit to our main mission! We certainly can't afford to squander any resources, after all!

Although we will be going up against a Beast in this operation, this will also be a test for our infiltration of the Seventh Lostbelt!

A practice run, if you will, for our inevitable confrontation with the Foreign God!

And that means...

...we must also be ready to make proactive use of the Black Barrel!

The Black Barrel... A weapon that uses its Accomplishments Measure to measure its target's life span...

...and attack them with the full force of that same life span.

This used to take a heavy toll on both Mash and Fujimaru...

But now, we can also use the Black Barrel for single shots not fueled by Command Spells with Habetrot's help alone.

This does turn it from a Conceptual Weapon into a physical one, but that physical weapon should still pack a significant punch.

Unfortunately, firing physical rounds heats the gun's barrel too much to be used in succession, but just being able to use different rounds for different situations is going to be a huge help.

Very good. Thank you for going over the developments with the Black Barrel, Technical Advisor.

Next, I'd like to hear about the Divine Construct essence we acquired in the British Lostbelt. How is the cannon which fires that coming along?

Sion and I are making headway on it.

Of course, while we're going as fast as we can, neither of us have ever worked on anything like this before.

So while I hate to say this, I'm afraid it won't be ready in time for this operation.

We'll just have to be flexible and make full use of the tactics we've used so far.

...I see. I suppose that was too much to hope for...

Still, I expected as much! And besides, we have plenty of other tricks up our sleeves!

Our first plan of attack for the Seventh Lostbelt is

Fou fou fou.

What was that!? "Don't you mean 'only' plan of attack?"

Yes, I suppose I do, but you don't need to go bringing it up!

Director, you can tell what Fou is saying?

Not a clue! But that time, I could feel what he meant right in my soul!

While our plan of attack for the Seventh Lostbelt naturally focuses on Excalibur...

...we also came up with a secondary source of firepower to improve our odds of success.

Essentially, we realized we can run all the Storm Border's Magical Reactors in parallel to deploy a mass of Chaldean Heroic Spirits simultaneously.

In other words

We can go for quantity AND quality!

The idea is simple. We send in a whole bunch of the Heroic Spirits who're always materialized in Chaldea into the enemy's territory and overwhelm them with sheer numbers and firepower, blitzkrieg-style.

We're pretty much going entirely with wish fulfillment here.

"Man, it would make things so much easier...

...if we could just send in a ton of the Heroic Spirits we already have...

...who we know would be a good fit for this operation..."

Now we can make that dream a reality!

Fou, fooou!?

While we will of course be deploying this plan here primarily to defeat Koyanskaya...

...it will also serve as a test for our infiltration of the Seventh Lostbelt.

So do please keep in mind that our experiences here will provide invaluable data for the future.

Specifically... Fujimaru. Mash.

？！

We'll be deploying up to ten Heroic Spirits to accompany you. Collectively, they'll be your main source of firepower in this operation.

The plan is to bring the Storm Border as close to Koyanskaya's magical energy signal as possible...

...at which point you'll move in on foot to take her down.

Fou!

It's a simple, yet powerful strategy: you all go there together, and you all kick her ass together!

As we speak, we have six Heroic Spirits chosen specifically for this operation standing by in Briefing Room Two.

Needless to say, we can deploy any or all of them at a moment's notice.

Your mission is to carry out this operation with unprecedented speed!

I expect you to succeed with flying colors!

... ...

...All right, everyone, let's go hunt ourselves a Beast!

...!

I'm seeing what looks like some kind of barrier over Tunguskan airspace!

It's pretty different from the storm walls surrounding the Lostbelts, but I think it's still a kind of Bounded Field!

Do something, Da Vinciii!

Already analyzed it and ran the numbers! I'm putting up a multilayered Bounded Field around the front of the Border right now!

Theoretically, it should let us break through!

That was fast. Nice work, Da Vinci. Then without further ado...

Deploying Anti-Physical Space-time Adjustment Membrane around the bow!

We'll break through in Dimensional Piercing Mode!

Once we make it through the barrier into the Tunguska Special Region, we can begin the operation in earnest!

Everyone, brace for impact!

There! We made it through!

We're now in Tunguska's airspace! All we have to do now is head for Koyanskaya's magical energy sig

Waaait! I feel really, really sick here!

...Ugh...

What...is this? Habetrot! Are you all right!?

Not even close! I wanna disappear right now! But I won't! I'm the Black Barrel's guardian fairy, I am!

