Part 3: Flame Poem Arc - Sing

Sing


Master's duty





Know well that the rules have changed since the arenas of the Holy Grail War. Now, put simply, all of us are equal.Even you, Master. To any foes we encounter, you are now as much of a target as I am.



Ah, speaking of which, enemy programs are gathering just up ahead. If we proceed, battle is inevitable.

Huh?! Wait, does that mean...those things can kill me?!

Were I one of them, Praetor, I would come for you first. Your presence is like ambrosia to them, and your "blood" even more so.

...That's bad. I'm not a fighter. I know one program, Code Cast...

Oh yes, of course. How foolish of me. You've only just returned, and now here I am, carrying on... Please forgive me. This is the perfect stage to show you my valiant figure, but... Urgh, let us re-evaluate. Praetor. Please stay behind me. It is a Servant's duty to protect the Master. Lonesome as it is, leave the fighting to me.

...



Well, it's also the Master's duty to support the Servant, if possible.

Wh-What are you saying, Praetor?! Ah, our feelings are more in tune than I even knew. How lovely! ...Regardless! These are not formal duels here, but wild brawls. I cannot guarantee that I will be able to protect you to the fullest...

"Formal duels" is a pretty good way to describe the Servant-Servant battles in Fate/EXTRA, for the record. It wasn't everyone's thing.

I understand. Even by her side, I'd be more of a liability than an ally. But I don't want that to push me away from her. Even if I can't fight, I still want to support her. If I didn't do that, I'd have no right to be called Saber's Master...!



...What?





P-Praetor?! Wh-Wh-What is the meaning of this?! Where did you learn to do that?!

...I can hear Saber's voice. More than that, I can see her and feel her warmth. Somehow, the whole of my consciousness is now inside Saber's ring.

What...in...the...? Yes, that is certainly you in there. I can feel our bond. Stronger now than before. Could this be...my doing? Either way, I want to keep you this close. I want you to stay on my finger. Perhaps the Regalia sensed my apprehensions and brought you in on its own...

Well, at least it feels like there's enough room in here, so I don't need to panic...In fact, I like this. Now I can be next to Saber and not slow her down.



...! Right. Now, remember, this is battle, and the first of many new battles together. Let us keep our heads and move as one. Impressive, Praetor! I knew I could rely on you! Simply give the orders, and I will carry out the execution.





So this is the first stage of the game, so it would be advisable to explain how the game works. First, Flame Poem Stage 1

The point of each stage (well, mostly), is to defeat the most powerful enemy-type, called Aggressors, and take over enough Sectors and get enough Sector Keys to "win" the stage. There's always a big fight with an enemy Servant after you've gotten the required number of Sector Keys, but that's your immediate goal.

To take over each Sector, you need to make the Aggressors show up. To do that, you need to kill enough generic, low-level goons, who are always the robots with the swords. On the right side of the screen, you can see six little icons, two of which are filling up. Those are the Aggressors-in-Waiting, so to speak. Kill enough small goons to make the first two show up, then kill even more to make the next two, and so on. Once all six are dead, congratulations, you've taken over your first Sector.



Invasions are a notable mechanic to progressing in a stage. The vastly common type is for an enemy to have control over a Sector, then move on to a Sector you control. If you can see the northern-most Sector, you can see some red swords, which indicates the enemy is currently attacking. Now, invariably, if your sector gets invaded, then it's only a matter of time until your side loses. Your first response is to go and aid your allies, right? Not necessarily always wise, however.

Let's say, for example, the sector being invaded is a 1*, and you need some big sectors under your control to stave off defeat. Sucks to be them, but it's better than you outright losing the stage. Oh, yeah, and if the enemy has too many Sector Keys, that's an automatic failure for your faction, so do your best to avoid that.

Right now, however, that is not even an option. If you'll look closely at the Sector we're in, there's a key next to the exit, indicating we cannot leave. They'll just have to fend for themselves for the moment.



Hm... Well, the historical Nero indulged quite a bit in his own artistic expression, so maybe he's on to something. Also notice the enemy has already taken over the northern-most Sector. That was fast.



On almost every map, you'll have allied Servants in the field with you, and they'll do their best to assist your efforts. In this first map, Cu will automatically advance from the blue 4* Sector up to the top right and take it over. He'll stop there and defend it against enemy attacks, but it falls upon you to defend it, and him, from enemy attacks, should they come. Allied Servants will last substantially longer against an enemy invasion, however.



