1. Welcome to Kumano Hot Springs (Part 2)

The contest ended in a draw. Contrary to appearances, they really are first-rate exorcists.

Is that a fact? My, I can't believe you really did manage to cleanse Hell's Pavilion of evil spirits.

I thought it would be too much even for you, Ms. Kuonji, but it seems you came back without so much as a scratch. Hmph.

Is there a problem?

Oh, no, not at all. Nobody's been able to do anything about that place ever since the miners came and dismantled the ancient shrine there.

We can all breathe easier now that you four have cleansed it.

？！

Yes, well, it was a very small shrine. They probably just didn't leave any trace of it behind.

But never mind that. Fujimaru, was it?

I'm very impressed. To think there was another exorcist out there as good as Ms. Kuonji. Especially one so young.

Oh, that's not to say you're not still amazing, Ms. Kuonji. I know there are very few psychics as strong as you.

The only problem is, you spend most of your time here drinking tea at the souvenir corner instead of doing your job.

But this fine young man immediately agreed to my request. I guess young people these days aren't too bad after all... Hehehe.

That's great. So you believe us when we say we're first-rate exorcists now?

Of course. I'm even going to set you up in our VIP room.

Now then, allow me to officially welcome you to the Kumano Hot Springs.

Our humble inn used to be the talk of the town, but now, only ghosts and monsters come to stay here, and they refuse to check out.

We've barely had any real guests in ages. The Kumano Hot Springs have been in my family for a long time, but we're now on the verge of closing down for good.

So I put out a classified in the hope of resolving the situation.

I said I would offer cash rewards to anyone who manages to exorcise the evil spirits that have taken up residence here, and that I could not be held responsible for any loss of limb or life.

The other guests you see here are the ones who answered the ad.

There are many other spiritual disturbances located throughout our inn, though thankfully, most of them aren't as bad as Hell's Pavilion.

I'll leave the doors unlocked, so please go ahead and exorcise as many evil things as you likeyour energy and spiritual power notwithstanding, of course.

You have six days, starting today, and I'll reward you for every major job you complete.

？！

Whoa! I didn't realize you could talk. Creepy...

Anyway, there are currently nine parties staying with us, yourselves included.

You're welcome to work with or compete with them as you see fit. That part is none of my business.

All I ask is that you please refrain from killing one another.

Please note that if it seems as though one of our guests was killed by a person rather than an evil spirit...

...I will be calling the police immediately.

？！

Oh, you have one of those fancy new cellular phones? No, I'm afraid not. We haven't had any signal whatsoever since the spiritual disturbances began.

In fact, a detective from Tokyo was just complaining about it.

I swear, these spoiled city brats are all the same, always chasing the hot new thing...

Listen. The Kumano mountains are nothing less than a miraculous holy site.

The great Wanwan would never permit anyone to contact the outside as easily as you might chat about the weather.

Wanwan... Is that the god we saw being venerated in the cave?

Hm? Oh no, that's a completely different god going back much farther. Wanwan is a recent development.

At any rate, if you want to contact someone in town, you'll have to use the telephone in the old inn.

It's a sacred phone blessed by Wanwan. We've run a phone line down to the foot of the mountain.

Phone calls are one hundred yen for the first minute, then an additional ten yen for every thirty seconds after.

Hehe. Nobody ever said tourist attractions are a bargain.

All right, Mr. Fujimaru, your party will be staying in the Sky Room on the eighth floor.

It's one of our finest VIP suites. There are two sitting rooms, three bedrooms, and a beautiful mountain view.

The hot springs are in the old inn building. They close at one in the morning, and open early at five.

Now then, if you'll excuse me, I need to see to dinner preparations.

？！

Oh, right, I almost forgot. There are lots of spiritual disturbances on the way to the Sky Room, so do be careful.

I know! Just look at all this space! And it's on the corner too, so we have an incredible view!

Yes, I certainly have no complaints. As long as one forgets about all the ghosts.

Thank you both for coming along with us. You were a big help in exorcising those ghosts.

But, um, can I ask what you're doing in our room, Alice?

It's because Aoko's here. We're very good friends, after all.

It's only natural for me to go wherever she goes.

Oh please, like that's ever happened before in our lives. You're not fooling anybody, you know.

Now, now, no need for a Barney, Aoko. Miss Alice is one of the most distinguished members of avian high society.

