Section 7: Business District (Ⅱ) / From Beyond the Stars

... ...

Huh? Is something wrong?

You ARE a delivery service, right?

And that delectable smell wafting from your bag sure seems like the food I ordered...

...Oh!

Right. My apologies. Here you are. Now, if you would just sign here, please.

Yes, of course. Mysterious...Executor...C.I.E.L... There.

... ...

Did you need something else? ...Oh, I'm sorry. You look like you're from here, but I just realized you're probably not, are you?

To think I'd run into someone like you when I'm supposed to be here incognito. It must have been a one in a million chance.

Not to worry. Respecting our customers' privacy is one of our core tenets.

That being said, I hope you will permit me to ask you something potentially rude.

...Does your latest quest involve hunting a Beast?

No, it doesn't.

I see. Then it seems our business is unrelated.

Forgive me. My aspirations are focused upon running a first-class business. I should not have said anything about this.

At least allow me to give you this coupon for your next order. You are also welcome to contact our customer support center if you would like to offer any feedback.

Oh, thank you. But don't worry. You weren't being rude at all.

Personally, I think running a company with a human touch is better than treating it purely like an impersonal business.

Thank you. Your feedback is important to us.

I am afraid we must address a more pressing issue before we can dedicate ourselves to further improving our quality of service.

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Sounds like you have a lot on your plate. Your companions even more so.

...Hmm. Hmmm...

Oh, right. This is a tipping country, isn't it?

Then since you all helped deliver my meal, I'll have to give you all a tip.

And I'd like that to take the form of a sparring session to help with my digestion.

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She gobbled it down without even blinking while she was talking to us.

U-um, CEO? It seems like you already know this person.

May I ask who she is? Or what we should call her?

I cannot tell you. A service-oriented company lives and dies on our customers' trust, and customers cannot trust us unless we zealously protect their personal information.

Hmm...

All right then, my name's "C.I.E.L," but feel free to call me "Ciel."

If that feels too forward, you can even call me "Ciel-senpai," if you like.

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Nothing wrong with having multiple senpai. Especially when they've got your back.

Of course, if I tell you too much, that'd make me more of a teacher than a senpai, but never mind that now.

As they say, there's value to be gained from every experience. No time like the present to find out one of the ways people fight in this city.

You were just as good as the rumors said. Thank you. That was a great postmeal workout.

Not at all. If anything, we should be thanking you. I can't remember where, but I think I've experienced combos like that before!

Your style kind of reminds me of a couple priests I know. Do you belong to a religious organization or something?

So you've seen other Executors fight before? That's a surprise. There aren't many Black Key users out there.

It was a pleasure to watch you in action. I can see how you once managed to save the whole galax

Whoa, whoa. Not so fast. I'm just an ordinary tourist like anyone else. Remember?

Oh, right. Of course. My apologies.

Anyway, I heard about your problem during our duel.

So your employees have been getting attacked, huh. And apparently, there's also a...Beast, lurking around somewhere? (Glance)

Y-y-yes, that's right.

I, um, don't suppose you might know anything about that...?

... ...

No, I don't. But, as a rule of thumb...

...the important thing with incidents like these is to investigate known facts.

If you just follow your gut, going after people because they kind of look suspicious...

...you'll end up wasting your and your fellow investigators' time.

So I suggest starting with what you know for sure, then build up new leads from there.

You know, that's a good point. I don't think we've even done a cursory investigation yet.

CEO, could you give us any data you have on the attacks? The employee name, their delivery area, what kind of food they were bringing, that kind of stuff.

The more information we have to work with, the better.

Certainly. I will put together a presentation at once.

However, while I would like to cross-reference the attack locations with the orders...

...I am afraid I am not familiar enough with either to offer many details.

I-I can help with that! I've been studying hard to be a guide here!

So if you can just tell me the names of the food and places, I can tell you more about them!

At least, I hope I can...

That would be a great help. You are clearly very good at your job.

I think I can chip in a little, too. Okay, shall we get started?

All right, here is the list of every attack.