Enemies also occasionally drop items. This, a sake bottle, will restore one segment of the Extella Maneuver gauge. When a Sector is taken from the enemy, all enemies that are still standing will die, and they'll usually drop some items. If you're not in a particular hurry, might as well snap them up while you're here.

Once you've conquered this Sector, up to you to decide where to go next. I'm going to play this a little defensively and go support Cu for now.



We'll be taking the shortest route, obviously. Now, going to this Sector, please notice that orange box (or whatever you want to call it) ahead. This is one of two or three (depends on the map) boxes that contains a Noble Phantasm Circuit. Collect three of these Circuits, and you can launch your Servant's Noble Phantasm, their ultimate technique, with a simple press of the R2 button. We'll be doing that at the end of this stage.

Also, Nameless is talking about the source of the enemy invasions, the Plant. The green square on the mini-map correlates to your current main objective, which we'll get to, soon. Plants are usually how the enemy launches invasions. Destroy it, and the invasions stop.



But before we continue, you can use the PS4's touchpad to bring up this helpful mini-map. It'll tell you the current balance of power, the health of the Aggressors in each Sector (i.e. how close they are to being eliminated by the opposing faction), where the Noble Phantasm Circuits are, and which Sectors are currently in contention (you can see, in the blue key part of the bar, the last three are partially faded, which means three Keys are up for grabs. Since Cu's sector is being invaded and he is being attacked, that's two for the Sector and one for Cu himself. Yep, allied and enemy Servants have Sectors Keys attached to them).



Fighting alongside the Child of Light, let me talk a bit about the Dash. Dashing is one of your most useful moves. By just pressing R1, you'll initiate a quick dash forward, as you might expect. It can get you out of jams, it can quickly close the distance with an enemy, and, most importantly, can be spammed if you need to get out of danger quickly, or get to a Sector quickly. You can also do it in the air.

For a little advanced technique, if you dash, and then, before it ends, jump, you can get a huge jump out of it and cover a lot of distance quickly. This isn't particularly advisible in a fight, because you just go flying, but if speed is your only issue, it's very handy.



While most robot Aggressors use swords, occasionally you'll have ones with giant axes. These guys are pretty dangerous, since that axe can send you flying and does a fair bit of damage on its own. If you must prioritize one, focus on killing axe guys first.



The invasion has been halted, and we can now continue with our conquests. Now, something strange about this sector. Someone is...singing. Guess we'll have to go on a warpath to find the culprit.



There are also a few generic enemy types. One of the most annoying are the archer-types, since they'll hang back and pelt you with energy arrows or whatever, which is annoying. Unlike the pissant sword-wielding ones, these guys can stagger you with a hit, which makes them a priority target.

Also, notice those orange dots going from the Plant sector to where we just left. That means an invasion is about to begin. Next time, however, we'll leave Cu to fend for himself a bit longer.



Plants aren't restricted to just one invasion, however. They can launch multiple ones (I think up to three can be in the que at one time), and more arrows means its closer to happening than one with just dots.



Remember, an Extella Maneuver requires a charge, and if that charge lands, then the attack begins. If you miss that charge, or it's blocked, that can be big trouble, because you'll be unable to move for a bit.



Now, I've had several ally comments in screenshots, but if you're not looking at the touchpad health menu, allies in combat will give updates on their health. As they start sounding angrier / more upset, they're losing health. It is all to the good if you can help them, of course.



Blocking is done with L1. Blocks can deflect most every attack, and it's something you'll need to learn reflexively against powerful enemies. A non-Servant enemy who has their attack blocked will stagger back from it, allowing you the perfect counterattack possibility.

Also, if you are blocking, and press a non-L1 button at the same time as an enemy attack connects, you'll parry it, and hit them with a decently powerful strike that will send them up into the air. It's... Let's just say if you're needing a parry to turn the tide of a fight, you're probably gonna lose that fight, let's just say that.



One advantage of triangle is that any move that involves the triangle button will end up with any enemy caught in it to get staggered. Definitely something to keep in mind.



