13: Servant Summer Festival!

Master. We've warned all the attendees that they may have to evacuate...

...and we've stationed UDK troops at locations where we expect Ceasunnos may appear.

We have thirty minutes to go. If things go as they have before, we could see it at any moment...

Don't worry. Our plan is perfect.

Ceasunnos... A curse of gatekeeping is a helluva thing.

As a certified ServantFes stan, I have lots of comforting things to say to a pitiful, argumentative monster like that!

...

What's that look for? Don't tell me you of all people are afraid? Or are you something of a gatekeeper yourself?

It's not that. I'm not worried about Ceasunnos right now.

Not to say Ceasunnos isn't a terrible matchup for me. In fact, there's a solid chance I get caught up in its curse myself...

Anyway, my point is, it's not JUST Ceasunnos I'm worried about. Wandjina's on the verge of disappearing, and there're no more resets.

And now that we're at the end, I've got a nasty feeling we might see all the calamities showing up together.

Whoa, are you nuts? Why would you say something like that? That's like the definition of asking for trouble.

Emergency. Emergency. A typhoon has formed off the coast.

It is headed this way at one hundred kilometers per hour, with wind gusts reaching up to one hundred and twenty meters per second.

"Oceanunnos, the enshrined deity of storms and waves, is headed this way."

I repeat. A typhoon has formed off the

Oceanunnos!?

And now more breaking news: a large fire has just broken out in the city's central area.

The flames are spreading rapidly, and are on track to engulf all of Waikiki.

Concurrently, a new calamity has appeared: Burnunnos, the enshrined deity of flame.

This concludes our breaking news segment.

Burnunnos!?

Alert! More breaking news: a powerful magical energy vortex has appeared directly above the ServantFes venue.

Citizens who have been exposed to the vortex's magical energy have gone berserk and are currently running rampant through the main street's shops.

Spirit Origin Scale: Divine Spirit. Attributes: Queen and Quarrel-Lover.

Ceasunnos, the enshrined deity of the obsessive gaze, will materialize in ten minutes.

Ceasunnos!?

Why the hell are you surprised!? We already know who all these things are!

？！

Never mind that now! What's Burnunnos doing here, Baobhan Sith!?

Didn't you say you would keep it in check!?

What!? How would I do that when I'm here with all of you?

Besides, I finished my book, and you guys finished yours...

...so shouldn't I be here at the hall with the rest of the club?

Yeah, good point! Of course you'd feel that way! Dammit, you're even more of a spoiled rich girl than I thought!

What was that!?

？！

Burnunnos and Ceasunnos are land-based gods. We can handle them on our own.

But Oceanunnos is another story. We'll need advanced flight capabilities to deal with its threat.

？！

And that's my cue! Okay, you got it!

But, like, it'll just be me out there, right? I don't think I can take it on my own...

Is that so? If you don't think you're up to it, you can always stay behind, Suzuka.

I still haven't shot that thing enough for my tastes, so I don't mind going out there alone.

Hi, Master! Are you watching? I'm going to go defeat Oceanunnos now, okay♡

Huh? Wh-who might you be again!?

Woohoo, a modern-day fighter girl! If she isn't our ally, I don't know who is!

Everyone knows badassery and justice go hand in hand!

So that's your serious look, huh? If you thought that'd make me back down, you got no freakin' idea what high school girls can do.

How 'bout a race to see who can reach Oceanunnos first? You go by air, I'll go by sea.

A fair competition with no handicaps, hm? I like the way you think, Suzuka.

But I'm not the only one here who can fly. Isn't it about time you said something, Baobhan Sith?

I'm pretty sure you can fly with that Spirit Origin if you just make a few tweaks.

What would you know? Besides, even if I could, I'm the Enshrined Deity Priestess.

I'm the only one who can pacify Burnunnos, so I have to stay her

Well, what do you know. She finally showed up.

All right, I changed my mind. Count me in for the Oceanunnos fight.

I'm a freaking Tam Lin. Of course I can fly if I want.

I'll have you know I overcame my self-binding curse ages ago!

Serious, mean, selective, and savage, all in one. Tam Lin Tristan is back for her Proper Human History debut!

Heh. It seems our training in the woods wasn't wasted after all.

Do you have to smile like a proud teacher? I mean, I do appreciate your help, but still.

There's no time to waste. Master, we're going to go defeat Oceanunnos before it can make land.

I'm sure we'll have no trouble between the three of us, but if you have nothing better to do, we wouldn't mind some backup.

Okay, you two, let's get going. Come on. We're going to be the first ones to claim victory.

Okay guys, see you later! Don't forget to record a video of us for Servantgram, Mash!

R-right! But what about Burnunnos!? Are you sure you don't need to be here for that, Baobhan Sith!?

It'll be fine now that she's here. These fires can't be any worse than the ones she dreams of every day.

So don't worry about the First and Second Calamities. We Tam Lin will handle them.

You just hit the Third Calamity, Ceasunnos, with everything you guys got.

All right, I'm gonna get going too! And I'm gonna enjoy the hell out of ServantFes once I get back!

"Good news, everyone. The fires in central Waikiki are being rapidly extinguished."

"There is no need for convention attendees to evacuate."

"Tam Lin Barghest, captain of the UDK, is on the scene putting out the fire as we speak."

？！

This rage feels as though it is bubbling up from the very ground. It will take more than a few hoses to extinguish these flames.

We should forget about trying to put them out and focus on getting the people to safety. Buildings can be rebuilt, but human lives are irreplaceable.

Easier said than done! I swear, this is exactly what I hate about vagabonds!

What kind of future do you think will be left for these people without their homes!? We cannot call ourselves heroes if we do not save their lives AND their houses!