A barbaric lady like you could never hope to understand the elegance or pure intentions of winged beings like us.

Oh, right. I still haven't introduced myself.

Hello and good day, Chaldeans! Must be Barry, working at a museum in the mountains!

What did you cock up to get sent to a backwater like that?

？！

Talked...

What, you've never seen a bird talk before? I do it all the time. I'm a pretty hard worker, at least for a bird.

Now, don't tell me. The guy who looks like he loves candy stores is Fujimaru...

...and the innocent wide-eyed wonder girl with the purple hair is Mash Cheerylight.

See? I heard your names earlier, and I totally remember them now!

'Course, I'll forget 'em again by tomorrow, seeing as I'm a bird! Ahahahaha urk.

？！

Oh! Oh my goodness! D-d-did it just die!?

Oh, right. Guess that would be shocking if you haven't seen it before. Don't worry, he's fine. See?

Hm? Did something happen? Wow, Mash, you should see the look on your face right now.

IUhY-yes, something happened!

Don't worry about him. This is my most useless Ploy Kickshaw.

All he can do is die and come back to life. His name's Robin, but don't bother remembering it.

He's like a woodpecker, but even more annoying.

Anyway, don't worry. I'll tell him to stay out of sight as much as possible while we're staying here.

So Robin's alive and well too, huh? Well, I guess that makes sense, seeing how he's a robin and all.

Alice is right. Just ignore him. Living and dying is just his daily routine.

But enough about him. I think it's time we take stock of the situation.

I believe you when you say you're from this Chaldea organization. We haven't known each other long, but I can tell you two are good people.

But I can also tell I need to keep a close eye on both of you.

This might not mean much coming from me, but using Servants

Heroic Spirits as super powerful familiars? That's not just something anyone can do.

And there's no way that kind of magecraft would be sanctioned without a major Order from on high, or a crisis bad enough to warrant it.

So I find it hard to believe that two people qualified to use it just happened to come here for sightseeing.

Can you tell us the real reason why you're here? Assuming it won't cause you any problems, that is.

？！

And there you have it.

These distortions that show up on the belt of human history are called Singularities...

...and it's our job at Chaldea to protect the Foundation of Humanity by erasing them before they become permanent.

This time, we detected a very minor Singularity in Kumano Hot Springs, so Master Fujimaru and I were deployed to investigate.

We're not able to contact them right now, but we came here from Chaldea in the year 2019.

So from your perspective, that would mean we're from the future.

...I see. No wonder I didn't know anything about your people.

I didn't buy your story before, but you've convinced me. I might be open to lending you a hand...

...but what about you, Aoko? What do you think of them?

Of course I had a great first impression of them.

I think you both are amazing for protecting humanity's future from behind the scenes. I'm especially impressed by your success rate.

I'm trying to be more like that myself, but it just never seems to work out.

Wel,l sure. We're only human. Nobody gets it right all the time.

But we're all here now, and it's all because you two never gave up. Thank you, Master from a faraway mountain.

Do I? Well, I guess that's encouraging.

？！

That aside, those are a lot of words I've never heard before. Did you know about Singularities before, Aoko?

Me? Uh, well, a little. They're like unique timelines that aren't connected to the history that takes place before or after them, right?

How humiliating. I can't believe there was something you knew that I didn't.

I'm not really sure how to respond to that...

Anyway, I can tell you're really into what they're saying too, so I'm sure you won't mind helping them out, right?

Good. Okay then, let me introduce myself again properly.

I'm Aozaki Aoko, a freelance mage. I know I said I came to these hot springs for fun...

...but I'm actually here on an anonymous tip that things could get really dangerous around here unless somebody does something.

？！

That, I'm afraid I don't know. All I know for sure is, doing nothing isn't an option.

But thanks to you two, I now know where to start. If this is a Singularity, then we just have to find what's causing it.

Your turn, Alice. Why don't you tell them a little bit about yourself?

I'm Kuonji Alice. I'm a friend of Aoko's. She and I, well... I suppose you could say our destinies are intertwined.

So if she's here to investigate an anomaly, I pretty much have no choice but to help.

So, there you have it! I look forward to figuring out this Singularity's mystery with you two!

Same here! Thank you so much for your help, Aoko, Alice!

？！

The Holy Grail? As in, THE Holy Grail? Is that usually part of these Singularity things?

Oh, no, it's not the Holy Grail you're probably thinking of.

