Fate/Grand Order story · Events, Anti-Primate Biosphere, Tunguska Sanctuary
Section 11: Affection Descends
Anti-Primate Biosphere, Tunguska Sanctuary. Dense Forest
3 scenes, 586 lines
1. Before the battle
39 lines...I thought she was beautiful.
I knew I had to fight her. I knew I had to kill her.
This fearsome beast stole into the dying Shang dynasty, led King Zhou's heart astray, and performed all manner of horrific atrocities.
The Fair-faced Golden Fox had grown into a powerful monster far beyond what even Nüwa the mother goddess herself had envisioned, and was now prepared to swallow all of humanity whole.
Both Lord Yuanshi Tianzun, the greatest Divine Xian ever, and Xiwangmu, Queen Mother of the West, declared her to be a great evil that threatened peace and tranquility all over the world.
She was a Beast, a catastrophe with a will of its own.
I steeled myself to fight her. To kill her.
I understood that my Fengshenmy god sealing techniquesmay not work on her even if I used all my strength.
I knew I had to defeat her, even if it meant risking everythingmy treasured twin blades, my eight trigrams, my fire and lightning, and my very life.
I understood all of that. I did. And yet...
"Hehe."
"Hehe, hehehehe."
"Okay, I'm going to kill you now."
"Oh yes. I'm going to kill you."
"To defy me is to defy King Zhou. So you can only be a wicked, irredeemable insurgent."
"Now die."
"And not just you. Your parents, your siblings, your wife, your children...all of them!"
"I want each and every one of them to die slow, horrible deaths."
"Go on then. Die."
"Hehe. Haha."
"Hahahahahaha."
"Hahahahahaha! Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
Loud, scornful laughter. A brutal, cold-blooded massacre.
The tragedy that unfolded before my eyes was so horrific to behold...so far removed from reality...
...that I honestly thought I was living in a nightmare.
The river of blood that gushed from the newly dead bodies almost seemed as though it was swallowing the ground beneath it.
And there, amid the ocean of blood, she laughed, and laughed, and laughed.
Then, when she was finally done...
"Ahh..."
"That was fun."
That's all she said.
As for me...
Seeing her standing there like that, all I could think was:
"Beautiful..."
Even though the woman I was looking at was beyond pure evil, utterly devoid of reason and morals...
I still couldn't help but see her as a solitary, exquisite flower.
A flower that could only fully bloom in a river of blood.
Despite knowing I would eventually have to cut off that woman'sthat Beast's head...
...I still couldn't help but find her beautiful.
2. Before the battle
214 lines
...I'm sorry. Would you mind if I double-checked something?
You said Koyanskaya suffered a blow from Cernunnos in the British Lostbelt, correct?
Could you tell me exactly what happened there again?
... ...
...Hmm.
So she protected Chaldea from Cernunnos, but you're not really clear on why.
And she seemed to have done it deliberately, rather than by happenstance or accident.
...That's right.
(Nod)
？！
Scrou!?
Once again, I am so sorry.
I should have paid closer attention to my feeling that something was off, no matter how slight it may have been.
I'd nearly convinced myself that her suffering an injury by protecting someone other than herself...
...was no more than sheer coincidence.
But no. I was wrong.
She may be a shadow, but she's absolutely not Daji!
I should have realized that sooner.
This has been a truly pathetic showing on my part!
Koyanskaya and Daji are completely separate beings!
Now, I can say with certainty that, while Koyanskaya does resemble the Fair-faced Golden Fox, she is not, in fact, her.
R-really?
Th-then, you're saying Koyanskaya, the immature Beast we've been pursuing all this time...
...and the Fair-faced Golden Fox, the nine-tailed millennium spirit...have nothing to do with each other?
That's right.
Koyanskaya has undoubtedly modeled her appearance after Daji's, but deep down, they are completely different beings.
!
I-I see...