So this fairy isn't going back to the Spirit Origin graph! Nope, I'm gonna go into the sleep mode I set up on the Black Barrel instead!

Just call if you need me, Mash! I can help out in battle too, at least a little!

Habetrot!? Da Vinci, what's going

Fooou!

You're kidding me! Sure, Habbycat can be crude, but she's a good egg, too! And now she's the first to disappear!?

What's going on here, Administrative Advisor!? Technical Advisor!?

This...urk...is real bad...

？！

...Da Vinci.

Can you check on Briefing Room Two for me? And please, hurry.

Briefing Room Two, Briefing Room Two...

Wh-what the...!?

All the magical energy signals of the Chaldean Heroic Spirits we had on standby there are vanishing one by one!

None of them are able to remain materialized! They're all being forced back to the Spirit Origin graph!

!

This is just like what we saw in Britain... Holmes!

...Right you are, Da Vinci.

I can't be certain if this world was always like this, or if Koyanskaya found a way to copy it from Britain...

...but it's clear that the whole environment is entirely rejecting human history.

This must be what Trismegistus II meant by "special."

Naturally, we added a number of safety provisions to the summoning system after our experiences in Britain...

...but whatever peculiar traits this place possesses seem to have overwhelmed them.

I'm afraid I can't hold on any longer, either. Da Vinci! Nemo! It's all up to you now!

Don't worry, Holmes! We've got this!

Da Vinci's technically a Servant, but at her core she's actually a living being rather than a Heroic Spirit.

Mash is a Demi-Servant, which puts her in the same boat. Of course, neither Fujimaru nor Goredolf are affected.

And I have two Spirit Origins, so I can hold out just long enough...

...to get the Storm Border out of this airspace, much as it pains me!

Marine!

Aye, aye, sir!

Engines at maximum! We can turn around and get out of here at full speed anytime!

Good. Meunière, switch places with me! I'll steer the Storm Border! You know what to do now, right?

Huh!? ...Oh, right, now I gotcha! Okay, you got it!

Thanks, Meunière. I'm counting on your driving skills. Da Vinci!

On it!

Wah! The door just opened on its

Fujimaru! Mash! Director Goredolf!

I need you all to hurry to the hangar, now!

I'll have Nurse and Baker disconnect and transport you, Da Vinci!

Right now, you all need to get your gear ready and hurry to the Shadow Border!

？！

？！

A captain always takes care of the ship. It's their job!

I trust you all know what you need to do, too? And I don't mean in terms of battle.

Of course! I'll bring the Shadow Border, and everyone in it, back safe and sound!

That goes for Fujimaru, Mash, Da Vinci, and Chubs, too!

Great. I feel better already.

From this point on, the field ops team will be investigating this strange environment on its own!

Master Fujimaru, don't hesitate to call for us if you need help!

I can probably only afford to do it once, but I'll deploy on a rescue operation to wherever you might be!

？！

Good. That should take care of things for the time being.

That aside...first Britain exceeded my expectations, and now this world has as well.

So much for our blitzkrieg strike.

And to make matters worse, if this environmental trait is something Koyanskaya learned in and copied from Britain...

(...then she may also have access to numerous other threats we faced in the other Lostbelts...)

Well, we are up against a Beast. It's safer to expect the worst.

All we can do now is trust in Fujimaru and his team... It certainly won't be the first time.

Indeed. Loath though I am to admit it, there is nothing more I can do.

All right then, Captain, I leave the rest in your hands.

Oh, don't worry about me. Once the Storm Border is clear of this pace, I'll just loiter up above the barrier, as watchful as a fire goby.

Just waiting around may not be fun, but it's not dangerous either.

And it's certainly no big deal compared to the temporary disappearance you're being forced to undergo. I'll see you back at the Wandering Sea, Holmes.

I know these horizontal Gs are pretty rough, but hang in there until the Storm Border finishes its turn!

Once it's stabilized and clear, we'll be going straight into a free fall!

Be ready for vertical Gs when that happens!

...Okay, hang on!

There, the Storm Border's turned around! But before we make our emergency escape...

Open the hatch! Open the hatch!

Shadow Border, launch!

...Shadow Border, launching!

Is this really a lauAAAAAAAAAH! WHAAAT?

FAAAAAAAAALLIIING!

I've put up a multilayered Bounded Field on the Border's undercarriage! I'm a little worried, with only my magical energy to spare on it...

