Part 21: Orchid Words Arc - Corroded

Corroded


Safety

After all these battles, we're still breathing. Even with the extra strength from the Regalia, I admit I'm a little winded.

She's right. Altera is one severely powerful woman, and we were both winded to begin with after fighting Saber. It's a wonder we survived at all. And I'm definitely "a little drained" myself.



I mean, not that it matters, per se, but would be nice to know how Tamamo pulled that one off.

I used the Regalia to boost our speed. That's how we managed to escape. ...As you can see, I had to call up every drop of mana I had left, after all that fighting... But not to worry. This lovely, lovely Temple of Pleasure is always open for both healing and relaxation.

"Temple of..." what? "Lovely, lovely"? She MUST be tired. Might as well call the palace "Jungle Palace" or "Donkey Palace" while we're at it... Okay, I'm tired too. I swallow all those words and settle down.

See, I joke about Hakunon's charisma, but when you seriously look at how she talks in these games and her personality, and you can see why she attracts others. She can be quite the smartass, but is fundamentally a good person, decently intelligent, is quite passionate herself, and inspires a lot of loyalty, because if there's one thing all sides of Hakunon represent, is she'll stand by her Servants, absolutely no matter what.

Yes, the lovely, lovely My Room... So much better than Other People's Rooms... That is, it WILL be better once I finish adding all these other features... Just lie back and look forward to that...★

Well, it looks like she's in good spirits, at least. I'm glad for that.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm exhausted to the core. I just happen to enjoy thinking about luxuries... So, with all that said, here we are with one futon and two pillows. Time to get some rest... And if we rest together, the healing effect will be doubled. ♡ Incidentally, I've declared today the Queen's day off.

Just as I think she's going in for a hug, she collapses on the futon, taking me with her. As I look up in surprise...



She's fallen asleep so fast, it almost looks like she fainted. ...Carrying me all the way back here must have really taken a toll on her. As I caress her soft face, I close my eyes. ...At least the battle with Saber is over now. We can start worrying about Altera when we wake up.

I guess the next part of this little interlude comes the following morning. Perhaps after a divine breakfast.



So, I think we should pick up where we left off on that "lap pillow" business. ♡ Just hold still and relax... Feel free to nod off. ★ Heh... In fact, could you even resist the temptation to fall asleep? There's no better place to sleep in the world. I call this a Low-Resistance Shrine Maiden Pillow... LRSMP for short. You could even call it my second Noble Phantasm. Here, let me...

Caster's fingers gently brush through my hair. Ahh, yes... That line about her second Noble Phantasm was not an exaggeration. In fact, I kind of wish it was her first. That Eightfold Blessing is useless.

Now now, there's no need to spout nonsense about Fox Nukes.

Whoops, my hand slipped and nicked the back of your next. ★ Darling, did you just think something naughty?

I shake my head like an otter. Hopefully, she gets the message. Anyway, back to Caster's lap pillow... This soft, elastic feel could never be replicated with the finest advancements in pillow technology. There's an eminence to it that just can't be matched anywhere else. To put it as eloquently as I can right now... It feels...really...good.

But this isn't just an ordinary lap pillow. On top of that...you see how your head is locked in place? *squeeze* So now, if you'll lend me your ear. ★ No, not to talk. Heya!

Ah, fox witchcraft. I suppose we should have expected it by now... Maybe Nero had a point.

On top of the lap pillow, another stimulant has taken control of my upper body, including my arms and head. Is this an...ear-cleaning?!

Is there a point to cleaning ears on a digital body? Well, why bother asking? A spiritron clone is basically a body of the highest order... If it feels good physically, it should feel good here! Comfort is comfort, right? Now you get the idea. Just surrender yourself and let me take care of you. As I gently hold you in place on my lap, here's the special ear cleaning that only couples can have! Ohoho... I'm a winner! For a wife, this is a great reward. Thank you very much, my Husband.



All charm, all the time.