The Daji you knew who helped bring about the fall of the Shang dynasty three thousand years ago... You're positive she was the Fair-faced Golden Fox, right?
Absolutely. Daji was definitely the Fair-faced Golden Fox, the millennium fox spirit.
She was a great specter who ignored the goddess Nüwa's orders to quickly bring about the end of the Shang dynasty and instead let her evil nature run wild, killing and torturing innocent people.
Daji was a ferocious and powerful being, a nine-tailed beast so beautiful she brought a nation to ruin.
...I must say, this is quite the pickle.
I thought the whole reason I materialized here was to rid the world of her once again.
I really believed it was the will of Lady Nüwa and the sage world...
...that I bring Daji's shadow to justice.
But I couldn't have been more wrong!
So, what you're saying is...
Koyanskaya isn't actually a Tamamo?
Koyanskaya isn't really one of the Tamamos?
I have to remind you, Senpai, Tamamo-no-Mae kept insisting that she isn't Daji.
Huh? What's this now? Since when is "Tamamo" a category?
I know this may be a big ask, but please try not to confuse me any more than strictly necessary...
You don't look so good, Director. Easy there. Deep breaths.
Here. Have some water.
O-oh, thanks...
(Glug, glug)
Ahh... Wow, that's really good.
It's from a stream in the Life Zone. It's nice and cold, and so clean it practically sparkles if you hold it up to light.
It's just the thing to help you relax. Here, have some more.
(Glug, glug)
Ahh... Huh. You know, I think I do feel calmer now.
See?
(Staring intently)
What?
Oh, nothing. I was just thinking how considerate you are. You'd make a good mother.
Like I said, I can do just about anything.
...Though that doesn't mean I can do everything.
Fou!
Oh, you want some water too? Here.
Fou fou.
There we go. Okay, now that the director's feeling better, let's get back to the subject at hand.
Agreed. Let's go over everything we know.
First, we can now say that Koyanskaya is not a Divided Spirit of Daji, nor is she another aspect of her.
We can also rule out the idea that she may be a caricature of her in Heroic Spirit form.
There is no longer any doubt about any of that.
Yet what's equally certain is that Koyanskaya clearly has modeled herself to resemble the Fair-faced Golden Fox.
You do have a good reason for thinking that, right?
I do.
I hope you know what you're talking about this time, Taigong Wang. We can't afford a repeat of our last engagement.
Rest assured, I have every intention of redeeming myself.
I'm basing this assertion on her personality, her actions, how poorly my spells worked on her...
...and her tails.
Fou fou.
At this point, she already has enough magical energy to reach full maturity as a Beast.
Given how strong her familiar clone was, that much is certain.
And yet, she still has yet to fully mature. Why is that?
I believe it's because she sees the Fair-faced Golden Fox, with all nine tails...
...as the standard she must strive for.
Hmm...
Trying to get new tails, huh? Yeah, I could see that.
... ...
...While we're on the subject, this is just a thought I had...
...but I suspect her tails may in fact be her various acquisitions from the Lostbelts.
So, Koyanskaya's tails are made up of things like Yagas and kali?
You mean, you think she was collecting tails in the Lostbelts?
？！
That's right.
I believe that she is recording information from each of the Lostbelts' creatures into her tails during the process of turning them into her Lostkin.
Wh-what are you talking about?
I think you might have skipped something important. Mind filling us in?
I'm talking about the fact that even her clone's Spirit Origin has incredible mass, to say nothing of Koyanskaya herself.
As far as I can tell, she currently weighs several hundred thousand tons, which is about the same as any kaiju, as I believe you call them nowadays.
That much!?
A k-kaiju!?
？！
While her mass may not be as immediately obvious as the amount of magical energy she possesses...
...it is definitely there, and definitely, well, massive! It's the weight of her very existence!
So I think she may have gotten there by taking in information from six different Lostbelts through her Lostkin, transmuting that information into her tails, and using them to grow to her current state.
