Opening: Arctic Servants

...The time has come.

In my hand, a Holy Grail. Before me, a land of endless white nothingness.

Hehehe...

Hehe...hehehehehehe! Any who think they can stop me are most welcome to try!

Lady Skadi, please! Don't do this!

Is it really worth going this far away from Chaldea!?

Yeah! This isn't like you, Lady Skadi! Come on, let's just go home and have ice cream!

And don't forget about Master! How do you think he's going to feel about this!?

Even with Primordial Runes, you can only use your Independent Action for so long.

Now come on. Let's go home.

Hmm...

Master...

(That got her!)

Yeah, Master! He's gonna be so sad when he finds out you took a Holy Grail!

Actually, where did you even GET that Holy Grail?

The ones in the underground storage unit are kept under tight lock and key. So then...

...Is that a new Holy Grail, Lady Skadi!?

...Heh.

Hehehehehe... That it is. I obtained a Holy Grail for myself.

And I will not allow anyone to stand in my way. Not even Master.

Now...behold.

...Hehe. What do you think?

A swimsuit Spirit Origin!?

N-no, wait. If she only wished to change her Spirit Origin, she could have just used runes...

So, the fact that she used a Holy Grail instead must mean...

No way!

"Yes way," Ortlinde. You took your time with that realization.

As an expression of my love, I have decided to decorate the Arctic Circle with a brand new Singularity.

!!!

...I've found our first candidate.

Excuse me, could I have a word with you?

Huh?

Pardon me, you two. Could I have a moment of your time?

Hmph. What's a Valkyrie want with

Wait. Hm? You look different somehow.

Oh my! Is that a new swimsuit Spirit Origin!?

Swimsuit Spirit Origin?

(Smiling)

...

Mmm, I love it! This new Valkyrie swimsuit Spirit Origin of yours is just too cute for words!

I know what you mean. It's quite charming. Um... Hang on, don't tell me...

It is...some sort of summer swimsuit themed to military dress?

Yes, I think it is. In some ways it reminds me of Lady Osakabehime's summer Spirit Origin.

What a lovely outfit. It suits you very well, um...

Huh?

She's not Thrúrin (Thrúd), or Hilrin (Hildr), or Orrin (Ortlinde)...

So who is she?

Huh!?

It's true, she's not any of them. Only her scent matches the others. Tell me, what's your name?

...I should have known you three would figure it out.

The Valkyrie Spirit Origins are all supposed to be identical, but you still saw right through me.

It's a pleasure to meet you, Heroic Spirits of Chaldea.

My name is Geirskögul, but please, call me Irs.

This unit's name is Rindr. Nice to meet you.

I'm Rún! So pleased to make your acquaintance!

We are the three new Valkyrie sisters.

That is, we're three Valkyries who have recently been summoned separately from Thrúd, Hildr, and Ortlinde.

Now I see. You look like you're quite the sharpshooter, so...are you an Archer?

Or maybe an Assassin, judging from how you conceal your presence?

New Servants, huh. So how come Master didn't tell us about you?

Excellent question!

You see, we are not Chaldean Servants.

We're the new Valkyrie sisters summoned by Lady Scáthach-Skadi, Queen of the Arctic!

Skadi? Seriously?

Oh, but please don't misunderstand. We're still definitely Proper Human History Servants, okay?

Tell us, then...

What are Servants unaffiliated with Chaldea doing here?

Last I heard, Lady Scáthach-Skadi was still one of us. Are you telling me she's turned traitor?

... ...

I'm warning you now: if you mean Chaldea or our Master any harm, I will slice your Spirit Origin in two here and

Whoa, whoa, slow down, Rikopin!

The new gal here's packing a real wallop, but she hasn't aimed it our way yet.

If it was a fight she was after, we wouldn't be having this conversation, would we?

Hehe, you make a good point. I'm afraid I was a little hasty there.

It's summer; there's no telling when we might see someone cavorting about in an indecent Spirit Origin.

So as a motherer, the shadow prefect, I'm rather on edge just now.

Oh, hey! It IS summer, isn't it!? We'll all have to break out the swimsuits soon.

