Part 36: Dawn Arc - Mousetrap

Mousetrap


Before the invasion

Sometimes, when Altera holds me in her hands, it feels like a really powerful massage. So much so that I almost nod off this time. But just when I'm about to, I happen to remember something the golden King of Heroes said. What did he mean, exactly...? "Mongrel", "Mock mongrel". He apparently calls everyone that, at least without the "mock" part... But he specifically directed that "mock" at Altera. Why was that?

It's true. It's not even really an insult when it comes from him, he says it so much. It's like our equivalent of "Hey". He doesn't even really mean anything particularly disrespectful. It's just what he says.

W-Well, I suppose I've only given you the gist of it up until now. If you'd like the details...about the Altera who can move outside of the cavern as a Heroic Spirit...she's something like a dream.

That sounds like what she said about it last time. I'd like to know more, if she's willing to tell me.

Ah, sorry. It seems like I just keep on repeating myself. You see, it already makes sense to me, so I keep... Well, let me start over. The "me" you're talking to now doesn't sleep, at least in the way you know it. But I sometimes go through partial shutdowns to run self-diagnoses, and I do have a "sleep mode". Again, that's not your kind of sleep, so when I "dream", that means something else too.

I wonder if she has something more like daydreams, things you "see" in your head while you're still awake.

And those dreams of mine are where "Hero Altera" comes from. Speaking as the titan version of myself, the Heroic Spirit version is a kind of wish fulfillment, a dream that can't last forever. And for the Heroic Spirit version, the titan "me" is the reality she'll have to wake up to. She's not a different person. We're completely the same in most respects. We just use different programming in certain cases.

...This is getting a little hard to follow, but I won't butt in right now. I'll just listen and keep focused.

I do have memories of "myself" as the Hero, but it's more like knowledge of what the Hero experienced. ...Like when you wake up from a dream, and you process whatever you dreamed about as such.

I see. I think I can understand how that might feel. But I seem to remember Hero Altera talking about what goes on within the cavern...

Yes, of course. The connection goes both ways, more or less. She's aware of me, and she can sense whatever I'm doing. ...But it IS different in that I can't always download everything my Hero self senses or thinks. It's a design flaw I have. My information-downloading functions aren't always reliable. They work sometimes, but not always. ...Not always the way I want them to, anyway.



Well, this is her conversation about dreams, after all. Besides, she seems to like dreaming. It's pretty much all she can do, stuck in this cavern and everything.

You...think so? Ah, well, not exactly. I have some idea of what human dreams are like, and I definitely haven't experienced those myself. You'd find the feeling very strange. It's hard to put into words.

Shifting gears...



Can I ask one thing? I need something clarified.

I don't mind, but I wonder why she's asking all of a sudden...

Thank you very much. Let me...say something first, please. The only reason I'm asking this is because of my orders to corrupt SE.RA.PH in the name of the Umbral Star. There's no other motive. None at all. Understood?

Sure. Roger that. This is strictly professional research, for the purpose of destroying the world. ...Maybe I shouldn't answer it, then...

And remember, you're my Prisoner. You can't resist my questioning. So prepare yourself... All right. Here it is... As a sentient self in a digital Body, what is your assessment of...S...

S...? What?



...What...do you...think...Allow me to recalibrate.

...Sure. Recalibrate away.

What is your informed assessment of the obstacle in our immediate path? Taking into account that she is your main Servant and should, by all rights and regulations, be at your side? I expect your reply to be prompt and accurate.

She's asking how i feel about Saber, right?

Y-Yes. Regarding Saber. What is your current emotional state? And I am prepared to mete out extraordinary punishment if your answer dissatisfies me.

How extraordinary are we talking...? Well, I see where she's going with this. I'll go ahead and answer...



Well, I'm sure Altera doesn't want a dodgy answer, especially when she's already well-aware of Nero's former Main Servant status, so let's answer honestly. After all, remember, the Body doesn't have any memories of Nero / Tamamo, and it's hard to get much of an impression after so brief an appearance.