Six Lostbelts?
But, she only had five tails earlier.
If that clone was just a recreation of herself from Olympus, that would explain why it only had five tails...
It's also possible that she still only has five, though.
Oh?
She lost one of them in Britain.
It was during a battle in Britain's Lake District.
I remember Muramasa saying that Mélusine destroyed one of her Spirit Cores.
Hmm, I see.
Still, in terms of her growthor rather, her Beast Spirit Origin, that doesn't change the fact that she acquired six tails.
Anyway, we can set that aside for now.
Killing or burning a Spirit Origin with that much sheer mass will be no easy feat.
I won't say it'll take the same amount of power as destroying six Lostbelts, but it will definitely require A LOT of resources.
...I see...
...
Hmm... So there's a good chance we need a literal ton of firepower, huh.
Dammit, if only the Excalibur Cannon was ready. And after I ordered a new pair of sunglasses, too...
Taigong? What's up?
？！
Yes?
Huh. Haven't noticed you're smiling, Taigong?
Let me guess. You still have another trick up your sleeve, don't you?
Well, um...
Just spit it out.
I get that you're scared to say more after that colossal screwup, but you should still come clean with us anyway.
Go on! Show us what kind of dirty, underhanded schemes you're really capable of!
I-I wish you'd stop talking about me as though I were some kind of devious schemer...
... ...
...All right, yes, it's true!
I do have a way to do something about Koyanskaya!
Wow! You do, huh?
Fou fou!
That's great!
Honestly, I was getting a little worried.
We just saw for ourselves that Koyanskaya can generate basically infinite combat beasts and Lostkin and send them into battle whenever she likes, right?
So we'd just be setting ourselves up for failure if we headed to the center without a good plan.
To be honest, I was seriously considering whether we should just abandon the mission...
...and get out of this place as soon as poss
Morningstar! Course change! Make your heading the heart of this place!
Already done! I could basically tell things were leading up to that!
Good.
...Hang on. Shouldn't you at least wait until your commander actually issues an order?
I do think we should make our way to Koyanskaya's stronghold rather than run away.
My first Anti-Beast Noble Phantasm may have been a complete dud, and my second one may not have been much better...
...but even so, I promise you all that I WILL find a way to resolve this mess!
In fact, I already have a solution in mind!
Hmm. I take it from your confidence that we can expect results this time?
Absolutely.
I know my Anti-Beast Noble Phantasm missed the mark entirely earlier because I created it on the false premise that Koyanskaya was Daji's shadow...
But no matter how enormous or powerful a Beast she may be, she is still immature.
Which means we have room to develop a strategy to defeat her.
Even if we don't know who she truly is, we can still make a plan to bring her down for real this time.
I can't say for certain that it will be very effective against her...
...but I can say I do have one more trick up my sleeve.
Defiant! (Defiant)
You actually said "Defiant!"
Hehe!
(Defiant)
Whoa... What incredible confidence!
I tend to be extremely pessimistic and cautious, and even I feel like I can put my full trust in you!
Fou, fou!
I get it. We hit her as hard as we can, right?
That does usually solve most problems.
I'm afraid brute force isn't the answer to everything, Nikitich. That's just how the world is.
Huh?
Then I don't get what you're saying.
I admit, it's built on inferences stacked atop inferences, but that aside...
...would you all mind coming closer so I can whisper this next part to you?
O-okay.
Fo fou.
I don't think he was talking to you, fur ball...but I guess we can't kick you out now!
Fou's part of the team, too. Besides, we shouldn't be excluding anyone at this point.
Indeed. Now then, let me put up a soundproof Bounded Field for good measure.
Remember, we're inside a Reality Marble.
According to the Clock Tower in the West, Reality Marbles are one of the crowning achievements of magecraft, and they vary wildly in practice and usage.
Some say there isn't a single trait they share aside from being Bounded Fields, but I believe it's better to be safe than sorry.
