Ch. 4: Eternal Battlefront 8
Shuten-Douji's Ambition Pt. 1
After PLAYER and her friends finished exploring the hot spring town...
In the New Land of the Oni vassal world that neighbors the Energy City: Mendeleev...
In Secluded Paradise's luxury suite...
*contented sigh* That was delicious!
Marisa
Yeah, the people here really know how to cook. My only criticism is that there wasn't a single mushroom dish.
Marisa
I guess mushrooms don't grow in these parts. If they did, they would definitely serve them.
Parsee
You want to eat mushrooms? You're right that they don't grow too well here. They'd melt with all the heat and humidity.
Parsee
But there might be some far from the town. I'll get someone to go look, so I can add them to your breakfast tomorrow.
Marisa
No thanks. I don't wanna eat mushrooms picked by an amateur.
Parsee
Are you sure?
Marisa
Very. I don't have a death wish.
Momiji
I'm sorry, everyone. I was meant to be your guide, but I didn't do much guiding. I was just so excited to finally get a day off...
Momiji
Still, it was a lot of fun exploring the town with you all. I'll never forget it.
Your fluffy tail was wagging the whole time!
Momiji
Hahaha, that's embarrassing.
Reisen
That was so fun! This place is nothing like the Capital! I kept getting distracted by all the things I've never seen before!
Reisen
But what impressed me the most was how everyone seemed so happy!
Reisen
The people working, playing, or just walking around all seemed to be living their lives to the fullest!
Reisen
...
Reisen
Hang on...
Reisen
Why did we come here again?
Seiran
...
Seiran
I'm with Reisen on this one. Nothing strange is going on here.
Seiran
It feels like all we managed to do was enjoy the sights.
Reisen
Of course, we did. That has always been our goal.
Reisen
There's no way we'd do anything as disruptive as performing missions in someone else's world. Isn't that right, Seiran?
Seiran
B-But...
Seiran
...You're absolutely right!
Parsee
You all came from beyond the mist. That makes you marebito.
Parsee
And it is the ancient custom of this hotel to welcome marebito as our guests.
Parsee
We've hosted many marebito over the years, and they all claimed to have come from the Capital.
Parsee
They're like rabbits that fell down a hole.
Reisen
Umm, wh-what are those rabbits doing now?
Reisen
I h-hope they're OK.
Parsee
Well, they certainly enjoyed their stay here while it lasted. They peacefully passed away in their sleep.
Parsee
We have a cemetery for our previous guests behind the hotel. Would you like to see it?
Reisen
Eep! N-N-No thanks! I'm good!
Reisen
*shudder*
Reisen
(Miss Seiran, do moon rabbits really have such short lifespans?)
Seiran
(No, we should live much longer than that... Hmm, I don't understand...)
Reisen
...
Parsee
This world is the embodiment of Suika Ibuki's dream. That's why it's called the New Land of the Oni.
Parsee
We wandered for an impossibly long time, drifting from place to place.
Parsee
We traveled far and wide, always on the move, searching for a land where we could live in peace.
Parsee
...At least that's what the records say. It was so long ago that nobody remembers it clearly.
Parsee
Nobody except Suika. She continues to lead us with a will of iron that has not diminished even after all these years.
Parsee
...Oh, I'm talking about the serious mode Suika, not the irresponsible drunk you see most of the time.
Parsee
Still, no one can doubt her commitment. She's always moving forward while considering what's best for those who follow her.
Parsee
We wouldn't have come this far without her. And I'm sure she'll bring us an even brighter tomorrow.
She sounds like a queen, leading her people.
Parsee
That's a good way to put it.
Parsee
The sole duty of a queen is to ensure their people can sleep each night without having to worry.
Parsee
She is without a doubt our queen. Everyone respects her―
W-Was that an explosion?!
Seiran
Look outside!
Keine
Suika Ibuki. That was a warning. Stop what you're doing and show yourself.
Doremy
We're not here to negotiate. Show yourself. Now.
Keine
If you don't...
Doremy
We'll keep firing at random until you do.
???
STOP!
