Ch. 4: Eternal Battlefront 7
Answers Pt. 1
Around the same time PLAYER awoke in Moriya Shrine...
At a bar in one of the Capital's satellite cities...
The Energy City: Mendeleev...
Ringo
Hmm, I see.
Ringo
Is that all you have to report?
Rabbit 800
Y-Yes! That's everything!
Ringo
Hahaha!
Ringo
Relax. I'm not gonna rat you out.
Rabbit 111
Sh-Should we really be talking so loud...?
Rabbit 39
Who knows who might be listening...!
Ringo
Don't worry about it. No one's gonna eavesdrop.
Ringo
Not with all this noise.
Ringo
And just to be clear, I'm not gonna tell anyone about you three. I've got enough on my plate as it is.
Rabbit 800
What do you mean?
Ringo
I've also got a report to make.
Ringo
I bet my boss is dying to hear from me again! Hahaha!
Ringo
All right. I'm gonna go make a call. Feel free to eat and drink as much as you want while I'm gone.
Ringo
Still...
Ringo
I only wanted to make sure Seiran's squad caught their train, but to think the great hero of the Capital would follow them...
Ringo
I couldn't have planned it better myself. I'm glad I've got some good news to report.
Rabbit 800
Miss Ringo is pretty mysterious, isn't she?
Rabbit 111
I don't think I've ever met a rabbit like her before. But we owe her our lives.
Rabbit 39
I think we can trust her... Not that there's anyone else we can rely on.
Rabbit 800
I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that she was the one who found us.
Rabbit 111
Yeah...
Rabbit 39
I can't help but wonder, though...
Rabbit 39
Who do you think she works for?
Answers Pt. 2
Morning, the next day...
In the New Land of the Oni vassal world that neighbors the Energy City: Mendeleev...
In front of a hot spring hotel...
Wow...
I can't believe my eyes!
This is amazing!
Reisen
It was worth the early morning trek down the mountain! I can't believe a place like this exists right next to Mendeleev!
Reisen
But is that sulfur I smell? And it kinda feels like I'm getting a rash... Oh well. I'm sure it's fine.
Seiran
...!
Seiran
(Hrmmm...)
Seiran
(As we explored the dark underbelly of Mendeleev, I was sure we'd find some kind of secret society stealing energy...)
Seiran
(Or a mysterious energy-eating kaiju. But this looks like...)
Reisen
It's a geothermal power plant. Or something to that effect. This is where the Capital's electricity comes from.
Seiran
Uhh...
Seiran
Sh-Should you really be saying that out loud?
Reisen
Why shouldn't I? It's merely an educated guess based on what we've seen so far.
Reisen
Moriya Shrine―the place we stayed at last night―was a refinery for steel and many other kinds of metals.
Reisen
There are many potential reasons why this place needs a constant supply of metal...
Reisen
But all this steam is rather telling, no?
Reisen
There's no way they wouldn't use it to produce energy. I wonder if that's what powers the train.
Seiran
B-But then... why are we here? I thought we were sent here to resolve some kind of urgent problem.
Reisen
You know as well as I do that at least half our orders are vague or incorrect. There's nothing new about that.
Reisen
If there's something, we'll deal with it. If there's not, we'll report the all-clear. It's that simple.
Seiran
Uhh, right... I guess that makes sense.
Seiran
(It's just like Reisen said. I've accomplished countless missions, but they were basically all just busy work.)
Seiran
(I always run into trouble, and things hardly ever go as planned.)
Seiran
(My equipment or supplies would explode. A building would explode... Or my squad mates. Minor things like that.)
Seiran
(But this is my biggest mission yet. Does that mean I'm gonna run into even bigger trouble...?)
Seiran
(I've got a really bad feeling about this.)
Marisa
Hey, whaddya doing just standing there? Let's keep moving. This looks like the perfect place to find mushrooms.
Momiji
Please don't wander around on your own. It's my job to guide you.
