Part 27: Dawn Arc - King

King


Chat with a titan

Ahh, Hakunon... I'm not too familiar with human names, but yours has such a nice ring. All right, Hakunon. It is. Don't worry. I'll never forget it...

Her smile shows a mix of shyness and humility. I feel dizzy, and I almost fall out of her hand. A moment ago, she looked like a mountain of death, but now... How can she seem so beautiful now? I'd expect those red eyes to be full of menace, but instead they look more like the eyes of a benevolent goddess... Wait, hold on. Am I thinking straight? Wasn't I running away in mortal terror just a minute ago? It's not like I've forgotten that, but...well, for one thing, I don't even know why she grabbed me in the first place...!

Are you wounded? You don't seem to have any cuts. Thank goodness. But did you hit your head? That's where memories are stored, even in digital bodies...right?

I'm not sure that's how it works, but musn't be too mean. Also, I must stand corrected on something I said a few updates ago. I was wrong about Hakuno's Earth body still be alive. That is not true, apparently. It seems a bit further on in EXTRA, it's revealed that she's become a full digital ghost now, as actual recovery from her nasty case of brain damage is impossible.

Memories? Now that she reminds me, I can't remember much of anything. Not even where I came from. What is this cave, anyway? What am I doing here? Bigger question: Who am I? I have no idea. None at all. My memories are completely blank.

...You seem confused. I can't blame you. I don't know much about myself either. And you don't even know what kind of being I am, do you?

Well, she's right about all of that. All I know is that I'm here, with the name Hakunon, in a digital body, staring up at a giant woman. Wait, "digital body"? Right, because this is SE.RA.PH, on the Moon. I'm a "Wizard". That's why I have this body...or at least, it's why I should. I fought in the Holy Grail War as a spritron hacker. I was one of the Masters who strived for the Moon Cell. I made a contract with a Servant, who fought for me. Okay. If I can remember that much, what else can I remember? Who was my Servant...? That, to my dismay, I can't remember at all. I remember we fought all kinds of battles together. And...





Ahh?!



Oh brother. The Body is...not as cool thus far as the other routes made her seem. Still, we've got time to grow...



Moving freely now, I jump straight down. There's something I need to do. I don't remember why, but I know I have a duty, and the drive to do it is burning in my chest. "Protect SE.RA.PH". The words ring through my mind like a bell.





Do you not see that it's pointless? No human can escape from me. I could grab you again with no effort at all. Why would you even try to run?

I can't properly answer that. Even if i opened my mouth right now, all I'd be able to tell her is the truth, or as little as I understand of it: I have to escape. Even if I don't know where I am or what's going on, I feel in my gut that I can't obey her. ...I have to go against her. That's right. It's like that purpose has been burned into my heart.

Oh, no... I see. Well, that could lead to something else, then... Even though you were the one...who tried talking to me...

What is she talking about? I know this much: With her, any mistake I make could be my last. She's obviously more dangerous than any other Servant. But... Is there more to her than that? What am I not seeing? What have I forgotten? I know I've forgotten something. Right, so what I need to do now is stay calm. I have to keep my head down, keep my eyes and ears open, gather all the information I can, and figure out what's happening. I bow my head and close my mouth tight as I look the titan over. Despite her overwhelming size, she has a very feminine, almost delicate appearance. If I start talking again, she might listen. So the first thing I say to her is...



We're not holding a strong hand here, so we should probably make as many friends as possible...

Do you think we could be? I'm glad to hear you say so. But...no, that's impossible. I'm not your ally. And you wouldn't want me to be. I am Altera. And I am, without a doubt, your enemy...no, your people's enemy. My goal is to invade SE.RA.PH, to take control of the Moon Cell, and consume all civilizations on the planet Earth. By Earth's calendars, the Umbral Star invades from the depths of space every 14,000 years, and I am its Vanguard. I'm the enemy of all life, and the destroyer of all civilizations. The records of "Sephyr the White Titan" refer to me at my most terrible.

What she said sounds unbelievable. But I know it's the truth. Not because she triggered some other memory of mine, but because her voice and her expression convinced me beyond any doubt. A monster with the power and bearing of a goddess...and she's declared war on humanity. She said so herself.

...You're quite brave. I can see you shaking, but you're still trying to stand up to me. Just as I'd expect from the Moon Cell's chosen defender. At least, it's what I would expect, if...if you could resist at all. You have no freedom to do any such thing, now that you're my prisoner.







Didn't I tell you? You're my prisoner now. You know what Servants are? Heroic Spirits bound by contracts to Masters. Well, I'm a little different, but I still have a high-level digital body, so I can make a contract with you. And in making you my Master, I've made you mine in every other sense.

..."Master"? That doesn't sound right. Masters are supposed to give orders to their Servants, not the other way around. This is all wrong...

