Fate/Grand Order story · Events, Anti-Primate Biosphere, Tunguska Sanctuary
Section 9: Eulogy for the Planet of Primates I
Anti-Primate Biosphere, Tunguska Sanctuary. Life Zone
2 scenes, 341 lines
1. Before the battle
31 lines...My name is Jiang Shang. I was born in Xu Prefecture.
I was discovered by Yuanshi Tianzun at a young age, and spent my days training to learn all manner of techniques in the Kunlun Mountains.
While walking the Taoist path, I was praised for being as talented as a Xian.
But despite all that, I was far from all business all the time.
I frequently skipped out on my training to go fishing, and to visit unfamiliar villages and sage worlds.
Which is why...
...I had the opportunity to see many beautiful women.
I saw village girls who were renowned far and wide for their beauty, and wise and powerful sage women who seemed to positively glow.
Even Lady Ma, the woman I took as my wife, was kind, gentle, and easy on the eyes.
So I had a wealth of worldly experience compared to most sages, and I knew it.
Even so...
"Good day. My name is Daji."
"I am the daughter of the Yousu family, and I have the honor to serve as His Majesty's consort."
I couldn't help but stare in shock.
I knew who she really was: the Fair-faced Golden Fox, a deceptive fox spirit who had lived for a thousand years.
I also knew she was one of three specters the mother goddess Nüwa of the Three Sovereigns ordered to go to the human world.
There, the three specters were supposed to help hasten along the doomed Shang dynasty's downfall...
...and then help usher in a new dynasty to replace it.
But upon joining the Shang dynasty, Daji disobeyed the goddess's orders and used every trick at her disposal to seduce King Zhou of Shang, leading him further astray.
She was dreadfully evil, and delighted in cruelty and the atrocities she committed. Ultimately, she hurt so, so many innocent people.
Truly, she was one of the most dangerous femmes fatales to ever live.
Her nation-ruining accomplishments were even said to match those of Mo Xi of the Xia dynasty.
She was a terrifying woman, and she had to be eliminated.
Just a glance, or even a smile from her meant death.
Neither a Taoist, nor a sage, nor even a virtuous Divine Xian could lower their guard around one so deadly.
She was an enemy, pure and simple.
I knew I had to fight her, that I couldn't let my guard down around her for even a moment.
And yet, in spite of all that, I...
I...
"Oh my. I hear you're very skilled at fishing, is that right?"
...I still found this womanthis beast beautiful.
2. Before the battle
310 lines
There.
Thank you, Fujimaru. Our temporary contract is now officially in place.
... ...
...Hmm. I see. So this is what it's like to have a Master.
I have to say, having a reliable supply of magical energy is a very nice change of pace.
Let me take this occasion to say once again that I'm glad to be working with you, people of Chaldea.
Glad to have you both on the team!
I'd like to thank you again for joining us too, Taigong Wang, Nikitich.
No problem!
Welcome aboard! Fufu, though of course, I've already got a full contract in place♡
That's true for you too, right, Mash?
Yes, that's right. In fact, I was Senpai's very first Servant!
Wow, really? Honestly, I'm kind of jealous.
If you were Master's first Servant, that means you must have known him longer and better than any of us, right?
Yup, I'm definitely jealous!
Fou!?
Oh.
All done with the temporary contracts, huh? That's great to
Whoa!
Ahaha, you startled me, Ibuki-Douji. I wasn't expecting to see the bigger you, so I figured something, uh, big must be going on.
You must've been startled too, huh, Fou?
Fou fou!
Ahaha. Sorryyy.
How about you, Director?
Hehe, we Musik men are put through intense training from a young age. I can handle any surprise short of being immediately devoured.
That's great, Director. I should've known you were made of stern stuff.
Okay then, let's get this briefing underway, shall we?
Let's.
Yes, please.
Go for it, Da Vinci.
？！
First, let's go over the situation and make sure we're all on the same page.
Now that we've collected the field ops team, we're all making our way to the center of this region in the Shadow Border.
We expect that's where we'll find its ruler, Koyanskaya.
Or rather, since it looks like this place is actually her expanded consciousness, where we'll find her core and/or main body.
We've been observing her since we got here, and while those observations may not mean much given her ability to travel between Lostbelts...
...it looks like at least for now, she's holding position.
She won't move. Trust me.
Hm?
Sure as my name is Taigong Wang.
Daji will never leave her home base. That's just the sort of creature she is.
