151: Out of Okeanos

Natsuki Subaru

"Confirming readings… Heracles- Hercules- whatever we're calling him- has completely disappeared!" Director Olga Marie says, and I just about collapse in an exhausted cocktail of relief and regret.

We won. We won, after all. I'm allowed to be happy about this. All the more so, because… I won't die for Musashibou Benkei. I know that. To start with, he was happy with how he went out, and also-

I promised to try to look cooler in the future.

So, after a moment of closing my eyes, I plaster a grin onto my face, and speak. "Man, that was close! Good job everybody!"

"You missed pretty much everything after my performance, Fishie, so are you really one to be giving compliments…?" Elizabeth asks as she stands up from where she had been cowering - er, sitting - behind some of the ship's strange curvature.

"On the note of ungrateful people, what the heck happened to that swimsuit costume that Medea, Rigel, and I spent three hours remodeling?" I retort.

"Oh would you look at that, I'm disappearing already, see you in the next singularity!" She rapidly says while refusing to meet my eyes. Wait, hang on, that's too fast isn't it!?

"O-oi, don't just go disappearing with another blind assertion, you don't even know where- aaaand she's gone," I bring my face down into my palm slowly. "She was barely even here for this one, that's not fair…"

"Mm… I feel like after this we should probably just accept that she'll find us somehow, Senpai," Mash says, as she approaches the gently falling golden dust, and draws forth a golden crystal-

"Oh! She had the grail, I totally forgot!" I shout.

"Fou!" Speaking of forgotten things, a little hairball peeks out from behind Mash's shoulder to chime in - hey, just where's this guy been all this time anyway?

"We may only be three singularities into this whole ordeal, but I'm already putting together a list of mysterious phenomena - between that girl and Nobunaga, it's clear that the conventional understanding of reality isn't quite right…" Da Vinci mutters. No, they're joke characters, so don't think about it too hard, okay?

"Wahaha! It can't be help - ow, ow, my ribs!" Nobbu chimes in. "Say, have we still got that [Infinite Mud Generator] running? Anyone wanna kill me real quick, if that's how it works?"

"No, stupid!" I retort. "Besides, I think Rigel's already-"

I freeze, as an ominous presence washes over me..

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.

Why did I think this was over? Why the hell did I go and think this was over!?

Shadows dance in his footsteps. Blasphemous tattoos crawl across his skin. Familiar cursed mud drips behind in his footsteps as he reaches the upper deck. His savage grin is lit only by the light of the stars, and writhing in the shadows behind him a hundred formless demons gnash their teeth. And none of this is the most horrifying, because, above all - that body belongs to Rigel.

"Yo. Good job, everyone. This Ahriman is beside himself with gratitude," He says, derision dripping from his voice. "Kehaha! Why the long faces, huh!? You won, right!?"

David catches Nobunaga's gun as she tries to raise it, and directs the shot into the deck. "Not yet. You'll only cause a tragedy if you fire now."

"You-!" I shout. "Angra Mainyu-!"

"Ahriman. Has this one not repeated his name enough yet, I wonder?" He sneers. "But, this Ahriman isn't here to fight, just to congratulate you," He grins and gives a thumbs up. "Good job, everyone! We did great together! But now that you've defeated my destined foe… Well, I'm afraid our alliance is at an end. So, this Ahriman will bid you farewell… until we meet again, in Persia."

Then, the tattoos marking Rigel's skin crawl away into the darkness, and with a last rasping laugh, are gone.

The next moment, he collapses to his hands and knees, wheezing as he heaves breath after breath.

"Hey, you alright-!?" I shout as I run to my brother's side, only for him to raise a hand.

"Stay back. He's… not gone," Rigel wheezes, and something like a claw crashes against Mash's shield as she suddenly interposes herself between Rigel and I.

"Ah, now that's no fun," Says something lurking in his shadow. "I was hoping so hard to butcher whoever came closest first!"