Yuugi
What do you think you're doing, firing bullets at buildings?
Kasen
Are you betraying us?! Didn't you promise Suika that you wouldn't interfere?!
Doremy
What a strange thing to say. Have you forgotten the Satellite Pact?
Doremy
Our neutrality was subject to the conditions that the leader of every vassal world agreed to.
Doremy
If anyone tries to get the jump on the others, they're fair game.
Kasen
I've got no idea what you're talking about.
Yuugi
Is that what you're accusing Suika of doing?
Doremy
Seriously? You don't know anything, do you?
Doremy
Stop wasting our time and bring out Miss Suika.
Doremy
If you don't, we will!
Th-This doesn't look good!
Where's Miss Suika?!
Parsee
Tch! What has she done now?!
Miss Parsee...?
Momiji
I think she went to find Miss Suika! But it's not safe to stay here!
Momiji
We need to evacuate! This way!
Reisen
I'm gonna get a bit closer to see what they're up to. Don't worry. I can take care of myself.
Reisen
I'll also protect you from any stray bullets while you evacuate.
Seiran
I-I'll help...!
Reisen
There's no need. Evacuate with Rabbit 2.
Seiran
R-Roger!
Momiji
Fine! Do whatever you want! Those who ARE evacuating, follow me!
Seiran
Eeep! Don't leave me behind!
Marisa
I think I'll stick with the people fleeing. That seems more fun.
Reisen
Hold on to me, PLAYER! I'll fly us out of here!
Thanks!
Let's go!
Shuten-Douji's Ambition Pt. 2
Yukari
...
Yukari
Hmm, it seems someone activated the Probability Space Hypervessel's bullet battle simulator...
Yukari
After all that searching, this is the only clue I found that might explain why we got forcibly sent here.
Yukari
It's naught but a shadow, a phantom of a clue, but I won't let it escape me.
Yukari
PLAYER... She's meant to be unique, but I can sense fragments of beings that share her identity.
Yukari
This paradox is just what I need. I'll borrow this data, too.
Yukari
...
Yukari
Good. Now, I just have to analyze this data alongside our observations of the far side of the Moon...
Reimu
This is the far side of the Moon... but there's no Lunar Capital...
Sanae
M-Maybe it's on the near side! It could've... I dunno... teleported there or something?
Yukari
Let's check. Get ready to cross the Moon's barrier.
Everyone
No way!
Sumireko
I-Is this really the near side?! Isn't this meant to be the Moon as seen from Earth in the outside world?
Sanae
It's so sticky and hot! And it's so green! It's a forest... No, it's a full-on rainforest!
Reimu
Isn't the Moon meant to be devoid of life?! There are creatures everywhere!
Reimu
There's a bug there, another creature there, and... WHAT IS THAT?!
Yukari
This place is dangerous. Let's head back. Now.
At an unknown time...
In an unknown location...
Within the base's war room...
Yukari
...
Yukari
...
Sumireko
What are you doing, Miss Yukari?
Yukari
...
Sumireko
Miss Yukariiiii?
Yukari
Sumireko, what do you think of that "outside world" we saw?
Sumireko
I'm glad we left as soon as we did. It was pretty scary.
Sumireko
I was just talking about it with the others.
Reimu
I'm sure they were ancient dragons that came back to life. I heard about them from Mister Rinnosuke.
Reimu
But I've never seen so many dragons in one place before! I should've destroyed that fossil when I still had the chance.
Reimu
No, this isn't my world, so it wouldn't have done anything. To think that in the far future, all worlds will become like that...
Yukari
Hmm, so that's how you saw it, Reimu.
Sumireko
Me and Sanae have a different opinion, or impression... or whatever you wanna call it.
Sanae
They're dinosaurs! That's what they're called! They're, like, super popular in the outside world!
Sanae
I knew all their names as a kid!
Sanae
They're Jurassic!
Sumireko
You're talking about that hit movie, right? It's funny how the main dinosaur was actually from the Cretaceous period.
Sumireko
Anyway, that rainforest we saw looked exactly like the ancient world of dinosaurs you'd see in encyclopedias or movies.