Oh, right you are. I was able to borrow a bit of the Holy Grail's architecture to redefine our relationship. So it's...*giggle* not what you'd normally expect. In any case, you're now officially my Prisoner, with a capital P. Your existence is tied to mine, and you can't escape in any way. Yes. I needed someone like you. I can't leave this cavern. Someone has to roam SE.RA.PH in my place.

Can't leave, she says? I can relate to that. But wait...she wants me to roam SE.RA.PH without her?

Yes, that's right. I won't lie to you. You're my Prisoner, after all. I have no reason to lie to you, do I? So... How about it? Will you...grant my wish?

A "wish", is it? I wonder if I have a choice. Can I say no?

Y-You want to refuse? In your situation...? Well, I suppose it's your decision. But I would consider it a betrayal, and then I'd have to treat you less kindly.

A shiver runs up my spine. She's still calm and civil, but she's also well beyond deadly. I'd better not "betray" her right now.



*bell starts ringing*

Ah, there it is... My alarm system. It automatically senses when the enemy is advancing into the Zero Dark. The Moon Cell has likely summoned a Top Servant to kill me, in order to maintain its world order. There's no more time to delay your decision. Your debut is at hand, Prisoner. Fight that Servant for me, and I'll let you consider it a short break from the cage. What do you say to that?



No use challenging her on this point, and it's a freakin' cage. No leg room at all in here.

Thank you very much. *giggle* I knew you'd see it my way.

...agreeing with her seems to be the best strategy for now. It might be the only way out of this cavern. So I nod along. Escape is still my number one priority, but I'll have to make it a long term goal.

Great. Then I'm counting on you, Master. Take care. I'm sure you'll be just fine...though you are up against a powerful Heroic Spirit, a Top Servant, as I said. Please do be careful.








Contract

*nod* Ha, no one's here! I wasn't sure I could ever escape. I certainly didn't think it would be this easy. But what was she thinking when she let me leave? Does she really need me to go fight for her? Was she counting on my to listen to her, without any way to force me to keep my promise...? Well, I'll have plenty of time to think about that once I get out of here. I need to find someplace quiet and sort out what's been happening...



Nice of the titan to find a nice change of clothes, but I wonder how she managed this trick...Yes, it's one of her DLC costumes. This one is great, so we'll be wearing it through the entire arc. The "Girl next door" look works on anyone, including aliens.

How unfortunate. You're still my Prisoner, inside or outside the cavern.

...Altera's in front of me. She's the size of a normal human now, but it's still definitely her. Same smooth skin, same bright hair and clothes. She's said she couldn't go outside. I don't think she was lying. But then the woman in front of me is...Honestly, I have no idea. There she is, looking just like the bigger Altera I left behind. I've failed to escape, I know that much.

...You're surprised, yet so calm. Has being a Master hardened your nerves? Your resolve will make you a suitable warrior. Regardless, the main body can't leave the cavern. What you're seeing is a figure made from the main body's dreams. Don't strain yourself thinking about it. Just think of us as separate aspects of a single person. I'm your Servant, Prisoner. Like any other Heroic Spirit, in a sense. Let's eliminate the enemy together.

...I don't quite get it, but I'll take her at her word. I'll call her Altera too, then.

Call me whatever you want. I'll do the same for you.



*Obviously* we're going to flirt. There's always time for that, truth.

I don't know how it works, exactly, but the titan in the cavern must be the main body. They look the same, except for their scale, but if I had to pick one as the most beautiful, I'd have to go with the shorter one.



Glad to know even aliens can appreciate simple aesthetics.

So if the two of them are the same person...Okay. Let's make this easier. I'll call this one in front of me "Hero Altera" and the one in the cave "Titan Altera". Let's see what she thinks about that.

... I'd say that's a waste of breath, but if it's easier for you, then fine. Now, let's go. We have to wipe out the invaders... Oh, one thing first.



Give her what? I can't think of anything right now. All I have to is my life, and this digital body...

...No. You have the ring. Hand it over. Give it to me, and you'll truly be my Prisoner. I won't take no for an answer. Now. Don't waste any more of my time.

She can't threaten me into giving her what I don't have. But as soon as I try to tell her that, I remember... I have my life, my body, and this ring on my left hand. Is this some sort of Mystic Code? No, it isn't. It looks like one, but it's far more powerful. Should I hand it over to someone like her? I'd love to take more time and think that over, but I really don't have the time right now...



Not like that. It won't mean anything unless you put it on me. ...Now, do it. Don't hesitate.



It's a strange feeling. I imagine this is how a knight might feel when stripped of his sword and rank. Actually, it's almost like I'm taking her in holy matrimony.

Ah, there's the Hakunon we love.

...Good. Wise decision, Hakunon. This is the ring that rules over SE.RA.PH. The Regalia that grants the Royal Authority of the Moon Cell. By bestowing this ring on me, you've cemented our bond. I'm sure you can feel our connection through the Command Seals.