Besides, it sounded as though Koyanskaya is aware of everything that takes place inside her Reality Marble..
... ...
And speaking of Reality Marbles...
...my last trick hinges on the assumption that we're in one.
Now then, if I may...
(Mumble, mumble, whisper whisper...)
Okay, we're coming up on the Death Zone.
Field team, I'm counting on you to fend off any combat beasts that get too close!
Huh?
You mean, we're not going to go through the much safer Life Zone...?
We already know the Lostkins' patrol routes, so wouldn't it make more sense to stick as close to the Life Zone as possible?
Take a look at the mission map! The whole center thing we're headed to is clearly on the Death Zone side!
Believe me, I wish it wasn't. I stuck to the Life Zone as much as I could on the way here.
So, on that note: Fujimaru! Mash!
Got it!
？！
Right!
It's best if the Shadow Border maintains a steady pace. If we run into any packs of combat beasts that threaten to get in our way...
...I'll use my fangshu to send the field team out to deal with them, and bring them back when they're done.
If we just keep that up
Gotcha. That should let us reach the center without losing any speed.
Man, that earth evasion spell of yours is super handy!
Hahahaha, it is, isn't it? There's a reason my earth evasion was said to be tactical-level fangshu, you know!
There you go getting a big head again...
Hah! Well, what's wrong with that? I think he's earned the right to brag a little!
Fair. Okay, everyone, get ready to face another swarm of combat beasts!
Right!
Welp, that didn't take long! We've got multiple hostiles five hundred meters away, coming from the opposite direction!
Looks like they're combat beasts! And we've got some big ones in the mix!
All right then, let's get started. Earth evasion!
3. Before the battle
333 linesWhoa! We did it! We somehow made it through!
And there's our destination! 60°55'N, 101°57'E!
Wait. What the...!?
What? What are you seeing? Let me have a look.
...Huh.
Fou, fo fooou!
Is that...an office building?
I'm not seeing any more hostiles nearby. It looks like there aren't any at all within scanning range.
I thought we'd have to fight our way through even more combat beasts than ever to get to Koyanskaya's HQ, but instead, it's so...quiet.
There's nothing here at all. Not so much as a magical energy signal that could plausibly be a Lostkin.
We know she defended Chaldea from Cernunnos in Britain.
So perhaps she truly is exhausted, and just wants to recuperate somewhere quiet.
At least, that's one possibility.
Who cares? If there's no army to get in our way, we can just go right into her castle.
That's all that matters. Dragon!
I'm ready!
Mash! Fujimaru!
R-right!
I'm good to go!
？！
That's the spirit. Sì Bú Xiàng!
Mo. Momo.
Wah! Wh-when did that animal get in here?
I do beg your pardon. I normally have him stay in his spirit form, but if we're headed to our final confrontation, it's easier to have him come along.
My mount definitely won't fit in here. Oh well.
Okay, that's everyone headed to the front line. Be ready for anything!
The enemy's castle is right in front of us, and we know its king is inside!
Our job is to make it to the throne room, no matter what! Now let's go!
Bogatyrs! Charge!
Let's do this!
In the middle of the desolate wasteland, the Beast's throne towered over the onlookers.
Here sits the great palace. Its ruler holds dominion over the zones of life and death.
60°55'N, 101°57'E. The center of the Reality Marble.
Ground zero for the massive explosion that devastated all life for kilometers around over a hundred years ago.
This imposing tower's name was
Welcome, distinguished guests.
Welcome...
...to the Nine Fox Foundation's headquarters.
My name is PB. I am the only pseudo life-form in this place that has been endowed with the ability to speak.
On behalf of NFF's CEO, I am more than happy to serve as your guide today.
... ...
...
... ...
...
...H-huh?
That's a surprise. I wasn't expecting the guard to be so polite.
May I ask your names, distinguished guests?
...A rabbit?