Sumireko
If I were a paleontologist, maybe I could tell you if they were actually dinosaurs or not...
Sumireko
Then again, how they're meant to look constantly changes. All I can really say is that they looked like dinosaurs to me.
Yukari
I see. Thank you for that honest and well-explained opinion.
Sumireko
So... what did we see? You're not seriously gonna tell us that the Moon turned into a world of dinosaurs, are you?
Yukari
Perhaps. Perhaps not. I can't give you a solid answer until I know more.
Reimu
Seriously? Then what was the point of us sharing our opinions?
Yukari
Because―Oh, they're here. Good timing.
Tewi
I brought them, just like you asked.
Mokou
This is the full extent of our remaining forces.
Reimu
Is it true that you can lead us to the Capital? Honestly, I find it hard to believe.
Marisa
Can't we just forget about the Capital? I'm happy to keep doing what we're doing. Travelling to other worlds isn't so bad.
Mokou
You should know that's not an option.
Mokou
Or have you forgotten that our band of rebels, Ys, is allied with Xanadu? The Xanadu that disappeared along with the Capital.
Mokou
If we find the Capital, we find Xanadu. We need them.
Mokou
And besides, sending you to other worlds and extending the lives of ordinary humans takes a lot of magical energy.
Mokou
Our magic reserves are running low. I don't even want to imagine what it's like to live in a world with no magic at all.
Reisen
Me neither. And I'm not human, even if I could probably pass as one.
Reisen
Sure, we need magic to fight, but without it, we would literally starve to death.
Sanae
We wouldn't be able to use fire or electricity, either. It'd be super cold and dark!
Sakuya
That doesn't sound good. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I couldn't cook.
Youmu
Miss Sakuya... I think you're missing the point.
Tewi
So, Yukari Yakumo, the tiny great sage...
Tewi
You said you've found a way for us to meet up with Xanadu and fight the Capital again.
Tewi
Let's hear it.
Yukari
Very well.
Yukari
When Reimu and Sanae travelled to this world, I assumed they had left the girl known as PLAYER behind.
Yukari
But it seems I was mistaken.
Yukari
While it may sound arrogant, we have a lot of experience with interworld travel. More than her and the people of this world.
Mokou
No, we'd be the first to admit that. You have been travelling longer and further. You have visited many more worlds.
Tewi
It's kinda scary to think there are still things you don't know.
Yukari
Yes. And I didn't know how to get to the Capital until the strangest thing happened...
Yukari
PLAYER, a girl no one had ever heard of before, managed to travel there.
Yukari
And why hasn't anyone heard of her until now? That's strange, too.
Yukari
It's like she's an extra character that was inserted into a story after it was written... No, that's not quite right.
Yukari
She definitely wasn't there before, but once you meet her, you feel like you've always known her.
Yukari
It was inevitable that we, or another version of us, would guide her to the Probability Space Hypervessel.
Yukari
Sorry. I'm getting sidetracked.
Yukari
First, let me explain the current situation of Ys, the base we find ourselves in.
Yukari
It's hard to determine whether this base disappeared or the Capital, but it basically equates to the same thing.
Yukari
The Capital has teleported to another universe along with the space it occupied.
Yukari
I know this because PLAYER is in the Capital. She emits a signal I can follow, like a lighthouse in a storm.
Yukari
They moved the Capital. All of it. This is different from teleporting someone's consciousness or a single person.
Yukari
It's like they cut this part of the universe out and pasted it somewhere else.
Yukari
Like they made their own Gensokyo...
Yukari
That land teeming with dragons must have been the price they paid to move the Capital. It fills the hole they left.
Yukari
Now, as to why there are dragons: I cannot say. Perhaps they merely chose that world at random...
Yukari
Or maybe it holds some other significance. Either way, investigating it will take some time.
Mokou
And there's no guarantee we'll find anything useful...
Tewi
Then I guess we should put a pin it for now.
Tewi
So, you know where the Capital is... but how do we get there?
Yukari
I was getting to that.
Yukari
We're going to teleport there along with this base.