We've come to refer to any source of magical energy powerful enough to create miracles and Mystics as "Holy Grails" as a matter of convenience.

Damn, seriously? Well, I guess that makes sense, if we're talking about something powerful enough to warp space-time itself.

Why don't we start by taking a look around the inn?

Holy Grails are essentially pools of high-density magical energy, so we should be able to sense it if we get close enough.

Wait. I want to see you perform a summon first.

You can do them if you have a workshopa territory you've made for yourself, right? Let me see what the Chaldean summoning spell is like.

？！

(Sigh) I swear, you're such a magecraft nerd, Alice.

I'm sorry, but would you mind indulging her?

She's always going on about how Mage's Association magecraft is just a bunch of cheap tricks, but she's still fascinated by it.

And I have to admit, calling on a Heroic Spirit is pretty extraordinary magecraft.

So I think she's feeling extra competitive, seeing as how she uses familiars herself.

...It's not like that. We're going to need fighters anyway, right? Now go on, show me. Just once is fine.

？！

Understood, Master. Deploying round shield.

Okay, I've established a connection to the leyline. Now, I'll connect you to a second-level Spirit Origin with ties to this land.

...Spirit Origin graph acquired. Initiating Spirit Origin output.

We are clear for a Heroic Spirit summon! Awaiting your magical energy, Master!

？！

It worked! I wonder what kind of Heroic Spirit it will

...

Wait, what!?

？！

His body is a Spirit Origin made out of ether! H-he's definitely a Servant!

What in the world!? When did you get mixed up with something this silly!?

I'm sorry, but do you mind if I answer your question with a question?

I was just in a strange place, then I felt like someone told me the world was in danger. Next thing I knew, I was here.

I guess this means this is going to be my next part-time job, then?

So, let me get this straight. It's 2001 right now, and you just summoned me as I was in 1991.

And you did so with some mysterious power, all to solve a mystery in these hot springs?

That's right. Normally, Heroic Spirits are summoned with knowledge from the current time period, but that doesn't seem to be the case for you.

In fact, I'm still not sure why you appeared here as a Servant at all.

Look, dustbin lid. All we know for sure is, you're definitely a familiar right now.

You were always like that anyway, but now it's like you've officially made it.

Hold on. Does this mean Sizuki is moving on your magical energy, Fujimaru?

Oh, no, Soujyuro was actually summoned by the power of this land. Senpai is just acting as a keystone keeping him here.

As far as I can tell, Soujyuro's materialization is limited to this landspecifically, Kumano Hot Springs.

So I'm limited to just this land now, huh? That's great. That makes things much easier.

Now I don't have to worry about anything that comes after. I think there's a saying for this kind of thing...

Oh, right! What happens in Kumano, stays in Kumano!

Anyway, I have no idea what's going on here, but I'll be happy to help with your job, Fujimaru.

I swear... I can't believe you're just okay with having no idea what's going on or what to do!

But then, I guess you always were one to go with the flow.

？！

Yeah, you could say that. Me, Alice, and this wild child once all lived in the same house.

Anyway, he's not going to be any help solving the mystery, but he's decent enough in a fight.

So you should at least be able to use him as your bodyguard, Fujimaru.

Just don't let him play detective, no matter what.

Huh? Of course I'm going to help Fujimaru investigate.

When I take on a job, I see it through to the end. Besides, it looks like fun.

I just told you, that's not happening! You're just going to cause chaos, so stay put!

Oh, and you'd better not go anywhere, at least for today! Take one foot outside that door, and I'll blast you to pieces myself!

I've got some business of my own I need to take care of. I'll be done by night.

Fujimaru, I'd like you to learn everything you can about the inn's other guests in the meantime. Bye.

Um... What do you all think?

I don't see any reason not to start investigating now. Come on, Fujimaru. Mash.

I knew it! That was a warning shot, got that!? No second chances! You're staying here today, and that's final!

...Sorry, you two, but it looks like you'll have to investigate without me today. I'll join tomorrow.

Oh, so what are you going to do, Alice? Investigating the inn sounds like fun, huh?

I'm going back to my room. Let me know if anything interesting happens.

There's someone here in the hall. I think it's one of the exorcists we met in the lobby.

？！

You're... Oh, right. You were the last psychics to show up earlier.

It's not often you see exorcists working as a team. You seem pretty young, too. Shouldn't you be at school?

Oh, uh, we don't go to school. We both work for a research facility.

