Part 4: Flame Poem Arc - Scholar

Scholar



I'm screenshotting the title screen again, because for each of the arcs in this game's story, the title screen changes quite a bit for each. I'll make sure I get the others ones, too.



If you cancel out of My Room to go back to the title screen, then when you reload an arc, it'll play the last My Room scene you saw before you go back to the menu. That's what I did, because I was done recording after coming back from the first stage, and when I was rushing through this scene, I thought I'd choose the other option.

Have you no sense of self? Do you not know how...how different you are? ...Th-that will do, Praetor. Are you not a bit...closer than usual? Not that I haven't entertained the thought of such a thing, but...to be so close to you, it's... It feels so good, like a thunderbolt through the heart of me. I must hold you, now. And do you wish the same of me?

I'm...a little disappointed I didn't pick that option for real. In any case, if you click the chat option this time, all Saber says is the Regalia holds secrets. No new scene this time, unfortunately. Off to bed.


Relief for the Master

...You scarcely need me to tell you this, Praetor, but please do not overexert yourself. From the look on your face, you are not yet at your finest. Better off than before, perhaps, but still in need of rest. Hmm, now how can I help you relax...? Ah, I have just the thing! Lemons covered in sugar. So sweet and stimulating!

Saber laughs in ecstasy as she cares for me. Her words and her smile ease my worries, and the pain fades almost completely.

Wait. You're still in a bit of pain, aren't you? ...Hm. I would have thought the pain would ease by now, but I won't compound your suffering by asking too many questions. As always, I appreciate your candor. The trust between us is paramount, after all.

We need to know what happened to SE.RA.PH after the end of the Holy Grail War, and why Caster has a copy of me.

Hm. We'll have to move quickly. I'd caution against being hasty, but that look in your eye tells me I shouldn't bother. Once your purpose takes hold, nothing can dissuade you. Come - we can access the Moon Cell core remotely from the throne.

Now that I think about it, have we confirmed Caster's claim about taking half our territory? We haven't yet, have we? Since we went straight to My Room when we got back. Anyway, it's settled. Off to the throne room, now.


The Greek Genius



...Ooh. So Caster spoke the truth. Between her conquests in the old lands and the new ones, she has taken half already. Grr...

Just chiming in to say Sakura Tenge, Nero's VA, does a great job "Grr"ing.

A-Anyway. Let us try accessing the Moon Cell core as well. Perhaps it can tell us more of the second Regalia and the "other" Praetor...





What? ..."Access denied"? Why? This cannot be! I have the Moon Cell's Royal Authority! They cannot force me to start over now! Not while the Regalia still shines upon my finger!





And that is why, Servant Saber, you remain the Sovereign of SE.RA.PH. But SE.RA.PH now suffers from a fatal error.

How dare you barge through our doors unannounced...?! State your name!



As you can see, I am a Caster-class Servant... Well, I suppose that's not enough information. Very well, allow me to prove my loyalty to you. Accept my true name as a token of fealty. I am Archimedes. I am a system update worker, chosen by SE.RA.PH.

Sis-stem up-day?

I didn't expect it would take this long to reach you. That was my miscalculation. Normally, with my admin access, I can teleport anywhere, but now I have to walk. But that's my problem, not yours. A pleasure, Your Majesty. And you, Hakuno Kishinami, good to see you again.

...What? How does he know my name?

Hold a moment, Archimedes... Archimedes...? Are you THAT Archimedes?

I am. So you know me, then? Well, well, what a small world we live in.

Of course I know you. All in Rome have heard of the "Greek Genius". I've even had the pleasure of studying your works a bit myself. Though I've heard it said you were too smart for your own good, and perhaps too far ahead of your time. Still, you seem a fine young man. Regardless, you spoke just now as if you knew the Praetor personally.

I do indeed. I spent many hours with Hakuno Kishinami in the Moon Cell core.

Hm, is that so? Then why is the Praetor confused to see you? Adorably confused, at that. I could stare at that face all day. But no, not right now! You strolled straight into our throne room. Clearly, you're not ordinary man. You claim to be harmless enough, but how do we know?

I apologize for my rudeness. I shouldn't have barged in. But, "harmless" or not, I have no intention of making enemies here. If I may be so presumptuous, Your Majesty, I have come here to offer you my help.

...Hm. Then you have my hospitality. Revealing your identity is no small thing. Consider yourself beyond suspicion for now.

This whole identity thing is kinda a relic of the franchise, going back to the early stay night days. The idea is that a Servant revealing their name would give clues to how to defeat them. For example, a hero connected with dragons would be vulnerable to heroes, like, say. St. George or Sigurd, who won fame by slaying dragons. Also a reason Noble Phantasms are scarcely used, as if the opponent survived the hit, the survivor would know exactly who are they are dealing with and what their weaknesses are.