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So you noticed too, Master? Seeing them all laid out in a list does make it pretty obvious.

Right. I never would have guessed they all had this in common!

Sounds like you found a promising lead. That's great.

So, I'll be on my way. There are still other restaurants I'd like to try.

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Hmm, she was odd.

Yes, she was.

She seemed strangely confident, though... Whoever she is, she's clearly far from ordinary.

... ...

So, what's our next move?

Ah, yes. Now that we know what the attacks had in common, I should be able to lay an even more effective trap.

In fact, I think we are practically guaranteed to catch our culprit now.

Now we just need to execute on our critical, best-in-class, high-impact solution!

Our next step is to limit our delivery options to the type that's been targeted before.

That is, we allow only for orders of that type. I've already updated the system to do just that.

There. We just received an order for something called "knafeh."

Knafeh... That's a dessert made with noodlelike wheat flour dough that's then often filled with cream or drizzled with syrup!

Next order... "luqaimat."

Those are deep-fried doughballs soaked in sweet syrup!

Oh, I just realized! These are all sweets, aren't they?

Correct. Upon reassessing the damages my employees suffered during their attacks...

...we realized that every order stolen from them consisted of something sweet.

Unfortunately, because I am unfamiliar with local cuisine, I failed to notice this commonality until now.

That's why we're now limiting deliveries to sweets only.

We've essentially made ourselves the only service in Dubai dedicated exclusively to delivering sweets.

Of course, I can't speak to what other companies may be doing.

We have and continue to maintain the top market share in this region.

Which means we have the highest chance of being attacked during the next sweets delivery!

I just hope this works.

...Hm?

Khh... Haaa...

...! Prime sustenance...detected.

Begin refueling!

Wh-what the...!?

An unidentified entity wearing mysterious black...armor? Anyway, it's about to attack!

There you are! I've been waiting for you!

Beast or no, this is definitely a threat. I'll handle it.

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Ngh... ...Nnn...?

I-is that...!?

Ex! What are you doing here!?

Master! It was Ex underneath that mysterious black armor!

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..."Ex"? That name does sound vaguely familiar...

Maybe that is how I was known many long seasons ago, before I donned this quantum armor.

She seems to be dazed. Hm, what to do with her now...

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I suppose that is fair.

So tell us then. Why have you been attacking people with sweets?

I can't remember when it all began...

...but I remember being sucked into a black hole somewhere deep in space.

My quantum armor went into semiautonomous mode so it could maintain its life-support systems, causing me to lose consciousness.

From what I can tell, I somehow ended up here, but the armor didn't have enough energy left to reboot...

...so it must have begun automatically refueling itself with compatible compounds matching its pre-configured molecular formula, C12H22O11.

Huh?

That's the chemical formula for sucrose, the primary component of sugar.

So, you basically needed these sweets to wake upwell, to survive, really.

Be that as it may, I can't condone stealing.

Basic sensors coming online. Assessing situation.

...Hmm. It seems I forgot to account for ethical constraintsor rather, that I never included them on the list of forbidden behaviors.

I did not know that the people of this galaxy had created a system capable of delivering sweets from all manner of vendors directly to you at a mere tap of a phone.

Honestly, it still sounds too good to be true.

So, you are saying your armor was stealing sweets because it was not aware of the existence of Univer Eats?

Exactly.

Furthermore, I think the fact that most of these sweets weren't included in my database...

...led to errors in its decision-making subroutines.

Knafeh. Luqaimat. Ma'amoul. Baklava...

You could blame them for my armor going berserk. Such sinful sweets.

Now, if that is all you have to say for yourself...

In much the same way villains grow stronger and cooler as the final season approaches...

...they also begin showing more sincere, relatable sides of themselves you didn't know were there. What I'm trying to say is...

...I'm sorry.

Good grief. So you were not in control of your actions.

I understand. I have a tendency to lose control myself whenever I see anything that looks like a carrot.

Well, you do not seem to be connected to the Beast, and since the damage caused was fairly limited...