We also don't actually have any psychic powers. Our main job is... Well, I guess you could say it involves studying folklore.

？！

So you're not actually here to perform exorcisms, huh. Sounds like you and I are in the same boat then.

I don't care about the money. I've already got more than I know what to do with.

No, I'm here because I received a report that there's someone who needs to be sealAhem. I mean, someone crucial to humankind's advancement in this country.

My job is to reinvestigate that person, not to exorcise ghosts.

？！

That being said, I'm not a rank amateur, either. I've slain my share of evil spirits.

I wasn't expecting to be treated as an exorcist when I got here, but I don't mind. It works out to the same thing in the end.

So you're looking for someone. Is this person here at the inn?

No. I just came here to, uh, freshen up. Really, that's all. I don't know anything about the secret springs.

I just thought I would rest a little before I got started in earnest. Though I admit, I'm not tired at all.

？！

O-o-of course not. It's just a, uh, coincidence that I happened to choose these springs. Yes, that's it.

I did hear that there are five wish-granting springs in total, but I also heard they only open up one per day.

Whether that's true or not, it makes sense to put limits on things that supposedly grant wishes.

There's only one problem...

Oh? What's that?

They say the secret springs only work on one person.

Well, specifically, once a spring grants someone's wish, that spring apparently loses its effects for a whole year.

Yoshisuke said that the people who had their wishes granted in the past were chosen completely at random.

So just going in first doesn't guarantee your wish. It sounds more like playing the lottery.

Humor me. Under those circumstances, what do you think would be the best way to ensure your wish comes true?

？！

Exactly. The best way to prevent another guest getting their wish granted instead of you is to make sure you're the only guest left.

But don't take it too seriously. That's just a thought experiment.

Still, there aren't going to be many people at a haunted inn located way up in the mountains, and it's too far away for the police to keep an eye on.

So I wouldn't be too surprised if we saw a series of...unfortunate accidents out here.

This hallway has such a historical feel to it. I can't wait to see what the hot springs at the end of it are like!

There's a sign that says "Kumano Inn Old Building." I guess this means the building we've been in is new...

...and the one containing the hot spring facilities has been preserved in its original state.

Oops.

Sorry about that, missy. I was so distracted I didn't look where I was going.

I can't believe I got dizzy after only an hour in the bath. Maybe this is a sign I finally oughta retire.

N-not at all. I'm the one who should apologize. I was walking backwards and should have been more aware.

By the way, um...this may be a strange question, but, your name wouldn't happen to be Muramasa, would it?

Muramasa? That's awfully nice of you to say. But no, that name's a little too big for my britches.

I do own a forge or two, but these days, I'm just an art dealer. The name's Shirou.

？！

Over half the guests here are shameless frauds. I oughta know; I'm one of 'em.

I know a few tricks for clearing up spiritual disturbances, but nobody here's a full-blown exorcist.

But you two, you're the real deal. I can tell from the air about you.

You've got guts, going up against the Kumano mountains' ox god. Good luck. If you don't make it, I'll make sure you get a proper burial.

MuraI mean, Shirou, just went back towards the new building. It looks like he's one of the guests.

That aside, it's very confusing how there are so many people here who look exactly like Heroic Spirits we know.

？！

I understand. These people may look the same as our Heroic Spirit friends, but they aren't them.

We'll have to approach them fairly and impartially, without preconceptions.

This must be the entrance to the large bath. And there's the reception desk for the hot springs.

There are a lot of massage chairs here, too. Although, there doesn't seem to be anyone behind the counter.

Looks that way. Too bad. I was hoping to have a nice, cold drink first thing after getting out of the bath.

Too bad you can't buy booze from the vending machine. Where's that proprietor when you need him?

？！

Oh, you beat me to it. I'm Sugitani Reiinbou, exorcist at large.

You guys are here to make a killing too, yeah? I'm loving the Kumano Hot Springs so far.

There's evil spirits, yokai, and curses all over the place.

I wouldn't want 'em all hanging out in my backyard or anything, but around here, every critter you take out nets you a nice cash prize.

Talk about an easy way to make a living. I was just relaxing in the bath after another full day's work.

You two oughta check 'em out, too. Feels real good in there.

That proprietor guy's a terrible cook, but he does a great job keeping the baths in shape!

Y-yes, we'd love to try the baths once we get the opportunity. Um, by the way, can I ask you which one you went in?

