Part 37: Update XXXIV - The blond girl and how it began

Update XXXIV - The blond girl and how it began

Music: Fourth Chimeric Lunar Sea - First Floor (The dungeon music changed too!)












We should avoid contact with them until we know more than that we're facing one nasty Servant!

In other words, we're almost certainly finding them today.



Another week means a new set of palette swaps.

Music: Battle - Fourth Chimeric Lunar Sea (You guessed it, new battle music!)


Remember that jamming song from the prologue?



That's our standard battle music for the rest of the game.



This new version of a Viper is called an Agitator.



Extra combat happens, there isn't much else to say. I just wanted an excuse to link the battle music.

Music: Fourth Chimeric Lunar Sea - First Floor


The name of the game today is forked paths.



I choose to go left first.



The new cube is a Moondust, and throws in an new annoyance.



This is the pattern list for the Agitator.



And this is the pattern list for a Moondust.

Starting now, some enemies will have an utterly massive list of moves they can use, which makes the early fights where you only have one or two moves revealed an utter pain in the ass.

For comparison, this standard enemy has as many possible turns as Drake, an actual boss. This will get worse as the game progresses.



Anyways, the path goes up.



There's another fork in the road, with one leading to loot.





This path keeps going forward, but you can see the room the other path leads to. I'll map it out later.



At the far end of the level is a three way path, with the south path leading to a healing fountain.



It also holds the distortion Rin told us to find.





Approach

Music: Stops


We immediately get a huge burst of static.

—! When I approach the light, a splitting headache tears through my brain. But, it leaves as soon as it comes. Now that I've come in contact with the residual magic, can Rin find something out about me...? All right, now that I've done what I set out to do in the Arena, I guess I should leave—

Music: Breach


Uhh, why does that Servant look familiar?

That grating voice— It must be Gatou. Damn, we're in the Arena... His Servant is right there. Does he want to go at it right now—?





Oh fuck.

Oh fuck.



There's no point in hiding her name, because she isn't a historical character in the first place.

That's Arcueid Brunestud, one of the main heroines of Tsukihime, and way out of our fucking league.

She also completely ruins the central mechanic of puzzling out your opponent's name for the sake of fanservice. The game fed you enough clues that you could figure out Drake and Robin ahead of time, and even if you couldn't guess Rhyme's deal, you could still tell that she had a link to children's stories as a whole.

Figuring Arc's name out on your own, however, boils down to a single question. Are you at least vaguely familiar with Tsukihime or Melty Blood? Congratulations, you already know her name! If not, you flat out cannot guess who she is until Hakuno is allowed to figure it out herself on Day 7.

That's my least favorite class to deal with...but I'll do my best!



Strike while the iron's hot!

Huuhhh... You would interrupt my sacred training time with my divine lord?! How dare you, infidel! Then you need a demonstration! Of my god's power...a power that commands three thousand worlds!



Her being summoned as a Berserker is, quite literally, the only reason we don't instantly die. Arc is already so strong that the boost from Mad Enhancement is insignificant in comparison, but losing her ability to do anything beyond ripping and tearing locks out all her nastier tricks.

Wh-What in the heck is—?! This sensation... It can't be...

Music: Duel - Unauthorized Battle






I have no info, and her health is hidden.



As some extra salt in the wound, she deals even more damage than Rani's Servant.

Take a guess how this goes.



Go on, guess.





What is happening is only natural! For none can stand against my god! Gaze upon the power of my bride! Mine eyes are only capable of seeing victory! My ultimate goal is no less than the Basilica of St. Peter! Hmph. Please cease your futile struggling and grovel low upon the ground.







Music: Breach


Observe them.

One of these days Hakuno can stop killing themselves in incredibly stupid ways.

Today is not that day.



...? What's going on? She's not coming at us...

Is something the matter, my god?

...

Aha, you've decided to consecrate this place as a training ground. Then, I will walk whatever path of needles you chose; endure the whips of any hellish demons for you! I revel in the self-flagellation that you allow me to suffer on these grounds! You heard me, child! There's no time for us to play today. You have my permission to excuse yourself.

Why do we always get the crazy ones? Why can't we get more Masters like Dan? Dan was cool.

...It looks like our lives have been spared by some form of divine will?



I wouldn't mind fighting right now! But, I have a bad feeling about it.

If Caster wants to retreat, then I better follow her advice. Retreat for now, and when we know more about them, then we can engage.

Music: Fourth Chimeric Lunar Sea - First Floor


Much like last week, the Trigger is blocked off on Day 1.



Why don't we let them go? Once we learn their weaknesses, we'll cook their goose!

You also can't get yourself killed after the scene.

Here's hoping I don't have to find a weapon to weaken her like with the Jabberwock. God knows how difficult it would be to find Shiki here.



While the Trigger is blocked off, I can still map out the rest of the floor.



I gain a level heading down the other pathway.



The first floor forms a large loop, this path leads back to the other side of the fork at the start.



Also, loot.



We're already by the first fork.



And with that, the loop is complete.



I double back to map this out. I bet this is where Taiga's item will spawn in.



There's nothing else we can do here today, so I pop an Escape Crystal.



Music: School III


It won't...go kablooie all of a sudden, or leak information about us, will it? What a great plan, Master, to go along with what the enemy wants! Wait... Well, let's ask that girl about distortion stuff.



The only chests I know are missing are the Trigger and Taiga's request, so there must be a hidden path somewhere.



