Part 31: Dawn Arc - Body

Body


Fractured

I awaken from the dream. Slogging off the drowsiness, I approach the edge of the cage. The cage door can withstand any amount of force. But at the slightest nudge from me, it swings open. Yesterday, she'd promised to "destroy" the cage, but it seems...Ah, I see. She destroyed the lock. So now I can step outside. Well, "outside". At least I can stretch my legs, without having to worry about getting grabbed by a giant or sucked into a ring. Still, it would be nice to get some fresh air sometime soon.



...Good morning. Did you sleep well, my Prisoner?

...As I look up from the ground, it really hits me. Altera is so beautiful. ...Well, no, wait. I mean, she is, but...! From down here, I can really see the difference in size between us. But for all her height, for all the length of her limbs, she carries herself with such grace and dignity. It almost doesn't feel right calling her a giant or a titan. She seems more like a goddess. Even if she IS a huge, walking apocalypse, she's still beautiful, a beautiful monster. I had an inkling of that when I first saw her, but now, after seeing that dream, it hits me like never before. ...Hm. Maybe beauty is just beauty, wherever you find it.

Is something the matter? Did you have any trouble sleeping? Did I overfeed you last night, maybe? Hmm, I did mix some enemy programs' guts into that meal. They're good for your energy level, you know... *ahem*

Wait, what?! I ate WHAT?! In ingested enemy programs, or...installed them, or... That's GOT to be bad for my health, right?

I...thought just a little would be okay... I thought it might make you...happier...

Oh, what, like a little medicinal wine before bedtime?

...I-I'm sorry. I was just kidding. I didn't mix anything. I wasn't sure if you were listening, so I thought I might tease you. I'm sorry, Master. Will you...forgive me?

...Well, if she's apologizing that much...and she did say she was joking...but seriously, let's never actually do that. Ever. I belatedly tell her... "Good morning". My drowsiness is gone now, so she doesn't need to worry about that.

...Y-Yes. Good morning, Master.



Hm...some interesting redecorating. Also, speaking of Altera's human side, she's the version of Altera that can be summoned in Grand Order, as the personage of Attila the Hun. It makes sense, since certainly the deeds and life of Sephyr would hardly be remembered fondly or notably by anyone, and in any case, she's stuck in the Moon Cell equivalent of the Negative Zone. Whereas the human side had a brief, if notable, existence.

I tried redecorating a bit. What do you think? Do you like it? It's not like I'm really used to this sort of thing... Not to say this is my first time. I do have some experience, believe it or not. This place had absolutely nothing at first. It was just a dark, empty room. Really, there was...nothing at all.

I think I have an idea of what she means, now that I've seen that dream of hers. For such a long time, there was nothing here but her.

But... But then one day, something came to me. How can I say this in a way you'll understand? It was a very...strange thing, something I'd never felt before. Your people would probably call it a dream. I had one. About...all sorts of things. I built a home here, based on that experience. And that's the place you see today. I wanted to make rugs and decorations in your size, but that's still hard for me... In any case, I DID try to make it easier to walk on all these gold coins... What do you think? Is this better for you?



It is pretty cozy, huh...

...Well, it's certainly better than being stuck in the cage, and she did spend all night making it, so I ought to be thankful. "Thanks, Altera. But next time, can I request something more civilized?"

*gasp* Of course, and thank you very much! Thank goodness... I'm glad you enjoy it. This is a special place for you and I, so even if it's just a little... I want it to look a little bit better. ...To me, this cavern is all I have. From my perspective, I'm a bit envious of my outer self. I was able to obtain a contractor like yourself, and freedom as well. I can be both a Heroic Spirit and...myself. I can travel to the new lands of SE.RA.PH as a Solo Servant. But...well, this cavern is still so small.

Her smile is so melancholic. In that moment, I can understand her feelings. The emptiness, the loneliness. And the longing... That dream of running through the fields must be running through her head non-stop. As heroic and powerful as she is...I have to ask myself which of us is more of a prisoner. She's been here much longer than I have, in this cold stone cavern. I feel that cold start to sink in. No, I just now start to notice it. ...It's not sympathy or compassion I feel, exactly. What I feel is a sense of purpose. I'm not fighting for the Moon Cell's destruction or for the Umbral Star, as much as I've thought about those things since I first gave Altera a Code Cast. What I am fighting for is to free Altera, to let her walk freely in the outside world again. She can't do that without me. I can fight if it's for her.