I suppose you could call her a homebody, in a way.
Once she's settled on a nest, she likes to shore up its defenses and stay there instead of going on the offensive.
The only question is whether she'll show herself once we begin our siege in earnest.
Huh, that's a surprise. We were under the impression Koyanskaya spends much of her time traveling...
You're saying she prefers to stay home, huh?
Fou. Fou?
The center of this place is located at coordinates 60°55'N, 101°57'E.
That's where Koyanskaya's signal is originating. The signal Chaldea Base picked up two days ago is coming from there.
You may already know this...
...but it's also exactly where a tremendous explosion once took place.
You mean
That would be the Tunguska incident.
The Tunguska incident.
Right. A huge explosion that occurred over one hundred years ago...
？！
Hmm, I wonder if she chose those coordinates intentionally. Perhaps it's a sign that she intends to carry out her own act of mass destruction?
That's definitely possible. Though it could also mean
Maybe Koyanskaya and that explosion are connected somehow?
？！
That's possible, too. Although...
The Tunguska incident, hm...
It was a major historical event, no question. But what could it have to do with Daji?
To be honest, I have no idea, either. Why would she choose here, of all places?
I've never heard of any legends of her bringing a Russian dynasty to ruin, after all.
Nor have I heard of her ever causing a forest fire.
... ...
...The Life Zone, and the Death Zone.
Could there be a connection between these two diametrically opposed areas within this Reality Marble, and the Tunguska incident?
It's certainly possible, but we haven't seen any evidence thus far to support that supposi
Who cares!?
It doesn't matter if there was a big explosion, or if she's just a wild beast.
I'm going to defeat the enemy and save my motherland. That's all there is to it.
Wow! Love that confidence!
You know, you're right. I'm gonna do the very best I can, too. Especially with Master here watching!
...I will too, Master. I promise you I'll do the very best I can.
And I'll be there supporting you guys every step of the way!
Fou!
We're about eighty kilometers from our target. At this speed, we should reach it in about two hours.
As to what connection Koyanskaya may have to the Tunguska incident, it just be faster to ask her.
Two hours, huh...
That would mean our final battle with her is close at hand then. What do you make of our prospects there, Technical Advisor?
Okay, let me start with the abridged version.
Our current combat ability...should be enough to defeat her!
Where do you put our odds?
Using the combat data we acquired in Olympus as a reference, we have a seventy percent chance of victory.
Fooou!
Seventy percent, huh. Those sound like great odds.
Hmm.
Hmmm.
...
... ...
...Honestly, I'd rather we had a plan with significantly better odds.
I mean, to put it another way, a seventy percent chance of winning obviously also means a thirty percent chance of losing!
Still, that being said...
While we may not have any Klironomia powering us up this time, we do have Taigong Wang, Nikitich, and Ibuki-Douji.
Taigong Wang is basically a nine-tailed fox exterminator specialist, and Nikitich is as professional a warrior as they come.
As for Ibuki-Douji... How's the memory?
Still kind of hazy.
Okay, so that part's not great, but she's also got enough magical energy and sheer power to make up for it.
And on top of that, we have the Black Barrel providing another source of major firepower, and Fujimaru's instant, simplified summons.
So, that's what I took into account to get the numbers I did.
I wish we could put together a better mission plan or boost our equipment somehow, but this is the best we can do at the moment.
...Sorry I'm such a poor excuse for a technical advisor.
You're nothing of the sort, Da Vinci.
You think? Well then, I guess I'd better show you exactly why you can depend on me.
Are you kidding? We'd be lost without all your support.
Well, yes. I AM a peerless genius. It just sucks that support's all I can offer, you know?
？！
... ...
(Patting her head)
Aah!
There, there.
I don't know whose Heroic Spirit you are, but you're doing great for a child in the middle of enemy territory.
So cheer up. Besides, you're a lot cuter when you smile.
And it makes Fujimaru and Mash happier, too.
Right?
(Nod)
？！
Ahem.
I'm sorry to interrupt this little moment, but since this is an official briefing and all, I have to say this:
...You HAVE considered the possibility that Koyanskaya's grown stronger since we encountered her in Olympus, right?
Of course!
Excellent!
In that case...
I wish I didn't have to say this either, but as the commander, it's my job!
Um, wh-what if...
...she's already become a fully mature Beast?
That's simply not possible.
O-oh really!