Momiji
This is oni territory. If you happen to bump into an oni, I can't guarantee your safety...
Marisa
Whatever. Let's go already.
Marisa
Oops. Sorry.
Suika
...
Suika
...
Marisa
Hey! You just walked into me. Aren't you gonna apologize?
Momiji
M-Miss Marisa! She's...!
Marisa
Stay outta this.
Suika
Oh, sorry! I was looking the other way.
Suika
My bad. I didn't hurt you, did I?
Marisa
N-No...
Momiji
Miss Suika! She's Miss Suika! Also known as Shuten-Douji...
Momiji
She's the boss of this town and everyone in it!
M-Miss Suika?!
You're super green.
Suika
You're gonna make me blush, talking me up like that.
Marisa
So you're her, huh? I've heard a lot about you, but I've never actually seen you before.
Suika
Yeah, I mostly stay inside that big hotel over there.
Suika
It's called Secluded Paradise, and I'm the manager. It also functions as this town's seat of government.
Suika
But I've been away for a while, attending to other business.
Suika
You caught me right as I was heading back to my beloved home.
Suika
Ah, look at me chatting away. That's no way to treat a guest.
Suika
Apologies.
Suika
Officer, take them to my hotel and arrange some rooms for them.
Suika
Oh, and let them stay there for free. Now, please excuse me. I've got a lot of work to catch up on.
Momiji
Ah, please wait, Miss Suika. If I keep acting as a guide, I won't have the time to perform my sheriff duties...!
Suika
Hm? Don't worry about that! Just take the day off.
Suika
I declare today a holiday! It's like a festival.
Suika
And no one needs to concern themselves about tomorrow, either. Spread the word for me, would you?
Momiji
Oh, um... OK.
Seiran
Wow, you've got a really nice boss.
Seiran
Is she always that generous?
Reisen
...!
Momiji
No, she's usually much more strict.
Momiji
I'm trying to think if anything like this has happened before... Hmmm...
Marisa
*sigh* We're standing around again. She invited us to her hotel, so why don't you bring us there?
Marisa
You've got a day off now, so you shouldn't have any reason to refuse. Lucky you, huh?
Kasen
No way! Did Shuten... I mean, Suika, really say that?! I didn't even realize she was back...
Yuugi
I can't remember the last time I got a day off. I don't know what to do with myself...
Momiji
But that's what Shuten-Douji... Miss Suika said. She told me to tell everyone that today's a holiday.
Momiji
I'm sure almost everyone knows by now.
Kasen
Hmm, but it's not like we can just abandon the guests she invited and go have fun by ourselves.
Kasen
Did Suika even consider that?
Yuugi
Hahaha! I doubt it!
(It seems the oni in this world work pretty hard.)
(But they're still the same Miss Yuugi and Miss Kasen!)
???
Then why don't you let me handle this?
Parsee
Welcome, honored guests, to Secluded Paradise. I'm Parsee Mizuhashi, the stand-in manager of this hot spring hotel.
M-M-Miss Parsee?!
(Sh-She looks so mysterious!)
Parsee
Suika's not here. So I'll take care of you in her stead. Please let me know if you need anything during your stay.
Yuugi
Are you sure that's OK, Parsee?! Don't you have more important duties to attend to...?!
Parsee
It's fine. I wouldn't be here otherwise.
Yuugi
Well, if you say so...
Kasen
Great. Now we can take the day off without any worries. It seems like ages since I last got a proper rest.
Momiji
To think we'd get to see Miss Parsee... Today must be a very special day indeed!
Seiran
Why wouldn't we see her?
Momiji
Usually, she stays in a facility beneath this hotel where she prays and performs rituals.
Momiji
Rumor has it that it's thanks to her efforts that our hot spring water never dries up.
Seiran
R-Right...
Reisen
...
Reisen
Guys! Guys! Let's drop off our stuff and go exploring!
Reisen
There are so many cool things to see here! C'mon, let's go!