...To be honest, I still don't know. Our last negotiations ended before I could get a clear impression of her. I can't say that I feel anything in particular toward her, really.

...I see. No, that's a perfectly fine answer. Thank you very much. ...I just wanted to fill a few blanks in my knowledge base. I should note that your answer caused a momentary abnormality in my heart. Which is now back to normal.

One more diversion. This time, let's call it a flashback, to explain why it's happening with the cavern all full of Altera's pseudo-plundered treasures. The Great Titan Expedition

"A special Sleep Mode will be in effect tonight.", Altera told me earlier, "so please do not wander about". I didn't know what to expect, but I couldn't have guessed she'd drape a cloth over me. I've been very curious about her Sleep Mode. I wonder what exactly happens to her. And I also want to know about the heavy ringing sound that echoed after she set that cloth.




When I stick my head out, I see a few things are different. The altar is still there, of course. And so is the beatiful titan, sleeping gently upon it.



...At least, she looks like she's asleep. If she hadn't already told me she sleeps differently than humans do, I wouldn't know any different. Whatever her definition of "sleep" is, she looks deeply into it now. I feel a rising sense of duty. And curiosity, I must know more. The future of SE.RA.PH depends on me learning everything I can about this titan, everything down to the finest details of its structural composition. My motives are entirely pure. Entirely. As both an ambassador and a warrior for humanity, exploring the great unknown is my solemn duty. If she heard me say that, she'd call it a lie. But "unfortunately", the titan's eyes are shut tight. I have no other choice. The time has come to begin the Great Titan Expedition.



Quotation marks will indicate when I make a new choice. Well, although it might be hazardous to our health, a proper investigation has to start at the face.



The face. The neck. The nape. The line from the clavicle. Such intricate shapes... There's a certain beauty to be found here. One might call it evidence of the divine. The soft, umber skin. The long, full eyelashes. The distinctive charm of her profile.



The temperature here is cooler than one might expect, but not inhospitable. I resist the temptation to press my cheek against hers.



The texture of her lips intrigues me. So I reach my hand out...but a moment of clarity washes over me, and I stop myself. PUre as my motives are, touching her lips is certainly forbidden. Though she is, in fact, an alien weapon who happens to resemble a young woman...her lips are still her lips. I note a sudden rise in the temperature of the cheeks. Not hers, mine. *nod* This concludes our exploration of the facial area. "Explore around the chest."



Earthen hills, frosted with snow on one side, smooth, slippery, and unstable as they rise and fall. Her breathing is steady, just like a slumbering human's would be. I don't actually hear her breath, but the movement of her chest definitely suggests a human-like respiratory system. And then there's...

Well, there's more to say about the hills. I can't properly call them "mountains", nor is there much of a valley between them...Nonetheless, they are certainly imposing in their own right, and their sheer surfaces appear especially challenging to climb. Visual recon complete. I'll leave them be.

...

Hm, another breath... "Explore around the abdomen".

Hm, Hakuno better be careful here.



HAK0 I approach this being's "core", as in "core muscles". But a trap springs out and ensnares me! As I try to lean in to examine her markings, I slip and roll into uncharted territory. I find myself in an awkward predicament. Though not an urgent one... In fact, I see no need to leave just yet... The smoothness of her skin has a certain power over me. Faint and subtle, but soft and unquestionably feminine. I note that her belly has an elastic quality, much like a human's would, rising and falling with her simulated breathing. ...My will to continue the expedition is fading rapidly. This belly has all the properties of an exceptionally comfortable bed. I fear for my productivity...



That's...en...ough... Can't...take it...anymore...My...Prisoner...