？！
Y-yes, Senpai. He appears to be a, um...
...humanoid rabbit?
What a relief. I'll gladly take a talking rabbit over more silent Lostkin or combat beasts.
Nice to meet you, PB. I'm Taigong Wang, and these fine people are from Chaldea.
And I'm Dobrynya Nikitich!
Chaldea party, Lord Taigong Wang, and Lady Dobrynya Nikitich.
Understood.
It seems you don't have an appointment...but I'll check whether the CEO will see you.
Please, follow me.
'Kaaay.
Fou!
Mo. Momo!
Can't say I saw this coming...but at least it looks like we won't have to fight our way in.
But keep your guard up all the same. We could be walking into an ambush.
It really doesn't feel like an ambush, though.
No, it doesn't...
Gosh, Master, even on the battlefield, you and Mash still know how to play things by ear! That's really great to see.
It's our job to always be ready for a fight, so we'll let you two be the ones to talk to PB.
Right!
Hmm. You can be pretty smart sometimes, dragon lady.
Haha! Have you fallen for me?
I don't mind, but I should warn you before you get in too deep: I can be dangerous.
Ha ha ha.
Fo fo fo.
Ahahaha.
We'll do our best to stay alert.
I agree. Better safe than sorry.
It's wonderful that the enemy is apparently willing to hear us out, of course, but Lord Goredolf makes an excellent point.
Hmm. Maybe I'd better cast another defensive spell or two, just to be extra safe...
You're such a worrywart, Taigong Wang! Then again, I guess I can't blame you after that colossal screwup.
Is everything all right? Then please, follow me.
O-oh, right. Coming!
Thank you. Now, if you'll please enter through the front doors.
NFF is a private military corporation that provides whatever services our customers may need.
Our headquarters' defensive systems are, in a word, perfect.
In particular, the walls near the main entrance have been built with embedded large and small gun beasts, giving them the firepower of an entire tank squadron.
So please do stay close to me. It would be quite the disaster if any of you were to approach the building without authorization.
Fooou...
Oh? Now that you mention it, I DO sense a ton of magical energy signals near the entrance!
Gun beasts embedded in the walls, huh... He must be talking about the combat beasts.
So then, does that mean if we were to go on the offensive here...we'd be staring down the muzzles of countless guns from the walls?
Yikes.
I don't even want to imagine it...
Scariest "No Trespassing" sign ever.
Huh... (Admiring the architectural design)
？！
A-and here I thought it just looked like a fancy modern-day office building. I never would've guessed it was built with such, er, lethal defenses.
Indeed it was. Now, if you would all kindly form two lines... That's it. Thank you.
Now, let me show you to the hall.
Right this way.
(Now those are some fancy footsteps...)
？！
The CEO can usually be found in her office.
She generally prefers not to leave it these days, for personal reasons...
She did agree to come greet you in the hall herself after I told her of your arrival, though.
Hmm.
It doesn't look like he called her or anything like that. Do you think they were using a kind of telepathy?
Most likely, yes. Mr. PB there is almost certainly one of her familiars.
...Here we are.
This is NFF Headquarters' grand central hall. If you'll kindly wait here, the CEO will see you shortly.
I hope your negotiations will help lead this world to a brighter future.
Not that I have any will or self-awareness of my own, of course.
Now then, if you'll excuse me.
Thanks, PB. You were a great guide. I hope we'll see you again sometime.
Thanks for showing us around, PB.
Thanks, PB. Take care.
The pleasure was all mine. Farewell, humans.
To be perfectly honest...
I'm a little surprised.
You do know that you're inside a Reality Marble, yes? And that I can create as many kin and beasts as I please?
I showed you all as much before, and you had no choice but to flee with your tails between your legs.
The gap between our fighting forces is measured in miles, but here you are anyway.
Does that mean you have some delightful new idea you're going to show me then?
Now, now. First, I must thank you for agreeing to speak with us.