...I suppose I can chalk this matter up to extenuating circumstances.

Yaaay. I'd hug you to show how grateful I am for your magnanimity...

...but I'm afraid I am so low on energy, I can't even stand up. Darn.

Master? You just nodded as though you made up your mind about something. What are you thinking?

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Of course. Thank you for using Univer Eats!

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Does this mean you're

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Good point. I've been smelling tasty sweets for a while now!

We might not have made any progress on the Beast problem, but we did solve the mystery of these attacks.

Wanting a little sweets party to celebrate capturing the perpetrator is understandable.

It feels a little weird to invite said perpetrator to the party, but if you're all okay with it, I guess I am, too.

Now that my Santa memories have resurfaced, my fists are itching for some action. I can handle the deliveries.

Well, we won't just be taking orders from one place, right? I'll do some deliveries too.

We can all take turns handling the deliveries.

Trying foods you've never tasted before is one of the best parts of a vacation.

And of course they'll taste even better if we all try them together.

Now that Univer Eats' operations are back to normal, making the first delivery myself will be both symbolic and efficacious.

All right, what would you like to order?

Whatever it is, Univer Eats will deliver it fast and fresh with a smile!

Here's the ma'amoul. Merry Christmas.

Uh, that's still a long ways off.

Sorry. Making a delivery must have brought me back to those halcyon days I spent as Santa Claus.

Ma'amoul is a type of cookie frequently made with nuts and jam!

What a nice, simple sweet. I love it. Fast-charging energy reserves. (Munch, munch)

Yes, these have a very subtle taste to them. I only wish there were a lot more to go around.

May I have your order number, please?

Got it. Here you go. Be careful with those.

Thanks.

Okay, pickup complete. Now I just have to take the canal boat back to the venue for the party.

...Hm? What are you doing here?

You're a very hard worker, aren't you? Well, you used to be.

I can see why you weren't just another outlaw. As a manager in the pirating industry, you clearly have some keen analytical powers.

You act confident and self-assured, but deep down, you believe in rules and discipline.

"Efficiency" might be a better word.

Blackbeard is the epitome of a vile pirate. Francis Drake is a foolhardy merchant.

And you... I'd say you're something of a disciplined soldier.

Why thank you. That's very kind. Though I'd rather you expressed your praise with actions as opposed to mere words.

For example, if you were to start growing your hair out now so you got used to hiding your eyes...

...then when you're older, if you committed to considering no other hairstyle, so the whole world would fill up with women hiding their eyes everywhere...

Sooo creepy♡ Sorry, but I already have your reward right here!

What is this?

Your reward stamp! Word of advice: try keeping the creepy stuff to a minimum for a change.

I'm sure it isn't easy trying to keep up that cheerful facade all the time.

Ouch. As if I wasn't already painfully aware of that.

Anyway, I wonder what this stamp is about? At least it doesn't seem to be anything bad.

And, well, I know what she said, but it's possible she's just shy.

Maybe this stamp even serves to admit one into a secret Hidden Eye Land.

That'll be something to look forward to!

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Right. Sweets here are clearly nothing to scoff at.

It's pretty easy to go overboard when you're trying sweets you've never even heard of.

Pardon the interruption.

Oh, hi, Ex. How are you feeling now?

Much better, thank you. My energy has been completely replenished and I've resumed normal operations.

I know you weren't responsible for my armor going berserk, but even so, you wouldn't have been in the wrong if you'd reported me to the Galactic Police.

But instead, you're throwing me a sweets party...

Talk about botamochi from subspace. I suppose every antimatter melon has its day. (Servantverse idioms)

Villain or not, I won't forget the sugary debt I owe you. And I know just apologizing isn't enough to clear my record.

Is there anything I can do to repay you?

That is a commendable attitude. I could take you on as one of our couriers...

But in this case, I think these first-class part-timers here take precedence, since they contributed so much to solving this incident.

I expect they will continue to poke their noses into dangerous situations, so if you wish to repay me, I'd like to hire you as their security detail. How does that sound?

I have no objections.