A-Ah, a false alarm. The subject of our expedition can apparently talk in her sleep, also like a human. This is a preliminary theory, but as I test her belly's restorative properties, I observe that my mana recovery rate seems to be rising. Do her internal organs act as mana generators? It's certainly possible. Perhaps I was unconsciously drawn not to her belly, but to what may be her central heating point... Which I can now say was the real purpose of this expedition in the first place...maybe.

Well, there's nothing wrong with wanting a little extra heat in a cold, lifeless cavern.

Mmm... Mmm...

*moves back to the neck area* This has been an exhausting journey. As I rest, I observe that my expedition is incomplete. Lying face up as she is, I'm unable to explore her other side. If only she would roll over... But she won't. As far as this research has shown, once she goes into Sleep Mode, she remains completely motionless for the duration.

...Are you sure?

You know, Hakuno may or may not be talking to herself here, but she's certainly not talking to anyone. Just thinking to herself, I imagine. Masters and Servants do share certain psychic links, manifesting in such ways as Masters occasionally seeing their Servants' life in dreams. So it's possible some kind of psychic link allows Altera to know what her Master is thinking to herself, but it's not something she's always tuned into. Like, when Hakuno was thinking about what she'll do with the complete Regalia, Altera had no reaction to it.

Though, maybe Hakuno here is narrating her journey across Altera's body like David Attenborough. It's a fun thought.

Huh? What?

..."Sleep Mode" doesn't mean I'm actually asleep, you know. Just because I'm resting doesn't mean I'm unconscious. A-And...you...did all those things...whatever you pleased...to my body...



Y-You...even sprawled out on me...on top of my stomach... Wh-Why would you...? D-Do...you have any idea...how e-embarrassing...

N-No, you see, I...I thought that this would be a unique opportunity to gather information and knowledge for my species. That's all I was after.

I don't remember giving you permission to "explore" me... I-I didn't, did I? Or could I have said it before I went into Sleep Mode self-diagnosis? I don't think so... No, I would never ask you to do anything that strange... *moves head to the left*

Her neck and shoulder muscles are clearly connected as a human's would be. I know this because she tilted her neck, and now I'M FALLING!

AAAH! N-N-No, look out!





*phew* You're so troublesome. Are you all right? Regardless of anything else, it'd be a problem if you fell and died... Y-You've made me very, VERY worried, so please be careful, okay?

...An amazing discovery. Slipping off the curving slope, I've found myself engulfed in a pool of warm mana. Now that I've tasted this experience, I'll never forget it. I jump to my feet and demand an encore.



Hakuno's jumping up and down while Altera's talking her. It's pretty funny.

Of course! It's an incomparable thrill! She could be her own theme park. Her flatness is so aerodynamic. You can really build up a lot of speed! We'll call this ride...the Wild Washboard!

...

Oh my. So you're taking a great liking to my body. Today, I am proud to be a Servant.

...Wait, what just happened? Altera smiles brightly and picks me up in a vicious fashion.

Why don't we have some MORE fun? You like slides? I also have freefalls and roller coasters.

Uh...no, I'm good for now...I mean, I'm sorry... Uhh...I immediately regret everything I just did, so could you put me down, Ms. Altera?

Oh no, we don't have to stop now. Don't apologize. I know you couldn't help it. Because you know what else? While you explore my body, I'm going to explore your head. We'll play every game I can think of, and I'll watch your reactions every time. Have fun, my Prisoner!

AAAHHH! HEEEELLLPPP MEEE!

You can see why Hakuno never mentioned this episode again...



No traps, huh. And remember, going by the stage title card, Gawain will be the final boss of this stage, so he won't be that Saber in the top left. Since there's only one other Saber on Nero's staff... Also, speaking of bladed weapon-using Servants, Cu will be returning to help his lord out in the southernmost Sector. We'll have to deal with this puppy again, too.

Also, just as a heads-up, there's a *reason* there's no Traps, and indeed, the last stage in Fuyuki had our final instance of Traps in all of Dawn This stage will start a cascade of events leading to the finale of Dawn Arc, so strap in.