As a matter of fact, we're surprised as well.
Both that you're here chatting with us like this, and that you created someone like Lord PB.
I never would have dreamed you would create anything that spoke human language in this world.
All this time, I was convinced you detested humanity.
That you hated everything about humans, really.
Oh, I do. But that doesn't mean I don't see their value.
Regardless of my personal feelings towards someone, I will always respect notable accomplishments.
Granted, in humanity's case such accomplishments are extremely few and far between, but they do exist. That is why I created PB.
You know, I have to thank you too, for speaking to him as an equal.
I'm rather fond of him as well, you see.
(Extremely few and far between...)
(I wonder who she's talking about...)
？！
(It's hard to imagine who she could mean. I'd really like to know, too.)
(Fou fou...)
Extremely few and far between, hm? I see.
It's a shame I'm not one of them, Ms. Tamamo Vitch Koyanskaya.
Oh my...
You're calling me Koyanskaya now? After you insisted on calling me by another woman's name earlier?
That's right. I'm afraid I was mistaken before.
But ignorance is no excuse. I was terribly rude to you earlier, and for that, I'm truly sorry.
I, Taigong Wang Lu Shang, sincerely hope you will accept my humble apology, Ms. Koyanskaya.
Well now.
You really meant that, didn't you? I'm touched.
But let me guess: Behind the hand you extend in a peaceful gesture, the other hand is reaching for a hidden gun, right?
That's how humans hunt. They're duplicitous by nature. Am I wrong, Mr. Taigong Wang?
I assure you, I have no ulterior motives here. Getting someone's name wrong repeatedly is incredibly rude.
I'm also told another Chinese hero made the same mistake before me, albeit in a Lostbelt.
I know I can't truly apologize on their behalf...but I am genuinely sorry that happened.
...All right.
I accept your apology. Besides, courtesy is one of the few virtues you humans have.
Whatever happens, I can promise you I won't torment you before killing you.
...
Yes? Something on your mind?
One of our few virtues, huh. You may be right about that.
As primates, humanity may be the dominant species on the planet, but we also consume untold resources in order to maintain our civilization.
Just living our lives results in the deaths of many other living things.
If we think of human nature as a sina monster that consumes resources far more quickly than they can be renewed...
...then the few virtues our civilizations, societies, and cultural exchanges have created must absolutely pale in comparison.
Indeed. No accomplishments you could ever manage will ever make up for your monstrous nature.
You're no more than apes who changed your biosphere from a symbiotic cycle to one of endless consumption.
No, that's an insult to apes. Even to them, humans may as well be aliens.
Even though you feel guilty about the harms you inflict on your fellow higher animals, you still see every last one of them as things to be consumed.
...Though I suppose the way you at times seem so courteous is just one more reason you humans are truly irredeemable villains.
Even taking all your good and bad into account...on balance, you utterly disgust me.
And now that you've traveled my worldmy Reality Marble...
...surely you must understand what I live for, no?
Surely you understand why I support the Foreign God's invasion, even as I pursue my own goals outside her purview?
You want to eradicate all humanity.
...Hehe.
You want to see humankind be wiped out.
Oh my, you really do understand☆
？！
Make no mistake. My objective, my very raison d'être, is the extinction of humankind.
But that doesn't mean I want to exterminate them myself.
Far too much of a hassle; I'm perfectly happy to let the Foreign God handle that.
I truly don't care if we're talking about humanity in the Lostbelts or Proper Human History... It's all the same to me.
All I want is to enjoy myself as I watch them die out.
I want to see that insignificant, self-important bunch of walking egos scream, sob, and struggle...
...as their numbers are reduced until there's only one left, crying helplessly as their own life is snuffed out.
That's what I want to see with my own two eyes. You could even call it my aesthetic, if you like.
How else could I possibly assess...
...just how miserable, meaningless, and insignificant the last remnants of humankind will be?
