Fate/EXTRA Part #3 - Update III

Part 3: Update III - Unnatural mark

Update III - Unnatural mark

Music: School II

Last time, the new transfer student made our kokoro go dokidoki.

It seems like more and more people are staying home. Could that slasher rumor be true...?

~

Hey! The Editor in Chief of the Journalism Club was calling a general meeting. You'd better go.

Leo is at the end of the hallway. Let's see if we can get senpai to notice us.

Music: Duel of Fate

To summarize, about thirty percent of the participants have overcome the computer's brainwashing. These individuals now remember who they are. They're all class A magi. One girl in particular made guick work of the brainwashing. You might say she's a natural, and therefore more adept than Wizards who have been more sheltered. Unlike those domesticated sheep, she's a wild mouflon. Stronger, rarer, wilder. She couldn't even bear to put on the school uniform the other sheep mindlessly wear. As novel as that girl's wildness is, wild things end up in cages. Still, keep your distance and your guard up.

'Magi' is a known term from Stay Night, the catch-all for people who use magecraft (but not capital-M Magic, those who use Magic are called Magicians), but 'Wizard' is an entirely new term.

The voice coming from in front of the Supply Room is none other than that of a teacher... Kuzuki. He was speaking politely, almost reverently. -However.

This Rin Tohsaka. The Harways in Asia have voiced some concerns regarding her. She is the daughter of a noble family, which makes her unruly behavior even more unbecoming.

The voice that chimes in to join Kuzuki's is none other than the transfer student, Leo's. Unlike in class, his voice held a childlike temerity. It seemed like Kuzuki's words bothered him.

...I simply just... She is a failure, like the other dropouts, and so... She's below your concern—

There's nothing in the world that doesn't concern me, teacher. More importantly, I wonder what a domesticated being like me can learn from her wild bravery.

There is nothing, because you are already perfect. Anything you lack is something the world itself lacks.

It was a joke. It's been a while since I've been scolded. I think I enjoy it, coming from you. In any case, I'll heed your warning about her. So, are there any other important happenings?

It's worth noting the assassin sent by those alchemists. I have yet to confirm anything, but no doubt they're lurking about.

...Ah. I don't believe I've ever seen how an alchemist fights. Their charms, or their symbols, rather, are quite unusual. We have the opportunity now. Aren't you curious, teacher?

Wait until I have checked about this assassin first. Those are the only ones to watch out for. However, there are others with excellent abilities.

Huh. I don't see the rush. I think there's much to be learned from observing this school. I'd like to take my time and enjoy, for instance, the beauty of things like the garden. They seem to employ quite the skilled gardener. You should see the garden, too, Mr. Kuzuki. No— Brother.

Aaaaand the pretty noble boy is the brother of that assassin teacher. Lovely.

I will respectfully decline. ...That ends my report.

I see. Too bad.

Then, if you need anything else...

It'll be best if we have as little contact with each other as we can. It is unusual for a teacher and a student to meet like this.

I understand. Be careful.

Yes. You, too, Brother.

Music: School II

Both of them have completely vanished.

There's been a number of murders in the area recently. Scary...

The girl in red disappeared right before your eyes? Tell the Editor in Chief all the juicy deets.

~

Good work on the investigation. Report to the Editor in Chief.

What? "Little Red Rooftop" vanished before your eyes? If she disappeared, there's isn't anything we can do about that.

Music: Stops

I thought she'd say something like "Hey, don't scare me like that!" Actually, the problematic part is how nonchalant she is that a person disappeared.

Your next story will be... "Mystery of the Courtyard Chapel"!

The Editor in Chief keeps talking like nothing happened. She's already on to the next thing. Should I...say something?

Music: School II

It seems the chapel has been here longer than the school. This is just rumor, but they say that it's haunted and magic rites are performed there. I'm sending you to investigate. The entrance to the courtyard is on the end of the right side of the first floor hallway.

Actual supernatural stuff goes on, and she shrugs it off like it was smoke and mirrors. Might as well go check out the Chapel.

Investigate the chapel. Enter the courtyard at the end of the right side of the first floor hallway.

~

The Editor in Chief doesn't seem like herself today. What the heck? I feel queasy...

~

So, you are going to investigate the the chapel in the garden next. It's very pretty out there, with all the flowers.

Mr. Kuzuki! On top of rumors that he's part of a suspicious organization, this is too weird! Could he be the one behind the recent disappearance of so many students? Who can say...?] ...Kuzuki? No, Tiger was at the Archery Range. That's what I reported that to the Editor in Chief, anyway. And if that's the case...what the heck is—

And the Editor is blatantly rewriting our work, what a jerk!

Leonardo Bistario Harway would be the distinguished son of the Harway plutocratic family. He's young, but soon he'll rule the world. So what is that Western European plutocrat doing here?

Excuse me???

3F has a guy with something important to say.

?! You scared the bejeezus outta me! What do you want? Actually, I'm glad you're here. The Editor in Chief asked me to investigate the Seven Wonders, but check this out...

