Part 63: Update LVII - Averting one's gaze
Update LVII - Averting one's gazeMusic: Fourth Chimeric Lunar Sea - Second Floor
Today's dungeon is...
A coral reef!
Look at all the colors!
And the amazing floating Golem!
Music: Fear
I know you want approval from the Mystic Code, but don't be caught with your pants down meanwhile.
Caster is right, as always. Gaining the Mystic Code's approval won't mean anything if I'm dead. I should proceed to explore the Arena, but with caution. 
As the dungeon preview implied:
The name of the game today is hidden paths.
Here's some fish by the usual healing fountain. You can also see a dolphin off in the distance.
A cutscene starts just past the fountain.
...An effigy? Like from the prologue? Really?
Our enemy won't come at us unless in disguise. You've got a lot of secrets, whoever you are!
Despite being, you know, directly in front of us during the cutscene, the effigy completely vanishs once we're back in control.
Anyways, pretty sights.
There's no obvious path forward.
So the solution is a hidden path.
Which leads to a split path.
To the right is some loot.
Bit hard to see, but you can make out a locked gate past the reef and the HUD.
The previously mentioned loot.
Have some more fish and another dolphin to break up the monotony of Extra's dungeon crawling.
Back at the split, there's actually another hidden path that acts as a shortcut.
They say city lights define humanity and the color of coral defines the sea.But going the other way has Tamamo chime in.
It also has more reefs.
Despite all my complaints on the gameplay and writing side, Extra can be a real pretty game when it wants to be.
We end up at another split.
The split is actually a loop, you can see the hidden path on the minimap.
Just ahead is a ramp.
Down the ramp is loot guarded by a Nephilim.
There are no more room chats for killing them, but they're still a good source of EXP and Pure Ethers.
I certainly won't complain about getting two full heals in 30 seconds!
Down the other path is the locked gate we saw earlier.
...The effigy started off in front of us.
Now it is behind a locked gate and the only way to open or close it is on our side.
How?
Well, might as well let him free.
Fun fact: You can hear the effigy running forever if you stay on this line.
Music: Stops
Wha... Master, this effigy is powerful! Whatever Heroic Spirit it is based on must be super famous. I'll have to give this a little effort...Music: Duel - Unauthorized Battle
Gee, I wonder what this effigy is based on?
Update XXXI posted:
Almost as if they just recycled Cu's animations!
You know the drill.
Music: Stops
As my body bounces like a tossed rag doll against the floor from a blow with the power of a hurricane, I realize I was fighting a Servant. 
The last thing I heard was the voice of the effigy's Master. I know that voice— It belongs to—
Music: Duel - Unauthorized Battle
Just treat it like any other duel.
Although I do play around a bit.
Good opportunity to try out Merciful Sky, you know?
As you might expect from a 400% multiplier, it hurts.
Music: Stops
Thanks for the backup, Caster, but I could tell myself that for all the mystery, this one's a great hero. 
Grrrrr, that's the end, huh? The battle wasn't decided yet, but... I did get a juicy piece of intel! Our enemy is a Lancer, and I'm happy just learning that. You won't get any sour grapes from this fox!Update XXXI posted:
We know Rin has a fucking Lancer.
The lack of information we have on our enemy will be the end of us. If this Master can remotely control a Servant copy, they'll keep finding ways to hinder us. We should stop for the day and come up with a strategy. Music: Fourth Chimeric Lunar Sea - Second Floor
The effigy just chills out.
Level 2 nets us his class and two Skills.
Anti-Magic (C) posted:
Nullifies minor spells consisting of chants of two verses or less. Ineffective against high-level thaumaturgy and the greater rituals
Marshal (A->C) posted:
Increases vitality when in deadly peril. Makes it possible to fight even with fatal injuries and remain alive as long as a final decisive blow isn't struck. The ability rank of this skill has been temporarily reduced as his Master chose to boost his overall endurance at the expense of this ability.
This is just another blocker to stop us from clearing out the floor in one day.
So I leave.
Music: School III
Music: Duel of Fate
I am glad you returned safely. From what you have said, the enemy this time is incredibly powerful. It looks like a lightbulb goes on in Rani's head. Music: Stops
A sharp, thrusting attack like that probably came from a Lancer. Even disguised and without seeing their Noble Phantasm, it's obvious. A Lancer... I see. Rani is silent in thought for a moment, eyes down-turned, before turning to look at me. There's something I have to tell you about that doll. It's just...difficult to speak here so please come to the Nurse's Office in the evening. Something that we can't discuss here... What could it be? She seems pretty serious about this, so something must be up. In any case, I'll go to the Nurse's Office this evening.
Music: School I
this week
this fucking week
i am slowly turning into the joker
It's irritating to have a deficit of decisive information, but I guess I just have to deal. Fortunately, I have a great ally in Rani. She said she wanted to talk this afternoon. She said she'd be waiting at the nurse's office.
*Snicker*... Don't forget. It could be ME!This guy is rather flippant, considering he's going up against Leo.
If you want to play through again, you have my blessing. *Giggle*This is your one hint to Extra's bonus boss: You have to complete all of Taiga's requests during a New Game+ run.
Cons: It'll be months before I get there.
Pros: Using Tamamo on my first run means I don't have to fight them with her. You thought you were making things hard for me, you fools!
If you do, you should be on your way as you do not have any time to waste.
Just two more levels and we'll finally get Tamamo's last Skill.
It wasn't provided by the system, so they must have constructed it themselves. What skill.
Music: Down to Dawn
It would be undesirable for the Master who controls that doll to eavesdrop on our conversation. The doll exhibits the traits of the Lancer class, does it? I see... Then, I will be able to overlay an anti-Lancer Firewall Bypass onto your Servant. It should allow you some degree of parity in fighting that doll. How is it possible that Rani has some sort of tool or spell that targets only Lancers? That means...It means she knows we're fighting Rin.
That means what? Rani casts her eyes down and stumbles over her words. And she's not fucking telling us.
No...I'm glad I prepared for such an event. I will be of service in any way I can, Hakuno. Please allow me to do just that.Music: School III
Her forehead taps against mine.
My cheeks tingle as something flows through them. It has to be the anti-Lancer Firewall Bypass. It rapidly courses through my magic circuits, making its way to my Servant. Rani shifts away.
So says the girl in front of me. Huh, how long has it been since the two of us have conspired like this in the nurse's office? The thought popped into my head.
For a bit after you saved me, I thought of you as a shadow of my professor—someone to obey. After spending more time with you, I came to realize I had my own thoughts and opinions. Rani's thoughts and opinions. I wonder what they— Would you like to know? Well...I guess so. That is a secret.Rani's getting a sense of humor...
I'm so proud of her...
Music: School I
She changed the topic. But, at least she's given me what I need to take out that doll. Okay, I'll head to the Arena. There's hardly any preparation time left now. Next time: We split our lungs with blood and thunder.