Mokou
Is that even possible?!
Tewi
I doubt we have enough magical energy for something like that...
Yukari
It won't be easy.
Yukari
We'll have to combine our knowledge of multiple different theories...
Yukari
Like how the human astronauts of old had to combine all their skills and technology to break free from the Earth's gravity.
Yukari
First, we'll use the ecumenical niche's repulsive force.
Yukari
There are already two Reimus and Sanaes here, but there's no sign any of them will soon be expelled from this world.
Yukari
That's because there is also an attractive force. There is a barrier around every world that acts like surface tension.
Yukari
You can pour a bit more water into a full cup without it spilling over. That's why interworld travel isn't inherently dangerous.
Yukari
The universe can forgive a few identical beings existing within it. And while they remain a few, nothing bad will happen.
Yukari
But once this threshold is crossed, the floodgates will open...
Yukari
Initiating an interworld teleportation on a colossal scale.
Tewi
But... doesn't that mean we need lots of people who share identities? Where are we going to get them all?
Yukari
We'll cheat. I'll draw the divergent spirits and lesser spirits that drift between worlds to this base.
Yukari
I can do that thanks to my power over boundaries and shikigami. However, this method is extremely dangerous.
Yukari
Normally, you'd only break the barrier around a world if you wanted to bring about the end.
Yukari
The world will collapse, and we won't be able to direct where we're sent.
Tewi
I'm guessing this is where that part about combining different theories comes in.
Yukari
Correct. We need something to set our course.
Yukari
I want you, the leader of Ys, to provide that.
Mokou
Right... I feel like I should be surprised, but I'm not.
Mokou
I guess this is the power of connections, huh?
Yukari
Yes, your connection is our last thread of hope. I gathered as much by looking at PLAYER's log.
Yukari
Please, tell us, Fujiwara no Mokou...
Yukari
What is your relationship with the Capital's Kaguya Houraisan?
Shuten-Douji's Ambition Pt. 3
After PLAYER and her friends began their escape...
In the New Land of the Oni vassal world that neighbors the Energy City: Mendeleev...
Somewhere beneath the hotel...
Wh-What is this place...?
We descended pretty far!
Marisa
Looks like the perfect place to grow mushrooms. Yo, where's the dehumidifier? I wanna turn it off.
Momiji
Please stop talking nonsense. We should be safe down this way.
Momiji
C'mon, follow me!
Seiran
This place gives me the creeps. What do you think it's used for?
Reisen
Maybe it's an arena where bloody contests are held to entertain crowds! I read about them in a history textbook!
Seiran
Y-You're just trying to scare me...!
Hurry up, you two!
Seiran
R-Right!
Reisen
PLAYER seems a lot more confident now. She was just as timid as me a second ago!
Wow...
Is that big thing... a tree?
Kinda reminds me of the Saigyou Ayakashi...
???
...What's going on, Suika? Why are you starting this now?
(Someone's there!)
Suika
...but the kaiju already knew.
Suika
Maybe if I could spare the magical resources, I could've also sensed what they were up to.
Suika
But I couldn't. I have to focus on this.
Seiran
Yikes! What is this place?! Is that massive thing some kinda plant...?
Suika
What are you doing here?
Reisen
Wh-Why'd you jump out like that?! We were just about to hear something important...!
Seiran
Oops... I mean, no! They're dangerous! And so's this plant! Who knows what they'll do if we don't stop them?!
Suika
Hmm, you're pretty perceptive for a rabbit.
What's she talking about, Suika?!
What are you trying to do?!
Suika
Right, it's you guys... Momiji must have led you here to keep you safe.
Momiji
Y-Yes. I knew this place was top-secret, but I had assumed it was an emergency shelter...
Suika
We only told the police about it to keep others away, but I guess that backfired. Oh, well. What's done is done.
Marisa
Hey. I've got a question for you, too. Why are you holding that?
Suika
You mean these?
They're... Miracle Mallets!
Marisa
Why are there two of them? I'm sure one of them is the one I dropped...