Ah yes, and in all this fun, I forgot to talk about Nero as a playable character. She's, well, the perfect kind of starting character. Easy to learn how to play as, since she is decently fast, very quick with her attack speed, and has a lot of moves where she can get herself out of danger or take care of small mobs quickly. One of her most useful is the S + S + T combo, where she'll very quickly slash to the right, then to the left. It's a good move for scattering mobs / Aggressors, and can pile on some nice damage with a minimal chance of interruption.

Her two main weaknesses are her lack of ranged moves, and she is, slash for slash, one of the weakest characters in the game, with a deserved D-rank in Strength. Now, this is not really a huge factor, since she she's so fast, she'll still end up outputting a fair amount of damage anyway.



Only one left...











All right, you little piggies! How're you all doing?! Thanks for coming to see my show!

Stop this charade at once, you fool!



Destiny has allowed us to go against each other this first round, don't you think...Elizabeth Bathory?! It's a shame your audience has such poor taste, but I suppose there's no accounting for that.

Th-They're not tasteless! They just love to move to my beats!

Cu Chulainn's words suddenly echo in my mind. Is she the "weird band" he was talking about?

This is as far as you'll go, little hatchling. Your terrible noise will sully my lands no more!

Free the music! Groupies, attack!



Ooh, she got away. ...No matter, we'll conquer this sector first!



We'll handle Elizabeth for later. For now, let's focus on the Plant. Plants are wily foes, given they are enemy generators. When you start attacking them, they'll start floating away. Eventually, they'll also go up into the air, and you've gotta smack them down. While they can't attack themselves, they can spawn Aggressors to defend themselves. Some high-level Aggressors + wily Plant can make attacking them dangerous, but they are large targets, so it's not overly difficult to take them out.



But now, our conquest is complete. Elizabeth will be our final major opponent. Make sure you also pick up the Noble Phantasm Circuit hanging out here. Elizabeth will appear in the southern-most Sector.







I realize he's just taunting, but I really love how much everyone hates Elizabeth's singing in this stage, and really, this game. It wasn't *that* bad, guys. Fun fact, though: the lyrics to Elizabeth's song (she sings a longer version if you hang out in Sectors close to her concert) were penned by Mai Kadowaki, who voices Illysviel von Einzbern, a prominent character in the franchise. I dunno, I just thought it was a somewhat strange connection.

Elizabeth's thing is a bit odd. She was not in Fate/EXTRA. Instead, her first appearance was in Fate/EXTRA CCC, the pseudo-sequel to EXTRA that is referenced a few times in this title but nothing much specifically referred to (I am kinda glad I don't have to go into that labyrinthine plot to explain anything in this game. Not a complaint against CCC, just that it's complicated). Referenced very little, except for Elizabeth. In particular, Nero has a pretty close relationship with Elizabeth, as rivals. Both of them are flamboyant glory hogs, so they'd naturally get along like oil and water. Though, Nero harbors hate for basically none, and doesn't make an exception for Liz.

Now, someone high-up on the extella staff (possibly Nasu himself), really likes Elizabeth, because she's one of the most prominent characters in the game. She'll be with us pretty much from start to finish. Which is fine, she's good. Now, the connection to CCC is that somehow, everyone knows Elizabeth and what her deal is, despite CCC taking place on the Far Side of the Moon, which is a whole other thing.

Point is? Don't worry too much about it. Just enjoy the Idol Servant.



So Elizabeth is a Lancer, but unlike the likes of Cu Chulainn, is not particularly good with a lance, so she's nowhere near as fast as he is. Instead, she has a lot of techniques, that unfortunately for her, never got a chance to see the light of day because I was attacking her so much. Jumping is actually a pretty useful offensive tactic, because around enemy Servants, there's like a little vacuum is created by your jump, so you'll drag nearby targets into the air with you, and the enemy cannot retaliate in air.

Also, while you can dash all the time, the enemy usually does not. Basically the only time they will dash is when you're attacking them a lot and they can't break out. They'll just dash out of your combo to avoid getting too badly hurt by it.



Enemy Servants can block, and if they are blocking, you'd best break off your attack pretty soon, because after a few hits, they'll automatically parry you and knock you into the air, which, as I stated, can be really bad against a super-strong opponent.