I'm...not sure swimsuits are really the matter at hand...

Actually, they are!

I... Pardon?

I AM here to discuss swimsuits! You see, we three sisters are

We are the swimsuit Spirit Origin Valkyrie sisters!

Swimsuit Spirit Origin Valkyrie sisters...?

Yep! Get it now?

Oh, uh, yeah. I...

...

...Er, what?

No! Sorry, I don't get it at all. What even is a swimsuit Spirit Origin?

Well, I've seen some Servants changing their Spirit Origins when summer rolls around...

...but I don't really know the details, and I haven't been able to ask Master about it, either, so...

I'm kind of in the dark.

Yeah? That's perfect!

I don't just need Servants who already have swimsuit Spirit Origins, I also need to gather up Servants who are new to the swimsuit thing!

And I've picked you! Let's go!

Um, I'm sorry, where are we go

Primordial Runes! Bestow upon us a summery outfit!

!!!

Woah!

...Yes, these are our swimsuit Spirit Origins, all right.

Hey! Why'd you grab me like that!?

Would've been really easy to dodge that if you hadn't grabbed me!

Now, now. She said "summery outfit," so I was sure it wouldn't be dangerous.

Besides, just look at us!

Don't you think two sisters changing into swimsuits at the same time is just wonderful?

No. HELL NO! And you'd better not be doing that creepy pretending to be our big sister thing again this year.

I'm not pretending to be anything. You and Jeanne Alter [srLily are my sisters, and Fujimaru is my younger brother:You, Jeanne Alter Lily, and Fujimaru are all my younger sisters].

Ugh. What is it about wearing a swimsuit that just makes you into one crazy bitch of a saint?

...

I knew it. You all look great. Your experience with swimsuit Spirit Origins is really paying off.

I'd also like to thank you, if I may, for letting me use this rune and not even trying to stop me!

I'm pretty sure you could have destroyed me and my rune all by yourself if you'd wanted, right?

Hmm... How should I put this...?

I suppose I forbore because I didn't sense any malice from you...and because Lady Nagiko had a very firm hold of my sleeve.

Besides, if there is a new summer Singularity out there...

...then it is my duty to observe it very closely from within. For decency's sake, of course!

That's right, I will not let anything risqué, indecent, immoral, or unacceptable happen on my watch!

(Whenever she says things like that, I can't help but wonder if Lady Raikou has ever actually looked in a mirror to see the swimsuit she's wearing...)

Hmm. Well, far as I'm concerned, all's cute that ends cute!

But check it out. Even the famed leader of the Genji here's downright beautiful in this outfit.

Wha

...Heh.

Okay, once again, I have a message for those of you with swimsuit Spirit Origins.

These words come straight from our Arctic Queen.

"Swimsuit Spirit Origin Servants of Chaldea."

"Come to the Arctic Circle..."

"...and enjoy all summer has to offer."

...Okay, let's go! I'll tell you the rest after we get there!

...Nope. Not a damn thing here!

Sure ain't!

No TV, radio...no vehicles either. Except my chariot, obviously.

The only thing this place has is an abundance of cold weather.

Yeah. If we weren't Servants, we'd already be frozen to death.

And Singularities aside, the whole damn planet looks like this now, even if it's not all this cold.

Although...

This IS the North Pole, right? So where's the Singularity?

I figured since those Valkyrie chicks invited us, there'd be...y'know, something here.

Right? Why go to the trouble of dragging us out to the middle of nowhere?

Exactly. What could they possibly wish me to do in these endless white plains?

I know, right? This is not what I had in mind when I came all this way.

I won't say it should be all sunshine and flowers, but it IS summer, and we're all in our swimsuits, right?

So there should at least be something here to give us a chance to live in style!

I know what you mean. Even a little bit of booze would go a long way here.

You Servants are nothing if not demanding.

But, hehehe, I just love that spirit!

Hm? Skadi? Is that you?

Yes, I am Scáthach-Skadi, Queen of the Arctic!

I am speaking to you from a great distance using a replica of Chaldea's communication system.

Let me take this opportunity to thank you all for accepting my invitation.