Marisa
Don't you know that taking something that doesn't belong to you makes you a thief? Give it back.
Suika
What did you call me? If anyone's a thief here, it's you. The Miracle Mallet originally belonged to us oni.
Suika
Still, I never thought I'd get my hands on two of 'em. It seems good things do come to those who wait...
Suika
Then again, perhaps it was fate.
...?
(Why is she looking at me?)
Seiran
H-Hey! D-Don't threaten my squadmate!
Suika
I'm not. I'm just checking something.
Suika
You. What's your name? I don't think you told me the last time we met.
It's... PLAYER.
Suika
PLAYER, huh? Stop looking so scared.
Suika
I would've liked to have met you sooner. Perhaps then I'd...
Suika
No, who am I kidding? That wouldn't have changed anything.
Suika
I can only achieve my ambition now that you're here.
Your ambition? What's that got to do with me?!
Suika
I'm not sure. But you definitely set things in motion...
Suika
Recently, this tree started giving off the same aura as you.
Suika
Thanks to that...
Suika
I figured it out!
Suika
We've forgotten everything! Just like how, over the generations, humans lose the knowledge of their ancestors.
Suika
We've forgotten who we were and where we came from. We've forgotten the space and time we lived in.
Suika
But most importantly, we've forgotten why all the humans disappeared.
Suika
We vaguely remember that we were on a journey in search of the promised land. We travelled for an impossibly long time.
Suika
But when did that journey end? How did it end?
Parsee
What's gotten into you, Suika?! You're monologuing...
Parsee
Have you taken leave of your senses?
Suika
Is that even a question? Oh, I see. You're worried about me. ...Thanks, Parsee.
Suika
But we no longer have to stay sane. We maintained order not because we wanted to, but because we were forced to...
Suika
Those days are over. Now, we can be as lunatic as we please.
Suika
Just like how we were in the past. Yes, I remember everything now.
Suika
C'mon! Let's go home!
Suika
The Capital cunningly hid everything from us!
Suika
But I can manipulate density.
Suika
Unlike the rest of the youkai here... I alone can break through that tunnel of mist.
Suika
Unfortunately, I can't take anyone with me, and if I stray too far, I won't be able to return.
Suika
I've seen the Capital and the other vassal worlds. This ability is the reason why I represent us at the Satellite Pact meetings.
Suika
But observing the Capital didn't teach me everything. I couldn't figure out where the humans went...
Suika
It was a nagging suspicion, but I failed to recognize its importance.
Suika
I was prevented from realizing the true implications of youkai living in a world without humans...
Suika
But now I know the truth. The Capital clouded everyone's judgement to suit their own ends.
Suika
There are humans in the outside world!
Huh?
Parsee
What are you talking about, Suika?
Momiji
Sorry... I don't understand, either. There are humans here...
Suika
I'm talking about the archaic humans, not the neo-humans who gather metal from the mountain.
Parsee & Momiji
Hm?
Reisen
*very confused*
Seiran
I'm completely lost...
Suika
It took me a while to gather enough magical energy.
Suika
But now, all I have to do is use it.
Suika
The tree taught me all that I needed to know. Two identical Miracle Mallets should not be able to exist in the same world.
Suika
Normally, the closer they get, the stronger they'd repel each other.
Suika
Some identical beings and unique magical items can co-exist because the Capital has loosened this cosmic rule.
Suika
But they cannot change what happens when this repulsion is overcome.
Marisa
No way...!
Marisa?! Do you know what she's trying to do?!
Marisa
She's talking about the as-yet-unattainable dream of materialistic societies... harnessing the power of the Sun!
Suika
My ability lets me manipulate density. If I bring two things that should repel each other as close as possible...
Suika
...and imbue them with magical energy, they will stop repelling and combine.
Suika
This will release a wave of destructive power that can break through this world's horizon and open a path!
Suika
Outside world, here we come!
Marisa
Yikes. This is bad. Really bad.
Marisa
I can't even begin to predict how much damage an oni with TWO Miracle Mallets can cause...
Marisa
C'mon, we can't let her get away. Luckily, the big hole she opened in the ceiling makes her easy to follow.