For...? For...me...? Ah... It's wonderful to hear you say that...but you shouldn't. You can't. It's not allowed. Please...you're only building up false hope for yourself. When I step out of this cavern, it will be to conquer and destroy the Moon Cell. You're human. No human wants the Umbral Star to come here. Some might want to see the Moon Cell conquered...but to see the Earth destroyed along with it... You see the impossibility of it, don't you?

I do see the impossibility. But there are other impossibilities at work here too. Of course I don't want the world to end, and especially not with me on it. But at the same time, I'm a Master who has made a contract with Altera. When I fight by her side, I'm not fighting for the end of the world. I'm fighting purely for Altera's sake, and for that, I'm proud to stand by her. I don't really have any memories, so in a way, this counts as my first decision. Maybe I'll have more questions later, but for now, I have to go with my gut. *shakes head*





...You're in my cavern. Again.

Of course I am. We're equal allies, remember? But besiiides that... Are you gonna stay all boarded up in the Zero Dark forever? Hurry up and start taking over SE.RA.PH. That's your mission. The Red Saber and the Blue Caster. While you've been in here pampering yourself, those two have each gotten a piece of the Regalia. Now listen here. Clock's ticking. You're up against a couple of small fry, but that doesn't mean they can't shank you if you're not paying attention.

...Pieces of the Regalia.

I've already decided to commit to this, but the realization of what that means is sinking in deeper and deeper. I'm going to war, to conquer all of SE.RA.PH. Hearing someone else talking about it, that's what made it hit me. ...Hold on. What did she say just now, about "Red Saber" and "Blue Caster"? Why do I know those names? A nostalgic feeling starts quivering up from inside me, but it fades away before I can grasp it.

What's with the weird face, little squirrel? ...Oh, I get it. You don't remember what your deal is? Or the Regalia? Not even Saber or Caster?

...

...Huh. I was wondering why you were playing along in that cage. So that's what's been going on. You've been keeping quiet about it, LIttle Miss Giant, because you don't want to hear it either, do you? All right, let's tell the sad little story of who Hakunon USED to be.

...

What is she talking about? Her laugh keeps reverberating through my skull. I know my past is gone, and I know I have a contract with Altera. Does anything else matter right now? Maybe things were different before, but... "Who I USED to be...?" What could that have to do with the here and now? But there she is, ready to talk all about "me" before I woke up in this cavern...

Now listen here, little squirrel. You're scattered all over the place. It's pitiful. You don't even know. You're nothing but a shell, without a Mind or a Soul. See, Cyber Frames need those two things plus a Body, and you're just the Body. Do you know where the Mind and Soul are? they're not here with this imposter. They're with real Servants, ones you already made contracts with. Your Mind flew off back to the main Servant. Your Soul's with the Sub-Servant.

...

Well, Liz isn't lying. I can tell that by the way Altera isn't looking at me. Hakunon, split into three. The original, true Servants I formed contracts with...

But just for the record, don't blame Altera for that. She didn't split you, if that's what you're thinking. You did that to yourself. You and the Regalia were the Moon Cell's one defense against the Umbral Star. We had you trapped, and you split yourself to try and get away. All you left behind here was a third of the ring and that Body of yours. An empty shell, like a corpse. *giggle* Looks like Archimedes did miscalculate, though. Who would've guessed the Body alone would still have its own free will? There's a term for this. It's on the tip of my tongue... "Residual consciousness"?

"Residual consciousness"... That's what they call it when the emotions of a tool's user are left behind on the tool. Or when the will of the deceased stays in a certain location. The remnants of ingrained memories... Is that all I am...?

...Master.

...I see. That's why. I understand, or at least, I feel like it makes more sense now. That must be why I feel so empty. Assuming Elizabeth isn't lying...then it all makes sense. Although I never would've guessed I was missing both the Mind and the Soul. ...So I really am empty on the inside.

Man, Elizabeth really has been Captain Bringdown for a while now... She really should hang around Nero more, if you ask me.

Huh? What are you all mopey about, Altera? Are you doing your impression of a sad little human? It doesn't really work when you're that humungous. Who cares anyway, right? Your "Master" is just a tool. has been from the start. You're a titan, remember? If having a Master helps you smash things, fine, but once you've put the Regalia together, you can toss the Master in the junk pile. After that, just leave it to me. I'll take out the trash and pay back all my debts.

...A tool...I...

That's why you caught the Master in the first place. And don't tell me "things have changed". You're the Vanguard of the Umbral Star. All you need to care about are conquest, control, and following orders. Everything else is just extraneous data. It's all getting scrapped anyway, right? Just think of the Regalia as the main course, and the little squirrel as the toy that comes with dinner. Sound good, Ms. Sephyr?