I said that before I even thought of it. "I should be the one thanking you for doing something this wonderful."

No, the pleasure's all mine. This makes me just as happy as it does you. This has always been my dream. And as strange as it might be to say it, I want to thank you for everything up to this point. I've never thanked you enough for putting up with all my selfishness. So for now, please just relax and let me do what I do best, won't you?

That sounds good...




Terror from 14,000 years ago

...My territories are being taken away one by one. And by "taken away", I mean "destroyed". Karna, Rider, and Lu Bu are working to hold off the enemy's brutality, but it's only a matter of time... If Altera's Forces of Destruction aren't stopped, there'll be nothing left of SE.RA.PH.



Well, we are the only ones with the power of the Royal Authority... This is what it was designed to do, when the fate of the Moon Cell / SE.RA.PH would hang in the balance.

...Yes, my Husband. And the battles will be harsh ones, I imagine. Nothing like the little skirmishes we've had so far. Even with the Royal Authority, we might not make it through. To tell you the truth...I'm not even sure we have a chance.

Thank God. That makes this conversation easier. If Caster's decided to fight, then I, her Master, will fight with her. Simple as that. Even if our chances are slim and we both end up eradicated, I'll have no regrets. I decided from the beginning to see it through with Caster, to the very end.

...No questions, hmm? Thank you very much, my dear. For being my Master. I...





Oh, wow. Losing your cool already? What happened to all that regal bearing?

Elizabeth Bathory appears before us, in her full Dark Eliza persona. This castle has powerful barriers posted everywhere, so storming in directly, let alone sneaking in undetected, is difficult to say the least. But she's done it.

This is likely due to the class trait skill of Casters, called Territory Creation. "Territory Creation" refers to a Caster's ability to create a "workshop" of sorts, where they can practice their magecraft in safety, and usually, in secrecy. Tamamo has a C rank in this particular skill, which means she's not really good at creating a powerful magical territory, but y'know, she's decent.

Strangely enough, not only does her Lancer form in Grand Order have a higher Territory Creation rank, but she's equal to...Merlin, William Shakespeare, and Elizabeth as a Saber... Probably best not to think about it too much.

Oh, you finally got my name right. Thanks, little squirrel. If you'd gotten it wrong again, I would've squeezed you to death and drank you dry, but I'll hold off on that for now. Anyway, putting all that aside, I've come here to...throw you a bone. By my own choice, mind you, but also by the will of the Umbral Star.

..."Umbral Star"?

Oh, look at you, the Moon's big star, so fancy and cryptic now. You little newt. ...Hmph. And look at those designs on that body of yours. Let me guess: Another gift from your new sponsor?

Well now, how royally perceptive of you. That's right. This black corrosion is the mark of the Umbral Star's power. I've accepted a small piece of that power. I've let it change me, change everything about me, just so I can bring you down. That's how I could take on the Regalia, break it and dissolve it into pure mana, strengthen my Spirit Core. And bringing the Heroic Spirit of destruction to SE.RA.PH? The Umbral Star was totally behind that too. Simply put, the Umbral Star is the cause of everything! The star of destruction, back again after 14,000 years! It infects, it destroys, it feeds until there's nothing left! The doom of every world in the galaxy, my very own...



Elizabeth may or may not mention it at some point in the future, but the "C.Elizabeth" stands for "Corroded Elizabeth". Just so you know. I mean, it makes sense, but her personality hasn't changed that much. Aside from not talking about her being an idol so much. That's the worst change, if you ask me. The dragon tail and wings are fine.



For a split second, I think I see something. An illusion... No, a memory. An event that I witnessed, but that took place long ago, something that carved a mark into the Moon Cell.

...Velber, hmm? Can't say I've ever heard any myth or legend by that name, but it sounds right.

Oh, huh. I thought you'd be a little more surprised. Guess you must've seen it all, with YOUR big old origin story, right?