A tense silence follows, as I grapple with this sudden hostage situation I've been thrust into. It's not fair - dammit, we won! What the hell's with this sudden post-final boss, huh!?

A swarm of butterflies floods the air around Rigel, and his eyelids slowly close as he collapses into Medea's waiting arms.

"Is that…?" I start to ask, but she shakes her head.

"It's a temporary solution. That demon shares awareness with Subaru-sama," She explains, and I watch as the elf lowers him into a lap pillow - I'm not jealous, okay!? "If I had the full toolset of my 'Witch' self, I might be able to do something about this, but…"

What the hell can I do about this? I was supposed to bring him with me. But in this state, he's…

"David, you were acting pretty assured, so… what the hell is the answer here!?" I ask.

"...There is none. 'Angra Mainyu' was included in that boy's spirit origin from the start - and when 'Ahriman' departed, he left that component active," David mutters. "That Witch of yours is no good either. She'll tear out every part of him except 'Natsuki Subaru' and collapse his spirit origin."

"But that's-" I blink. "-Excuse me, what the hell did you just say?"

The old king smirks. "We have a few things to discuss, so walk with me for a moment, Natsuki Subaru." Turning, he begins to walk towards the ship's prow.

"Uh…" We're really going to just talk, right now of all times!? "D-da Vinci! I'm leaving Rigel to you, so handle him as best as you can.

"Subaru-kun-!"

"Senpai-!"

Rem and Mash both call out, ""Wait, I'll come with you!""

"No," I shake my head. "I think this is my ears only."

-And, leaving the others behind for the moment, I follow after the ancient Prophet.

David takes me all the way down to the rubble of the battleground where Hercules had fought such a short time ago, before he finally speaks again. "What did you make of your performance this time, Natsuki Subaru?"

…Seriously, that's what he opens with!?

"It's pretty obviously not done yet, so what the hell-!?"

"No, it's over," He answers with a shake of his head. "'That' has already moved again, if you understand."

Is he talking about my save point!? Just how much does this guy-?

"The Lord speaks much wisdom to me," He answers - and then, looking down a bit, he sighs. "...I'll answer simply. You messed up, this time. Rigel's path through things is inadvisable, but in avoiding the snare on the left, you fell into the one on the right."

I grit my teeth. I see. So… this is my fault, then. "...If Benkei was still alive, could he have solved this?"

"Just so," David sighs. "...Your error was in not returning for Euryale. After that, Regulus Corneas could have been charmed, and Hercules would have had one fewer life. Benkei would have survived, in that case."

Hearing it laid out so clearly… makes me want to scream. "So… what now? What can I do!? How the hell do I fix this!?"

"You can't. What's done is done," He answers. "Just as in your conversation with Atalanta earlier, it is far too late to go back and fix this."

At that reminder, I almost retch.

"I've heard you were there as well, in the French Singularity," Atalanta said. "I have some recollection of it, so… would you answer a few questions for me?"

"Yeah, sure. You got your existence eaten by a guy called Batenkaitos-" I start to explain, but she shakes her head.

"I know that much. I regained some awareness after his death, just before the end. What I want to know is…" She looks downwards, gritting her teeth. "Francesca Prelati's hostages. The two-hundred and thirty-seven children he was holding in Orleans. Do you know what became of them?"

"...What?" I pause, and once more that shitbag's grinning face flashes through my mind.

I feel sick.

"You didn't know, then," She gives a heavy sigh. "I suppose she did say that you avoided negotiations. Those kids, who I was able to secret away and save among the slaughter, even despite my madness - I wonder if even one made it out."

I feel sick.

An all-consuming white fog, crushing and tearing apart all that entered it, swallowing every street of Orleans.

This time, the Mystic code cannot stop me, as I vomit.

'Those deaths will be undone' -is just a petty excuse.

I throw up.

"You need to avoid talking to her at all," - is what Professor Velvet had told me. It might be that it would have achieved nothing, that there was never any chance to save those kids. To start with, he had no idea that she would have had hostages, right?

I throw up.

