Part 49: Wednesday's Changes (VII)

Wednesday's Changes (VII)

[Music: Exploration]



Before worrying about much of anything, let's go see what Fumi can tell us about the Terminals.



Erm... are you that girl who was with Hibiki? What do you need from me?
Um... well...
Someone say my name?



Hello, Hibiki? What's up? Haha, what was this girl's name again? I forgot.
She's Io.
Ahh, right, right. Mio, that was it...
I-It was Io... Io Nitta...
Oh. Really...? Huh.
A-Anyway, I came to ask Fumi about the Terminal.
About how it works?



Huh. That's why you're here? You want to know how the Terminal works?
Um, yes, that's right. Er... can you tell us?
Well, okay. But the Terminal actually wasn't completely developed by JP's.



His ancestors were missionaries to Tang China during the Nara period...

That being about 710-794 AD. Quite a long while ago!



It stands for "out of place artifact," and is basically that. It's a pretty stock sci-fi-y thing, really.





Whoa, slow down.
Hm? Did I say something strange? What about that didn't you understand?
Um... everything...?
Really?



Um... c-could you explain it in a really general way...?
Bottom-line it for us.
Hmm... well, all right...



Then the technology on the receiving end uses that data to reconstruct it...
Ugh, this sounds so stupid when I put it in such general terms. What nonsense.
I get it now.
Yeah... I think I understand it now too...
But... breaking a person down into information... is that even possible?



Right.
Yeah. Most than half of your body is hydrogen, 25% oxygen, 10.5% carbon, and...



Thus, of the 29 elements in your body, 98.4% of it is a mere four elements, and...

Fumi drones on and on...

Let's get out of here.
Y-Yeah...

You quietly leave with Io...



Okay, I think we should do something a bit more relaxing and simple after... that. Makoto's probably good for that.



[Music: JPs -Geomagnetism Research Department-]

I see... You let him go. No wonder it seemed strange.
...Yes, it was my decision.
Ronaldo agreed to cooperate with us in the Phecda battle. I freed him in return.



...I'm sorry, but I...
Ha... It's fine. Leave him be. He wasn't worth worrying about to begin with.
Huh?

[Music: Dark Clouds]

One splashing fish won't turn back the river... His time will come soon enough.



...Hm?



Hmph... To hear this from you... You may also do as you please, Sako.
...!



Th-That's...

Makoto bows low...



...I see. Do as you will. The time of choosing will come along eventually.

Yamato leaves through a door into a different room...

Makoto sighs, then notices you...

[Music: Exploration]



Cheer up.
Huh... Are you trying to comfort me? I'm a terrible superior officer... Thanks.
......
I owe JP's for the opportunity I was given when I joined.
What happened?
During my student years, I was a synchronized swimmer...



...That was when JP's contacted me.
They gave me a second life, and a reason to live again.
I'm not going to quit JP's. It's just not possible.
......
...There I go, running my mouth again. Excuse me.

Makoto walks away...



I realise that we haven't hung out with Otome in any real capacity yet. Good thing she narrowly beat out Hinako (by 1 whole vote!) this time, huh?



Oh, I saw you yesterday. How are you feeling now? Are you moving any better?
Oh, yes, Dr. Yanagiya. It's all thanks to you. You're just as good as they say.



All right, I'll be careful. Thanks so much!

The staff member walks away...



Are you busy?
Yes, considering the situation we're in... JP's doesn't have many medical doctors, either.
...Being a doctor for JP's requires more than medical technique.
To heal wounds inflicted by demons, you need spiritual power, too.



...Oh, my, I'm running my mouth again. Does hearing me talk like this trouble you?
I don't care.
Hehe... Thanks. You're a good listener. I may have to depend on you again.



A frantic staff member jumps in with a wounded companion...

Oh... On it! I'll be right there!
Sorry, Hibiki. Let's talk again later.

Otome runs away...



And Otome's the final person to get to Fate level 1, which makes sense honestly. And she gets two resistances just because being Magic/Vitality doesn't make her good enough already.



But okay, it's time to go and finally kick Megrez's everything in apparently.

[Music: JPs -Geomagnetism Research Department-]



Thank you for coming. Though the Terminal is back online, I know everyone fought hard.
Earlier, we gathered to discuss countermeasures against Megrez, the newest Septentrione.



We were investigating ways to eliminate it... but the situation has changed.



Daichi whispers to you...



(It's an operation.)
(What... A-An operation!? We're gonna have to fight again...?)



Wh... Three of them...? And they're all surfacing...?



Why the towers?
...A reasonable question, but every second counts right now. The answer will have to wait.



What a pain.
...Exactly. Very shrewd.
What? Um, sorry, but what are you two talking about?
...You're disrupting the flow of our conversation. It's very annoying, Shijima.
Um... uh... sorry...?



Yikes... You're serious!? How do we beat something like that!?

[Music: The Operation Starts]



Thought so.







...Any questions?
Is this deliberate?
Hahaha... I'm sorry, perhaps I inadvertently misled you.



Dubhe, Merak, Phecda... Looking back, the reason why they were annihilated...
It was largely your judgement. So you have a share in the decisions for this operation.



...Well, which team DO we join?

If you need help deciding (because we can't bring all the best characters this time), current character levels/Fate ranks are in the second post.