Right. We gotta stop her!
Suika
Looking for me, kaiju?
Keine
Suika...
Doremy
...Ibuki?
Yuugi
Suika...? Is that really you?
Kasen
Her magic feels completely different...
Suika
I broke our Satellite Pact, so you're free to punish me for it...
Suika
If you can.
Keine
*gulp* She's nothing like the other oni...!
Doremy
We promised the professor that we'd stop her... but she's way too powerful! There's nothing we can do!
Suika
You can stand there and watch.
Suika
'Cause I'm about to enact a feat of divine power not seen since the time Ame no Tajikarao forced open Amaterasu's cave.
Marisa
Hold on tight, PLAYER. We have to stop her.
I know!
Marisa
But be careful. We don't exactly know what we're flying into.
Marisa
The Miracle Mallet can be used as a devastating weapon, but its true power is granting wishes.
Marisa
Think fate manipulation, but way worse.
Marisa
Normally, you'd hesitate before using it, 'cause it exacts a terribly high cost... But I doubt she's thinking about that.
Marisa
And she has TWO of them, tripling her physical power and doubling her spiritual potential...
Marisa
I have no doubt that with them, she could instantly break any barrier. We have to hurry.
Suika
Too late. You're all too late! I'm gonna combine these Miracle Mallets!
Suika
This is an oni festival! No human or youkai can stop me!
Marisa
Tch! How can an oni be this strong?
Marisa
It's like she's preserved her divine power from before the oni fell to ruin. Back then, they were indistinguishable from gods.
Suika
Did you really think you could beat me? You can blast me to a fine mist, but I'll always come back.
Suika
Thanks for the warmup. Now I'm ready to open Ama no Iwato, the rock cave of Heaven.
Suika
I'm opening the gate! Follow me!
Suika
I bet there'll be so many humans on the other side! Yes, humans! The humans we've all forgotten!
Suika
They await us, like the coming of spring! They want nothing more than to live in fear of us again!
Suika
This is our spring! This is our time!
Suika
It's the beginning of an oni festival! A festival that will never end!
Suika
To the outside world!
Oni
Shuten-Douji! Long live, Shuten-Douji!
Oni
Huh?
Oni
AAAAAAAAAAAH!
Yuugi
Our people...! The Land of the Oni...!
Kasen
She's crushing everything in her path...!
Parsee
Hoshiguma! Ibaraki! Stop gawping and help us evacuate!
Momiji
Please stay calm, everyone! Follow me!
Seiran
We should help them! You with me?!
Reisen
Roger!
Reisen
...
Doremy
Heh. And I thought we were the kaiju.
Keine
How can we stop her? This seems way beyond us now.
Doremy
Hrmm... Let me think.
W-We can't stop her!
Marisa
Tch. I'm almost tapped out. I used too much magic in too short a time.
Marisa
Should I use my trump card...? But I'm not sure if I can control it...
I want to stop Suika...
But I also want to save her....
There's gotta be a way to do both.
Marisa
I doubt that.
Suika
Time to unleash my full oni power!
Suika
Miracle Mallet, expose the barrier's secrets!
Suika
Huh?
Suika
Where am I?
Suika
Is this... the outside world? Where are the humans?
Suika
No, this is somewhere else.
Suika
It feels like...
Suika
I'm inside that tree...
Suika
...
Suika
...
Doremy
D-Did you see that? For a second, it looked like she opened a hole in space.
Keine
But Suika Ibuki's still here... Did she fail?
Marisa
She's gone quiet. This might be our chance.
Now we can save her!
Marisa
Hm?
Marisa
Get down, PLAYER!
W-Was that a laser?!
SUIKAAAAAA!
Doremy
Wh-What just happened?!
Keine
Who fired that?! Where'd it come from?!
Marisa
...Who are you?
???
My sister is sleeping in a neighboring world, and I'm waiting for her to wake up.
???
I understand that you had no way of knowing this, but I do not wish her sleep to be disturbed.
???
So, I got rid of the noise.
???