Kongming's shit-eating grin appears in my mind's eye. A monster of Ancient History, to whom any number of sacrifices that did not compromise victory were nothing.

I throw up until my stomach is empty.

I'm already doubled over. Dimly, I'm aware that I'm hyperventilating-

"...Well, in that case, things were less bad than you think," David says, patting my back. "It seems for some reason or another, the false Jeanne d'Arc acted to save those children - and after Prelati had killed her, another rogue Servant intervened to see those kids to safety."

"That's such…" Such an obvious lie, is what I want to say. But somehow- "such… a relief."

-I believe him.

"You'll have to believe me on this one too - once Chaldea has left, someone who can solve your brother's problem will arrive," David says, and I blink.

"...What do you mean?" I ask. "No, even if that happened, what freaking good would it do?"

"How do you suppose that he came to be present here?" The old king asks, glancing away from me and towards the cold, unfeeling stars. "Did she just grow tired of him, after enough time, enough neglect? Not so, Natsuki Subaru. That woman's obsession is beyond all understanding."

"Okay, then how is he here!? He had to die somehow, right!?" I ask, agitated. Why is he dancing around it? Get to the point, already!

"-That is the question. That is the most important question that you must ask, of any other 'Natsuki Subaru' you might meet," He responds, locking eyes with me - but no, he's not looking at me, but past me, through my eyes- "'How did this man, who should be invincible, die'?"

I swallow, numbly. I still don't understand, but it's on the edge of my awareness.

"Natsuki Rigel is a wholecloth fabrication created by Demon God Zepar - is not the case. That would not have fulfilled Zepar's need to know about your ability. But stemming from that - remember that Zepar was the one who chose which 'Natsuki Subaru' to inhabit, and he chose the one that seemed 'strongest'," David suddenly breaks out into a smile. "In that case, why should he choose one that has perished?"

…What?

"But he's a Servant!" I blurt.

"An [Alter-Ego," He retorts, and something like understanding begins to dawn on me. "Components of larger wholes, that have been sliced off and pasted together."

Was there a rule..? There had to be some kind of rule that living people were exempt!

"To put it simply, when the shell of that [Alter Ego] fades away - 'Natsuki Subaru' will awaken on his couch, and remember all of this as a particularly strange dream," David reveals the final truth with a kind of grim smile on his face. "Beyond that… I'm afraid I can't see."

…Why's he sleeping on the couch?

It's a grim prophecy. I've got some idea, after all, of the kind of life he was leading in that world. And the greatest fear of all, even if this dream sticks in his mind like a piece of gum, is- "In that world… the gem containing Echidna is still intact."

"I wonder about that…" He strokes his chin. "That ought to be the case, but… she also ought not to have been here with him in the first place. The pathways of dreams are strange, and I'm no expert in them. Daniel would know, I suppose."

…It's a vain hope. A tiny hint of salvation. And yet, I find my heart clinging to it.

"But, let's return to the subject of your conduct, Subaru," He says, and I find myself scowling again. Right, he was giving some kind of advice. As I look into his eyes, he closes them for a moment, as if steeling his resolve - and then, opening them, he speaks clearly.

"...Even your ability to return by death does not give you the right to act so imprudently," He says.

Time slows to a crawl. Black hands reach out, and I can only watch in horror, as his heart is crushed.

-As time resumes, David staggers, but keeps talking. "Forget labels of Envy and Pride… your true Authority is one of [Imprudence]. Bad judgement, excused by the abuse… of [Return by Death]"

I rush forward and catch him as he collapses. "David! Why the hell-!?" If he knew about this, then why-!?

"I need to tell you now…" He whispers in my ear. "Be wise, Natsuki Subaru. Trust not the untrustworthy. Say that which must be said. Withhold that which must be withheld. Then, you might prevail over the coming calamity."

"Hang on, I really feel like I should be writing this down or something-!" A stupid joke tumbles past my lips as I channel this stupid [Emergency Citrus] spell to try and heal him.