Can you imagine any other form of life accumulating such wonderful technology and knowledge in only a few dozen millennia, only to then meet such an ignominious end?
They ruin their lands, reserve no pity for even their own people, divide themselves into selfish factions...
...and in the end, all they have to show for it is a biosphere where the obliviously strong devour the obliviously weak.
So I'm going to record their final moments and auction them off to all the other beings in this universe.
"Tell me, everyone, how much do you think this civilization is worth?"
Oh, I can't wait to see what it all ends up selling for.
Could it be billions? Millions? Thousands? Hundreds? Then again, maybe I'd be lucky to get anything at all.
Trash IS trash, no matter how you dress it up. And who would ever pay so much as a cent for trash?
(Stare at her without saying anything)
... ...
(Bite your lip without saying anything)
Senpai...
？！
...H-hmm.
Good grief. That's one hell of a
Hmph!
If you really believe that, then you're the irredeemable villain here.
I thought I might be able to empathize with you, at least a little, after I saw how you run the Life Zone.
But this? This is just like...like...
Well, it's sneering at the failures of others, just like a hu
No, never mind. I won't say that. My point is, even a starving dragon has better taste than you!
...And who might you be?
I'm a Bogatyr of Kiev. I materialized here to save my motherland of Russia.
I'm Ibuki-Douji. I guess I never introduced myself, did I?
Well thank you. I appreciate your courtesy.
I knew who you all were, but you've saved me the trouble of identifying you individually.
Now then. Mr. Taigong Wang. Distinguished members of Chaldea.
I gather you've all said your piece?
I hadn't planned on talking for quite so long, but between my exhaustion from my run-in with Cernunnos...
...and you being so kind to PB, well, I felt as though my hands were tied.
But that all ends now.
We may have been compatriots up to this point, but no more.
...Huh?
Compatriots? What are you talking about?
？！
Oh my. You mean you hadn't realized?
Your top priority has been cutting down the Trees of Emptiness. Mine has been collecting life-forms.
We had no reason to be enemies.
If anything, we were birds of a feather, since we were both there in the Lostbelts as visitors.
...
But this time is different. This time, you came to my world, planning to kill me.
There was never anything for us to discuss. I admit that strange Heroic Spirit there with you may have thrown me off a bit.
But now, it's time for you humans to do what humans do best, and we beasts do what we do best.
There's no sense in us trying to understand each other. Let's just fight to the death and be done with it.
You had plenty of opportunities to run. You had time to realize your mistake.
But whether it was reckless bravery or sheer arrogance, you made just the sort of presumptuous decision I would expect from the so-called dominant species.
What a fitting end for you this will be, after so many repetitions of the same mistakes.
Ephemeral actions can only be answered with ephemeral pleasures.
Oh, and by the way...I won't be shouting my Beast name.
As far as I'm concerned, you humans don't deserve to hear it.
Koyanskaya's magical energy is rising rapidly!
Here we go. Her magical energy type is nothing like the shadow's we saw before!
I can feel the spell I'm using to protect my Spirit Origin being eroded... This power must eat away at anything related to humanity, even Divine Xian-level defenses!
So she's coming for us, huh.
I'm sure she's going to appear with six tails this time! Though I can't say how powerful she'll be until I see her for myself!
I'll put up as many mental defenses as I can, but try to keep ahold of yourselves!
Even the sight of a Beast like her is a dreadful weapon all its own!
(Refuse to look away)
(Steel yourself)
Her magical energy is skyrocketing! The Shadow Border's sensors can't even measure it anymore!
I'd say it's safe to assume that she's got at least as much magical energy as a Divine Spirit!
And her Spirit Origin's just as heavy as we thought!
She's still not fully mature, and yet...this peculiar way she's eroding the space around her...
...despite the fact that we're inside her own Reality Marble...
...is definitely the presence of a Beast! Master!
Be that as it may, she's still not complete! I'd say she's still growing!