...You dirty little dragon whelp. Don't let all that power go to your head. I can still sew your mouth shut.

Ooh, you're scaring me. *pfft* ★ You're the ones who should be scared. Even if you are an avatar of some god somewhere. No. If you really do come from a god, then you must be feeling it already. This scary, scary, SCAAARY, creepy-creepy unnatural being destroying all of nature! Any of that ring a bell yet? ...The Umbral Star's Messenger. The White Titan.



Well, hey. I'll be nice and spell it out for you. The Moon Cell Automaton is practically absolute. There's basically nothing humanity could do to threaten it. Even when threats do occur, the Moon Cell doesn't normally consider them enemies. Just minor distractions at best. But...the Moon Cell does have one enemy. THE enemy. That's what the Umbral Star is. An enemy beyond humanity, beyond our galaxy. In other words...

...it comes from space, and it's evil.

Oh, NOW you remember? Yeah, that's it. That's it. The cosmic devourer, Velber! A force of ultimate destruction on a 14,000-year tour! And it's ravaged Earth before! In the age of the gods, when Earth was rich with true Aether, long ago. The Moon Cell Automaton could barely defend itself, Velber stabbed the Moon, and all it could do was wait for the end. But the real hell wasn't on the Moon. It was down below. The thorn Velber dug into the Moon Cell let it send its material body to the Earth. Sephyr, the White Titan. Sephyr's spiritrons infected the Earth's wildlife, transforming the creatures completely black. And they trampled all civilization!





I saw the ground burning. I saw the world burning. I saw every inch, every corner, torn by pain and corruption. I felt the world's despair as the invaders spread and multiplied like cancer cells. The catastrophe destroyed all civilizations, without clemency or judgment. The beasts of nature suffered horrible mutations, ran amok, and ultimately fell to ash. Prophets protested that the end had come too soon. Rulers called upon their people to fight. Scholars said only that it was too late. But some people clung to their optimism, believing that at least some of them would endure.







The Moon Cell seems to have gotten the best of it, 14,000 years ago. It just got infected, whereas the planet below was nearly destroyed by the Umbral Star, and, by all rights, should have been. Of course, that leaves the big question of WHY the Earth wasn't destroyed...

It even took all the "if-futures", a bunch of "possible outcomes" that the Moon Cell had accumulated up until that time. Now, of course, that pissed the Moon Cell off. Figuratively speaking. It's a computer. It doesn't have emotions...

You fool. The Moon Cell wouldn't get angry even if it could. It's an infallible strategist. It has a plan for everything.

Ooh, look who's so smart! Well, yeah, you're right. The Moon Cell sensed the return of the Umbral Star. This time, to keep from getting hacked, it locked its core away. But that's just defense, right? You want to keep a knife handy to shank the intruder. And that's where you come in.



You got it. ♪ In other words, all those fancy perks you got for winning, those were all just bait for the trap. You got suckered into this. Dumb, right? All that fighting, just so you could go off and fight some more? But you know...it's not too late. You could come on over to our side.

...It seems someone needs a lesson in respect.

The Umbral Star will respect you. Well, it'll tolerate you, as long as you join us. I mean, I assume Velber's okay with it, and I haven't really asked Altera, but let me talk to them and I'll take care of it. It's not a bad deal, right, Caster? We'll take you and the little squirrel.

How audacious! How insolent! How rude! I am the RULER of the Millennium Capital! For SE.RA.PH? For the world? No, no! Forget all that! Now you scurry off, you little newt, and you tell that thing from me! I'll never forgive Altera for blindsiding me while I was trying to talk and catch up with her. But if it's war she wants, I accept!

Okay. Negotiations over, then. Fine, have it your way. For the record, I've been a perfect diplomat here. If we didn't offer terms before a fight, we'd be barbarians. In fact, I'm glad you said all that. Especially the part about not fighting for SE.RA.PH. If you had said that, I'd have stabbed you. Still, I do have to ask, because it's kinda weird: What's your problem with Altera, anyway? You're an Anti-Hero. You destroy humans, or they destroy you. Altera and I are just the same way. If you don't care what happens to SE.RA.PH, then why don't we conquer it together and have some fun?