Me? Ah, just the regular hot spring. Those special secret ones're all dried up right now. Seems like they don't bubble up till the middle of the night.

The first secret spring's opening up tomorrow. Let's see... I think the first day was the Spring of Youth.

Well, that's one spring I don't need. I'm just gonna spend tomorrow hunting monster tanuki up in the woods.

...Eh, I dunno if I'd say that.

What, me? Same reason as you guys; exorcise some ghosts and make some money. My gun's locked, loaded, and ready to send those spirits on to the next world.

？！

Aha, I see how it is. You two don't believe that the springs can grant wishes, do you?

These hot springs have always carried blessings since long ago, but the whole wish-granting thing began once Kumanoin Yoshisuke took over.

You'd think he made the whole thing up just to attract customers, right?

And yeah, most of the time, the secret springs' benefits are barely better than a placebo.

"Yeah, I think I feel a little younger." "I think I feel luckier with love now." "I guess my skin's looking better." Things like that.

But the thing is, some folks really did have their wishes granted. And it happened right around this time of year.

You know how much this inn used to charge back before it got haunted? A million yen a night.

So I'd be careful around that proprietor if I was you. He's one hell of a nouveau riche. Don't let his appearance fool you.

Nah, the opposite. There's basically two types of rich people out there.

People who purposely get rich to make themselves look good, and people who happen to get rich while they were focused on what they truly desire.

And Kumanoin's definitely the latter. No question. So he couldn't care less about how he comes off looking.

Exactly. You get it.

Someone's got that kind of money, but isn't using it on themselves? They've a different use for it in mind.

？！

I believe Yoshisuke said he inherited this inn.

Does that mean he's the son of the last proprietor?

Nah, the last proprietor didn't have any living relatives. Apparently, he retired and lives in Atami these days.

Yoshisuke became their adopted son a few years ago. Never heard of him?

Kumanoin Yoshisuke used to be one of the most popular entertainers around, right before his surprise retirement.

Nobody knows why he suddenly quit showbiz. A bunch of magazines wrote about it, but the truth is still a mystery.

This must be the reference room. Look, it describes this area's history, people who contributed to its development, local crafts...

I guess a lot of big ryokan inns have common spaces like these. What a wonderful way to showcase the local culture!

？！

Very true! They're all wonderful works of art!

This says that Kumano started producing dolls during the Showa period, and that caused the local economy to flourish.

Wow, look at this one, Senpai! It's life-size!

There's something about this doll's design that makes her seem like an elegant woman and a brave warrior all at once.

Her hair is so thick it almost looks real, and her wrist joints are so smooth and lifelike.

It's no wonder she's on display as a work of art. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was human

Thank you for the kind words, but I'm afraid you do me too much credit.

As you can see, I'm very much alive. Hehehe. If only I was truly a doll...

Whawhaaaaaa!? Y-y-you're human!? B-b-but, you didn't have a pulse!

Because I was stopping it, as a little prank☆ You two were just so cute that I couldn't help myself.

Hello, guests from the outside. Welcome to the Hermitage Pavilion.

My name is Kashin. I live here at the inn. Please, call me Kashinko.

Oh, hello. I'm very sorry for treating you like an inanimate object...

...Did you know you can stop your own pulse, Senpai?

？！

L-let's start over. Hello, Kashinko.

I'm Mash Kyrielight, and this is Fujimaru, my senpai.

We'll be staying at the Kumano Hot Springs for a while.

I take it it's your job to manage this room then, Kashinko?

Hm? Oh, I don't work here. Nobody in my family does. We've always just done whatever we feel like.

I just live here as a favor to Yoshisuke, to make sure the other psychics don't cause any trouble.

His advertisement has drawn lots of psychics who are all talk and no walk. It's rather infuriating.

I don't care if they get themselves hurt when they mess up their exorcisms, but we can't let the spirits run around causing havoc after they've been riled up.

So when spirits start to go on a rampage after a failed exorcism, I have no choice but to defeat them.

I see. So you're a powerful psychic, and Mr. Yoshisuke keeps you here as a form of insurance.

？！

Why would I do that? Yoshisuke's the one who wants them exorcised, not me.

I wouldn't take this exorcism stuff too seriously if I were you two. You'll only get yourselves hurt, or worse.

I'd especially stay away from this reference room. The spirits here are especially touchy.

You could easily end up cursed if you stop by at the wrong time, especially when it's dark.