*alarm sounds*

...Again? Man, their timing sucks. Who is it this time?! Let's see... Hmm... *chuckle* Speak of the devil. The Blue Caster is trying to invade the Zero Dark as we speak. They're not here yet, but they'll get here soon. *giggle* So what're you going to do about it? You're not just going to leave them be, are you, Altera?

...Into the fire it is, then. We'll need to eliminate the obstacles one by one. Prepare for battle, Master. If you do want to fight for my sake, now's the time.

*fade to outside*



Huh? Hmm?? What's with this reaction? It's not like her at all. I can see Titan Altera getting upset, but Hero Altera... Well, I'm not used to seeing her like this.

You are not a tool. The Regalia is the tool. You...You're my Master.

...I see. So she's thinking about what Elizabeth said. Maybe she thinks I believed Elizabeth. That must be making her anxious... That's the first time I've thought about "Altera" and "anxious" together. Even knowing that the Titan Altera could feel that way, Hero Altera always came across as ice-cool, up until now. Then again, Altera did say from the start that the two of them were the same person, just different faces of that one persona. So I guess they do feel the same things.

...

I tell her not to worry about what Elizabeth thinks. I tell her I know she doesn't feel that way about me...because if she did, I'd be dead by now.

...! Right. Right, of course. All right. Then there's no need to talk about it.

Yeah, no need. Although the FIRST time we met...you forced me to hand you the Regalia on pain of death.

Well...



It's a delicate art, is what it is.

I see happiness in her face...and a little bit of shyness. And the happiness is contagious. She prizes me more than the Regalia? I didn't know i cared so much about that, but now I that I hear it from her, it's... Well, it's like she turned all the lights on. All right, time to go. Time for the two of us to fight side by side.



...Right. There's one more thing I need to tell you here. Something we haven't talked about yet. Just as Elizabeth said, you're the Body. And digital bodies aren't meant to survive in fragments, especially not in the long term. In order to stabilize, you'll need the other two... You'll need to fuse with the Mind and the Soul. But don't worry. We'll assemble the Regalia shortly, and that'll solve the issue. All you have to do is be my Prisoner, no matter what. As long as you stay that way, at the very least you'll be able to survive.








Dawn Arc Stage 3



Boy did we get caught unawares. Tamamo's armies have the most of the map, and what areas they don't have (two blue Sectors and Jeanne's Sector, which she'll soon conquer), are either under attack or shortly about to be.



In spite of his secondary role, Gilgamesh will deign to advise us occasionally, and he always has something valuable to say. Here, it's pretty simple. Focusing on 1-Key Sectors is gonna lose you this match. As long as the enemy holds the most valuable Sectors, we're never going to beat them. My advice would be to follow Gilgamesh's advice: focusing on high-value areas, and ignore rampaging generic enemy invasions or enemy Servant attacks. First on the priority list would be to capture the 4-Key Sector as fast as possible, take out any nearby Plants, then go after Medusa.



Look at that. Less than 5 minutes into the stage, and every Sector but one is either under imminent attack or is being attacked. You cannot play around in this stage.



Of course, the beauty of choice is you can handle things in your own way. Taking out Medusa (we're going to ignore Tamamo for now, since she's not going to be active as Medusa would be otherwise) is a wise choice because, as I mentioned waaaay back in the first stage, enemy Servants have their own Sector Keys attached to them, that are awarded to you upon their demise (of course, the same goes for the enemy). You should be able to wrap this fight up fairly quickly, but do be careful of Medusa's speed and long-range charging attacks (assuming you're not in Moon Drive mode, of course).



Hm, Tamamo about to invade Jeanne, finishing the Regime Matrix will summon Karna into the fight...quite the collision course.



Once you've reached level 22 / 23, you can fire out three waves of projectiles from Altera's projectile attack. As devastating as you'd expect.



Now it's time to shut down this pretender for good.



I have unparalleled Heroic Spirits bowing to my every whim, a great army to fight for the Millennium Capital. And yet... You've swept them all away so easily! I'm calling foul! The Vanguard of the Umbral Star. Heavens me, the cute and clever Tamamo-chan sees right through you! So it's come to the last resort - I'll face you myself!

When she says "Tamamo-chan", the actual name she says is "Casko", her official nickname. It's as simple as "Caster + Tamamo", but it's cute, so it's fine.

...