One of Tsukumihara Academy's Seven Wonders is a female ghost who wanders the hallway! The ghost of a foreign girl wanders the third floor. If you respond to her, she'll suck out your soul!

Now that you know the details, go investigate it for me. Huh? You think I should just walk around the third floor and do it on my own? No way... I really can't handle paranormal stuff. If anyone can take on the case of the wandering ghost on the third floor, it's you. Good luck!

This is technically optional, heading to the Chapel will let us end the day like normal.

But we might as well do it anyways. The ghost is even polite enough to mark out their usual haunt!

Music: Duel of Fate

It feels like there is someone standing right behind me, staring at the back of my head. It has to be my imagination. I hear no footsteps, no sounds of breathing. I am alone here. And yet, the feeling that I am not alone persists. It must be a hallucination of some kind. What should I do? If it's my imagination playing tricks on me, then nothing should be there if I turn around and look. So, what should I do...?

Don't turn around.

I continue walking, refusing to look over my shoulder. Of course, nothing happens. Eventually the presence fades and the sense of being watched disappears. The whole episode was definitely just my imagination.

This just makes the scene end, but that's boring, so...

Turn around.

I turn around and...of course, no one is there—

A young girl was behind us. If you look closely, you can see doll joints on her arms.

Is what I want to say... However, standing there is what appears to be a young girl. The young girl's appearance is definitely at odds with the surrounding campus. With its mass of frills and hooped skirt, her dress is right out of the Victorian era. Combined with her porcelain-like skin, she looks just like a child's doll come to life. ...It's kind of a relief. But the point is, she doesn't seem like she's really alive.

I am like 95% sure the JP text here does that 'single kanji with double meanings' thing.

Suddenly, her figure begins to melt away. As she slowly fades into nothingness, the last things to disappear are her eyes.

Music: School II

School's haunted, case closed.

That's all for this detour, the Editor has nothing to say about this little ghost hunt.

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I've had a splitting headache ever since. What's up with that?

~

What do you want, second year? Could you possibly be... No, no way. Go home, kid. The area around this school hasn't been safe recently.

The roof has been locked up again, so we're back down to 1F.

I saw her there, too. She won so many stuffed animals it was like she was mustering an army.

You can see Shinji off in the distance.

Oh...it's you again. I don't have time to play like you obviously do. Go play "reporter" or whatever it is friendless little geeks like you do instead of having a life.

~

Go away. Is it interference of some kind? Naw, that's too obvious...

He's nameless for now, but this is Kirei Kotomine, the main antagonist in Stay Night. He's a sociopathic priest who spent a long time trying to figure out why he has no moral compass, only to decide to make the most of it and attempt to bring a major league god of evil into the world. He also likes mapo tofu.

Why he's hanging out at a high school is anyone's guess.

~

Hey, guess what? I saw the priest eating some super spicy food at a Chinese restaurant by my house!

See?

Lately, I've been getting these crushing headaches at school. It's starting to freak me out.

Alright, let's go see what's behind door number one.

Music: Stops

Oh Christ. :magical:

I-I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for all of this. Mr. Kuzuki probably just put them down for a nap or someth-

Bodies aren't supposed to do that.

—I suppose I'll test you out.

His thin lips hardly moved. But in the next instant—

Sound: Smack

We get a quick fade to black.

I'm bowled over, as if struck by an invisible force. Chaotic thoughts bury my brain like endless grains of sand. What happened? Can I move my limbs? Seriously, what was that? Kuzuki hasn't moved. No one else is nearby.

Sound: Heartbeat

His voice was a quiet hiss, but I could hear everything he said. This man with cold, inscrutable eyes raises his palm toward me...

Music: Duel of Fate

I'm uninjured, though my body aches from laying on the hard ground. The cold sweat that had covered me is gone, too... Only the piercing pain in my head remains. Maybe it was just a bad dream. I gulp air and attempt to stand.

...I'll give my report to the Editor in Chief tomorrow and just go home for today... *A day will pass if you leave campus.

Don't leave.

No— I should probably look around the campus a little more... If I want to leave, I should head out through the main gate.

Music: School II

Look, we were told to check out the chapel, and by god I am checking out that chapel.

Christ, even this place is cursed. Is nothing sacred here?

Let's go home, home isn't cursed.

Music: Comical Life

In this case, you substitute this for this, and divide everything by x. It's the same simple equation that you used earlier.

Whoa, you're right! Thank you, Leo!

Unlike someone else, he helps out his classmates without displaying an ounce of condescension. And that someone is directing a nasty scowl toward the new kid.

...Hmph. Whatever. It's no skin off my back. People who are ugly inside are ugly outside, too.

It seems that Shinji's gaggle of female admirers has migrated to Leo's desk. For once, Shinji's irritation is kind of understandable.

I'll give him this—the brat is a real charity worker, laying on the charm for those sows. He's desperate to appear smarter than me, but I'm the real smart one here. I see what he's doing. That dumb little kid doesn't know that I'm onto him—

Reacting to Shinji's voice, Leo glances this way. Leo's expression is inscrutable, but not hostile.

What do you want? You wanna go?