The ring to rule over SE.RA.PH... The Moon Cell's Royal Authority...Did I just hand the enemy something unthinkable? On top of that, the Command Seals... What I just did can't ever be taken back.

No need to panic now. If you'd refused, I would have killed you. You did the right thing. Warrior or not, you wouldn't have wanted to die in vain. That aside, you're right about not being able to take it back. You are now officially my Prisoner, forever.



Well, thanks for the confidence saving... I guess.

...Now, let's take care of the enemy. You stay in there. Don't worry. I'll let you roam around for a bit after the battle. In the meantime, feel free to use the Code Cast. If you're willing to lend a hand, that is.








Dawn Stage 1



So this stage looks a little weird, for a few reasons. This is the first in a few stages this game throws at you that I like to call "Event stages". Stages are that extremely small and quite easy, and exist mostly for cutscene purposes.

Another reason this stage is weird? Hakunon is obviously not on this whole "Ruin everything's shit" agenda Altera's got, and won't use any Code Casts, no matter what one you were using prior to this stage. Always nice to have story / gameplay integration.



So, Altera in-battle. She's much slower than Nero or Tamamo, but hit for hit, she hits way harder. Like with Tamamo, before starting her arc, I decided to grind in Free Battle for a bit to level her up (up to 18), and gain some of her cool moves. Altera's special moves are pretty devastating.



Altera's flame kick (S S S T) is a really powerful move and very useful against enemy Servants + single targets. A little slow to come out, but very powerful.



S S S S T is also very good, but for different reasons (you can use this one after you press Square enough to have Altera do a short charge forward). This is Altera's homing projectile move where she'll fire out three orbs from her sword that have mild piercing ability and a bit of tracking, but that's a bit unreliable. Most important, it can do a ton of damage against a single target if all three hit the same thing, and you can add on another round when you're sufficiently leveled up by just pressing triangle again. Very bread-and-butter move for her. Just be aware that there is a bit of cooldown on this one, in that she'll briefly pause after launching to recover.

Also, make sure you pick up the NP Circuit in this Sector. Because this stage is small, only the bottom left Sector doesn't have one.



Her S S S S S T move isn't too useful, however. Just throws out a mildly damaging AoE attack. Much like Tamamo's S S T combo, not that handy.



S S T throws out what you see before you move. It's not too powerful, but it's decent for crowd control (and remember, her sword has a long reach on it, longer than it appears to have), and, obviously, can freeze enemies if you get lucky.

Once you've taken over three enemy Sectors, Iskandar will arrive in the Sector you're currently hanging out in...


The Conqueror in Red



Top Servants are capable of controlling enemy programs, probably because the Moon Cell allows them to. There are more of them here than I'd expect. Enemy programs... Attack programs, to put it more precisely. Coded by the Moon Cell, they attack enemy targets automatically. A normal Wizard would have trouble controlling even one, but here, there's an army of them. And Hero Altera destroys one after another with her calm, cold precision. She's like a fighting machine, reaping through her enemies without hesitation or remorse. Knowing she aims to destroy the world, I wasn't planning on helping her with my Code Casts. But I guess that's a moot point, since she clearly doesn't need them.

...I slaughter my enemies. It's all I do. It's all I'm good for. It's all I need to be good for.



Ah, it seems my enemy has brilliant sword skills! You destroyed so many of my troops, just like that! "Attack programs". Is that what they're called? No souls, no will, but you know, I think they're cute in their own way. Like how they rush into battle for the King of Conquerors, not caring that they might get smashed. They're no elites, but they'll do. ...Anyway, don't you think you went a little too hard on them? At least show some passion about it, will you?

Never thought I'd hear Akio Ohtsuka say "Kawaii". I think everyone needs to hear Solid Snake / Big Boss growl that.

"The King of Conquerors"... You are Iskandar of Macedonia.

This epithet goes all the way back to Fate/zero, Iskandar's first appearance in this series (his kid version is also a Rider-class Servant, but he's referred to as Alexander to differentiate). Similarly, Artoria Pendragon and Gilgamesh are referred to as the King of Knights / King of Heroes, respectively, also in Fate/zero, and have kept those nicknames since.

Indeed, I am the King of Conquerors. The one and only. And no else outside of might Persia is worthy of the name Iskandar. What about yourself? You know who I am, but what do I call you?

...Altera.

Hm, I've never heard of that name. I can think of a few warriors with strength like yours, but... Hmm, no idea who you are. Have you got a skill to hide your true identity? No, or I"d see a black fog around you.

He's so relaxed even as he chats with us on the battlefield. We haven't yet experienced the depths of his mana or the power of Noble Phantasm, but it's already clear that he's a great Hero. This is the Top Servant who is meant to save SE.RA.PH... A great Hero summoned to defeat Altera...!