Besides, I can't guarantee I won't make the same mistake if I run out of energy while making deliveries.

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Contract sealed. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how reassuring it is to have a former final season villain join your side.

Though I will have to be careful not to foreshadow any deaths.

I'm nothing if not grateful to you all. Thank you.

Once again, excellent work both in solving this case, and in helping with our deliveries.

Remember, Univer Eats represents a new era of employment opportunities, where anyone can come and work as they like.

So you are welcome to return to us at any time.

Whenever you wish to use your muscles to bring joy and food to others, we will be waiting for you!

I'm glad we could get you a room on such short notice. Here's your key, Ex.

Thank you.

Man, I'm beat. I can't wait to get back to my room.

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...Oh, right. This seems like a good opportunity to check something.

You're looking for a Beast, right?

Uh, y-y-yes, that's right. Um, assuming there even is one, anyway.

(Staaare)

...Very well.

By the way, this is my Villain Radar.

It has a middling success rate at detecting villains once they reach a certain level of villainy.

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Good question. It seems to indicate that right on top of us, there's an massively

O-oh man, oh man... O-o-oh, I know. I-it's probably going off because I'm a goddess of the underworld!

I know everyone tends to forget a lot of the time, but I'm actually the personification of evil and chaos!

Maybe I should work on my evil laugh to help people remember? Ooo ho ho ho hoo!

No, wait. That makes me sound more like a goddess of justice than the underworld, doesn't it? Drat, now what am I supposed to do?

(Staaare)

...Fine.

As a favor from one villain to another, I will keep quiet about what exactly this pinging means.

However, I recommend you update your deception protocols.

You clearly haven't done anything to counteract the unique elements you're exuding...

...and the radar can't help but pick up on those at this close a range.

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She smells like the Servantverse.

I really can't continue avoiding this.

Oh, hello. Looks like we all had the same idea.

I suspect so.

Who, me? I'm just curious, that's all.

You could say the same of me. All right, here goes.

Yes?

I'm sorry to disturb you.

We know it's ungentlemanly to visit a young lady's room so late at night, but there's something we need to discuss.

Would you mind if we came in?

It's fine. Everyone else is already here.

I see. So you all noticed, too.

Well, yeah. It's hard not to, as much time as we've spent together. And I don't just mean today, either.

Hell, I bet Mash has spent more time with him than the rest of us combined.

...I suppose I have.

In any case, it's clear Master hasn't been his usual self.

All right, let me share my observations so that we're all on the same page.

I think Ereshkigal has become a Beast.

What's more, Master, and I suspect Passionlip, are aware and have been trying to hide it from us.

Does that about cover it for all of you, too?

Okay, that's everything we all know.

Now, I think we need to discuss our next move.

(Eagerly raising her hand)

Go ahead.

What I'm about to say is a choice I've made personally, not one I'm trying to impose on any of you.

Having said that...I know what stance I'd like to take, and I'd like to share it now, if that's okay.

I'm thinking of continuing to let sleeping dogsuh, Beasts, lie.

Oh? How come?

If Master knows Ereshkigal is a Beast now, and he's chosen not to tell us...

...then I'm sure it's because he felt doing so wouldn't help anything.

Actually...I believe he thinks telling us could do more harm than good.

I'm sure if they thought telling us would improve things, or give them a hint as to how it happened...

...then neither Master nor Ereshkigal would have hesitated to bring this to our attention.

That's just the kind of naturally good-hearted people they are.

Of that, I'm absolutely certain.

Conversely, that they haven't told us probably means they're sure there's nothing to be done about it.

So they don't know how this happened...

...and don't see a path to fixing it, either.

I suspect that's right.

I, too, am certain Master wouldn't hesitate to come to us if he thought we could help.

However, now that we've figured it out on our own, we need to consider what we're going to do about this.

Yeah. We at least need to make sure things don't get out of control or go anywhere truly dangerous.

So I want to do whatever we can to prevent anything like that from happening.

Of course. As Master's Servants, and Servants of Chaldea, that's exactly what we should be doing.