Or so I'd say, but...do we not have the same Master? Quite a twist of fate to meet like this. Why don't we have ourselves a chat while we're here? Here, Master. ♡ See? I'm not just a cold-blooded killer. I can talk with the enemy. ...As long as you want me to, of course.

...Talk, you say.

...Unexpected. I thought she'd attack on the spot, that she'd write us off as evil invaders. But I appreciate this. And as long as we're talking, we should all be face to face. Including me.

...You want me to bring you out?

I think that's the best move. The other me has already shown herself. We should try to talk on equal ground. IF we can do that, we should be able to earn some of their trust.

...That much is true.

Is she saying she doesn't want me to step out? I know it's dangerous, but they know the risks too. We should at least show them we're willing to do the same. So it wouldn't hurt to try negotiating first. And when it comes to negotiating, I think I'm better at it than she is.

...



...Dearest. My love senses are...tingling. There's no doubt - you are my Master, the one I fought beside in the Moon's Holy Grail War. Well, technically, you're my Master's Body. How sad, to see you in such disarray...

...Caster. If you've come to make jokes, then this conversation is over.

Oh my, so very curt. And from a fellow Servant of my dear Husband. Do you even understand? Do you know how much danger "our" Master is in right now? The Mind and the Body are wavering, so unstable that either of both of them could flicker out at any moment. That's the state they're in.

I could disappear at any time? I do feel empty, but hearing it put that way gives me...well, all kinds of feelings. For the first time since I can remember, I feel...mortal.

...

On that note, I'd like to make a suggestion. Body dearest, maiden in white...please surrender. To fight in this predicament would be suicide. Come to me, dearest. I can care for you even without her piece of the Regalia. Or...

...What did you say?

I was really trying to hold that in, but how could I not say it? How dare you allow my sweetheart to go into battle in this condition?! Are you trying to commit murder?! You are, aren't you?! An unstable digital body can be easily wounded and hard to heal. A trivial scratch could be the end. Don't tell me you didn't know!

I...

I've been in that much danger? Her spelling it out like that really makes me think. If Caster is offering to help...should I work with her? Is that my best option? To save myself, the Earth, and the Moon? ...A good Master wouldn't have to ask. I know who Altera is and what she wants. I'm betraying all of humanity just by standing by her side. With that in mind, I should...



It should go without saying. If you choose the other option, Hakuno and Altera will look at each other for moment, and then the former will be shoved right back in the ring. This choice feels like the "correct" one, and Altera will say "You heard it, Caster", apropos of not really anything on the other choice.

...

...It wouldn't be right to leave her. Above all else, even humanity and the fate of the world, I'm her Master. This Body is certain of nothing else but that. I don't know why. No one's really given me a reason, at least not one that I can remember. But I, Hakunon, AM Altera's Master. I feel bad for Caster. She seems like she genuinely cares for my well being. But I don't know her at all. That's why I won't run to her. So I'll say it right out. "I won't stop being her Master".

...



You heard it, Caster. End of negotiations. Besides, this girl's life is in my hands. I've made it clear to her that betrayal is death. There's no way she'll ever escape from...



Snarky Hakunon is also good Hakunon.

Wha...?!

Threats aside, I'm your Master through thick and thin. No matter what happens to my Body, I don't plan on changing that.

What are you...?

Heavens me! I should be there with you, not her! Is she...blushing? Is she in love with you? You've not only conquered Ms. Saber, but the very Vanguard of the Umbral Star?! That's amazing, sweetie! How wonderf... No! Ooh, you'd best prepare yourself. This will get a little rough, but I WILL take you back!

What are you saying? I've never been "conquered"... Not at all... But this Master of mine does give me power. More than enough to destroy anyone in my way.

What do you mean? What kind of power?! That's... No, no more questions!

...Come. I have nothing against you. In fact, I owe you a great debt. To show my thanks, I will grant you a merciful death!



Oh yeah, can't forget about this dude, huh.



Yes, by remarkably poor planning, I've managed to trigger a 2 vs. 2 Servant fight. The number of times I've done this is vanishingly small, and must say, it made for a pretty hectic fight.



But thanks to a Moon Crux before the Hero of Charity arrived, we managed to whittle Tamamo down far enough where it didn't take long for me to knock her out of the fight. Not the last we'll be seeing of her, of course, and Karna's quite powerful. Tamamo's quick attacks opening us up to Karna's devastating hits is a nasty combination. But, we won't have to worry about that now.