This Heroic Spirit calling herself Tamamo Vitch Koyanskaya, or the shadow of this world's Daji...
...is in no way, shape, or form, a fully mature Beast.
You sound pretty certain.
How can you be so sure?
As a Beast, Daji has the power to manipulate nations.
She likes to torment her quarry once the world is already hers.
If anyone tries to stand up to her, she tortures them in ways that are too horrible to even describe.
That is who she is.
While Koyanskaya may only be Daji's shadow, it's safe to assume she shares her essential nature.
And yet, we have been able to move about this territory of hers relatively unimpeded.
Given where we are and what is happening, this can only mean she has yet to fully mature.
Hmm...
This is only speculation on my part...
But I suspect an accident of some sort has left her in this incomplete state.
Whether she's simply recuperating, or preparing to "hatch," so to speak...
...I can't imagine any other reason Daji would leave an enemy alone for so long without sending so much as a single soldier or assassin after them.
So I believe that, as an immature Beast, we should assume this shadow of Daji is in some sort of weakened state.
An accident...
Senpai.
Yeah. She did have an accident recently.
Yeah. It must have been Cernunnos.
？！
I'd bet that's it, too. Cernunnos...
Back in the British Lostbelt, Cernunnos landed a direct hit on Koyanskaya.
Koyanskaya...
？！
...defended us from Cernunnos, for some reason.
Hmm.
...ended up protecting us.
I think so, too.
If she hadn't gotten between us and Cernunnos...
...I don't think the Storm Border would have survived...
？！
In this case, he was more...the remnants of a god that had devolved into a titanic calamity, but yeah.
... ...
...Now I see. So she suffered an injury from a power that was closer to nature than to humanity.
That makes sense. Given the way the combat beasts turned out, she must have endured quite a painful blow.
In fact, I'm impressed she was able to maintain her sense of self after taking a hit like that...
...seeing how she defined herself with a new weakness she never had before.
At any rate, allow me to put your minds at ease.
I'm in no way suggesting we charge at her without a plan.
As a matter of fact...I have an Anti-Beast Noble Phantasm designed specifically with Daji in mind!
And what's more...
I've already fine-tuned it to be extra effective on Daji's shadow!
Fou!?
Really!?
Oho!
It would've been nice if you mentioned that sooner, but it's still great news!
Hahaha. Sorry about that!
I don't know how much of my battle with her three thousand years ago made it into today's retellings, but suffice to say, it was hellishly difficult, and I'd much rather not go through such an ordeal again.
What's more, while I do have you Chaldeans and Nikitich on my side, I don't have the Twelve Golden Immortals or King Wu's great army this time.
This Beast is one of the most fearsome creatures ever to exist. So how can one defeat her with only a small team of soldiers?
Naturally, I didn't materialize without a plan for just such an occasion! Lord Yuanshi TianzunI mean, Humanity itself, isn't THAT heartless, after all!
...!
An Anti-Beast Noble Phantasm...
I don't know exactly what it does, but if Taigong's this proud of it, it must be incredible! I think this bodes really well for our chances of success, Senpai!
(Breathe a sigh of relief)
？！
My, my.
I do hate to interrupt your pleasant little chat.
And I must say, it's very kind of you to be so concerned about my condition...
But please, spare me your pity, would you?
Compassion is intended to be given by the strong to the weak.
Having insignificant little bugs like you worrying over me makes my tails twitch in irritation.
...Huh?
...!
!!!
Fooou!
What the...!?
I swear...
I went to all that trouble in the Lostbelts to maintain a respectful "Is she an enemy, or an ally?" distance, and you just had to go and ruin it yourselves.
Hm? What's that? It was already ruined a long time ago?
Hmm. I suppose that all depends on how you look at it, but in this case, I believe my opinion is the one that matters, no?
After all...
...you're not merely inside my house right now. You're inside, well, me.
Wh-whoa, whoa, what the hell!? A high-density magical energy signal just appeared inside the Border... But, that's where WE are!
Wait. Huh? I thought she wasn't going to move from her castle!?
Fou fooou!
Even setting all that aside...
If you're here to pick a fight, surely there are better ways to go about it than just chattering like this?
You really should know how to mind your manners by now, Chaldeans. As should you other Heroic Spirits I've never met before.
(Sigh)
Can you really not understand that I'm still tired from my little excursion to Britain?
Tamamo Vitch Koyanskaya!
？！
That's me☆
Senpai!
Nikitich...?