Hmm, you both make great points, but I don't think it's going to make much difference.

We're completely surrounded by flames, so there's nowhere left to run.

The only solution I can see is to use my Death Claw to dig a big hole in the ground and hope for a mir Waaah!

How is adding an earthquake to a fire going to help!? When this is all over, I'm going to have you write a formal report explaining how you could have handled the situation better!

No way! Th-that strict, yet caring voice... Captain!? Is that you!?

What happened to you!? You're literally burning up!

Oh, wait, I get it. You're gonna use your patented "fight fire with explosions" technique! But, uh, isn't that also going to kill all the people we're trying to save?

...I'm not going to use fire. I only took this form for the journey here.

Well done, members of my UDK! I know I have relied heavily upon you so far. Now, I am ready to do my part!

Stand back! My fangs will quell these flames!

...That's right. I have no need to be Tam Lin Gawain.

I merely used Sir Gawain's name as armor to hide my own weakness.

But no more. Today, I shed that armor and take my rightful place as High Queen Morgan's knight.

I, a member of the Fang clan, shall protect all life on this island from any fire that threatens it!

I am Tam Lin Barghest! Now have at you, Enshrined Fire Deity Burnunnos!

As a calamity that escaped from Faerie Britain, you shall be dealt with by fae hands!

The battles to defeat Oceanunnos and Burnunnos are both off to a good start!

All that's left is the deity that's going to appear here at the ServantFes venue!

"Ceasunnos will appear in one hundred and twenty seconds. One hundred... Eighty... Sixty... Forty..."

Master. Miss Alcas, as Knights of the Round Table, our first duty is to protect the lives of ordinary citizens.

Even now that we know Ceasunnos is actually Yaraändoo, we cannot hold back. Do you understand?

Yeah. We'll never be able to defeat her unless we go all out. Besides, we need to completely destroy the deity's Spirit Origin at least once if we want to save her.

Watch out for Ceasunnos's eye! It'll charm you if it does something fancy after it flashes!

"...Zero. Ceasunnos is about to appear."

？！

"Attention, everyone in Hawaltria."

"Thanks to everyone's efforts, the calamities that have emerged at land, sea, and the festival venue have all been defeated."

"However, although the danger has passed, there is still a risk of the emergence of secondary calamities, so please conduct yourselves in an orderly fashion."

Cnoc na Riabh! I'm sorry! Are you okay!?

You don't have any broken ribs, ruptured organs, or serious injuries, do you!?

...Hmm. Chocolate alone isn't going to cut it these days...

I'll always stan it, of course, but there's also macaroons... Custard... Crepes...

The point is, I'm going to need lots of 'grammable chocolate to go viral with if I want to increase my followers (read: slaves)...

Looks like the only injury was to her head. This is just what she's always like.

...Huh!? What time is it!? What DAY is it!? How long has it been since the last reset!?

I can't let everyone discover my identity!

...

Oh, Cnoc na Riabh. You really are a sleepyhead, aren't you?

Don't bother. Everyone already knows. Can't you tell from their reaction?

They do!?

So, you're saying they're surrounding me to give the big bad a big beatdown?

Ahhh! No fair! At least give me half a day!

That's all I need to make enough followers (read: slaves) for a fair fight!

？！

Huh!? S-so, you're not here to kill me?

？！

...I remember now.

I don't mean what happened in Hawaltria. I mean what happened in Faerie Britain.

You're the same Fujimaru, aren't you? ...I see. So it wasn't a dream.

Uh, excuse me. It's great that you're ignoring your old friend and getting chummy with my Master there and all... Actually, no, it isn't.

...but more importantly, we need to know: Cnoc na Riabh, are you still in contact with Wandjina?

I mean, you were Ceasunnos until just now, so maybe you still have your connection?

Oh! You're right, now's not the time for this, Altria! What do you mean it's not great!? We'll talk about this later!

If we don't stop them at the source, the Nunnoses will just keep coming back!

Come on, we need to get to the cave in the Night Woods as fast as we can!

Even if the fallen Nunnoses do come together and are reborn, this is still our only chance to reach Wandjina directly!

？！

Yes, that's right. I've never actually seen her before, either.

No, not just that. This is probably the first time she's ever been visible to anyone on Earth.

(But how? Nobody from Australia has ever been able to see Wandjina before, no matter what...)

Hm? Hey, what's that monument-looking thing in front of the mural?

It looks like Wandjina's having a really strong reaction to it.

？！

Are you serious!? How'd you even come up with that!? Hang on, I want to draw something for it, too!

Wait, you're already done!? When did you learn to draw so well!?

There! This should reach her...I'm sure of it!

Altria, let's team up! Wandjina might not understand words, but she should still respond to sound!

So you and I are going to match wavelengths and form a bridge that'll let us communicate with her!

Huh? You're serious? So...you want me to jam with you? Right now? No rehearsal or anything?

D-d-d-don't be ridiculous! I'm not a Mumamumamuan! If you need music, Amadeus or Salieri would be

There's no point if it's not a faerie! Just play whatever you want! I'll match you!

O-o-o-o-okay, I'll do my best! But don't laugh if I play off-key or something!

...

？！

...

She's gone... Is she invisible again?

...No. She just went back home to the sky. I don't hear her crying out in loneliness anymore.

She may have gone back to being invisible, but that doesn't mean she's gone.

She'll remain in the air over this island for the rest of time.

I guess she was really happy with your gift.

She's probably trying desperately to reproduce your mural right about now.

Just like how linguists decipher unknown languages one character at a time...

...she'll learn human language by carefully tracing each and every line.

One day, I know we'll see her face, hear her voice, and know how she truly feels.

Because isn't that the essence of communication?