Part 10: Update X - The king's memories

Update X - The king's memories



Music: School IV


Investigating the campus with the eye of a sleuth every day will yield important clues! Once you enter the Arena, you can't go back and investigate anything you missed, okay? People give things away when they talk, but they don't repeat themselves. So don't miss out! So make a habit of investigating campus and listening to others before entering the Arena! I said a lot there! Did you catch it all?

Caster, please stop telling me about this. I already know all about how important information is.



I understand.

I knew you were paying attention, Master! Let's go investigate!



Just watch. I'll show her just how much of a ruthless bastard I can be.

~

You fought Shinji? Didn't Father Kotomine say duels were banned outside of the Coliseum? The SE.RA.PH will jump in before things get out of hand, but be careful you don't get penalized.

~

...*Sigh* It's such a strain on the system, being stressed all the time. I knew the tournament was risky, but it's still hard to accept that you die if you lose. Entering isn't a casual decision.



This might be a good chance to learn more about that jerk! Let's go!

Leaving the classroom starts this small scene.



It doesn't happen all of the time, but don't you find it interesting?

Are you implying that Hakuno has a thing for fox-girls?

~

It looks like Shinji's picking a fight with Tohsaka over there. Shinji ought to leave people who aren't his opponent alone.

~

So, you got Matou. By the looks of it, he's pretty good. His Servant seems pretty competent, too. He's the kind of guy you have to watch out for, you know?

Compared to his Stay Night self, this Shinji is actually a threat. Which makes a bit of sense, actually. Rin already mentioned that weaker Wizards can use Heaven's Feel to compensate for sub-par Magic Circuits. If Shinji is using that, all that's left is straight up hacking, which is a skill that you can pick up regardless of bloodline.



I don't know her personally, but I hear she's a real queen B. I feel sorry for her opponent.



Anyways, let's go watch Shinji embarrass himself again.



Have you been inside of the Arena yet? Interesting place, isn't it? I thought it was amazing at first, but it's really pretty primitive. It's like an ocean pulled from a story. I even saw a Master who managed to summon Armstrong. Sorry, I was just messing with you. I dig the sea theme. Overall the game's pretty well done.

Armstrong? As in the astronaut?

What's this? You actually managed to summon a decent Servant, then. Asia's premiere hacker, Shinji Matou?

Shinji is honestly the perfect starter opponent for us. He's skilled enough to be an actual challenge, but...



With her armada to back me up, I'm invincible. Nothing you can do will be able to even touch me.

...he's so arrogant that he'll accidentally let info slip, which will close the gap between us.



That elegant voice can only be Rin Tohsaka's. Only she can crush Shinji's pride with a word. Shinji's face goes bright red as he suddenly realizes how big of a mistake he just made.



B-But is it really?! I might just be lying. You might want to forget what I said.

That is true. A single word would never expose a Servant's true name, after all. However, a class that controls an armada and is tied to a ship will thin out the candidates some. How will she attack? Bombardment, or a frontal assault? It'll definitely be physical in nature.

Gah...!

Well, I guess the only thing left for me to do is prepare a great many physical barriers.

Even if a legend has no weakness to exploit, knowing what they have up their sleeve can mean the difference between outmaneuvering your opponent's trump card or getting caught off-guard and killed.

Shinji's face goes from bright red to a terrifying shade of blue right before my eyes. Once you learn something about an enemy Servant, you can begin to make plans to defeat them. If both sides are strong, but only one side plans, the results of the battle would be obvious. So that's what they mean by knowledge is power. I understand perfectly now.

Oh, one more thing. I wonder if the Invincible Armada might be relevant to anything...

I mean, others will start making references to that, right? Won't that just piss off your Servant?



Thanks to Shinji trying to gloat, we got a second level for the Info Matrix without having to lift a finger.



Even if we weren't standing directly behind him, that's still banking on Rin losing before they face each other. If she survives, then she gets a several week head start on figuring out Shinji's Servant, while he has to start at square one.

There's a good chance that you and I will never have to face each other.

With that final pathetic attempt at a comeback, Shinji turns and starts walking away. And of course he is heading in my direction. As I wasn't hiding, Shinji sees me right off.



H-Heh... Well, it's not like you can stop the Invincible Arm— Err...I mean my Servant...