I've brought you all here...

...for a very simple purpose.

You are going to transform the North Pole into a summer paradise!

Paradise?

Indeed. I want you all to create the paradise of your dreams.

I can do little on my own, but with all you here to help...

...I declare here and now that I shall create the ultimate paradise in the North Pole! It shall be called...

Arctic Summer World!

Arctic Summer World...

Hmm. So that is your plan!

Do not hold back! Go, enjoy your summer!

...For it is here to stay for all eternity!

Right. Yes. I see.

So, essentially...it's business as usual?

I knew it. Good thing I've gotten used to these situations since...since...

Oh...oh, hell no! I'm not used to this at all! And frankly, no one SHOULD be used to this weirdness!

Oh, thank goodness. Your response was actually reasonable. We cannot let this go any further!

？！

What in the world are we even doing here!? How could we let yet ANOTHER Chaldea Servant create a Singularity!?

Do we have ANY security whatsoever for our stock of Holy Grails!? Let me remind you: a minute Singularity is still very much a Singularity!

We're supposed to be saving humanity from Singularities, not CREATING MORE!!!

Easy there, Gordy. Deep breaths. I think we're just dealing with a little misunderstanding, that's all.

Oh?

Let's start at the beginning. Would you do the honors, Mash?

Of course. According to our records...

This began when Scáthach-Skadi suddenly left Chaldea Base.

Essentially, she independently performed a pseudo-Zero Sail to travel to the Arctic Circle via Void Space.

She Zero Sailed without so much as a protective suit? Is she mad? I don't even want to think about what could have happened if she'd failed.

Fou. Fwa fou.

Not to mention that it wouldn't even be possible for an ordinary human to Zero Sail on their own! I swear, these Divine Spirits can get away with whatever the hell they want!

So what about the Holy Grail she used to make this Singularity!? I assume it's one of ours.

No, it actually seems she acquired it in the Arctic Circle. So...

Oh. So it's not one of Chaldea's Holy Grails after all?

That's right. Anyway, the three Valkyries, Thrúd, Hildr, and Ortlinde...

...all left Chaldea and arrived at the Arctic Circle almost simultaneously as Skadi.

Hmm. I don't see any way the Valkyries could have Zero Sailed on their own.

So they must have hitched a ride with Skadi.

"Hitched a ride"? You make it sound like they just grabbed a cab.

Of course it couldn't have been as simple as that. So I can only imagine they must have been willing to risk their lives to follow her.

Yes. I'm sure they were.

Yes, it does.

？！

So the obvious conclusion is that they were trying to stop her.

Right. Though unfortunately, it seems they didn't succeed.

Afterwards, Skadi's magical energy signal moved away from the Valkyries...

...who appear to currently be holding position where they arrived in the Arctic Circle.

Maybe after their negotiations failed, they decided to stay put and wait for Fujimaru to get there instead of going after Skadi.

An excellent, rational decision. All right then, what are we to make of these new Valkyries?

？！

Right. According to our records...

...three new Valkyrie sisters appeared inside the base not long after Skadi left.

All we know for certain right now is that they all possess different Spirit Origins from Thrúd, Hildr, and Ortlinde.

These new Valkyries made contact with a number of Servants...

...all of whom changed into swimsuit Spirit Origins and then traveled to the Arctic Circle themselves.

And that's not all.

At about the same time, a number of the Servants who didn't change into swimsuit Spirit Origins...

...used external magical energy to materialize from their spirit forms, then made their own way to the Arctic Circle.

DAMMIT! Every time! Every! Single! TIME!

I swear, what is it about summer that makes the Servants just flock to Singularities like they're hot new dance clubs or something!?

AVERAGE!? This has happened so many times you can actually calculate AVERAGES!?

Fou.

Am I imagining things, or is the little fur ball trying to console me?

ServantFes?

I don't remember much about that from the records, but wasn't it established that the recordkeeper in charge simply hallucinated that one?

They didn't? So ServantFes actually exists?

I mean, I've taken a vacation or two to Hawaii myself, and I do recall seeing some kind of convention, but...

Fou fou. (Special Translation: It definitely exists.)