I mean, to be fair, Elizabeth has been pretty sensible in this conversation. The alliance offer was worth trying, after all, but I guess there's something to be said about the fact that she's much more stable as a puppet of an evil star thousands of light years away than as the 14-year old wannabe idol vampire.

...Hmm. Hmm, yes, that would be fun. I AM an Anti-Hero. I was never meant to be "good". Humans have always feared me, and they've never respected me.

See, you understand that about yourself. So we should all shake hands, and-

You think all humans get along, or all monsters get along? Ohoho. You are so adorable, you know that? You don't understand. You may be an Anti-Hero, but you're still a human too. Monsters attack humans because humans are their favorite. They're tender, and warm, and they come in so many delicious flavors. We don't hate them.. What we do hate are INHUMANE monsters, and those we hate from the bottom of our hearts.



...Ooh, okay. Now I see how you feel. You know, it's funny. I almost bought all that confidence. You look like YOU almost bought it. But here you are, grasping at straws. You can't be together with humans! Even if you try, you know it never ends well. So you just want to milk what you've got until your luck runs out-



Maid...!



It's been fun, Caster. I'm done MC'ing now, so all that's left is the main event. You being my senior, I'll give you what you deserve. You'll die like the shriveled old bug you are, and then I'll mount the little squirrel's head right next to yours.





An enemy Servant attacked the territory I was guarding, and ground it into dust immediately. I can't describe how strong they are.

...I'm very sorry to hear that. Are you all right, my honored guest?

Personally, I'm fine. But let me say it again: The enemy will grind everything to dust. The enemy Servant's Forces of Destruction have established their base in the ancient temple territory. As long as he's there, they have the edge in firepower. I'd put our chances at fifty-fifty, IF we can get to him.

...You're speaking highly of this man, Hero of Charity. Altera must have found a formidable Hero. Your eyes must see what his True Name is. Say it, and I'll put him down myself!



Yeah...that'll do. As always, back to My Room for tea and chat.


Gut check

The King of Heroes himself. And here I assumed the vanguards of the Umbral Star would be some kind of aliens. Ah, it would be funny if it weren't so sad. Poor little me, abandoned by the heavens themselves, from the look of things...

Her expression doesn't match her tone. What does she really think? Can the Queen of the Empire take on the King of Heroes?

...No. You didn't think I could, did you? If we're just comparing Spiritual Cores, he outclasses me by leaps and bounds. ..But I do happen to have a trump card. Two of them, in fact. My destined Husband, and the Regalia's Royal Authority. He might have the numbers on his side, but I have better reasons to win.

Wow. Now that's the Caster I know, standing tall in the face of an unbeatable foe.

I can say the same for you, Master. Even Mr. Karna looked nervous about Gilgamesh, but here you are, still smiling. ♡

Ah, that's...

...Huh? Are you smiling just because you're with me? Well, now this is a surprise... You're giving me so many ideas right now. Oh, if only we had more time before the battle... *ahem* The stakes up ahead will be higher than ever before. We have to put our feelings aside and move forward. But Master, just so you don't hesitate on the battlefield, is there anything you would like to ask first?



I have a feeling the other would be an interesting choice, but at least on this timeline, we decided to investigate about the Body. It's usually been the case Tamamo knows a lot more about what's going on than Nero.

I don't know too much, I'm sorry to say. I assume we're talking about one of the three main parts of the digital form. The Body, I believe. But... Why Altera has the Body, whether the Body is her prisoners or whether something else is going on... That I couldn't say. Maybe Archimedes might have known... I'm sorry. There's nothing else I can say right now.

Well alright then... Unfortunately, we're going to have to break here. I think these two need to get ready to fight Gilgamesh.