Whatever...my victory is all but assured. Catch you later. Oh, and try not to disappoint me.



With his desperate attempt at sounding cool complete, Shinji walks off.





Caster, please stop.

But enough about his stupidity. Be sure that you search the Arena and the campus for info! Remember, you can always count on my nose and ears to point you in the right direction!

Got it.

*Squeal* I'm so happy! For love and great justice, let's get a ton of information on our foe!

Be sure to check every nook and cranny of the Arena and campus so you don't miss anything. Also, there might be valuable information that's available only on certain days, so stay sharp!

I can't wait for next week, just so the game would stop holding my hand like this.



Our new Info Matrix level nets us a Key Word, which comes with a full write-up on it!


The Invincible Armada is also known as the Spanish Armada, if we punch that into Wikipedia:



If his Servant is big enough to be tied to this directly, then we've just narrowed her True Name down to these eight people.

And yes, they are all guys. Even this early on, the Fate series loves genderswapping people.



I tried a sneak attack just now, but the SE.RA.PH intervened.

~

Matou attacked you? All's fair in love and war.



A Heroic Spirit who wields dual pistols? That makes me think of... Billy the Kid...? Calamity Jane... No, I'm sorry, that isn't right.

His Servant doesn't look much like an old west outlaw. But, then what in the world could his Servant's identity be? In any case, I have to return to my own investigation. I really don't know enough yet.

The funny thing is, both of them have ended up in Grand Order.

~

A Heroic Spirit who wields dual pistols? Hmmm... I could see that being Date Masamune... Tough question, man. But, it's kind of fun to brainstorm all the possible answers.

Although Masamune is currently a no-show.



You can't back out of any battles once they initiate, so you'll die if you get defeated.



An important book has shown up in the library.



The name given to the Spanish Navy during what is known as the Age of Exploration. With over 100 thousand-ton ships and 65,000 crew members, it almost subjugated all of England. Through the might of its navy, Spain was seen as the -kingdom on which the sun will never set-.

Just a repeat of what was in the Info Matrix, really.



I suggest you have multiple save files in case something comes up. Good Masters prepare for death!

It it entirely possible for you to end up in a no-win situation and soft lock your entire save. Extra is mean like that. The Retry button in the Options menu keeps it from being a total lock, but that means having to completely redo all Arena visits.





If my opponent was as clueless and careless as Shinji, my life would be so much easier.



I came across my opponent while in the Arena, so naturally I jumped them, but... Oh my god! My Servant's special attacks were so AWESOME they made my mind melt. See, he switched his blade to his left hand and then...BAM! Done! He's invincible!

~

Hey Hakuno, have you acquired any Triggers yet? I still need to go grab mine. I'm not too worried about it. I still have four days left to get them both.



aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa



Fighting anyone without enough info is suicide. Especially if that person's Servant is strong. If you don't discover a Master's weakness before facing them, you're as good as dead.

~

While she was in the Arena, I started poking the campus around for her, but... I was starting to wonder...Why am I doing all of her work? ...Keep this to yourself, okay?





Ahh, a little more time and I would have made it in!



Could you have phrased that in literally any other way, Caster?

It was just beginner's...un-luck...? Our next foe is that fashion victim, right? Don't worry, I can take him!



To the Arena!



And then out of the Arena, as there's nothing to do there today!



Music: School III


All that nothing must have been exhausting, Caster's already out cold!





Music: Duel of Fate


We start the day off with a cutscene.

Walking through campus, I can see various NPCs, who appear as busy students, among the Masters. Not only do the NPCs look slightly different, but their behavior seems a little...off. Maybe it's their lack of a soul. To them, this battle is just a string of data variables. Within a small group of gathered Masters, one person stands out like a sore thumb.



Leo's here!

...uh, Leo, I think you have something showing.



I believe that I remarked that we would meet again.

It's Leo. The force of his presence overwhelms his seemingly innocent appearance. Before, it felt like he was a wolf let loose in the chicken coop. Now, I feel out of place. And he isn't alone. Behind him stands a shadowy figure radiating the same aura of strength. The figure is clad in armor and armed with a sword. His aura marks him...as a Servant!



Leo, you fucking what?

Gawain. Introduce yourself.