Sorry for the intrusion, but I will not stay for long.
???
Every second I'm away from my sister, my worry grows.
???
Goodbye.
Remilia
I'm Remilia Scarlet.
Remilia
The eternally young scarlet dragon and bringer of the end.
Shuten-Douji's Ambition Pt. 4
???
...
???
...
???
So that's what happened when I was just playing around while half-asleep?
???
How pathetic.
???
But still...
???
...every single world that possesses a Gensokyo is unyielding.
???
...
???
...
???
I didn't think they would last this long after everything that happened.
???
But this is just an empty dream that will only last until I finish arriving.
???
...
???
The Lost Word is complete.
???
It wasn't easy to make the target that loses its name and the target that loses its existence be one and the same.
???
...
???
...
???
But I'm not surprised that it took a few tests.
???
It's like trying to catch a fish with a net that dissolves in water.
???
But that is possible in this world... or rather, this universe.
???
―The key was to have friends. How ironic.―
???
Lost Words will no longer leave any trace. The lost targets will be robbed of both their name and existence simultaneously.
???
Restoring Lost Words is now essentially impossible for the ones in that world and also for the ones from other worlds.
???
...
???
...
???
Not that it matters.
???
It doesn't bother me either way.
???
...Again and again, my mind returns to the same thoughts. Perhaps I'm overthinking things.
???
Then again, I might as well think all that I can now 'cause once I awake, the lunatic impulse to destroy will take over.
???
It's like the me calmly thinking now and the destructive me have different personalities.
???
But when she wakes, I don't get to rest. I'll have to use all my willpower to try and stop her from destroying everything.
???
My impulses will eventually lead to my own destruction. But that doesn't mean I'm against destroying things on principle.
???
That's why I let her play around a little in her sleep. There is a time and place for everything... even destruction.
???
...
???
...
???
I'm still asleep, so I might as well think a little deeper.
???
The Lost Word is complete.
???
Marisa Kirisame perfected it.
???
This means Lost Words can now be used to save our world.
???
That is the only goal we all truly share.
???
The fates of every universe and all universes combined are marked with a full stop, signifying their inevitable destruction.
???
The only way to rewrite these fates is with an item known as a spell book or grimoire.
???
It could also be called an anthology, album, or illustrated record, but none of those names really do it justice.
???
Since the book's pages could be interpreted as Spell Cards written in the language of bullet battles...
???
Calling it a spell book seems the most appropriate.
???
We have to complete this spell book, then read it out loud. That is the only way to save us.
???
For that, we have to fill its pages by collecting "Spell Cards."
???
These Spell Cards aren't like the ordinary ones used in battles of bullets. They're made from words that describe a world.
???
The first test was with the Lost Word, "Hakurei." This proved that we could select abstract words that apply to many things.
???
The Lost Word, "Marisa Kirisame," was the second test where we judged the effects of selecting a specific person's name.
???
The results were promising. We also obtained the Spell Card, "Reimu Hakurei," making vital progress toward our goal.
???
Next, we tried selecting multiple Lost Words at once. Namely, "Roukanken" and "Hakurouken." This worked remarkably well.
???
This wider net let us create a powerful repulsive AND attractive force, which could even capture greater youkai.
???
The Spell Cards, "Yukari Yakumo" and "Saigyou Ayakashi"―two powerful pages we sorely needed.
???
Everything worked as Marisa said it would, and this test is proceeding as planned, too.
???
This is our first attempt at turning a Lost Word directly into a Spell Card.
???
Before, we were basically firing a cannon, but now, we're launching a self-propelled rocket.
???
Though I guess Marisa would probably call it a missile.
???
So far, we've succeeded. The word we chose has already disappeared from the Capital's universe.
???
And by Capital's universe, I don't mean its vassal worlds. They originally belonged to completely different universes...
???
...I'm not explaining this because I have to.
???
But I can't go crazy just yet. This isn't the time. I have to keep thinking straight for a little while longer.
???
I have to endure.
???
Anyway, it's worth remembering that the Capital is basically a universe in and of itself.
???