Every enemy Servant, once they've taken enough hits, will go into an Over Limit mode, become invulnerable to stagger, and becomes substantially stronger. Your best best is just to stay the hell away from them until it goes away. Especially when we have this small a life bar, a few good hits from Liz here can KO us.

But, luckily, there is an option. Pressing R3 will lock-on to an enemy Servant and keep the camera constantly focused on their movements. Of course, you'll have to compensate for the camera being opposite of the usual back-focused camera, but it's not that hard, and the advantage of making sure your enemy can't do anything like smack you sideways from off-camera more than makes up for it.

However, you can still damage Servants who are powered-up. It's just they won't stagger and you'll do quite a bit less damage to them, but if you can fit in a few strikes, might as well.



But, as promised, time to finish her off with a Noble Phantasm. The advantage to using NPs is that they activate instantly, and you are completely invulnerable to damage while it is charging up.



So what ARE Noble Phantasms? You can call them the proof of a Heroic Spirit, that they are deserving of that title. Servants are almost always incarnations of various famous historical and mythological heroes / heroines. Within their lifetimes, Heroic Spirits used many powerful weapons, artifacts, or techniques to create their legends and guarantee their places in the collective human memory.

In Nero's case, her Noble Phantasm is Laus Saint Claudius, manifesting the Aestus Domus Aurea, a theater designed by Nero for her performances. Laus Saint Claudius is basically just a simple sword technique, in a world where Nero's abilities are substantially increased. The Aurea in this context is a Reality Marble, basically a pocket dimension created very briefly by a Servant where their rules apply. The victim is brought along with them, and the Marble lasts as long as the mana to sustain it does.

The reason Servants can't use their Noble Phantasms, their most powerful techniques, constantly, is that they require an incredible amount of mana to manifest.



But that's the least of her problems right now.



And this is the end-of-level results screen. To get an EX rank, all results need to be EX themselves. Which means, regardless of map, you need to kill lots of enemies, get a long combo (taking any damage will end a combo, as will taking too long to add a new hit), take little damage, and conquer all Sectors. The first two are generally pretty easy, and you should be EXing those constantly. Damage is usually not an issue on Normal, but on Hard and Very Hard (only unlocked after finishing the game), even single enemy attacks can completely drain your health bar and do a ton of damage, if you don't have defensive buffs.



If you've unlocked any new Mystic Codes as a result of your performance, you'll be informed after the stage ends.



The level-up screen. Now, even though you do get this screen, the effects of leveling up apply once you've leveled up, so you don't have to wait until this screen to benefit.



And this shows everything your Servant can do, offensively.



Finally, Install Skills are occasionally dropped by enemies (much less than items), and them dropping them. If you don't manually pick them up, the end-of-stage screen will automatically give them to you. Install Skills are various buffs that can be applied to your Servants to increase their abilities or parameters. Starting next stage, we'll start using them.


The demon fox

And Saber, that ring doesn't look good on you AT ALL!





...Spoken like a sore loser. The Regalia suits me perfectly, and it belongs right here on my finger. Do you not think so, Praetor? Is the Regalia not a perfect fit?

Of course it is. So I tell her that, from right by her side. I say it while reaching out to touch her fingers.

P-Praetor...? Your words are joyful to hear indeed, but...y-you are quite assertive as well. ...Very well, you have my permission to touch my fingers. Y-Yes, as softly as you please. As you would with the finest white porcelain...



One thing you should probably be aware of with Hakuno, is that she is, apparently, incredibly charismatic and can make even the haughtiest, most prideful Servants melt like silly putty in her hands. Absolutely everyone loves Hakuno in-universe. Well, that's not entirely true, but it's 99% true. But hey, speaking like this, who wouldn't love her? Absolutely joyless dopes, that's who.

Y-Yes. Yes. You seem much more...forward than usual. I believe I may be falling under your spell... But... Well, this place might be unsuitable. The four generals are nearby, and they have eyes, of course... Perhaps if we were in My Room...? N-No, please don't mistake me! I shall accept every ounce of your affection! A-And as you see, we have won! The enemy is gone, and now that I look again, Archer and Lancer have left the field. This is our land now. You and I are victorious!

It's true. There are no further signs of the enemy. Just as Saber says, this area has become her territory. That being said, I can stay at her side a bit longer. Or can I...?