Cold



Somehow we've managed to find ourselves in a place even aesthetically colder than the cavern. Altera surely has some idea what's going on...

Huh...? What is this? I thought I was witnessing a nightmare. But this isn't a dream. It's reality. ...So what happened? What'd I miss? A floor made from inorganic blocks. The texture is different, ominous. ...Everything was normal before i fell asleep. When did it change? Did Altera wish for this? While I was asleep? It seems a little harsh for her. Why would she do this?

...That fear in your eyes. Do you want to run, you little mouse? Well...



You can't. There's nowhere to go. You can keep still, or I can crush you. Now sit, "Master".

Her tone is so cold I can almost hear the air freeze. I've never seen her like this, not once. She looks the same, but she might as well be a whole different person. Even Hero Altera was never this cold. Not cold enough to freeze me with a single glance the way she just did.

...You're a pest. Maybe I should swallow you whole. Let's see you try to escape from my stomach.

I don't know whether she's saying that on a whim or legitimately threatening me, but either way, her words echo all around me. I know exactly how huge she is, and she could easily devour me anytime she wanted to. She has the form of a human but she's not human at all. She's the cold-blooded King of Destruction, and now more than ever, I can see exactly why.

Are you surprised? I've let you glimpse this before, if you've been paying attention. This is who I am. The Great King of Terror. The Vanguard of the Umbral Star. A shard of the apocalypse from beyond all space. You may have slaved away from me, but I have no use for you now. I already know exactly how I will gain the third piece of the Regalia. So I no longer need to play our little games. All this time we've "spent together" up until now... Forget all of it. Every little bit. It's come time to strip away all the excess decor.

No more decor, because I've served my purpose? Is she talking about the cavern decorations, her personality, or both? But you know, either way, I don't buy it. I think it was her tone when she said "excess decor". She sounded too much like her old self there. That cold glare was surprising, but Altera's Altera. So I think she's just acting...

I'm...not acting... This is who I am. The "me" that I was showing you was a dream, an illusion...

"See", I tell her, "you're wavering from me pointing that one little thing out. I don't know what happened, but we can think through this together. So tell me why you're acting like this..."

Enough. Be silent.





Is she planning on not letting me out?! Fighting against Saber and her army with just the outside avatar is crazy! Altera's powerful and all, but she's up against a warrior who survived the Moon's Holy Grail War! This isn't just about the mana supply. If I'm not there, she won't even get any Code Cast support. Saber should never be taken lightly, and Altera should know better than I do that she can't win this one by herself...

...You're the one who's taking me lightly. No matter what she's survived, she's only a Servant... I destroy planets. She and I don't compare. Not in power and not in scale. Just like you and I.

...Altera?

Sit right there. The battle will be over quickly. Yes, very quickly... That precious Servant of yours, the one you clearly admire so very deeply... I will crush her with my bare hands.



...I see. So that's what my mainframe intends to do. ...I'm...I said I would restore you to peak condition. I think that means your true condition...not a temporary or false one. the others, true or false, I'll destroy them either way. But you... I want you to be perfect. It's the least I can do to show my thanks.






Dawn Arc Stage 6



*alarm sound*

...An emergency signal. Someone is indirectly hacking into my cavern. The Ark of the Stars can't be invaded by the likes of Wizards. So it has to be...Archimedes. If he's turned on us, he's chosen the perfect time for it. Striking while I was gone from the Zero Dark. Does that means he's now working with Saber? He's probably wormed his way into her court by claiming to be a tactician or some such.

Your Highness, in minutes we'll have finished hacking into the Zero Dark's core. We can send Sir Gawain in soon.

I see. How long will it take?

T-minus twelve minutes until execution. Please leave it to me, Lord of the Moon Cell.

The Zero Dark's core is showing interference. Those bastards, are they planning to directly invade the base?! If Gawain infiltrates, our base will be lost. ...Stop him.