Well, if you knew Iskandar better, there's basically no place he doesn't consider a battlefield. Even video gaming, which he quite enjoys, is to be experienced with the same passion as leading Macedonia's strongest heroes into the thick of a fight. And Iskandar is the kind of guy who leads from the front.

Anyway, it doesn't matter what your True Name is. You know why I'm here, right? To fix SE.RA.PH and take out this titan or whatever. You look a little tiny for a titan. Although I do like that Noble Phantasm of yours. All that being said, take my advice. Stay out of my path.

...And if I refuse?

Then I have no choice but to ride right through you. My policy is, "never make detours".

Do what you have to, King of Conquerors...

Well, well. I may have been out of the game for a while, but I can still teach you a thing or two, so listen up. What you're doing here, it's not trampling, it's not a rampage, you're not even conquering anything. It's...

...

Hmm, it looks like you have your reasons. I was going to scold you for being out of control, but I see I can't expect to rein you in. Huh! Well, who am I to criticize the way you live? What am I doing giving out life advice anyway?



Altera, I challenge you to a duel! Witness the way of the King of Conquerors. I will trample down the road you stand on!



Now, Altera and Iskandar are similarly fairly slow Servants, so you can't expect to overwhelm him with speed / quick attacks, like you could with our other protagonists. Instead, you'll have to choose openings carefully and know when to back off. He will occasionally throw out some pretty deadly special attacks, so you'll always want to pay attention to him.

Of course, Altera, being Altera, doesn't know the meaning of the word "Restraint". I decided to use her Noble Phantasm here. It's the same NP animation she used in cutscenes against Nero / Tamamo, to less than glorious effect. Well, it was impressive, just that it didn't work.



Always gotta strike a pose.



Yes, that is Iskandar summoning his chariot and having his horses stomp the ground to throw up a bunch of lightning. He's got some neat tricks, and that's something I'm really looking forward to when I finish Dawn and get to play the Servant Side-Stories. Most everyone's got a few really cool moves. Some have a lot.



But of course.



Grinding up to level 18 may have been a bit much for this stage, but that's just the way I roll.



...Hm.

Your philosophy doesn't apply to me. This is the end result. Even if you held back...it's clear that you lost, King of Conquerors.

Compared to Iskandar's passion, Altera is completely mechanical. Her thoughts are as clear as her body is fierce. Without any regard for her own life, without a spark of warmth, Altera fights like an avalanche, and wins.

"Leave everything to the strongest". Weren't those your last words, Great King? Now you'll hear them from me, the strongest of all.

Hmph. Well, I can't argue with that. A loss is a loss. I'll serve you. I, Rider Iskandar, will join the white Hero Altera for now. Wield my strength to the best of your ability. If you can harness it, that is.

I don't remember ever feeling this kind of ecstatic excitement before. It must be coming from him. Even if he has his own agenda, he admitted his loss right away. King of Conquerors, Iskandar. I don't think we've ever met, but I know his name. He was one of the greatest Kings in the world. He commanded many ferocious warriors and heroes. I see him standing there, with his fearless grin, and I feel his magnetism radiate off of him.

I have no need to harness it. I'll pave the path of destruction, and you follow. The battles ahead will most likely be your last. I herald the end of civilization on Earth. The end of everything.

But what will that mean for Altera herself? She's the polar opposite of the King of Conquerors, a cold, calculating destroyer. You've defeated the protector of the world. Will you ever be anything but my enemy...?








Role of the Master

...You did well. You didn't lift a finger for me, but you still did your duty as a Master by supplying me with mana. You must be very tired. Get a good rest. Inside the cavern, of course.

After winning the battle, we're welcomed back home with...empty silence. It couldn't hurt for Altera to gather her new recruits in this room. Specifically...could she maybe call the King of Conquerors in here?

I don't plan to summon him here without good reason. When the time comes for him to ride into battle, then I'll call him. This is the Zero Dark. It's a place for no one else but you and I.

Just as a note, when you do gain access to regular Mystic Code in Dawn Arc, Iskandar is Altera's sub-Servant. He's the dude you can play as if you use the partner swap ability.

..That makes sense. If this is the Umbral Star's territory, it would be hard for even a Top Servant to keep materializing here. After all, this place belongs to the world's greatest enemy. So Altera has no friends in battle.

What is it? You have something to say? Say it.

*shakes head*

Then get back to the cavern. When the time comes, I'll deploy you again. Your job is to restore mana. Do you understand that, Prisoner?

..."Prisoner". Prisoner or not, I AM her Master. I can channel mana and use Command Seals. Even if it's not exactly the same in her case, the principles are still similar. So maybe...



...Maybe there's something I can do. For the world. Not necessarily something heroic, per se, but...