But, as I said, it's a relic. All the characters in this game go by their true names in every dialogue box, and with the wildfire-like proliferation of the Fate series, it's hard to keep anything about the franchise secret. Besides, it used to be when you said the name, say, Rider, there was only one character you were referring to. Now, you could be referring to any one of 18 different characters (at least as far as Grand Order's Rider count goes) if you say something like, "Rider's my favorite character".

And "wildfire" is a damn good way to describe the proliferation of the franchise. It's absolutely bananas. At the time the original VN was released in 2004, Type-Moon was a very small company of like, at most, a half dozen guys (which, admittedly, already had a hit, Tsukihime, which really put their names on the map), and now they've got a tremdenously successful phone game under their belt, no fewer than four different animes, spin-offs as numerous as the stars (which includes this game, certainly), seemingly unlimited fan content, and in addition to that, it'll be getting two new animes in the near future (including one based on the EXTRA sub-series and the other based on the Fate/apocrypha manga, which will start airing next month), and three movies based on the third route of the original that will be hitting theaters in Japan soon enough.

Personally speaking, I got into Type-Moon stuff via Fate/stay night in Autumn of 2010, as I recall. I spent much of my college life getting reading sessions in as much as possible, which always included a morning reading session over breakfast but before classes, and always assumed that outside Japan, it was a pretty niche thing. Now, that is certainly not the case. For god's sake, we live in a world where Bloomberg News anchors are talking about this series. That is still bizarre to me.

All formalities aside, then, what do you think we should do, Praetor?

I nod to Saber as I think of an answer. "System update"? "Fatal error"? I have so many questions.



The game will do this occasionally, where it'll give you three choices, and you have to choose all three to continue the game. Might as well start from the top.

Ah, yes, let me explain myself. As you now know, my true name is Archimedes. I was summoned and given the Caster class. Although I am a Servant, I unfortunately lack a Master of my own, unlike yourself, Your Majesty.

So you are a wanderer?

Ah, no. I never had a Master to begin with. The Moon Cell itself summoned me, to manage SE.RA.PH. Some would call me a Solo Servant. My job is to keep the Moon Cell's system up to date. It needed a reliable engineer, and it chose me.

Hmm...

Normally, Servants maintain their presence in our world via a mana link with their Master. The Master supplies the mana, and the Servant fights for their Master's victory. In addition, the talent of the Master in terms of magic and the amount of mana they have determines much about their Servant's combat ability. Even someone seen as traditionally very powerful, like King Arthur, is considerably weaker in the hands of a weak magus.

However, the Moon Cell negates all that. The Moon Cell itself is responsible for maintaining the presence of Servants and supplies the mana necessary.

What "system update" are you talking about?

Holy as it might be, the Grail is still a system, and it needs regular maintenance. Its normal update occurs every 14,000 years. I needed to make sure that for the next 14,000-year mark, the system would manage itself on its own without any issues. Your victory in the War altered SE.RA.PH's management, such that the Moon Cell's system updated as scheduled...on one side. Originally, both sides were meant to proceed at the same time. But...

I presume that didn't quite go as planned.

Correct. You see, the Regalia truly is the Royal Authority of the Moon Cell, in that it represents the unity of the Moon Cell and SE.RA.PH. In fact, the system is so tightly bound to the Regalia that the update cannot properly proceed without it. In other words, I now require your permission to use it, as part of my duty.

Hmm...

Incidentally, had the update proceeded as scheduled, those hostile programs you've been seeing would never have spawned.

Hmm, is that so...?

What happened at the Moon Cell core?

...What happened was part of an assault from the enemy.

What enemy?

An unknown being attacked Hakuno Kishinami at the Moon Cell core, during the registration of the Royal Authority. And there was no shame in losing to it. Whatever it was, it was large and powerful.

Was it an enemy program? Or a Servant's Noble Phantasm?

We don't know that either. But it seemed almost like a titan, from before the age of the gods...

"Age of the gods" is both a concept in Japanese mythology and Nasu's works in general, more emphasized in the later chapters of Grand Order. Within the context of this series, basically it refers to a time when gods were much more numerous and their power and relationship with humans was much greater than it is in the present (the 2030s). One of the most important chapters of Grand Order, Babylonia, takes place in 2655 BC, which is basically the end of the Age of the Gods.



...An image floats in the back of my mind. Just a fragment, hard to make out. But I do remember that giant hand, reaching out for me. And a voice, like an echo inside a deep cavern. The words it spoke... It called itself a Solo Servant.

...Is that true, Praetor?

Luckily, it seems your Praetor has recovered. But I believe that attack is what caused the schism we're seeing now. That attack, in other words, divided the Regalia.

Divided? *gasp* I...I'd almost forgotten!

Yes, I think I'm starting to understand. The reason why there are two Regalia...is that the one was split and stolen!

Yes, just as you've surmised. The enemy sundered the Regalia itself and made off with the other half.

And then, after the royal registration, the Praetor came back with our piece...and that other piece wnet to that Caster... That damned fox usurped it right out from under us! Is that right?! Then SHE was the enemy at the Moon Cell core! That trickster must have changed her appearance, disguised herself as that "titan"!