As the armored figure nods in greeting, an enigmatic smile forms on his lips. He is the exemplar of knighthood and, though a Servant, has the same bearing as his Master. ...Sir Gawain, one of the Knights of the Round Table mentioned in the Legends of King Arthur. It's said that his prowess rivaled King Arthur's and his holy sword was equal in power to Excalibur— It's obvious that he is a Saber-class Servant. It won't be too hard to learn more about him. Maybe I'll discover a weakness of his. I'm sure Leo is aware of how much information he's given me, but he seems unconcerned. It's obvious that he chooses not to concern himself with such things as subtlety or tactics. For him, if something is destined to be revealed, so be it. From his point of view, his victory is all but assured; his superiority over others reinforced every day since he was born—

Sir Gawain is a big fucking name to pull. In Stay Night, Rin felt that summoning King Arthur was pretty much an auto-win for the Holy Grail War, and Gawain is just a step or two below that. That we're on the other end of this means we're in for a very, very bad time when we end up facing each other, even with his true name known from the word go.



Leo isn't a final hurdle, he's a god damn final mountain.



As an extra kick in the pants, Sabers tend to have sky high Magic Resistance, which leaves us at an even bigger disadvantage with Caster.



With that murmured comment, the murderous glare Rin shot at Leo was almost palpable.

And on top of all that, Rin has some form of beef with Leo.



But still, to risk him... Oh well, what was borrowed on Earth will be repaid in Heaven... Things just got more interesting, although my powers as a Wizard are far superior to his!

I get the feeling that Leo has little concern for those like us. Without so much as saying hi, the now fired-up Rin Tohsaka almost seems to stomp away. I should spend some time looking into Gawain's background. I'll head to the library later.



Music: School IV


Shinji's smiling from ear to ear. Did something good happen?

~

Are you prepared for your fight with Shinji? I'm not ready at all... Argh, this is so hard I want to give up already!

~

If you don't have any information on your opponent, it's almost impossible to land an attack. The enemy Servant may be a Heroic Spirit, but you still need to discover who they are.



I don't know what's going on. If you want to find out, go check out the Library.

...he stole the books about his Servant, didn't he?

Music: Down to Dawn


But before that, Caster has something she wants to say!

Every week will have one of these marked chats with your Servant. They'll be more involved than the usual ones, and are sometimes required to unlock their Info Matrix.



After exploring the academy grounds, we return to the private room assigned to us. Even though this room is probably the only safe area in this place, I can't bring myself to relax. This bloodbath known as the Holy Grail War. Me being recognized as a Wizard despite my amnesia. And being given a Servant who is capricious at best.

*Sigh* By the look on your face, I think it's safe to assume that you're not thinking about me at all...

What do I do now? If Rin Tohsaka is right, the only way to leave this place is to win the Grail. But I'm not nearly strong enough to do that. The only way to survive, to not die, is to take down opposing Masters one by one until only I—

Oh, for the love of—! Turn that frown upside down and look this way! And if I were you, I wouldn't start worrying so much until you REALLY start getting your hands dirty!

The voice coming from beside me snaps me out of my black study. On a platform made from several desks sits my Servant in an uncharacteristically demure manner.

Okay, moping time is over! You're pretty weak right now so it's not a good idea to fret over just one thing. The silver lining of an evil curse; An elder courtesan bought at auction; There is always hope in despair!

...With that said, you shouldn't burden yourself. It can be painful to worry alone, Master.

Funny, but Caster doesn't seem annoyed at her pitiful Master. Rather, she's trying to cheer up someone she sees as a rather depressed noble. While I truly appreciate her attempts at cheering me up, her metaphors definitely need some work.

We are a princess, after all.

*Giggle* It's about time I got a chuckle out of you.



I have to credit Caster's smile with easing my considerable stress. Also, her suggestion of more detailed introductions is a pretty good idea. When I made the choice to have Caster as my Servant, there wasn't a whole lot of time to get acquainted.

Okay, I'll go first. Of course, due to various rules and T Regulations, I can't tell you my true name, but it resembles that of a fox-eared maiden with an ancient and honorable origin, which surprises even me! ...But please do not hesitate to address me as Caster, okay? Ah, but "honey" would be so much nicer, don't you think? Eek! Did I Just say that out loud?!

Caster's clearly Japanese, and there can't be that many fox-eared girls in Japanese legends.