"...And, should you fail in all this, let these words be your salvation," David wheezes dully. "A reunion will come. Despair not, and fare forward."

And then, his body crumbles into golden dust, and he's gone.

When I return to the Space Argo, it's to a scene of commotion.

"Fou! Fou kyuuu! FOOOOU!" A white squirrel-dog squeaks with hatred obvious in his voice, as he's held by the scruff of his neck by-

"Woah, check that out! He smells like marigolds now!" A heavily bandaged Beryl Gut says with a grin. "It was always lilies before! Ain't that ominous?"

"-That's enough, Beryl," Da Vinci says, and the man obediently puts the little critter down, all but collapsing into a seated posture himself. "Subaru-kun, did King David already leave?"

"Yeah. Did I miss anyone?" I say, taking note of the grim tone of my voice. That's no good. I need to see the rest off properly.

"Orpheus-san already said his goodbyes and left… and I think some of the frozen Argonauts have been dematerializing," Mash says.

"...Rem thought she would disappear with Hercules-sama, but she's still here," A small blue doll on Da Vinci's shoulder says.

"If you thought that, shouldn't you have said something sooner!?" I blurt out.

"Don't underestimate my dollcraft, girl," Medea smirks, and I finally glance towards where she's standing a slightly uncomfortable distance from Rigel - god, he looks like hell. Curled up, shivering-

"As far as this girl goes, bringing her with us shouldn't be particularly taxing," Da Vinci says. "We can see about a more permanent body in Chaldea, too."

A beep, and her communicator springs to life. "On that note," The Director says, "I'm making the executive call - we're keeping Aesclepius. The opportunity to get Wodime or Daybit active again is too good to pass up on. Between him and Beryl's servant, we don't have the power to spare for anyone else."

…Yeah, I had a feeling, somehow.

"...Can you get out of the way for a moment?" I ask, and pushing past Da Vinci, I make my way over to Rigel.

His eyes lock on my own as I crouch about three meters from him, and a rasping laugh echoes from his shadow

"...Hey," I say after a moment.

"I… wasn't planning on coming with you anyway." He says after a moment. "Chaldea doesn't have room for many servants in the first place, and I didn't want to just leave Medea and Stede to disappear and… and…"

"David said there was some hope… I dunno what to make of it, but… try to stick it out for as long as you can," I say. "And also… when you wake up, please try not to forget this."

There's a brief pause, and a broken sigh finally leaves Rigel's lips as suddenly all the tension and fear… just vanishes. "I see. So that's how it was."

…The smile on his face makes me sick.

"No… No! Don't give me an attitude like that!" I shout, dimly aware that I've grabbed his collar. "This… mattered, okay? Please, don't just…"

"It's fine, Subaru. I already knew, that my life was something that couldn't be fixed," He says with a faked chuckle.

"You… stupid…" My teeth grind. I can feel tears rolling down my cheeks. Because, I know, if 'Natsuki Subaru' wakes up now - he'll return to his hellish life as though nothing ever happened.

"Look, whatever's going on, you're not gonna get through to him like this, Mr. Natsuki," A voice finally interrupts me, as a hand claps my shoulder. "Your brotherly love isn't working out, so just leave it to his friends instead, okay?" Says Bonnet as he pushes past me.

I back away, closing my eyes as tightly as possible. Did I already screw up? Did I already blurt out 'what must be withheld?' Dammit, be a bit more specific, David!

The fluttering of wings catches my attention, and my eyes snap open - just in time to see Rigel's cold eyes, staring at me from amidst a swarm of spectral butterflies, as Medea smiles apologetically behind him. "Wait-!"

Then, Rigel, Bonnet, and Medea are gone, whisked away by the girl's now-familiar teleportation spell.

My hand outstretched, falls to my side.

A reunion will come. Despair not, and fare forward.

An empty promise. That's all I have, my sole consolation. But-

I steady my breathing. I can't break down. Not here. Not with Rem of all people watching me.

And so, I turn to look towards the last farewell I have to give.