Unfortunately, we've still got a fair bit of the map left to conquer, and Karna's going to be dogging us the whole way. What followed was an enormously silly chase where I had to take over the last few Sectors with him following behind, and making sure not to ever do too much damage to him, because once he gets KO'd, the stage is over.



As I mentioned back in Flame Poem, Karna's not too fast, but his blindsides hurt, and since he's a Lancer, he has a long reach on his attacks. This charge did about...wanna say about 20% of my health, but it's been a while since we healed. Can't get careless.



Under these circumstances, it's fine if you use your NP to nuke a Sector. Just make sure Karna isn't in the same Sector, of course.



Hate when I have to do this, but he's got just a shred of HP left. Matters were swiftly resolved with him.





Hm, Gilgamesh candies. Wonder what those would taste like.







Friendly advice

...Okay. From the looks of it, I'm still intact so far. No pain, no changes I can see...Looks like I won't be disappearing any time soon. The enemy retreated after losing their Lancer, Karna. We scored a victory, but Caster escaped with her piece of the Regalia nonetheless.

Um...about Caster's words earlier...Let me repeat myself. I'll never let you out of my sight. So... No, no. That's not it. That's not what I meant to say. ...Thank you, Master. And...um... Well, that's all. You heard me. Thank you. Make sure to rest well in the cavern. Its healing effects should maintain your condition. ...You're my Master. And I won't let a prisoner die in my care. Farewell for now. We'll meet again in the next battle.

*nod*





The King of Heroes, Gilgamesh...?! I'm so surprised I almost forgot how to breathe. He's not the enemy. He's our ally, in theory. So I tell myself there's nothing to fear. But I don't quite believe that. Why is he here while Altera's gone?

Are you surprised to see the second in command in the home base? Now, how does it feel to know the truth about your hollow Body? She told you, didn't she? You're an empty shell without a Soul or a Mind. So... Most people would cry to the heavens and crumble into the dust, cursing the merciless gods...

*stare*

...Hmph. Well, given what you've lost, I wouldn't expect much of anything to faze you now. You've always prioritized whatever happened to be right in front of you at the time, and taken whatever you thought was the best path toward that priority. And once you're on that path, all you do is trudge along forward, no matter how difficult it gets. ...Hah. One would think even your optimism would have its limits.

Well...there are certain perks to this hard knock life, as we'll soon see...

Gilgamesh shrugs his shoulders and hurls his taunts with a wry smile, mock amazement in his voice. I can't even begin to understand what he's thinking.

No matter. Go on struggling. Hold fast in your foolishness until the very end.





Was that a warning or some kind of reassurance? Or was he just teasing me that whole time? Anyway, back to the cavern for now.



So before that happens, I have to retrieve the Mind and Soul and fuse them into myself. Altera stayed quiet about that. Was it because she didn't want to worry me?

...Yes. Yes, that's why. If I'd told you, it only would have frightened you more. Or so I would have thought....

Why is she hanging her head in shame? She was only trying to look out for me. There's nothing to be ashamed of.

...

Just as I thought. I had a feeling, but this confirms it. This Altera is much shyer than the Altera on the outside.

*gasp* Y-You think I'll let you say that in front of me? Y-You... You don't understand! Y-You wouldn't, you're just my... You're this t-titan's...!



This kind of peril...



...N-No matter what I do to you...I won't allow a single complaint, even if you're being squeezed like this... You'll need to know your place. You're my Prisoner. You're my...

This...is actually okay. It's not like the first time, when I thought she was going to crush me. She's still squeezing me, but not hard. She's soft and warm. Altera's body has a bouncy kind of beauty, and being this close to her skin, to her body... It feels great. Maybe it's the fatigue talking, but I could stay here forever. Just me and this comfy giant monster, enveloping my whole self... Yeah. I'm getting sleepy. Every part of me is starting to relax...



C-Careful, I'm not holding on THAT tightly. If you slide down, there'll be trouble...

Now, from head to toe, I feel a whole different kind of softness. How exactly did I get into this situation, hmm?

...Ah...Master. ...Please stop...moving around...like that...Nnh... Um, if you...wiggle that much...No, not there...

Huh? What...? Am I doing something naughty here? No, I'm just...dancing around happily because you saved me from falling. There's no problem. No problem at all. None.

...W-Well, if you do enjoy this, then...I can endure it...



Oh, no... This is...embarrassing...

No problem here. No problem. Right, no problem at all. I think I'll stay like this for a bit longer. Altera's trembling voice is nice on the ears, too.

...Oooh... Why is the Master such a bully today...?