There was a psychic once who came to this room at night and became enchanted by the dolls.

That was when she discovered something in that cardboard box:

"Making Figurines For Dummies! Construction Kit Included!"

The next thing she knew, she'd taken out the kit and begun single-mindedly working on making her own doll.

She'd never used a chisel or nippers before, so it wasn't long before her fingers and elbows were covered with blood.

But even then, she just kept muttering things like "That's not right," "Why isn't this working?" "That should do it," and so on.

She worked on that doll for seven days and seven nights without food or sleep. The other psychics and I tried to stop her, but to no avail.

？！

She disappeared. When I came to the reference room on the eighth morning, she was nowhere to be seen.

Maybe she was finally free from the curse, and just decided to leave the inn?

Of course not. What happened was, this room just gained another doll.

I mentioned blood earlier, didn't I? It's because she used her own body as material for the doll.

Look. It's that one, right there behind you...

？！

(Nodding)

Darn. And here I thought I'd get to introduce my friends.

Well, hopefully it was a good lesson for them. I don't need any lookie-loos causing trouble.

If they're just going to die anyway, it'll go down easier if it's only one death per day.

I'm afraid you can't go in there.

I'm sorry. I know I said you could exorcise as many evil things as you like, but you can't do it here.

This place is too much for you to handle.

I'm sorry. We didn't realize this room was off-limits.

But, what do you mean it's too much for us to handle?

Oh, yes, perhaps I should have chosen my words better. I don't mean that it's dangerous in here.

I only mean that door refuses to open, no matter what we try.

Rumor has it that it leads directly to hell.

Between this place and Hell's Pavilion, you must think this mountain has lots of dangerous-sounding names, but that's because of the special power at work here.

Or perhaps I should say the special "something."

？！

My, my. I can see you two don't know much about this mountain. Hehehe.

Have you ever heard of a yokai called a kudan?

They say it was a spirit beast that looked like an ox, and that it could predict the future. People here used to hold it in great reverence.

I can't say I blame them. Anyone who knows exactly what tomorrow has in store will never fail at anything. It's human nature to cling to crutches like that.

However, this mountain's kudan is just a touch different from the others.

It turns anyone who talks to it into a kudan themselves. Impressive, right?

Once people know what their future holds, they can take steps to prevent what they don't like.

To put it another way, they can give themselves a hopeful tomorrow.

What do you think? Makes sense why this kudan would be revered as a granter of wishes, no?

？！

So you're saying the Kumano mountains' kudan is the idol being worshipped here?

That's right. Although we call him Wanwan now. They say his sleeping chambers lie beyond that door.

There doesn't seem to be any way to open it, but I'd be careful anyway. Nothing good would come from trying.

？！

That was a long time ago. I first visited these hot springs by coincidence after I retired, only to discover that we shared the same name.

The former proprietor and I hit it off, and eventually, I ended up in charge.

Yes, we heard. Apparently, they live in Atami now.

Oh, we also met one of your employees earlier; Kashinko, in the reference room.

She said she was a psychic you hired yourself.

Did she, now? Lady Kashin actually spoke to you two?

That's a surprise. She's so misanthropier, shy, that she usually never talks to anyone.

Dammit, I thought she's been acting strange the last few days. What does she think she's doing, talking to regular guests like that?

Oh, sorry, don't mind me.

Anyway, I'd better get going. I'll have your dinner brought to your room.

Oh, yes. I almost forgot to tell you something important.

This room is officially known as "Wanwan's Road Home"...

...but there are also four other dreadful haunted spots around the inn.

The Endless Hallway in the old inn, that never ends no matter how far you walk... The Devil's Classroom in the reference room, where dark arts are practiced...

The Hanged Writer in the Camellia Room, where no one ever leaves from... And the Inverse Mirror, where your reflection will try to kill you.

Be sure to stay far away from those four areas. Many other exorcists have tried their luck with them, and they've all paid a heavy price...

Secret wish-granting springs, spooky stories of haunted places, and a yokai that's been worshipped on this mountain for ages, huh.

Well, I expected as much. This is all starting to sound a lot more believable.

I thought there was something unsettling about this inn, but I had no idea things were that bad.

Fujimaru. Mash. I'm sorry you two had to do all the work today without me.

But I'll be there to help out starting tomorrow. That's okay with you, right, Aozaki?

Yeah, sure, knock yourself out. I already took care of the problem.