I'm right behind you!
Yippee!
Seiran
H-Hey! Don't get so excited! We've got a mission to complete!
Reisen
Wait for me!
Seiran
...
Seiran
Woohoo! Let's explore!
Reisen
We're on a mission, Seiran. Don't tell me you're thinking of rebelling.
Seiran
...
Seiran
(No fair!)
Answers Pt. 3
Lunasa
What was that voice? It sounded familiar...
Lyrica
Forget about the voice! How are we still talking?!
Merlin
I was sure we got hit. Why haven't we disappeared...?
Lunasa
No idea... But maybe this bullet battle is our way out. I say we win it, then think about the whys later.
Lyrica
Sounds good to me! The Prismriver sisters never back down from a challenge!
Merlin
All right! Let's do this!
Prismriver Sisters
The Prismriver sisters are live!
Yukari
Please don't panic. You are within a ship called the Probability Space Hypervessel.
Yukari
And looking at your appended data...
Yukari
It seems this world is a vassal of the world you're from.
Lyrica
A vassal world...? Aren't there quite a few of those?
Merlin
Which one is this?
Okina
We'll show you later, but this is a world covered in water. It has an actual sea, not like the waterless sea on the Moon.
Kasen
When PLAYER got forcibly sent back here, I considered the possibility that others might follow...
Kasen
But I didn't truly believe it until now.
Yukari
This has probably happened before. I bet that's where the lost fairies of Levania came from.
Lunasa
Sorry, you've completely lost me...! The Moon? A sea? What exactly happened to us?
Merlin
A world of water... Water is the temperament of spirits and death, so is this the world you go to when you die?!
Yukari
There are still many things we do not fully understand.
Yukari
In fact, we were hoping you could help us.
Yukari
From your data, we have learned that this is the furthest vassal world from the Capital.
Yukari
That's because this world's purpose is to collect and purify the Capital's solid and liquid waste.
Yukari
It's like a big wastewater treatment plant, so it makes sense that the Capital would want it as far away as possible.
Yukari
Purified recyclable resources get automatically sent back to the Capital, but the way is blocked for everything else.
Lyrica
You mean we got treated as waste...? Th-That really makes it sound like a world for the dead!
Yukari
Yes. We've only just figured that out, thanks to your arrival.
Yukari
That said, PLAYER did manage to go to the Capital...
Yukari
So perhaps the gatekeeper goddess at the bottom of the ocean can tell us more.
Lunasa
Did you just say, PLAYER?!
Merlin
We know her, too! I see... So this must be where she came from!
Lyrica
Maybe we should slow down a bit...!
Okina
I see! So PLAYER instigated this change.
Kasen
She must be continuing the investigation. That's good news.
Kasen
(PLAYER... please stay safe.)
Yukari
It seems we have a lot to talk about.
Yukari
But what we lack is time.
Yukari
Let's start with what can potentially help us the most.
Yukari
We could learn a lot more if we could somehow establish a line of communication with the Capital's world.
Yukari
So, please tell us everything you know about Xanadu.
Lyrica
How do you know that name?! I'm pretty sure we haven't mentioned it yet!
Yukari
I found it within the data appended to you. It was a simple task thanks to my ability and the capabilities of this ship.
Yukari
We also know that your world is suffering from a Lost Word.
Yukari
We can extrapolate this fact from how the Capital's Lost Word has yet to affect all of the Capital's vassal worlds.
Yukari
The farthest vassal world should be the least affected. If the Lost Word was here, it would already be too late to resolve it.
Yukari
Unfortunately, we lack the time and the means to identify the Lost Word from this world.
Lunasa
The Lost Word... Are you sure such a thing exists? I find it hard to believe.
Yukari
Right. Maybe we should start there instead.
Yukari
I'll prepare some tea.
Answers Pt. 4
While PLAYER and her friends are exploring the hot spring town...
In another vassal world...
In the Underworld's Scarlet Devil Mansion...