？！

Well hey, either way, it's not like this is our first rodeo!

This baseor rather, the Wandering Sea is part of a highly unusual environment.

In general, it's impossible for external factors to intervene here, and vice versa...

So I suspect these Servants followed Skadi's Zero Sail trail to reach the Arctic Circle.

Uh, Technical Advisor? Is there such a thing as Zero Sail trails...?

Nope! Definitely not!

Didn't think so!

So we can probably assume this is some kind of Primordial Rune reality bending at work.

Man, those Age of Gods Mystics are something else! It's like there's literally nothing Divine Spirits can't do with them!

Especially if they have a Holy Grail at their disposal.

Which she does. We recorded a Holy Grail signal in the Arctic Circle right when this all happened.

And as I said earlier, this Holy Grail isn't one we've been keeping here at Chaldea.

So she found it in the Arctic Circle, huh?

Are we really okay letting Divine Spirits just do whatever the hell they want?

Well, they ARE literal gods. Of course they're going to be a bit much for humans to handle. We still need their help if we're going to save all humanity, though!

Well, yes, that's true. But still...

Oh well, I suppose there's nothing to be gained working myself into a tizzy. The fact is, Skadi used a Holy Grail to create a Singularity at the North Pole.

And Divine Spirit or not, it's still only a minute Singularity, no?

So then, won't it close on its own soon enough?

Granted, we still need to collect this new Holy Grail, and it would certainly make us all feel better if we sealed this minute Singularity while we did so.

But then again, this IS Scáthach-Skadi we're up against. Though I must say, she doesn't strike me as the kind of Divine Spirit to try anything truly dangerou

Fou!

Eep! You scared me, fur ball.

Huh!?

Senpai, it's

？！

I apologize for not being present in person! I have a report regarding this Singularity straight from the computer room.

Here is a rough overview of the strange predictions Trismegistus II just spat out:

"This Singularity will never disappear on its own."

"This abnormal situation in the North Pole will continue forever unless Chaldea stops it."

"This park will never close."

Huh?

...Huh?

There you have it! It would seem your summer plans have been made!

D-d-dammit aaall! What happened to you, Scáthach-Skadi!? Have you lost your mind!?

Corrufou!

No, it doesn't. But either way, we still have to shut down this Singularity!

R-right!

？！

We can't ignore Trismegistus II's calculations! Prepare to deploy for field operations, immediately!

Your mission will be to resolve this Singularity...

...and to find out why Skadi made it in the first place.

Okay, Fujimaru, go get ready! We'll Rayshift you to the North Pole in ten minutes!

？！

Okay, all set to leave?

This Singularity is located in the North Pole, in the present day.

I wish Holmes and I could go with you, but I'm afraid we've got our hands full with a very important ongoing project.

I wish Holmes and I could go with you, but I'm afraid we've got our hands full installing the sacred sword armament on the Border.

Man, this sucks. I wanted to visit the North Pole, too!

Hehe. Yeah, I guess you're right!

？！

So for the time being, I'll have Mash handle support for me.

Sorry about this, Mash! I'm sure you would've liked to enjoy your summer, too.

It's no problem! Providing support from the base is important, too!

And this summer, I'm not going to take my eyes off of Senpai for a second!

Wow, you're really fired up about this, aren't you! Okay, great.

So, as far as we can tell, this Singularity in the Arctic Circle is keeping a number of Servants held inside it.

This may be pretty standard for summer Singularities, but it's still a problem we need to resolve.

The upside here is that there will be no shortage of Servants to accompany you on this mission.

So if nothing else, you should at least be good as far as manpower goes!

Right!?

Fou.

R-right. Every one of these Servants is very skilled on the battlefield!

(Glance)

Mmmmmmmmm...

Mmmmmm, rest assured, you will be in good hands with me!

I guarantee it!

？！

？！

(Pleasant smile)

And of course, I won't be the only one. Isn't that right?

... ...

Good grief. I guess the winter incident wasn't enough. How strange for Skadi to be involved in something like this twice in the span of a year.

She may be suffering from a condition that causes erratic behavior. The sooner I can examine her, the better.