...Was that last part supposed to be a joke? It didn't really sound like one. I wonder: Is Caster really this ditzy, or is it just a facade? Either way, I need to stay on my toes. But disregarding all of that for the moment—



You don't get that second option as a guy, naturally.

What do you mean by "T Regulations?"

What are "T Regulations?"



U-Um... How do I put this without... Well, T Regulations allow- I-I mean, they allow you to perform certain kinds of naughty acts with— I see what you're trying to do, but I have more self-control than that! And anyway, haven't you ever heard the saying "A gentleman never asks and a lady never tells?"

On no, she's aware of the ESRB.

While her enigmatic smile gives away nothing, the fact her ears are totally stiff seems to be a subtle warning to drop the subject. In the face of Caster's ominous silence, a slight nod of agreement is the only answer I dare give.

Caster has been nothing but helpful to us since this whole thing started, but she had a few moments where she can be kinda scary. Who the hell could she be?

Ah, it's nice to see that my Master is so incredibly perceptive.

...Well, if you follow T Regulations, certain lascivious imagery and language is allowed, even encouraged,



And if you go further beyond, you get Fate/Stay Night!

~

I am a girl, you know.

Oh, "honey," you do remember that I am but an innocent girl.

Oh, I know! Please, don't think badly of me or see me as a rival! Though unworthy I may be, I will serve you with all my heart and soul in any way you choose! In that...and in many other things...gender has no influence on my dedication to my duty!

Her voice rises to extraordinary levels, as if to emphasize her last statement. Servants are theoretically superior to humans, being Heroic Spirits and all, so I guess the differences between genders mean very little to them—

To be honest, it is somewhat easier to have a male as a Master.

But! If the idea of doing certain... things...bothers you, I'll make everything better with my magic!



W-what are you implying here, Caster?

...Cruise through the Caribbean? Try clinging to the aft railing of the Titanic... For the sake of my fragile sanity, I should stop thinking too hard on what she just said.

Holy shit, Caster may have had a point about those T Regulations.

It's your turn now, Master! Even if your memory is muddled, I'm sure there's something you can share!

While I'd love to tell her something about me, I cannot recall a single thing about my past. All I know for sure is my name and that I am a student. Memories of my family, my friends, even my dreams for the future, are all clouded over.

Ah...! I I'm so sorry I brought it up! D-Don't worry about it, Master! I'm not worried that you don't have any memories now! I know that you'll get them back eventually! But there's no guarantee that when your memories come back that they'll be good memories. Actually, I have the feeling that it'd be better if you never get them back—

...I 'm probably imagining it, but Caster sounded slightly dejected just now. It's almost as if I somehow unintentionally blew off her attempts at encouragement...

I understand now. Let's leave discussions about the past for the future! In both love and war, you need a superior attitude and a superior state of mind! Oh yeah! We'd better get going! While I'd love to keep talking, the time for my Master's first battle has arrived! ...We need to keep our break times to a minimum and focus on preparing for the Elimination Battle.



Caster gives me a mischievous grin. ...It's not like it affected me or anything, but I do feel better now. Right now, I need to focus on surviving because if I die, Caster will be forced to share my fate. I'd never forgive myself if I let that happen to her, especially after all she's tried to do for me.



Music: School IV


Rin is by the 2F stairs.

You will never catch even a glimpse of victory if you insist on always running away. However, facing a foe you know nothing about is lunacy. In this war, information is everything. To defeat your opponent, learn all you can about them. Their class, skills, even their history...

The more info you have, the easier it will be to create a plan and predict your opponent's actions. For now, why don't you go to the library? There's a treasure trove of information there.



Why are you telling me this?

No reason, really. I just have a feeling that you'll somehow come out on top. Matou is an idiot, but he has won before. It'll make things easier if he gets defeated early on.

Well, we've moved up from 'too soft and will almost certainly die,' at least.

~

Thank you.

I know how hard it is for you to show gratitude. That, and I could be just using you, right?

Anyway, do your best.

I might learn a few things about Shinji's and Leo's Servants. I should probably listen to her advice and go poke around the library.



~

Matou is such a hack. A little bit of flattery will get him to spill his guts.



*Chuckle* I got it, I got it!

~

By the way, I saw Shinji walk off with some book. Can you believe he actually reads? I think it was... a book about pirates?