This is the other half of Shinji's character. When someone better than him does move to call him out, he immediately shuts down.

After a few false starts, Shinji finally manages to squeeze that out in a low voice. I don't know if Leo heard, but he gets out of his seat.

The recoil turns into a noticeable flinch, which Leo smiles kindly at in response. Unlike Shinji's, Leo's gestures are filled with dignity.

Shinji Matou, was it? I'll be careful not to upset you in the future.

:master:

His message firmly delivered, Leo returns to his seat. His soft voice bore no note of hostility or resentment. ...I know it's hard to believe, but maybe Leo wasn't upset.

I'm such a nice guy, I'll just accept his apology. Y-Yeah, it's not like he ever pissed me off.

After visually confirming that Leo is otherwise occupied, Shinji feigns calmness and leans back.

Sound: School bell ringing

Just like our homeroom teacher's daily dramatic entrance. And once again, the day begins.

During class, I thought I saw Leo smirk a little, but other than that nothing exciting occurred. Today is just another boring day in a long string of boring days—

Who here knows what amnesia is? It's a terrifying condition where an individual loses all of their memories! It's caused by brain damage, severe trauma, or even infections of one's mucus membranes. The section of the doctor's biography we just covered touches on this condition... The cure for such a scary condition was discovered by Dr. Pieceman. With that said, using amnesia as an excuse for forgetting your homework isn't going to fly! When I was young, a fair number of my classmates were unscrupulous enough to try this— And before you get any ideas, I'm still young! In fact, I'm putting that fact on the test!

It most commonly afflicts individuals of a more anime persuasion, and is typically cured with a dramatic plot moment.

And as per the norm, Tiger's lecture starts to peter out... Just as a collective "This again?" starts to rise from the students—

Static covers the screen for the rest of the scene. Again.

What is new is the fact that everyone other than Leo, Shinji, and ourselves have gone monochrome.

Without being acknowledged by the teacher, Leo suddenly rises to his feet. The tension in the classroom ratchets up immediately as all eyes focus on Leo. The young boy surveys the room with a mysterious smile, taking in everyone's startled glances.

Music: Duel of Fate

It is time for me to leave. We will probably never meet again, so I wish you all well.

... What...the...? My head...the pain...

Just your presence is enough to remind me of the beauty of youth. You're a remarkable person.

After what seemed to be a very slight bow, he immediately seems to disappear from the room.

A-All right, then... Let's continue. Please turn to page 86...

And accompanied by the sound of flipping pages, the lesson goes on as if nothing had happened.

Seriously, why did Shinji of all people have to dodge the Magic Pengel color drain?

If you have to use the john, be a little more discreet. And that "I have to leave" crap—!

Seriously, isn't he supposed to be some kind of aristocrat or princeling or something?

Of course, what just happened is impossible. A highly suspicious disappearance in the middle of class and the teacher doesn't seem to care. No one in class says anything and the class continues as if nothing strange has happened. It was the same dull, dreary scene as yesterday, and the day before... This can't be natural...

Music: Stops

Even out of that cutscene, the static is still running.

—Strange. This is definitely strange. ...It's as if the world tilted slightly and everything within it is losing its sense of presence. My head...feels like it's going to explode. The pain is making it hard to remember who I am... Wait. Come to think of it—

Music: Fear

What is my name? How old am I? Where do I live? How many people are in my family? What was my life like before I started attending this school? I can't...remember anything. My memory has been completely erased somehow. How, and why, did this happen—?! —That's right. The Editor in Chief of the Journalism Club. As the president of the Journalism Club, she should at least know my name. I know I had to have filled out something when I first joined the club. I'll ask her. Hopefully she'll be in her normal spot.

You know, the whole 'amnesia' thing is kinda important, but I'm more concerned about our splitting headache. I get migraines, and those usually take me the fuck out if I don't catch it early. We should check in with the nurse, maybe see if we can get some ibuprofen.

Shinji, I swear to god if you're harassing your sister again...

Oh...it's you, Brother.

I heard that you skipped archery practice again! What in the hell is wrong with you?!

I'm sorry, Brother. But I...

You've embarrassed me again! How many times must I repeat myself, Sakura?! Are you stupid? I mean, if you keep listening to others instead of me? Wait... Wait wait wait wait...

Now, if anything, I've been underselling just how bad Shinji is. In Stay Night, he was flat out sexually abusive towards Sakura. But there's a very good reason why I neglected to mention this until now:

This is not Shinji Matou.

D-Damn it... Wh-What's this weird feeling?!

Please maintain, a calm demeanor. Brother, please relax. Inserting reassurance text. Error detected. What's up, Shinji? Whatever is the matter, Brother. Select desired sister personality.

What the fuck? :stare:

So, why not totally lose it, Brother? Calm down, down, down, B-B-Broth-th-th...

Sakura Matou's speech begins to skip and repeat, almost as if she is a malfunctioning robot. It's like she was reading from a script rather than engaging in a normal conversation. It wasn't only the incredible fleeing Shinji or the robotic Sakura that was going insane. Vertigo overcomes me as the school starts to waver. Samething strange is happening to the world!