And on top of that... Hehehe, you said we're going to the North Pole, yes?

Such a remote location is bound to be home to rare and unusual diseases. As I am a member of the medical team, it makes perfect sense for me to come along.

？！

However, I'm not thrilled about going along with an Alter Ego who seems to be little more than a walking pathogen... With your permission, Master, I'd be happy to dispose of him.

Or perhaps I needn't even ask permission?

？！

Naturally. And I have no intentions of changing that. I promise.

(Absolutely does not buy any of this)

(Keeping a straight face)

So, uh, you guys don't mind if I go now, right?

N-not at all. Please, go right ahead!

Okay, so, my turn.

They said this one's up in the North Pole, Master? Great! That sounds nice and cool!

？！

That's me! ...Hm? You're saying my normal getup looks more fitting for hot weather?

That may be true, but don't worry about it! Anyway, both Gareth and I are excited to work with you all!

Thank you, Yan Qing! That's right, Master, I'll be coming along, too!

So we're going to the North Pole? Then we might see polar bears! I hear they're really strong!

...Which is why I thought a mystic sword would come in handy!

？！

Ehehe. Yes, it's me.

Thanks to my new Spirit Origin, I'm now a mystic sword wieldera Saber!

So you don't have anything to worry about! I can handle things if we get into a rough spot!

Bow!

Oh, and Aned here's coming too, of course!

？！

You'll also be accompanied by three more Servants: the Valkyries Thrúd, Hildr, and Ortlinde.

As I mentioned earlier, they should already be waiting for you in the Arctic Circle.

Yup! It's like I told you, there're lots of eligible Servants this time!

That's right!

？！

So, did those three new Valkyries give all of you your new swimsuit Spirit Origins, too?

They did for me, yeah.

Me too!

Not me. The Lancer Scáthach just...decided to mess with my Spirit Origin the other day.

Damn, seriously?

Seriously.

Guess that's what you get with a crazy Celt!

I wouldn't say that. It turned into an outfit that's much easier to move, fitting for a summer medic.

Also, strictly speaking, this is a Spiritron Dress, not a swimsuit Spirit Origin.

Oh, right. Guess mine is too.

Oho, I see, I see. For my part, I tweaked my own Spirit Origin and came up with this Spiritron Dress myself.

What do you think? Does it suit me?

？！

Uh, you okay there, Douman? Your face is looking kind of...freaky.

Why, this is merely a smile. Do you take issue with smiling as a matter of principle?

THAT'S a smile...?

Personally, um, I find those wriggling morning glories to be scari

I-I mean, I'm not scared or anything! They're just really creepy!

Heh. I can't blame Lady Gareth for being wary. These vampiric shikigami have been known to feast even on the blood of Heroic Spirits, you know.

Oh? I see, I see.

？！

Very well then, I shall put them away for the time being.

Hup!

Whoa! Now that's a much snazzier outfit!

Yup.

Come to think of it...

How come you two didn't go the Arctic Circle after your Spirit Origins were transformed, Yan Qing and Gareth?

I probably would have, if it wasn't for Yan Qing. Thank you again for helping me out.

No problem.

？！

Well...

The runes didn't seem to work too well on me, and the new Valkyrie didn't know what to do about it.

Maybe it's 'cause of the Phantom Spirit I've got mixed in with my Spirit Origin?

Anyway, that bit of luck gave me a chance to leave. When I did, I took Gareth here with me since she was there too.

？！

You think?

Definitely. If you hadn't done that, I wouldn't be able to accompany Master on this mission! Thank you again!

No worries.

A sound decision, medically speaking.

Hey, thanks.

Mmm, a most wise judgment indeed.

Uh, riiight. Thanks...

It's all right. No need to be shy.

Damn, you really mean that, don't you?

Okay, enough staring contests!

Now then, is everyone ready to go?

？！

Ready when you are!

All good!

No problems here.

Leave it to me!

Hm. Ashiya Douman's smile is...more than slightly worrying, but he HAS been behaving himself this year, so... Okay!

Good luck in the Arctic Circle, Fujimaru!

Mash, start the countdown, please!