...Whatever it was, it was extraordinarily powerful. So much so that I could do nothing to stop it. You barely survived. In fact, let me put it plainly... I had to resuscitate you, Hakuno Kishinami. It took all my effort to pull you from the core intact.

The Greek Genius indeed. One of the greatest scholars in human history, I must say. Please allow me to show my gratitude. You have done us a commendable service. What happened to the Regalia was unfortunate, but your rescue of the Praetor was a righteous deed. befitting of a noble scholar.

Please do not waste such praises on me, Lord Nero. You are the righteous King of SE.RA.PH. And as SE.RA.PH's chief maintenance man, assisting your Master and companion is no more than my duty. Besides, it was the right thing to do, ethically and mathematically. I serve an orderly kingdom, after all. So please think of me as a mere student, ready to do what needs to be done.

...Your words are sound. And you call me "righteous King". Would you also say that certain other "Kings" are unrighteous?

Yes, exactly. The one who bears the other Regalia is a mere pretender. The Caster Servant's true name is Tamamo no Mae.

...Just as I thought. I had hoped against all odds that she was someone else in disguise, but...it is indeed her. *sigh*

...Tamamo no Mae. I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before. The name has a pull for me, a deeper meaning. Did we fight together once in the War? But...something doesn'ta dd up. If we fought side by side, why can't I remember anything else about her?

As you are aware, Your Majesty, Hakuno Kishinami is suffering from amnesia. Another side effect of the Regalia's sundering, no doubt.

I can infer the rest, but please elaborate, noble scholar. I would rather hear it from you.

As Your Majesty wishes. Simply put, half of Hakuno Kishinami has been stolen.

Wait, hold on...! Half... You mean half of ME is gone?!

I have a personal skill, called Method Elucidation, that allows me to discern such things. In other words-- At present, Hakuno Kishinami exists only as a Mind, implanted in an artificial form.

I exist only as a...what? No, but as a Wizard, my Soul and Mind have already been uploaded to the Moon. There's nothing unusual about that now...

In my experience, to implant an artificial body requires an individual's personality and passions. His or her Mind, in other words. But that alone is what resides within your digital shell now.

...Are you saying the Praetor is missing something?

I am. Your Praetor is still a person, of course, but now lacks something critical. The Mind is obviously critical in itself, but it constitutes only a small percentage of the whole self. Passion, experience, memory, the Mind can hold them and manage them, but it cannot keep them forever. To persist beyond the transience of mortal life, they require a Soul.

...As you say. Continue, scholar.

Without a Soul, such things fade away in time.

Fade away...? My Praetor...?! Then what Caster had was.... That duplicate was...!

Yes. Separated along with the Regalia. It's the other half of Hakuno Kishinami. Most likely the Soul.

*gasp*

...This is starting to make sense. My memory loss. My physical condition. Both for the same reason. If nothing else, I understand this much: I don't want to die. For the sake of SE.RA.PH, and for my own Soul, we have to repair the Regalia and do something about that Caster. No matter what. Besides, there's Saber to consider...I don't want to see her with that sad look.



Still you smile through it all. Even when you're staring down oblivion.

It's okay. This won't be hard at all. I'm here, she's here. And it's obvious what we have to do. Reclaim all of SE.RA.PH, restore the Regalia, how hard could all that be?

Don't say that. We all know where this is going, when you say something like that.

My skills, limited as they may be, are all at the disposal of the one true King of SE.RA.PH. With your blessing, and with the completed Regalia, we shall restore the system and make all as it should be.

Hmm! Then I name you my strategist!

But, we'll be going back to My Room to prepare, of course.


To war

Damn that crafty little fox, declaring war against me.

No need to worry. If she can take our land, we can take it back. She might think she owns "her" half, but we'll show her how wrong she really is.

Of course, crafty as she is, she's no doubt plotting further treachery as we speak. But I see she hasn't shaken you, Praetor. I see that gentle fire in your eyes, the warmth that always kindles my soul, time and again.

She's not going to shake me. I know Saber's the right person to wear the Regalia. And I know Saber's going to win. Caster doesn't stand a chance against her.

Not a chance, you say? Are you truly so confident in me? Do you believe so deeply in my right to rule, then? Is it your faith in me that makes you smile so? Very well. I do, of course, suggest that you rest for now, but... I, meanwhile, shall continue to justify your faith in me! As the fifth Emperor of the Roman Empire, and as the Moon Cell's chosen victor, I am the one and only Sovereign of SE.RA.PH! ...So declares Nero Claudius! You and I will seize back what was taken and unite the land!



Her words echo throughout the room. Her declaration. Her real name. An ally I could never forget. We fought together. We survived together. And through it all, we held each other. The Emperor of Roses, Nero Claudius. Centuries ago, the citizens of ancient Rome showered her with praise and applause. And here we are, fighting together again. Nothing can come between us, no matter who we're up against. Even if it's me. All I care about is being with her. Honestly, that's all that's keeping me moving.

Next time, a real blast from the past.