Great. I might still not be able to do anything impressive, but I am a Servant now.

I know I'm not cut out for investigating and deducing and stuff, but I'll do my best to keep you both safe.

Don't worry. Thanks to a certain someone, I'm used to being a meat shield.

Yes, thank you! Just having someone from this time period along with us will be a big help!

Sure, I'd be glad to. The next time we have five hours to spare, I should be able to tell you the whole story.

You're not gonna believe what I have to say about a certain someone who may or may not be in this room.

？！

...

Something on your mind, Miss Alice? Let me guessyou're wishing dinner had been goosefish hot pot?

I don't blame you. All those manky intestines and stuff are right up your allUrk!

Anyway, nothing you just told us about concerns me all that much. I am curious about the other guests we haven't met yet, though.

More importantly...

You're going to be staying in this room, right, Sizuki? Then I'll have Aoko stay with me.

Considering the number of people here, that's the most logical way to handle this. You don't mind, right, Aoko?

Huh? I was hoping to hear more about Chaldea slumber party style... But, I guess that's fine.

We'll just have to chat after we get to know each other better!

Then it's settled. Now let's go. It's getting late.

Yeah, yeah, I get it. You're still cripplingly shy.

Don't mind Alice too much, guys. She doesn't actually dislike you.

She's just cautious about what she says to other people.

She might be crabby, standoffish, and too proud for her own good, but she'd never spend time in the same room with you if she didn't like you.

Honestly, it's amazing that she was willing to spend an hour in here after only just meeting you. Right, Soujyuro?

Hm? I don't know if I'd say that. She's a lot more sociable now than she used to be.

In fact, she was at Janus all by herself the other day. You know, that café with the strawberry-themed menu.

Whoa, really?

Oh, wait, I bet I know what happened there.

She probably just got a craving for strawberry shortcake and couldn't wait until you or I got back.

...(Sigh) It looks like you and I have a lot of catching up to do, Aoko.

Come with me. I'm going to pluck out what you know just like I tear the stems off of strawberries.

Aaand there she goes off on her own. Okay, guess that means it's time to call it a night.

Well, since we're staying at a hot spring inn and all, maybe I'll take a quick dip before going to bed.

Oh, right. I know I can trust you all, so I'm going to tell you this now.

If this Singularity isn't resolved, a wishing star's going to come here and wipe out humankind.

Wha

Huh?

？！

Wipe out humankind?

...Well, this wouldn't be the first time Aoko spouted something crazy out of nowhere. There's no point in trying to apply common sense to it.

We'll just have to surround her tomorrow and have her tell us what she did this time.

Anyway, would it be okay to discuss sleeping arrangements now? I count three bedrooms in this suite.

I assume you two are each going to take one, so would it be okay if I use the remaining one?

？！

Thanks, don't mind if I do then. I love sleeping in a proper bed. It's good for the soul.

Um, are you actually feeling sleepy, Soujyuro? I thought Servants don't usually need to sleep.

Really? You mean Chaldean Servants don't even get time off to sleep!?

N-no, it's not like that. I was just wondering if using your spirit form instead might help you conserve more magical energy, that's all!

Oh, I see. Right. You mentioned that most Servants can change into spirit form during dinner.

I've actually been trying to change into mine for a while now, but I can't seem to pull it off.

My eyesight, stamina, and strength are all about what they used to be, too, and I enjoyed my dinner just as much as always.

So yes, I think I will get sleepy at night. I could stay up to keep watch if you need me to, but if possible, I'd rather not.

I can tell sleeping will help me conserve magical energy, and I'd like to make sure I have enough for when I really need it.

？！

Oh man, that shield of yours is great, Mash. It seems like it can do anything. Almost makes me wish Aozaki would take a page or two from it.

Oh, and speaking as your Servant, I have something to tell you. While you two were looking around the inn

Uh-oh. What is it? Did something bad happen!?

Oh, no, nothing like that. I just called the proprietor and reserved the private outdoor bath for you for tomorrow.

He said you can use it after dinner. Since you're staying at a hot spring inn and all, it'd be a shame not to enjoy the outdoor bath at least once.

？！

Wake up, Senpai! We have an emergency! Something terrible has happened!

？！

I'm sorry to disturb your sleep, but you need to get dressed and head to the public bath right away!

There's been a murder!

It's... It's Aoko. She's dead!

？！

What did you say!?