Understood. Initiating countdown. T-minus ten seconds to Rayshift!

Woo! So this is the Arctic Circle!

Look at this place! Nothing but wide-open space everywhere you look!

It does kinda look how I imagined the North Pole would...

Then again, it feels like there's something pretty off about it?

？！

Hey, yeah. Now that you mention it, the temperature's tuned to perfection. I'm guessing that's the Holy Grail at work?

Okay, I get it. They knew they had to make this a real summer Singularity if they were gonna gather swimsuit Servants.

？！

It certainly is warm, especially for the Arctic Circle. I can even feel a nice, cool breeze.

...Though of course, regional climates can only differ so much when the whole world has been bleached to nothingness.

I dunno. If nothing else, the sun seems like it's doing just fine out here!

？！

What was that?

...Tch. It IS larger than usual. Ugh, just what I need, an even bigger reminder of Apollo's stupid face.

Least there's no way for a star to reach us here, Singularity or not. Oh, right. Meteors. Damn...

I'm not seeing any abnormal readings in the sky. Maybe it just looks bigger than usual.

It also differs from our records of the Scandinavian Lostbelt, so if nothing else, we can rule out any connection to the King of Giants.

Yeah, definitely wouldn't want to go up against that guy!

So, if this is the North Pole...does that mean we'll find polar bears here?

I don't know. Will we?

Indeed. It reminds me of a theme park.

Mmm, it does seem like one, yes.

？！

I don't see any Ferris wheels or roller coasters...

...but there is indeed something in the air here that just feels fun!

Why don't you bust out your own swimsuit, Master? You've got a Mystic Code like that, right?

That's quite a large ice castle in the center there. One of its towers is almost lost in the clouds.

Quite a large place, isn't it? It would be easy enough to exhaust ourselves just going from place to place here.

Wait! Something's coming!

I'm picking up a magical energy signal headed your way! Please be careful, Senpai!

Wait. Is that

Hey! There he is!

Master! Over here!

？！

？！

It's a boat! A really big boat!

It looks like it's meant for sailing on ice.

Oho, what a majestic sight! Is this a cruise ship?

So this is the source of that magical energy signal... Are you all right, Senpai?

？！

Heeey! Masteeer!

Master! It's me! Hildr!

And me! Ortlinde!

Y-yes, it's us!

Sure is!

？！

Please, come aboard! We can talk more in the cabin!

Knock, knock...

Whoa! It's like a real home in here!

No comment about how fancy everything is, Gareth? You must be pretty used to royal living yourself.

Hmm, a real home indeed.

You too, huh, Douman...

Yeah, it is pretty homey.

So I'm the only one who feels out of place here?

？！

That's more like it! I knew you'd understand, Master!

An enormous cruise ship that suddenly appeared atop the ice... That's quite the mystery we're leading off with.

Master!

Sorry, Master! We tried to stop Lady Skadi, but we couldn't!

I'm sorry, Master. I hope you will give us a chance to redeem ourselves.

？！

Oh, it's the three old model Valkyries.

So it would seem, yes.

Huh!?

Wh-what do you mean "old model"!? Th-that almost sounds as if we're...obsolete...

Hm?

Oh my. Do forgive

You can call those other Valkyries the "new" ones if you like, but please don't refer to us as "old."

...Got it?

(Sigh of relief)

Well, just be careful, okay!? We Valkyries are very sensitive!

Juuust kidding. We're not like ordinary human girls. At least, we shouldn't be.

？！

Understood. Now, what's going on with this ship?

It's not your Noble Phantasm, is it?

No, it's not. Lady Skadi gave it to us.

She said we can use it to get around the North Pole SingularityArctic Summer World.

But, you don't need a ship to get around; you can fly. So then...

Yes. It must be meant for Master.

Heh, well, she's being awfully generous.

Yeah. Is she really being this generous just out of the goodness of her heart?

A fair question. Still, this does seem like something she would do, does it not?

Scáthach-Skadi, goddess of ice and snow. A Lostbelt King somewhat preoccupied with love.

Perhaps this very ship is another expression of that love?

Indeed.