So yeah, perma-Regalia Nero is pretty damn dangerous. She's even more dangerous than the typically super-powered up enemy like Blood Fort Andromeda Lu Bu / Numeral of the Saint Gawain, simply because she has extremely powerful charging attacks and is gonna win any matchup you can think of. On top of that, she'll pursue you relentlessly, and on top of THAT, you have a time limit of 12 minutes before Gawain renders your mission a failure.

So, we've gotta play this all cool-like. Luckily, Altrea managed to convince Iskandar and Jeanne to come on this dangerous assignment, and they'll be sentinels of their Sectors until Nero invades them. That's the idea, but I decided to play this a bit differently, to keep both my soldiers alive. I had Nero invade the Sector we started out, and it'll take her a bit to finish conquering that area. You also have to be smart this stage because, much like in the first two stages of Dawn, Hakuno is not gonna be able to help, and there's no Code Casts to help you out in a tough spot. You'll just have to make do with raw fighting ability.



Just...when you're luring Nero, hang out near one of the exits, not the middle of the Sector. Nero's gonna punish you otherwise.



Oh yeah, and we've got Cu, of course. Really nothing's changed between stages. Make sure to block his long combos, and play it decently cautious against him. Always be on the alert for hammer Aggressors, since they're one of the few non-Servant enemies who can send you flying with basic hits.



Sure hope Jeanne's up to tangling with Nero for the rest of the stage. Let's see if she is.



These stupid things are crawling all over the place this stage. Annoying as hell.



Conquest complete, and two Sectors to go. Let's hope Jeanne can hold out that long.



A single solid combo from Gawain... Didn't anticipate it would be quite that powerful.



Just a little more...



He proved his mettle as a knight. That was closer than I anticipated.



In-between all the damage I took from mobs / Gawain / Nero, I can't believe that only added up to 287. Sheesh. All side missions were cleared, thankfully.



...We've finished taking over all of the Roman territories on SE.RA.PH. But I don't see Saber anywhere. I don't even sense Archimedes' presence nearby. The mass of enemy programs... Most of the remaining enemies have started moving towards the Zero Dark. I see, so in other words... They planned a surprise attack and sent their army to my throne room. A blitzkrieg, hmm? You must be used to war, Crimson Emperor. You used Gawain as bait, and planned on taking over the core of the Zero Dark directly. Fine strategy. Back me into a corner, come at me, and save your world. But I'll even the odds, Saber.



Huh? Not every day you call us both out at once. So we're finally going to take them all on! But even if we wanted to trample them down...this place is completely empty. What, did you fall for their trap?

Something like that. The enemy was one step forward. I'll admit that. And I'll admit I'm asking you for help. I need every hostile program who's set foot in the Zero Dark to be eliminated. Don't let a single one escape.

Happy to oblige, but...

The reason she doesn't call Gilgamesh? He wouldn't listen. He's basically "helping" out of a larf, as he himself says. Even if she summoned him here, he could always just refuse. He really does not appreciate in a so-called position of superiority (i.e. a Master) telling him what to do. Or anyone, really.

...What are you going to do, Altera? Doesn't sound like you're going to be there with us.

*nod* I will head to the main base. I must destroy Saber as quickly as I can.

...Understood. Then I will follow your orders.

Leave it up to us to clear your path. I and the Holy Maiden of the Flag will scatter 90% of the enemy troops! Now hurry before they take your Master. Sorry, but we've got to leave the other 10% to you. And you finally get to duel the enemy general! Don't forget to bring her head back. It'll look great in the stories.

...Heh. You would command a King. You're quite the general. I'll let your bravado stand. *teleports out*

Well then. Holy Maiden of the Flag, let's ride into the shadow of the Moon, where the Sun never shines. Will the King and Holy Maiden grant the wish of the poor little girl who's been trapped there all this time?

...Yes. Let's go.