Part 36: Update XXXIII - The fourth Master

Update XXXIII - The fourth Master

Music: None










I've even taken the life of a child. Master or not, Alice was just a young girl. I wonder if I deserve to be alive. And what is my reason for continuing on? Shinji was determined to survive until the end, even as he screamed in panic that he didn't want to die. Though Dan was true of heart, he died still believing that every battle had true meaning. And Alice...who was just lonely. A lost little child who only wanted someone to play with. The one who overcame them all and took their lives in the process was me. Using my Servant as a weapon. I wonder if my purpose is enough to compensate for taking their lives. My purpose... —To avoid death. And as for what Dan said. That he wanted me to find some meaning in my battles. Could I really find something like that inside myself when I don't even know who, or what, I am?



Hakuno's been putting this off to survive, but now that she's found her footing in the Holy Grail War she just can't keep mindlessly pushing onward. She'll either find an actual reason to fight, or crumple under her guilt.

Music: School I (The school music has been replaced!)


Like always, the school is deserted until we get our next opponent.



So let's go find out who we're dealing with this week.





While I ponder what to make of the name...

Music: Duel of Fate




Oh god he's a giant.

The deep, steely voice came from behind me.



Are you a pilgrim without a mecca to strive for? Beholden neither to greed nor noble intentions?

I'm approached by a man built like a mountain. He radiates confidence and his eyes glisten with fanatical assurance, though I'm not sure what about.



His voice clips use 'kisama,' to give an idea of what kind of guy he is.

I am a warrior of my god, which is the noblest calling one may have in this fleeting world. The world shall know redemption once I have placed my god upon the throne of this world. Can you sense it? The ferocious power flowing out of me, shielding me from the carnage! *Chuckle* Oh, but this power is not mine, my friend. I am but a vessel for the omnipotence of god!

Gatou can be best described as...



What if you took several religions, threw them in a blender, and hit purée?



Not Hariti, nor even the Comma Johanneum, could not birth a Sukhavati of this magnitude. Is it acceptable for this god, so rich with power, to have but one lowly follower?

I feel sorry for whatever translator had to deal with this.



All humanity deserves to reach Eden! Do you not agree?!



...I have absolutely no idea what he's talking about. One thing is clear. This man named Gatou has conviction and passion. ...In suffocating quantities.



Music: School I




Oh yeah, I bet you forgot about the person that you accidentally rescued! You should go tease her a little.

Listening to Caster talk reminds me of something. The one I saved using my Command Seal to disrupt her Elimination Battle should be in the nurse's office now. —I wonder if she's all right. It might be a selfish thought on my part, but I wonder if going to see her will change anything. I should probably go to the nurse's office later and visit her.

Note the intentionally vague dialogue: "Person you accidentally rescued," "the one I saved." As the game now has to deal with two versions of every week, it likes to use generic scenes to save on work. When we loop back for Rin's version of Week 4, we'll get the exact same scene here.



Gatou's Info Matrix has opened up.



Our friend is gone...



The hallway is empty...



What we'll be facing in the Arena will be more challenging than ever, but we'll get through it together! ♥



You're a weirdo magnet, huh?



You look pretty laid back. Did you consider how risky it was to save a Master like her? Jeez... That was uncalled for.

The other two people are gone...



Entering the library kicks off a cutscene.

—Suddenly, my eyes stop on a book. The spine is white and textless. I feel...drawn to it. I pull the book out and open it. Inside is the following—



Hey, you know how we haven't gotten all that much background lore, despite being about halfway through the game?

Time to remedy that.



So yeah, the very first thing we learn is that the Moon Cell is an alien supercomputer.



Leo steps in.



—At some point, Leo and his Servant had walked up to me.



Don't mind me. Enjoy the read.

-Leo's sudden appearance made me nervous, but I want to learn more about the Holy Grail.



No wonder a man-made system can't replicate the SE.RA.PH. Compared to recording every scrap of life on Earth, the Holy Grail War with its countless layered Reality Marbles might as well be as simple as running a calculator on your phone.

Eons of life on Earth...recorded? That's... extraordinary. So extraordinary that I can barely process it...



We Harways even know the material that composes the Holy Grail. Come back here if you're interested.



Leo and his Servant leave. What's inside this book is just the tip of the iceberg? If that's the case, then what does he know?



Alice, Sir Blackmore, and Shinji Matou were all considered to be top contenders. You're blessed with incredible fortune, Hakuno. May victory continue to be yours.

Library guy is gone...



We've reached the midpoint of the Holy Grail War. That doesn't mean you can afford to coast, though. May the Holy Grail continue to illuminate your path.

Despite Leo's words, he's gone for the day. We'll have to wait a bit before we pump him for info.



...Hmm. As she has lost her Servant, I guess she will be given special dispensation... However, should she intervene in any battle from here on out... her existence will be immediately terminated by the Holy Grail. Please tell her to be careful.

With Rani in the nurse's office, Issei is now the only person on 3F.

Also interesting how, despite breaking many rules to pull it off, the system is just allowing Rani to live. Doubly so considering losing your Servant normally kills you instantly.