Perhaps she truly meant no harm in creating this Singularity? She may even think she's doing a good deed.

？！

(Stare)

(Glare)

Hahaha. Stare all you like. It will accomplish nothing productive.

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't even realize I was doing that...

I know what you mean. Something about the way Douman talks just raises ALL the red flags and leaves you on high alert, yeah?

N-no, that's not quite what I meant.

No?

Um, whenever Douman talks, do you get chills down your spine, too?

Huh? You don't?

Would you say that's more pure instinct, like a hunch, or more of a defensive reaction?

Hm???

Ahahahaha. You do remember we're all Servants under the same Master, yes?

Y-yeah! Good point!

At any rate, this is a gift from Skadi, yes? Got it.

And that's not all! Check this out! See those stairs at the back of the cabin?

They lead down to a host of personal cabins. You should be able to get a good night's sleep there, Master.

Yeah! This ship's even got a rec room, and a nice big shower.

So use whatever you like when you have some downtime, Master!

...Hmm.

I take it this ship doesn't use a typical engine?

Amazing, right? This ice-top cruise ship runs entirely on Primordial Runes!

I think its official name is "Ice Wanderer"?

Whoa, cool name, too!

Anyway, this seems like it's all on the up-and-up, but I'm gonna take a look around just to make sure there's no traps.

There don't seem to be any I can see, either...but checking to make sure is a good idea!

Right?

I'll go with you.

Sure.

(Whatever you do, don't let him out of your sight. I'm counting on you.)

(Yeah, don't worry, I know.)

？！

Y-you finally noticed? That's right. We're not Lancers anymore.

We came here in pursuit of Lady Skadi...

...but not only were we not able to stop her, she turned the tables on us.

Uh...how so?

Oh, uh, not in an aggressive way. She didn't attack us or anything.

She just changed our Spirit Origins against our will because we wouldn't do what she told us.

...And that's why we have these swimsuit Spirit Origins now.

Maybe she thought we would start listening to her this way.

We didn't, though.

Um, maybe she just thought it would help you get into the spirit of summer if you dressed for the occasion!

What is it they say? Fake it till you make it?

Hmm...

...Oh. Maybe it was one of those "fake it till you make it" things?

Maybe she just thought it would help you get into the spirit of summer if you dressed for the occasion!

？！

That does sound plausible...

But that's not how it worked out.

We told her right to her face that none of this would make us change our minds.

That's when she...

Nnnnnn...

Fine then. See if I ask you to do something for me ever again.

(Snub)

Lady Skadi!

But, I do still need help... Very well then, I will try asking some OTHER Valkyries.

Other Valkyries...?

And that's how the new Valkyries ended up being summoned.

There's Rindr, who was manufactured at the same time as Thrúd...

Rún, who was manufactured at the same time as me, but was one of the last in that batch to wake up...

And Irs, who was manufactured at the same time as Ortlinde.

And those are the three other Valkyries the Holy Grail summoned.

Have you not met them yet, Master?

？！

...You won't talk about us as though we're outdated now, will you?

Thank you, Master.

I appreciate that, Master.

？！

？！

Oh!

I-I, um... Th-thank you, Master...

Ehehehe. Thanks, Master!

We have returned. I found no signs of any traps aboard.

Same here. No secret mechanisms or anything, either.

It likewise seems to be free of any nasty spells or curses. I suggest you use it gratefully, with a clean conscience.

If you're gonna use a ship, we're gonna need a way to steer it.

Um, we'd like to help, but we don't have Riding Skill since we're Assassins now, so...

Not I.

I'm a doctor, not a helmsman.

？！

I'm technically a Saber now, so I do have Riding Skill...

...but I'm not confident I could safely steer a ship this size, especially when it involves Master's safety.

Good grief. Looks like it's all up to me then.

Worry not. I'll handle the ship.

Director!?

Oho!

Mmm!

Director Goredolf!

Hmm.

Wait. When did I even get here!?

Checking Chaldea Base now...and I'm not seeing the director's signal anywhere!

That really is Goredolf, our...relatively new director!

But when did you Rayshift there, Director!?

？！

Fooou!