Sorry☆

Fou☆

Oh, who cares!? Bring it on, I say! Hell, this is my third time falling into an operation! Hahahaha!

No, wait, hang on. If I think of this like my ordeal in the Dakar Rally... Okay, I can do this! I can totally do thiiis!

Fooou!

？！

Fou.

Master! Are you all right!?

I'm fine, too. Nothing serious to report.

？！

Status report...

Electrical systems: eighty percent functionality, but reparable. Engine: no damage. Hull: integrity at ninety percent. Mobility remains intact.

Not too bad for an emergency deployment and landing. How about you guys? Is everybody okay?

Y-yeah, I'm fine. That wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting.

In fact...I think that might have actually loosened up my stiff shoulders?

Why are you talking like we all just left the chiropractor? Do you also feel refreshed after riding a roller coaster?

Anyway, Technical Advisor, my subordinate here's bizarre health regimen aside, I-I don't think I'm any worse for wear.

As for Fujimaru and Kyrielight... Hmph. They're both fine.

Fou!

Fur ball!? You're here, too!? Grr... Well, I guess we can't send you back to the Storm Border now...

How about you, Technical Advisor? Is everything all right with your Spirit Origin now that we've landed in enemy territory?

I appreciate your concern, Director. Don't worry, my Spirit Origin seems fine, too.

It looks like this environment doesn't reject all Heroic Spirits outright, just like in the British Lostbelt.

It does reject them, to be sure, but I'm guessing there are still loopholes some can slip through.

And for creatures that are obviously alive, like humans and animals, there shouldn't be any issue.

As far as I can tell, this environment only rejects beingsnamely, Heroic Spiritswho owe most of their existence to human history.

Fou!

Huh? Well that doesn't make sense.

Fo?

I mean, I'm here, right?

You like it? I do, too.

But anyway, I don't think the situation's quite what you guys think it is.

？！

Wh-who's there!?

After all, I'm here, aren't I?

？！

Hm?

Oho...

...?

A Heroic Spirit, eh. Or rather, a Divine Spirit.

Ah, of course! I remember now! Ibuki-Douji!

You were one of the Heroic Spirits waiting on standby in Briefing Room Two! Good to see you're all right!

Wait. What? You're all right? But...how?

I-I have an idea.

Maybe it's because, unlike standard Heroic Spirits...

...Ibuki-Douji is a Divine Spirit?

I guess, since she's obviously here and all.

... ...

Hm?

...Huh, it really is Ibuki-Douji.

That might just mean this place isn't quite the same as the British Lostbelt after all.

It's pretty clear from what we saw that it's stopping Heroic Spirits from manifesting...

But it doesn't stop them from incarnating, just like in Britain. And that's not all!

It also doesn't reject nonhuman Heroic Spirits. Hm, I wonder what its criteria is, then?

Is Ibuki-Douji allowed to be here because she's a Divine Spirit? Or because she's a nature spirit?

Nonhuman?

Divine Spirit? Nature spirit?

...Hmm...

So, is Ibuki-Douji my True Name?

Hm?

Hm?

？！

？！

Hmmm?

Well, I know I'm still me. I know I'm really strong, and I'm really nice, and I really love booze...

And I know that I'm your Servant.

But...everything else is kind of a haze.

Hmm. What AM I, anyway?

Eh. As long as there's booze, who cares!?

Yeah?

Thanks, Master! I'm glad to be here, too!

How do those two just...roll with the punches like that?

？！

Looks like she managed to materialize here, but in consequence, lost her memory.

So, I'm a little nervous to ask, but: What about your combat capabilities, Ibuki-Douji? Do you still feel confident in those?

Oh sure. I'm very strong.

If Master wants me to fight, then of course I'll be glad to fight! Besides, I like going wild.

Hmm. My mind does feel kind of fuzzy though, so I may not be quite at my usual strength.

Um, hang on. I'm gonna see if I've still got everything.

O-okay.

Let's see... Yup, I can use fire.

And wind.

And lightning.

Oh, and water too, of course!

？！

If I really wanted to, I bet I could even alter my Spirit Origin! Though maybe only a few times, since I bet that uses a ton of magical energy.

...Hmm.

Well, it's not GREAT that she's lost her memory, and that we don't have the five other Servants with us as well, but...we may be in better shape than I initially thought, at least.

Silver linings, huh?

Fufufu!

Don't you worry. I can hold my own against just about anything!

？！

No problem!

Fou, fooou!