Don't worry, Mash. I'll stop her.
Huh!?
She left her castle?
All on her own?
Even if she is only Daji's shadow...
...that still...shouldn't happen...
Snap out of it, Taigong Wang!
I'm sorry! Ugh, I've really screwed up a lot this time, haven't I!?
...Oh my☆
That wasn't teleportation, was it? Oh, I know, it was forced ultra high-speed movement, right?
Bravo☆
That was genuinely impressive. You not only transported myself, Master Fujimaru, and his Demi-Servant...
...but you even got the annoying Divine Spirit, the strange catgirl, and yourself while you were at it.
I must say, it's almost preposterous that you were able to forcibly transport six people all at once like that.
And what's more, you did so with power drawn from humanity despite being inside me. As incredibly rude as that was, I really must commend your courage.
Not that I'll bother to remember it after I've killed you. We did only just meet. Now, tell me...
...what is your True Name?
How dare you, Daji!?
You've got nerve, asking who I am! I'm going to make you regret not staying cooped up in your nest!
You've had this coming for over three thousand years now...
I may have underestimated you here, but it seems you and I aren't too far apart in that regard.
Fair-faced Golden Fox! No... Empty shadow of the nation-ruining beast!
...I'm sorry, are you talking about me?
Come, my dragon!
Who, me?
No!
Not you, Eastern dragon! My dragon! Come on!
There you are, my mount!
Aww, what a darling pet☆
But, unfortunately for you, I'm just not interested in boring old dragons.
Damn, that babe shot me down already!? Ouch! ...Just kidding! I'm here, Master!
Hup!
Mash! I'll back you up from the air!
Right!
Huh? Mash!?
Yes?
...Huh? I'm wearing the Ortinax!? When did that happen!?
When did you put on the Ortinax!?
Huh?
Ah! The Ortinax!? I don't remember suiting up...
？！
I borrowed it from its chamber when I used my earth evasion spell to transport us outside your vehicle.
I do hope I put it all on right, Lady Mash. I'm afraid I don't have much experience dressing anyone besides myself.
Y-yes. Everything's fine!
Activating the Ortinax's emergency combat mode! Power is holding steady at eighty percent. I'm good to go, Master!
...Prepare for battle!
？！
Understood!
Oh yes, very good. Nice to see you're all so peppy☆
My congratulations to you strange Heroic Spirits and the Demi-Servant for putting on such an irritatingly exuberant display of motivation.
But aren't you forgetting something important?
Say, for example...
...where it is you're standing right now?
Hostiles are popping up all over! Five... Ten... Twenty... And they're still coming!
It doesn't look as though they came in from outside our scanning range... It's almost as though they popped up out of nowhere!
Instantaneous creation of life...
Preprogrammed life at that...
Hahaha, I suppose I should've expected no less from a Reality Marble! So you can just make as many Lostkin as you feel like, huh, Daji!?
Good question. Who can say?
Everyone, listen up!
I'll keep Daji occupied! No, in fact, I'll look for an opportunity to take her down myself.
In the meantime, please deal with the Lostkin!
...Are you sure you'll be okay on your own?
No need to worry about me, Master of Chaldea.
Now that my predictions have proven to be so egregiously wrong, I have to make amends somehow.
And besides, I'm an expert when it comes to handling Daji!
So please, don't worry about me!
Mash! Ibuki-Douji!
Right, Master!
Nikitich, will you back them up!?
Don't have to tell me twice! Just do what you came here to do, Taigong Wang!
Of course I will.
Are you QUITE finished?
I was in the middle of my siesta, you see, and I'd really like to get back to my bedroom soon.
But since we've known each other for so long, I thought it only right to say goodbye myself.
I know you've gotten used to fighting the super units, so I've decided to make this more of a numbers game.
The natural world has always favored quantity over quality. That's simply a fact of life.
Now, I hope you're ready, because I'm deadly serious about squashing you for good this time.
We have a blizzard of contacts heading for us! Enough to make up a small army!
Of course. I said I was serious, didn't I? I refuse to tolerate any more interference with my business.
The easiest way to deal with your enemies is to gather them all in one place and eliminate them in one fell swoop.
All right everyone, farewell and all that. Oh, and don't worry. This one is on the house.
You're about to experience the unbridled violence you humans invented yourselves.
I do so hope you enjoy it.
Whoa. Mash!
Large combat beasts incoming! Please stay close to me, Master!