...In that instant, a creak snaps from inside and outside my body. Did exhale? Did I speak? I don't know what just came out of my lips. A low groan? A short scream? Whatever sound I made, it's because I'm in agony.

Praetor?!

Even my virtual body feels pain. The Moon Cell is no different from the real world in that regard. Sense is still sense, and pain is still pain. And death is still death.

Let us return to My Room, Praetor. Your face has gone ghastly pale. It's not exactly what we had in the Holy Grail War, but My Room does have a feature to diagnose and heal you. Quickly...

This is another reference to EXTRA. The healing in that game was the responsibility of Sakura Matou, the NPC nurse on-duty who healed your Servants after various expeditions.



What...?! That voice... Like trickery, debauchery and malice all rolled into one...



This is Our land, God's land. You're in Nakatsukani, where the crops are abundant and the water is plentiful. The land replenishes water, travels to the Takama, travels to Yomi, and travels to the Sunlit Watery Heavens!

I believe this is what's being talked about.. Japanese mythology is not my forte, unfortunately.







Dressed in her signature cute blue outfit, Servant Caster is ready to go!

It is you, Caster! So you survived?!

Caster...? Who...is that Servant? Why do I feel nostalgic about her?

Do you remember? She assisted you in the Holy Grail War. But all the while, she was an insolent, scheming fool who made a provisional contract and tried to take the Holy Grail for herself. Of course, in the end, her wiles came to nothing. Which raises the question: Where did you go? You suddenly disappeared just as the Holy Grail War came to an end.

"Suddenly disappeared"? How dare you say that to Us? You! On the path to the Moon Cell core! You shoved Us from behind and pushed Us off!

Oh? Whatever do you mean? Praetor, if you don't recall what she speaks of, consider yourself lucky. Pay no heed to that character. She is nothing but a lewd, lowly wench.

Hmph. Is it We who are "lewd", then? Tell me, which of us has her hooks in her poor, innocent Master? No matter. Soon enough, your Master will be Our Master. Just wait and see what happens next time. Ahh... Our ears are perking up. We hear you calling for help, Master. There is not enough room in Our heart for all your sorrow.

...I know her. I can't remember exactly, but I'm certain I know this Servant. ...Her name is... Something floats in the back of my mind. Like old footage. No...like memories. That Servant in blue is... It was just when I'd won the Moon's Holy Grail War. There were several people around me. Masters, Servants, and NPCs. I proceeded toward the Moon Cell core. And then... Then what?

Ooh, your miraculous recovery is but a nuisance to me! Trouble me another time, Caster! My only concern is to let the Praetor rest! At least have some consideration!

Yes, of course. Master's health is indeed paramount. But...if We might trouble you just a bit - apologies, good Master, but this is important. Sometimes a devoted wife has to take drastic measures. Ah, tee hee. Not that We haven't already, of course.♡

...Yes, what any sane woman would call "drastic", you would call "routine". Well, all judgment aside, in the name of our "special" bond, let me ask you: What in Pluto's depths are you plotting?

As I said, Nero genuinely dislikes very few, and Tamamo is not among them. As she says in the phone game Fate/Grand Order (which will come up more, count on that), "That strangely clothed caster... Casko is a little dumb, but I don't dislike her. In any case, she is my love rival!".

Oh ho, how cruel to assume We must be plotting something. We are simply following Our nature. Besides, you know nothing. Emperor of Fools, that's what you are. You have no idea of the forces you've been meddling with. Was it fun to believe that the Regalia was unique, and that it made you the one true King? Well, it's time for a rude awakening.♡ We're afraid We hereby declare war - with the power of the other Regalia.

War? What other Regalia?!





...!



...Two...Praetors?!

My body seizes up in pain. I can't even speak. What's going on? That being next to Caster is definitely me. The same face, the same features. From the look of it, we even have the same breathing pattern...

...What's the meaning of this? Why is that Praetor with you? Why are there TWO Masters...?!

Hmm? Oh, you really don't know, Ms. Saber? That's rather pathetic of you. Then again, you were content to watch Us suffer, so pardon Us if We enjoy a little schadenfreude. Oh, and on top of that, We'd like to make another announcement.♡

...What announcement...?