I guess the Moon Cell is just lazy, and since Rani dodged deletion in the Arena, it can't be bothered to do it again. Alien supercomputers don't like extra work, who knew?



...You're not shacking up...? Haha, I see your game. Playing the chivalrous hero, are we?

Of course this asshole survived.



Playing the hero is all well and good, except for the part where she's your enemy!



Foodie is gone...



I will redouble my efforts as commissary manager to ensure you have everything you need to win. New Mystic Codes have been trickling in, so be on the lookout for new items.



No new items this week.



But we do have two new Mystic Codes.

The Seraphic Music Box gives us regen, but more importantly, it gives a massive 70 point boost to our Master MP, the highest boost to date.



While the Protection Charm gives a slightly smaller boost and gives a Defense buff cast.



Man, was I wrong about you... You might just be a memory, but you're still a Wizard, it seems.

The girlfriend is gone...



Touko's generic text has changed.



But helping an enemy is a pretty frivolous thing to do. I wonder what your opponent thinks...



The thirsty girl is gone...

...actually only half a , her constant lusting over her Servant really creeped me out.



It was that buff old guy. He was just staring off into space and mumbling about some weird god... I mean, is that guy really a Master like the rest of us?

Music: School III


I try to greet her, but she doesn't even look my way. Then, suddenly, Rani's mouth opens. Her wide eyes remain unfocused, and her body doesn't move, but small, monotone words escape from her lips.



Rani repeats herself, staring at the ceiling. Why... Why did you save me? Because your brain was about to be destroyed. Because you were going to die. You were killing each other, and I was about to watch someone die. Anyone would've stepped in. At least, -I- had to. I might not have memories, but it felt like my past self was urging me on.

...



Without the last parallax artifact created by the Atlas Institute... I no longer have purpose.

Looks like Hakuno isn't the only one having an existential crisis this week.

Rani speaks without inflection. The parallax artifact must be that heart—or whatever—that she tried to drive critical. No, if it was really her heart, she'd be dead. She's always been emotionless, but how despondent she is right now really takes the cake.



My words just die. I come here to stop worrying, and her question drives a stick into the bee's nest of my emotions. After I am unable to answer for several long, tense moments, Rani mutters my name.



She keeps talking, as if drawing slowly closer to a conclusion.



In other words, I no longer have any reason to exist.

Rani then falls silent. She simply stares blankly at the ceiling, as if refusing further contact. Did I save her life in order to discover my own raison d'etre? She had a motive to risk her life for the Holy Grail. With my intervention, I managed to waltz in and cripple that motive. Suddenly, I'm startled out of my silent contemplation by a beeping from my computer terminal.



I think it would be good to follow the prompt from my terminal, and leave this place.

Music: School I


We may have crippled Rani's entire reason to live, but look on the bright side!



I don't have any medicines for you today, but I've made you a lunch. I hope you like it...



Sakura is right here, so I can get my weekly supplies before I leave!



Sakura has stopped giving out generic items, and is now handing out handmade lunches to all the Masters. Her first set, the Special Lunch, sounds like a combined Ether Fragment and Remedy, but is actually even better! There are a few status effects a Remedy can't clear, but Sakura's Lunch will heal all of them.

Music: Duel of Fate


After talking to Rani, 1F gets a new cutscene.



That bit of seemingly heart-felt abuse could only come from one person...



It looks like you somehow managed to erect a barrier, even as you play dumb for Julius.



You'd better have a convincing answer, or your trips to the Arena will become a nightmare.

Rin's gaze becomes sharp enough to cut glass. I somehow know that the wrong answer will be fatal. However, that realization makes it easier to answer, as I have nothing to lose at this point. To find out what exactly I am. Several people have asked me the same thing, and their curiosity is tinged with suspicion and unease. Am I really so different from the other Masters...? Rin's expression quickly changes from one of hostility to one of unease in the blink of an eye.



...Fine. Just...take this and go to the Arena now.

As she's speaking, Rin hands me something. ...A jeweled pendant? Why would she give me...?



Anomaly...? What could that possibly...?



Think of them as flaws in the firewall. Normally secure data will sometimes be leaked through them.



That gem has been banned as a Mystic Code. It'll let you access any distortions you find. Distortions contain various kinds of information. You might learn something to allay your worries. It's a simple process, really. Just track down a distortion and the pendant will do the rest. If my theory is correct, you should be able to learn more about yourself. I'm sure of it.

Interestingly, the pendant isn't actually an item. It'll never show up in your inventory.

A clue about my identity? The opportunity to learn about myself would be worth any cost. I gratefully accept her gift, ignoring the potential for danger. If I can find any clue about myself, the reward will outweigh the risks. For the time being, I need to thank her.



We'll see each other again... If your luck manages to hold, that is...



...So I just need to take this with me into the Arena and find those shining areas. To charge this item and find clues about myself, I'll hunt down the Arena's magic hotspots.

Music: School I




Time to see if Rin's info is on the mark.

Next time: We meet his god.