Wah! Where did you come from, fur ball!?

Fou!?

？！

Fou, fooou!

Oh, that reminds me! I think Lady Skadi might've said something about this.

That's right. She mentioned having sent an expert in helming ships. Do you think she meant...?

Yes, I think she did.

Me!? So, you're saying I was pulled here via magecraft?

So I've basically been summoned? Is that it?

Or maybe she put some sort of restriction on you that made it so you accompanied Senpai on his Rayshift of your own freeuh, will?

Fou fooou.

W-well, I do of course have experience steering a cruiser! I do!

But even so...don't you think this is being overly reckless?

Hahahahaha. It would seem we have our helmsman.

Now then, Master, my fellow Servants. Could I ask for a moment of your time?

Why did you bring us all out to the deck?

To set the mood, of course.

For I am about to tell you all about this Singularity.

Huh?

While I was looking around the ship earlier, I sent out shikigami to survey our surroundings.

Or, if you prefer modern parlance, I had them run a scan of the whole Singularity.

The entire Singularity?

Indeed.

？！

First, let me ask you this: Where would you like to take this ship??

？！

Then I can tell you where you'll need to go.

...The Arctic Demonic Ice Castle.

That's where you'll find Lady Skadi.

Hmm, I see. That is quite a distance away from our current location.

We will need to navigate through a number of different areas. And even with this large ship at our command, we won't be able to simply force our way through.

That so...

... ...

You see, each area operates under unique rules, much like Reality Marbles.

Reality Marbles... Those are said to be one of the greatest secrets in all of magecraft.

It takes incredible talent, lots of hard work, and a good helping of luck just to get your foot in the door with them.

I myself don't have any plans to learn how to create one at the moment...

...but I certainly wouldn't rule out the possibility that I may get around to it someday. Nope.

That being said, as a mage, I can't condone someone making such casual use of such extraordinary magecraft.

Do keep in mind, Director, these places merely operate in a similar manner to Reality Marbles. Keeping multiple Reality Marbles in operation for any period of time would be fiendishly difficult.

That being said, hehe, Divine Spirits certainly don't do anything by halves, do they!?

And in another unfortunate turn of events, this particular one is a goddess who was given Primordial Runes by the Allfather himself!

If she's using a Holy Grail to fuel her misdeeds, it will be all but impossible to disable these Bounded Fields ourselves!

No, on second thought, let me rephrase that: disabling these Bounded Fields would be...somewhat difficult.

How's rephrasing that make any difference?

It does not. The fact remains that we will not be able to do so ourselves.

So, instead of trying to force our way through, we should take part in each area's respective attractions!

...Mmm.

Mmmm, I'm delighted you're so willing to accept my reasoning, Master. I will, however, not inquire as to whether you are nodding merely because you don't know how else to react.

Well, my fair Valkyries? Lady Mash?

Am I correct in my assessment?

...It's true. I confirmed it myself.

I'm not exactly an expert at scanning spaces, but my quick and dirty diagnosis returns the same results.

Each area operating on its own distinct rules is the heart of the disease (read: Singularity) eating away at the Arctic Circle.

Do you concur, Mash?

？！

Y-yes, that's all accurate. I just scanned your surroundings as well, and my results are the same.

Each area is surrounded by a Bounded Field.

Hmm, Bounded Fields, huh?

We don't know the specifics, but we do remember one thing Lady Skadi said:

"Only those who enjoy summer will be able to make it through this North Pole paradise."

Yup, she definitely said something like that!

Only those who enjoy summer... Nnn...

Could it be some kind of riddle?

I don't know. In my experience, things like this tend to be pretty much as they appear.

I concur.

Yeah, I feel the same.

Indeed. So, how will we go about enjoying summer?

？！

To determine that, I believe our best course would be to ask the Servant in charge of a given area!

Okay, so our plan for the time being is to cautiously steer this ship towards that ice castle.

How does that sound?

？！

Works for me.

No problems here.

I like that plan, too!

Fooou! (Special Translation: Then let's get going!)

...Fou fou. (Special Translation: ...By the way, are we ABSOLUTELY SURE we can trust Douman?)