Now hear this... As of today, We rule all SE.RA.PH. By Our Regalia, and with Our Husband beside Us, We proclaim Ourselves the ruler of all.♡

Quite a dreamer, aren't you? But it's time to put down that child's fantasy. The Sovereign of SE.RA.PH is I, and this Regalia proves...

Ah, but can you not see the Regalia on OUR finger? We have the Moon's Royal Authority here before you. Oh, and if you don't believe Us, We just sent you the proof. Take your time and look it over. To be more exact, 50% of SE.RA.PH belongs to Us already. The rest is still yours, for now. *giggle* You know what that means? We and you, we're like twins now.♡

What...? Wh-Wh-What?! Half... HALF?! You've taken HALF my empire?

Cut it down the middle, like a sandwich.♡ We and you are like two different suns, and the land is burning beneath us. We took that 50% in the last few days. Including the new expanded lands, of course. We'll have the rest in no time. And We won't leave a single piece for you. And that's the truth.

She's staring at me. Despite her threatening words, she seems to sympathize with my pain.

So prepare yourself, however you please. Oh, and you can hold onto that Master for now. Don't get too comfortable in that flimsy, flammable castle of yours. The Moon Cell chose Us. And We choose everything. We are beauty personified. For Our nation, for Our people, We will stop at nothing. And nothing can stop Us.



Urgggh... Who does she think she is? And where did she find the Praetor's "twin"? How dare she disrespect me? How dare she declare WAR on me? Another Regalia?! It's not possible. It can't be possible. Oh, but Praetor! ...Are you all right?

The surprise appearance of Caster and her "partner" had distracted me for a moment... ...But now I feel that pain again. Not only physical pain, but a deep sense of failure. Slowly, it begins to subside. I still can't move yet, but it doesn't hurt as much. At least I'm stuck looking toward Saber.

Very well. Back to My Room for now, then.

Yeah, this is a thing that comes up every now and then. Hakuno will be talking to herself, or something one might assume is internal monologue, but it's something other characters can hear. It's kinda heads or tails if what she's saying is something can be heard, or just thinking to herself. It's rather strange.

Oh well, at least we have a supremely charismatic MC, in any case.






Alone time



As befitting our MC's personality, every time we can pick the flirtiest option, we'll do that. It's vastly more entertaining, and that's what it's all about, isn't it?

The material benefit to us is increasing Saber's bond level. I'll explain those in more detail in a few more updates. Not terribly important now.

Inside the Regalia... It felt just like holding her hand. Warm and safe. I could feel my pulse racing against her fingers.

Like holding hands? Yes, yes! That's just what it felt like to me! But it felt like even more than that. As if we'd grown closer together than our skin would allow, and our hearts were in perfect harmony. It felt so intimate, so warm and pleasant. If this is the true nature of the Regalia, then it is truly a blessing on us both.

I talk to Saber about the Regalia. I want to know everything she does. Material-wise, it looks as if it's made of white gold, though of course it's really a collection of data. Could it be some kind of keycode? She keeps referencing the "Royal Authority", but what exactly does that mean?

Hmm. Hmm, yes. Just as I would expect from you, Praetor. Your curiosity and insight fill me with such confidence. Confidence...

Huh? What's with the odd reaction? ...Is that really confidence she's giving off, or is it just bravado this time?

Sadly, I know little more of the Regalia than you do. I know it's made of special mystic code from the Moon Cell, densely packed... In terms of file size, it holds more data than the largest territory. It seems all that data pertains to the most recent Holy Grail War. To be honest, it is difficult for me to quantity its true value. Gifted as I am, this task may call for a specialist. Still, is it not a beautiful ring? That alone makes it more than precious to me.

I agree from the bottom of my heart. The ring's white golden sheen perfectly matches her finger. Beautiful? Of course. Precious? Unquestionably. Just wearing it increases Saber's charm tenfold, enough to overcome any opposing force.

...Y-You think so? No, of course. Of course you do! I thought the same of course, but it warms my heart to know you agree. ...Mmm, feeling ardent today, aren't you, my Praetor?



P-Praetor... Have you no sense of self? I must say, you have never approached me...quite...like...this... ...Praetor...I...I... *gasp*! Your eyes! I cannot look away from your eyes. All this time, as I have given my all to conquer you, it is you who have conquered me. Well, now, this is...not to undesirable, I must say.

Charisma Rank EX+++++. What else is there to say?