Section 14: Eternal Madness Theater, Septem

...I knew it. I knew this is what I would see.

...The setting sun.

It doesn't seem like there's anyone here.

Quite a sad sight, yes.

It reminds me of a forgotten, abandoned stage.

I think I would've preferred actual ruins.

So you guys are coming along with us after all.

Yup. Now that we know the Incarnadine Demonic Beasts are rebelling, there's no telling what kind of freaky stuff could happen next.

Which means this isn't the time to be fighting amongst ourselves. Right, Tiamat?

I'm only doing to this to protect my beloved child, Fujimaru.

I'm still going to kill Sodom's Beast eventually. That hasn't changed.

You hear that, Beast VI? Sooner or later, I'm going to kill you!

...

She's, uh, not paying you any attention.

Gaaah!

Hey, don't take it out on me.

I know. I'm just venting.

？！

Well, seeing how we're out in the middle of nowhere right now, I guess we start by making our way to Rome.

No.

Huh?

There are no cities here. There are not even any nations. What we now behold IS the second imitation Singularity.

The setting sun stretches out into eternity.

...I see.

So this was the last thing you saw before you died...

？！

？！

I don't get it. Explain so I can understand.

This is the land of Emperor Nero's death. The place where Nero Claudius cut her own throat.

...

I'm sorry.

You really mean that, don't you?

...No matter. This is all meaningless, anyway.

I see. So my foolish selfthat is, Chaldea's Nero, has told you.

I am surprised she was willing to reveal this ugly side of herself. You must have forged a strong bond indeed.

Yes, that is right. This is the land of my death; it is where Nero Claudius cut her own throat.

...

My final moments were truly disgraceful.

I heard applause while none clapped. I clung to salvation I was never offered. I died miserably, dripping with my own blood and tears.

That must be why we are seeing this now.

The Incarnadine Demonic Beasts must be trying to unsettle me, just like they did in the Fourth Singularity...

Vexing as it is, the same trick will not work on me twice.

Huh!? Look out!

AH... AAA, AAAAAAAAAAAAH!

？！

Welp, that didn't take long.

Nnnope. Really didn't.

Ahhh... It hurts... It hUUurTsss!

My hEAd... It's splitting open!

The hell're you on about? You don't even have one.

...

This pitiful seal... This meager poison...is not nearly enough to stop me!

I...

I refuse destruction. I reject the curtainfall. I rebel against the setting sun.

We are the Seven Crowns of the Beast. We are the Seven Heads of the Dragon. I, Incarnadine Demonic Beast Superbia, shall trample you with pride!

So this is how it feels to have your hand bitten by the hound you feed. How irritating.

Wail all you like. I will not listen, for I cannot abide time wasted.

Return to me now, Superbia!

...Yes. Superbia has indeed returned to me.

That was...weirdly easy.

Whadda ya mean, easy? That was as rough as it gets.

I swear, you Celts and your stupid trials.

You see that!? There's no enemy Mother can't handle! Hehe!

The Incarnadine Demonic Beasts are still merely clones of me. Now that I know their game, they no longer pose a threat.

Come. We need not remain in this dreadful place any longer.

Next is the last Singularity, Orleans.

？！

...Urgh!? My head...!

？！

？！

Ah... Ghh... Aaaaaah!

...Stop it.

...Please, stop this.

I must cut you down where you stand.

You...!

A tyrant's wandering dream! The reflection of a flower that forgot how to wither!

The ghost of mine that cannot accept this end! Show yourself and take up your sword!

... ...

I might be a bit late, but... I shall right my wrongs with my own sword!

It should be around here. The shape of the rocks, the sound of the wind, the faded color of the setting sun...

？！

？！

I remember it all, even now. The fate of an emperor who died here, in these wastelands.

？！

Nero didn't die that easily.

Or more like she couldn't die, rather. She couldn't breathe. Her heart ached. Her eyes burned.

Three days passed and Nero still wasn't discovered by her pursuers.

... ...

The Fifth Emperor, Nero Claudius, implores you. My Master, Fujimaru.

Lend me your strength. I shall right my wrongs with my own sword.