"What? You guys already have the Grail, right? Go on, get out of here." Jason says, glancing away as he shoos us off with one hand.

"Yeah, yeah, bring it in, you big jerk," I say, grabbing and pulling him into a hug.

"Hey, crew group hug! Mash, help me up," Nobunaga says.

"...Sure," The Shielder replies with a sigh.

"The hell do you mean, crew group hug!? Georgios and Cu Chulainn rayshifted back before we even started this fight-!"

"Hey, Mash, the ribs, watch my ribs-!"

-Somehow, we make it work.

"That's enough! Get off, I'm disappearing already! This ship isn't going to stick around, okay!? You'll all fall!" Jason shouts.

"Hear that, Nobbu, Mash? It sounds like he does care what happens to us!" I laugh.

"Just leave me alone alreadyyyyy!"

-And, the world dissolves into a tunnel of blue light.

Natsuki Rigel

This time, the moment we exit the teleportation, I throw myself backwards, denying Angra Mainyu his opportunity to cut Medea and Stede down.

I'm not sure why I'm bothering. I understand now, that this was a meaningless dream, a pointless hope for a kinder fate for Natsuki Subaru.

I guess, the reason is just… a slight sense of gratitude, for this brief happiness I was given.

"So, Mr. Natsuki, how about you go ahead and start explaining your problems-!" Stede starts as he begins to carelessly approach me.

And then, a voice I haven't heard chimes in.

"-You can approach him if you want, but first take a step back."

I turn, and see a cloaked figure - and see him raise a massive limb. A gleaming silver machine, attached at his left shoulder, covered in wires, ending in a cluster of angled blades that suggest at a hand-

"Breaker configuration. [Switch On - Airgetlam]."

A purple bolt, faster than the eye can see tears through space, and through my shadow. For a brief moment, there's searing pain - and then, the mocking snicker of Angra Mainyu goes silent. The only sound, apart from the falling debris, is the hiss of steam pouring from vents on the cloaked man's appendage.

Stede - well, naturally, he's curled into a ball and is cowering on the ground.

Medea's eyes are wide, as she stares at the glassy hole his shot has left on the beach. "That attack-!?"

Then, sparing not another glance, he turns and begins to walk away. "-She's already left. Carter, see to them."

I blink, and see he was speaking to someone. An unassuming man with a long face, wearing a simple suit. Somehow, my eyes had just… ignored his presence. "It's your own good nature that has set us behind. But, I'll handle the cleanup here as well." Before his sentence is done, the cloaked man has vanished.

And then, with eyes deep and dark, the unassuming gentleman turns towards me.

"Now then… you've dreamed long and far, haven't you, young man?"

Singularity Resolved

Arc 4 - Four Day Deluge: Okeanos - End

An interesting performance. But, it was lacking something, don't you think?

For all the excitement, all the spectacle… well, I'm left quite unsated, at the end of everything. This last chapter may have looked like it was guiding us to tragedy, but… ah, it's nowhere near enough, I'm afraid.

I mean, really, a sudden intervention by the [Gentleman who Travels through Space and Time, just how contrived can you get?

No. No, no, no, it's all wrong! This performance is completely unsuitable!

Calamity!

Calamity must come for Chaldea! The just desserts, so long forestalled!

Why should punishment be only for villains!? Heroes are punished, must be punished as well! THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF TRAGEDY, NO!?

Ah, my apologies. It seems I got a bit passionate.

Regardless, the warning has come too late. Natsuki Subaru cannot change. His imprudence, always ignored, always allowed and given a free pass - let the curtain rise, on the ultimate end of such a vice.

See his eyes go wide with panic. Hear the blood pound in his ears. Can you grasp his fear, as he sees it?

Like a disease, thought to be in remission, that returns to claim the patient's life. As out-of-place as a clown. As malignant as a tumor.

-The Pleiades Watchtower, rising like an ill moon above the Tokyo skyline.

Sub-Singularity 1

Arc 4.5 - Transplanted Tower of Sins: Pleiades - Begin