But, even so...

...I think we should continue to pretend not to know, so Master and Ereshkigal don't think anything has changed.

Why is that?

It's what I said earlier about telling us potentially doing more harm than good.

When I try to see this from Master's perspective, I think I see the same pitfalls he does.

Let's say we went to Master and Ereshkigal, and told them we know the truth.

Consider how that would likely play out.

Master would almost certainly start devoting all of his time and effort to resolving the situation...

...even if he still has no idea how or why this happened, and can't yet see any possible solution.

I also think there's a good chance of Ereshkigal beginning to act differently.

She might even decide the best course of action is to leave us.

So, while it may be somewhat crass to put it this way...

...telling them would almost certainly bring our summer vacation to an abrupt end.

Oh... Yeah. That would be a problem, wouldn't it?

We've never explicitly talked about it...

...but I'm sure everyone here knows how much Tlamacazqui needs this break.

Well, yeah. He's been through a hell of a lot lately.

So of course I want him to relax and recuperate as much as he possibly can.

Master has always been particularly responsible. Arguably too much so for his own good.

If he had to choose between vacation and duty, he would never hesitate to choose the latter.

Right. Just look at what's happening right now.

The only reason Master agreed to spend summer vacation here in Dubai was out of consideration for us.

I'm sure he's only thinking about making sure the rest of us enjoy ourselves.

So if we were to reject that, it would effectively mean the end of this summer vacation...

...and he would go right back to his duties as the Master of Chaldea...

...regardless of what he might want.

So, you're saying if we want him to continue enjoying this vacation, we have to continue enjoying it as well.

And that's why we shouldn't let him find out that we know about Ereshkigal, right?

Right. I'd like to at least keep that pretense going as long as we can.

Ideally, we enjoy our summer vacation to our fullest...

...Master gets so caught up in the fun and excitement that he forgets all about the situation...

...and we find a way to solve this ourselves without him ever finding out.

I understand this could be seen as lying to him, or even outright betraying his trust, but...

Don't worry about it. A relationship is actually kinda unhealthy if you can never lie to each other for any reason.

Take me and Lady Yu. I've totally lied to her before.

Like, whenever she asks me if she's shrunk after she's blown herself up, I always tell her she's as tall as ever.

'Cause the important thing is that she's just as beautiful even if she's tiny!

All right. I'm willing to play along.

Though, of course, should something happen...

...my duty as a Servant of Chaldea compels me to do everything in my power to resolve it by Master's side.

Thank you, Percival.

If the situation takes a turn for the worse, and things really do become dangerous, I'm certain Master will do his best to fix it.

So until and unless that happens, we should be fine continuing as we have been.

Understood.

In that case, what exactly should we do from tomorrow onward?

I imagine we'll just keep sightseeing while gathering information, so, I don't think much is actually gonna change...

I agree. We probably don't need to worry too much about it.

It's still not clear why or how Ereshkigal became a Beast...

...but we do know someone who should know something about it.

As the de facto ruler of this city, there's no way she wouldn't be aware of the Beast alert currently in effect.

You mean BB, yes?

That's a good point. Regardless of her current position, we should still find a way to talk to her about this.

Unfortunately, there's no way to guarantee that we can meet with her just by visiting the fountain plaza.

There's only one surefire way we can get in touch with her.

Her joy mission, huh.

Right. I'm sure Master is aware of that as well, which is another reason he's continuing as though nothing happened.

Hmm, gotcha. Then it looks like that's our best option, too!

All right, I think that covers everything for now.

If possible, I'd like for all of us to meet up like this again tomorrow.

That way, we can share what we've learned and keep each other abreast on any new developments.

All right, everyone. To sum up, we now have three primary objectives:

Find out why Ereshkigal turned into a Beast. Continue feigning ignorance around her and Master.

And successfully complete our Dubai sightseeing joy mission.

I believe the second one in particular will require the ability to improvise and think on your feet.

And I will do everything I can to support all of you.

Have a good night, everyone. And good luck tomorrow!