？！

？！

Well, crap.

I forgot poison doesn't work on you, does it, Master? Dammit.

？！

(Sigh) Fine. This really isn't how I like to do things, but if force is what I've got to use...

Master.

If I can't kill you with poison, I'll kill you more directly.

？！

Sorry, but I definitely can't let that happen.

Tch. Are you immune to poison too?

Nooot exactly, no.

But, I do have some experience when it comes to dreams and illusions!

Krgh!

？！

Ahaha... I guess it affected me more than I thought.

So, if the rest of you could come to your senses soon, that'd be great!

Oh, more complications. Greeeat. Eh, it's not like you're suddenly poison-free now.

Hey... Mushroom lady...! What the hell are you doing...!?

What do you mean, what am I doing? I've been your enemy all along, dumbass.

Oogh... I feel sick...

Beast or no, your Spirit Origin's not nearly what it used to be. I'm sure my poison's doing a reeeal number on you.

What is WITH that poison!? It's way stronger than anything you've used before...

Well, yeah. Septem here's my home.

And we Floor Guardians get special privileges in our homes.

Huh!?

？！

...

Hang in there, Lady Nero. It won't be much longer now until it's all over.

What are you...going to do...?

Kill Lady Nero, of course.

？！

Hmm... I see. I suspected as much.

You're a properly summoned Servant, aren't you, Locusta?

That's right. I'm Locusta, an Assassin, the Floor Guardian of the second imitation Singularity...

...and a Servant summoned to this Spiral Proof World to destroy Sodom's Beast.

Huh!? Fujimaru, get back!

Personally, I couldn't care less about the Beast's contracted Master.

I honestly don't even care about the Second Singularity or the Incarnadine Demonic Beasts.

All I care about is killing Lady Nero.

Still, I can't very well have you getting in my way, so...

Dammit! More enemies!

Why don't you just get ready to meet your maker!?

Ghh!

C'mon, what's the matter? Can't you even stand up properly!?

Why, you little...!

？！

Certain conditions had to be met.

I knew the lock would never open unless we were in Septem...in Lady Nero's final resting place.

Lock?

Yep. Lock.

The lock to Lady Nero'sthat is, Sodom's Beast's Secret Garden...

？！

SG, or Secret Garden. A chamber hidden deep within Draco's heart.

Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't be possible to open like this.

But thanks to this being the second imitation Singularity...along with the unique properties of this Spiral Proof World...

...and above all, Locusta being a special Floor Guardian...

...she may just succeed.

Well, I AM an incubus, you know. If anything, YOU being here is the weird part.

This is the inside of Draco's heart.

At the moment, you're falling even deeper into it.

How did you end up here inside her? That, I couldn't tell you.

Maybe it's the contract that bound you to her? Or maybe it's that someone has been guiding things from behind the scenes...

An SG is, well, a secret that its owner wants to keep hidden. It could be a traumatic incident, an unusual hobby, or a particular taste...

Whatever it is, once the secret is exposed, the heart's walls come tumbling down, leaving it raw and vulnerable.

And at this moment, you and I are diving deep into Draco's subconscious to see that secret for ourselves.

How did you end up here inside her? That, I couldn't tell you.

Maybe it's the contract that bound you to her? Or maybe it's that someone has been guiding things from behind the scenes...

？！

But, now that you're here, allow me to guide you through this dream. Just make sure you stay close to me.

？！

Every Servant summoned to this Spiral Proof World is here to hunt down Sodom's Beast.

Locusta is no exception.

So we'd better hurry. She's making her way further into Draco's subconscious, too.

Once she's there, she's no doubt got a card to play.

？！

True.

Locusta was Emperor Nero's personal poison maker. She knows her inner darkness very well.

I imagine she had complicated feelings about all this. If we're going to find out what they were, we'll have to confront her head-on.

Essentially, Locusta bore firsthand witness to much of Emperor Nero's life and that life was drenched in blood and poison.

Now then, are you ready, Master of Chaldea?

？！

Well said. All right, hold on tight...

Now, begin the spiral down into the depths! ...Heh, good one, right?