Arc now shows up in Gatou's Info Matrix.



Music: None


Been a while since we had one of these.

It feels like I'm watching one of the countless videos scattered across the internet. It is a scene I have witnessed before while sleeping in the aftermath of the Grail War prelims. It might be a scene from a past I cannot recall. It's as if it was imprinted upon my genes, stored away as an unknown trauma erased from my memories.



Why? Why? Why? Why do I yearn for something I despise? Why do I lament over which I love? In the midst of chaos, I watch as countless people die in misery. Why does - - move toward this scene? Is there an answer for this insanity? And if there isn't one, I will need to create one through my own strength of will. I have no need for memories. I don't even really need a past. All I need to do is keep fighting. I hear a distant voice asking me to wake up.



...That dream just now. I can't attach a memory or event to it, but I'm sure it was a dream of my past. Of that fact I have no doubt. It's driving me insane that no matter how hard I try, I can't recall anything about my past. As I can't do anything about it, I should just let it go for now... or until I remember something.



Music: School I


But it's more important to think about that item you received, and the magic burst that happened.

...Right. I'll find out what that means. Rin's probably in her usual spot. I'll stop worrying about Rani long enough to ask about my headache.



But before that, we met the conditions for another optional chat.

How can I put this nicely? Your battle instincts are...lacking. To be blunt, I take way too much damage. I can take a certain amount of abuse, but it's still really scary. So please, do try to be more careful.

This one unlocks after Caster takes a total of 10,000 damage.



Figuring out her Servant should be easy if I see her in action. I'll formulate a plan in my room.

The girl is fine.



Some are stuck with incompetent Masters, some are quite unusual. That one by the entrance is wow.



Time.

For.



Lore.

The discovery of the Holy Grail.



That relic from a time long past, what we call the Holy Grail, is the Moon Cell. However, when discovered, mankind lacked the knowledge to truly comprehend its purpose. ...And to be honest, I despair that mankind will never be able to truly understand the reason why it exists. The technology used to create the Moon Cell is far beyond the strangest imaginings of mankind. And although we may never come to understand what it is, we do know what it's doing.



Every existence, all forms of life. Histories, ideologies...even lives have been recorded and stored. Containing the whole of Earth's history, the Moon Cell can be seen as the world's blueprint. Some believe it to be the Holy Grail of the Seven Heavens, a relic that holds the answers to every question.

~

The construction of the Holy Grail.



...It was obvious that it'd be possible for us to replicate its function as a recorder of all. The first ones to discover this fact was the shadowy void known as the Atlas Institute. Not long after, the Harway family and the group Rin Tohsaka represents also became aware of this fact. The Holy Grail was made using a giant photonic crystal, the likes of which is beyond human technology. Photonic crystal is a mineral that can store light and is used in the manufacture of nanomachines. Its processing speed and near infinite storage capacity far exceeds all other technologies.



To give an idea of just how outclassed humanity is in this, even after knowing about the Moon Cell for around a century.

The Atlas Institute has been slightly more successful, but only by a very marginal percentage. However, the core of the Moon Cell ...the Holy Grail if you will...is a much larger photonic crystal. The crystal in the Holy Grail is about 3000 kilometers in length and uses light as its storage medium. All of its high-level data control systems utilize light as well to transmit data and system commands. In short it is so complex that, as far as humanity is concerned, it might as well be the mind of a god.

~

The location of the Holy Grail.

And once the Holy Grail's location was revealed, everyone tried to claim it as their own. However, those of us from the western plutocracy immediately put a stop to their machinations... If the Holy Grail were to fall into any hands other than the Harway's, the chaos would be devastating.



Pricks.



Turns out, the naming scheme here isn't some random JRPG thing!



In Fate/Extra, the moon is an alien supercomputer.

The entire damn thing.

Just floating up there in the sky.

For the entire life of the Earth.

~

Details about the Holy Grail War.

Once the western plutocracy learned this, we actively prevented the further exploration of space. However, there was one thing we could not stop. The intrusions of those known as Spiritron Hackers.



It seems that humans were always able to access it through their spirits...souls if you will. My guess is that the human soul is the one thing the Moon Cell can't observe passively. While the Holy Grail can observe any tangible phenomenon, the metaphysical seems to be beyond its capabilities.



This is probably why the Moon Cell let Rani live, actually. If it wants to learn about souls, it now gets to observe Hakuno breaking every rule of the Holy Grail War to save a single life and watch Rani try to figure out what to do now that her life's purpose has been ruined.

...That is how only those known as Wizards have been able to access the Moon Cell. And many do so without the sanction or guidance of the Harway family. This world was made by the Moon Cell in order to interact with the spirits of the Wizards who enter its system. Its official name is the Serial Phantasm, but it more commonly known as the SE.RA.PH. The Holy Grail War is a melee for Wizards who have come for the Holy Grail. Its ultimate purpose is to— In short, it is a way to determine who is to have control of the Artifact, the Moon Cell Automaton.

While this is the first time we've heard of the Moon Cell Automaton, we've seen its mark.



Those nine cubes in a grid is the Automaton's symbol.

~

Nothing in particular.

Is that so? I shall remain here a while longer, so if you do think of any questions, please come back here.



That was a whole heap of lore, but I'm sure Rin and Rani can wait a bit longer.

Next time: Rin acts like a proper magus, for the first time in her life.