Remilia
Sakuya, can you get me some more decaf tea?
Sakuya
As you wish, milady.
Remilia
...
Remilia
...
Remilia
I didn't mean all of you!
Remilia
They're going to bring me a cup each, aren't they...?
Satori
Orin, Okuu―I don't care who. Can one of you get me some more kelp tea?
Rin
I'll get you some! I make the best kelp tea.
Utsuho
No, let me. I'm great at roasting tea leaves.
Koishi
You don't need to roast kelp. I'll do it.
Satori
Please don't argue.
Koishi
Fine. We'll make the tea together.
Satori
Huh?
Satori
What have I done?!
Satori
They're definitely going to bring me three cups.
Remilia
Hold on. Why are you in my mansion drinking tea?
Satori
Kelp tea.
Remilia
Why are you in my mansion drinking kelp tea?
Satori
Why wouldn't I be? I was here yesterday, too.
Remilia
I'm drinking tea at your mansion tomorrow.
Satori
If you want. Would you like the same tea as last week?
Remilia
Grrr...!
Remilia
Fine, whatever. It seems I'm getting a bit impatient.
Remilia
I'm this world's steel, and you're its flint. When we clash, we generate magic for the world above.
Remilia
This also gives us a reason to exist. It's hard to believe that in the past, eating humans provided us with everything.
Satori
You said it.
Satori
It doesn't seem fair that we have to seriously fight each other, but it wouldn't work otherwise.
Satori
If only there were humans...
Remilia
...
Remilia
Sakuya's off-limits.
Satori
No, no, I'm not going to eat her. Eating one human wouldn't solve anything.
Satori
Besides, she isn't the kind of human we need. But you know that, don't you?
Remilia
Yes, she's practically super-human.
Satori
I don't disagree, but that isn't quite what I meant.
Remilia
I can tell by their response to our magic that things are going down in the world above. The oni will soon make their move.
Remilia
When that happens, the central regions of the Capital have to respond. That will be our chance.
Remilia
We cannot act before then.
Satori
You and I are of the same mind.
Satori
We're treated like nothing more than parts of a magical furnace to be sidelined in an out-of-the-way world.
Satori
I used to take offense at this, but now I see the advantages of being ignored.
Remilia
It's pretty obvious that the Capital put us here because they don't know how to handle our abilities.
Remilia
Which makes them the perfect counter to the Capital. It's good we continued to pit our abilities against each other.
Remilia
Through the magical sparks they created, we learned how divergent spirit summoning and vassal worlds work.
Remilia
And this, in turn...!
Satori
Led to...!
Remilia
Flandre!
Flandre
You called?
Satori
Koishi!
Koishi
Your kelp tea's not ready yet.
Remilia
Flandre and I detected a mysterious force exerted on those rejected by the universe.
Remilia
Isn't that right, Flandre?
Flandre
Huh? Y-Yeah. I've kind of always felt it...
Flandre
Uhh... What was it called again?
Remilia
In the Capital, they call it an ecumenical niche.
Remilia
It's a force that will not allow multiple identical beings to exist in the same universe.
Satori
My sister and I have felt that force, too. Under normal circumstances, it could have expelled us from this world.
Koishi
Why didn't it? Also, why hasn't it affected Sakuya? There are three of them in the kitchen.
Satori
Either an equal force of attraction is canceling out this force of repulsion, or the Capital is doing something...
Remilia
They must have found some kind of way to limit or control this force, which they have been exploiting for a very long time.
Remilia
By controlling it on a cosmic scale, they can make worlds their vassals and even summon new worlds.
Satori
Summoning and maintaining these worlds requires an astronomical amount of magical energy.
Satori
I shudder to think how much they've expended so far. It would be foolish to try to fight such overwhelming power directly.
Remilia
I agree. That's why we must wait for the perfect opportunity to strike.
Remilia
However...
Remilia
It seems the world above us lacks our patience.