Holy shit he actually did.



One of the major knights mentioned in the Arthurian cycle and often thought to be King Arthur's nephew. Egual in skill to Lancelot, he served as an adviser to Arthur. He was at odds with Lancelot due to his slaying of both of Gawain's brothers. Due to his overwhelming nobility and youthful impetuousness, he placed his family ties above all else. It was Sir Gawain's hatred of Lancelot that eventually led to his and Arthur's eventual downfall. It was in the Battle of Camlann that Sir Gawain fell, slain by Sir Lancelot.

~

When you'd like to exit the Arena, either use a Return Crystal, or go back to the entrance. Be advised that your day will end upon return from the Arena.



Leo is relaxing in the library.

Your first opponent is Shinji Matou, I believe. Be cautious around him, as I hear his Servant is powerful. Oh, it seems you don't fully accept that our previous school life was but a convenient farce. ...Let's see. Since fate has made us companions, perhaps I should explain things to you. Shall I?



I'll never say no to more lore!

Yes please, Leo.

Let's get started. Do you know what a Reality Marble is? It's a thaumaturgical technique whereby one space is transformed into a completely different space. Some Servants are able to generate a Reality Marble. As it takes a great deal of energy to sustain a Reality Marble, most last only a few minutes. The school that housed the prelims happened to be a Reality Marble generated by the Holy Grail. Besides the school as it appeared in the prelims, the current school, the Arena, and the Coliseum... All are individual Reality Marbles created by the incredible magic of the Holy Grail. To give you an idea of just how powerful the Holy Grail is... Even the most advanced supercomputer couldn't sustain one Reality Marble this length of time. All the participants in the Holy Grail War had their memories wiped out upon entering. Then, the Holy Grail's Reality Marble gave all the participants school personas to inhabit. Masters had a time limit of four days to realize that they had been tricked into playing a role. Potential Masters had to pass that basic test to enter into the Holy Grail War. *Chuckle* Although Tohsaka seemed to shake off her yoke very guickly. By the way, Ms. Fujimura and Issei Ryuudou aren't Masters. They're NPCs with specific roles. The Masters who did not break free of the fantasy were dealt death. Tragic, but the Holy Grail War itself is a lengthy process of culling the weak. A word of advice. Learn all you can. I assure you the information will benefit you greatly later on.

Maybe not that much lore.

Realty Marbles are a known thing in Fate, the most famous example being Archer's Unlimited Blade Works, but that bit about supercomputers is interesting. If the most advanced supercomputer can barely handle one, what system are we on that can contain a Holy Grail and run multiple Marbles for weeks on end?



Shinji is also here to laugh at us.

Oh, who am I kidding?! Ha ha, I'm just messing with you. The library is the best place to find info. I know all about you, so I expect you to go all out against me. But enough about me. It looks like you're having a hell of a time finding the book you want. Unfortunately for you, I've thoughtfully taken every book about my Servant and hid them! I thought you'd have more fun this way. I hid everything somewhere in the Arena. I wonder if a weaksauce Master like you will be able to find them. By the way, what does your Servant want in return for helping you? Money, right? I knew it!

See, there's just one small flaw in Shinji's plan.



Whelp, see you around. Good luck. I hope you'll put up a little more of a fight the next time we meet in the Arena. You're starting to bore me!

Before, we had at eight options on which person tied to the Invincible Armada is our man.

Shinji stole all books related to his Servant.

That means just finding the books knocks us down to one option.

And since Shinji is nowhere near clever enough to steal all books linked to the Armada, we could also just see what names are conspicuously missing, but that's a bit too roundabout for this game.







~

You already have a cipher key... excellent. You'll soon get the other one at this rate. The second floor is where you'll find the Secondary Trigger. Head to the Arena. You should be able to go to a new floor. I've said my piece. Oh, I almost forgot to ask. Have you set foot in the chapel yet? The system's jurisdiction doesn't penetrate that far, but...you can strengthen your Servant there. Well, I've said my piece. Go and slaughter to your heart's content.

Strengthen my Servant?



Oh yes.



Ooooooooooooooh yes.

Music: School III


There's no one in the pews. As I get used to the dim light, a flash of colors hurts my eyes. Those two women, they don't act like sisters. And why are they here anyway?



Oh fuck.

Next time: Water, oil, and power.