The Lost Word has already affected everything within the Capital, and it has finished becoming a Spell Card.
???
To put it another way, that word has vanished from the Capital along with the thing it denoted.
???
We have already got what we wanted from the Capital. So, that begs the question: why do we still have to go there?
???
I bet my sister, Remilia Scarlet, has already arrived and is waiting for me to wake up.
???
The reason is simple. We have to go there because now we know it's possible to resolve Lost Words as incidents.
???
What will happen to our Spell Cards when the Lost Words are resolved?
???
Marisa theorizes that the Spell Cards we have already collected won't disappear.
???
But there's no guarantee she's right.
???
We either need to ensure that we can retain our Spell Cards even if the Lost Words are resolved...
???
Or make it so the Lost Words can never be resolved.
???
As long as we can confirm either option...
???
Nothing can stop us from saving our world.
???
I'll no longer have to perform these great interworld hops that involve massive leaps through spacetime.
???
That nuisance who delayed my awakening also seems to have relented of their own accord.
???
It won't be long until this me sinks deep into the recesses of my mind...
???
I'll be stuck there for a while, but that's a small price to pay.
Meanwhile...
In the deepest conceptual layer of an unknown vassal world, below the Capital and the Waste Ward...
Near the gravity anomaly...
Mystia
Sh-Should we really be taking her back with us?!
Wriggle
What kinda question is that, Mystia?! That's why we're here!
???
Don't worry. This is for the best.
Mystia
Mark 0...
Wriggle
Letty Whiterock.
Letty
That's me.
Letty
I've been here maintaining the seal ever since the Professor found her.
Letty
I used all my magic as a youkai refrigerator to keep her frozen, not even sparing any to retain my own consciousness.
Letty
She's a concentrated lump of mass sleeping in a pool of blood. I froze her time, so she would never get out...
Letty
But my measly ability can only do so much. All I managed to do was buy us a bit more time before she awakens.
Letty
That's why I'm very grateful that you shocked me back to my senses and pulled us apart.
Letty
With her this close to waking, I would've been in terrible danger if I stayed there much longer.
Mystia
Y-You're welcome...!
Wriggle
But what are we gonna do when she wakes up?
Letty
First, we must report to the Professor. Then we can discuss our options.
Letty
All I know is that there's nothing we can possibly do to stop her.
Mystia
B-But we're kaiju!
Wriggle
What if we go back there now and attack her with everything we've got while she can't move?!
Letty
We underestimated her.
Wriggle & Mystia
Wh-What do you mean?!
Letty
When she tossed and turned in her sleep...
Letty
She knocked a ship hauling multiple worlds' worth of information clean out of the sky.
Wriggle & Mystia
...In her sleep? A ship hauling information...? (What even is that?)
Letty
The Capital controls its vassal worlds by pitting them against each other, preventing any one from gaining too much power.
Letty
Our records show that humans used these same means to maintain their own massive empires in the past.
Letty
But this wasn't just to prevent a rebellion. It was to delay our discovery of the girl deep underground for as long as possible.
Letty
The wise Professor was the first to reach her.
Letty
And thanks to that, we still have some time.
Letty
Time until she, the cause of the gravity anomaly, fully awakens.
Mystia
How can you know that?!
Wriggle
It looked like she could explode at any moment!
Letty
I sensed her sister.
Wriggle & Mystia
What?!
Letty
She is the younger of two sisters. Even in my cryogenic sleep, I sensed the older sister watching over her.
Letty
If she wanted to wake her little sister up, she would've started by getting rid of me.
Letty
But she didn't. In fact, she even tried to calm her little sister down when she tossed and turned in her sleep.
Mystia
She has a sister...?
Wriggle
I didn't see anyone like that....
Letty
You two wouldn't have reached me if the older sister was still there. She would've distorted your fates...
Letty
...granting you an unfortunate end. I believe she only tolerated my presence because of the function I fulfilled.
Letty
She showed no signs of wanting to hasten her sister's awakening.
Letty
The feeling I got was of a caring older sister...
Letty
...who finally got her sister to sleep and didn't want her disturbed.