Well she's sure not lacking for power! And I don't just mean her magical energy, either!
It feels like everything about her's just crazy strong!
...I am Beast IV.
Had there been no other Beasts to compare myself to, the Beast of Taming would inevitably come to dominate.
Compassion. Protection. Devotion. Scorn. Murder. Love.
At times, you direct your flames to slaughter. At times, you offer recompense and resolution, and extend the hand of contradictory affection.
Cruel humans, your wild nature has long been lost.
...!
Those things on her head... Are those great horns!?
Probably, given how much magical energy she has and how massive her Spirit Origin is. But her curse is still there, and without enough tails, she's pushing herself beyond her limits!
She is?
That's right. She's trying to force herself into a state of completion, but she's grown her body too quickly for the rest of her to keep up!
On the inside, she's still developing! She's practically a walking chrysalis right now!
So she's just about to "hatch," huh!? Beast of Taming!
...
？！
...Senpai.
Koyanskaya!
Even if it is contradictory...
？！
I don't think loving something is evil.
？！
And I can see there's something you love, too.
？！
Thought Keys, activate! The Kunlun Mountains belong to Yuanshi Tianzun!
In my hands lie the peerless treasured blades! Encompassing geography and astronomy alike, the eight trigrams lie within me!
Yuxu Tixian - Fengshen Zhixing!
That's the same second Anti-Beast Noble Phantasm I used before! It should still have at least some effect on her, since she's modeled herself after the Fair-faced Golden Fox!
It won't be enough to finish the job, but it should help us hold out until the very last moment!
Habetrot! We need your help!
All right, this is the big one, huh!? Got it! I'll keep the Black Barrel working at max firepower!
Taigong Wang! Was that Noble Phantasm you just used your big move?
No, it wasn't... And hey! That was supposed to be a secret!
Anyway, the effect is the same as last time! I mean, can YOU change your Noble Phantasm's effects on a whim!?
But never mind that. Right now, we need to do something to calm her down.
I can't use my trump card as long as she's so worked up!
I see. Okay then, I look forward to seeing what this trump card of yours is!
Yeah! I can't wait!
Fou fou!
Mo mo!
I'm counting on you too, Taigong Wang!
I'm excited to see what you've got!
？！
Right! I have high hopes, too!
Huh? What's this all about? Uh, yeah, you've got this, guy!
Ahaha. D-don't worry! I've absolutely got this!
(Oh man, talk about pressure!)
(...No, no. They all know what they're doing.)
(They're saying this so I don't get too tense when the big moment comes.)
(I must say, Taigong Wang, you've certainly been fortunate with your comrades!)
(In the past, you had Yang Jian, Prince Wucheng, and the Twelve Golden Immortals!)
(Now, you have the Chaldeans and Nikitich!)
(Right then. I won't let them down. Not for nothing did I get to be such a famous tactician!)
All right, everyone...
First of all, I need you to do whatever it takes to make her settle down!
So, hit her? On it!
Sometimes, the only way to get the stubborn types to listen is to knock some sense into them! Come, my mount!
You got it, Master! Oh man, it's freaking hot in here! And that's one hell of a monster, too!
That thing looks even tougher than Gorynych! Be careful, Master, or it'll tear us to shreds!
That's right! She will! Even I can't possibly handle her alone!
Which is why we're all fighting together! Though a single hero may be no match for some formidable foes...
...there is no foe a Bogatyr can't overcome by fighting alongside trusted comrades!
Hup!
Make sure you hold on tight, Master!
Let's go, everyone! This will be our final battle!
Mash!
？！
Right, Master!
Activating Ortinax's combat mode. Raising output to maximum while preserving auto-maintenance functionality!
...There! The Black Barrel's been reinforced! Go get her!
Output has reached one-hundred-percent! Switching Black Barrel to physical round support mode!
Battle preparations complete. I'm ready, Master!
Take the fight to the Beast!
？！
Understood!