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« This is for everyone trying to live their ordinary lives!
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| (Sakata Kintoki) |
The Heian-kyō Singularity is a singularity manifested upon the bleached Earth during the Human Order Revision Incident. Located in 1008 AD Japan, its Humanity Foundation Value fluctuates between A and E-, and it is created and maintained by Alter Ego Ashiya Douman in an attempt to generate his own Fantasy Tree, Naraka Mandala, to transition the singularity into a Lostbelt. It is visited by Chaldea Security Organization in the undertaking of the Grand Order to restore Earth and the Human Order.
The events of Chaldea's visit to this Singularity are covered in an event of Cosmos in the Lostbelt; Naraka Mandala, Heian-kyo - Thunderous Flash (地獄界曼荼羅 平安京 轟雷一閃, Jigokukai mandara Heian-kyō Gōrai issen?).
Setting[]
Map of the Singularity's Heian Kyoto.
Requiring incredible amounts of magical energy to cultivate his Fantasy Tree to create his own Beast-class Yamata-no-Orochi, Ashiya Douman created a modified version of the Holy Grail War where only Casters are summoned.[1][2] Taking advantage of Abe-no-Seimei's absence, he convinced his living self to help him by saying he'll be able to best Seimei.[3] Douman then manipulated Fujiwara no Michinaga into starting the Grail War through forged instructions from Seimei, saying it'll bring about a thousand years of peace.[2] Since the Minamoto Clan are Heian-Kyo's protectors, it was ensured that Minamoto-no-Raikou and her Four Heavenly Kings would become Masters.[4] Murasaki Shikibu and Shuten-douji were also chosen by the Holy Grail.[4][5]
Nursery Rhyme was summoned to be Raikou's Servant, whose child-like appearance caused Raikou to essentially abandon the war by secluding herself in her mansion.[2] Nursery Rhyme changed her appearance to that of a traditional Japanese child, and suppressed her magical energy so much she was no longer detected as a Servant.[6] Murasaki kept her status as a Master secret from Michinaga and Douman by refusing to participate. Since she didn't want to fight, her Servant, Charles Babbage, chose to protect her.[4] He stayed at her mansion during the day, and stayed in a cave behind Inari Shrine at night. He was unable to stay in spirit form due to a rule by Michinaga forbidding Servants from going into spirit form for prolonged periods, since it would disrupt the ritual. On the third day, Onmyouji placed wards on the Leyline that forced Servants to materialize.[4] While Sakata Kintoki was chosen as a Master, Douman was in truth both the seventh Master and Caster.[3] Instead Kintoki was chosen as the Servant-less eighth Master due to unknown circumstances.[7] Before Chaldea's arrival, Watanabe-no-Tsuna and his Servant, Medea Lily, defeated Urabe no Suetake and Usui Sadamitsu.[4]
History[]
Prologue[]
The Chaldeans have returned to Novum Chaldea following their victory over the Atlantic Lostbelt. While they rest up for the next Lostbelt, Captain Nemo will replace the Storm Border’s virtual parts currently supported by Aronnax Phantasm with real ones, so it can operate without his presence. Once that’s done, he will need to replace the central control system with something independent from the Shadow Border to lessen the burden on Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vinci will be helping him with this.[8]
Sherlock Holmes tells Ritsuka to train to further their Master capabilities and Mash to fine-tune the Ortenaus. Meanwhile, he and Sion Eltnam Sokaris will begin investigating and analyzing the Alien God. He will be perusing the Animusphere records brought from Chaldea’s Antarctic base to gain insight on former director Olga Marie, who returned in the form of the Alien God, and her father and Chaldea’s founder, Marisbury. Sion, meanwhile, will observe and examine everything she can about the Alien God’s physical form.[8]
Sion reveals the Alien God has moved from the Atlantic Lostbelt to the South American Lostbelt, and according to Trismegistus II’s analysis, there is no future where she will live while the world is in its current state. The Chaldeans reasonably conclude Kirschtaria Wodime’s magecraft had injured her to the point she cannot move.[8]
While Gordeolf Musik finds this to be the perfect time to strike, Da Vinci (calling from the Storm) advises against it. Based on observations in Olympus, the Alien God’s Spirit Origin output is Third Planetary-Class, making her the strongest being on the planet since Goetia, who was Second Planetary-Class. Chaldea only defeated Goetia thanks to several extenuating circumstances.[8]
Mash asks if the Black Barrel could be used. Sion suspects, though, that there is a possibility that the Black Barrel cannot measure the Alien God’s lifespan because she is currently unable to be understood by humans. This is related to her ability to produce Black Holes, a common phenomenon in Outer Space, on Earth. Essentially, the Alien God follows the same mechanisms as the cosmos, and humanity has yet to devise a calculation for determining the lifespan of celestial objects the Black Barrel can weaponise. The Black Barrel only worked on the gods of Olympus because they were once a foundational factor of human history. Holmes and Da Vinci, however, hint that there is another weapon capable of standing against the Alien God.[8]
Shifting topics, Holmes asks Da Vinci about the memory chip Kadoc Zemlupus gave her before she placed him in the recovery pod. Jingle Abel Meuniere confesses he was the one who told Holmes about the chip and how it probably contains records of the Crypters’ communications. Da Vinci confirms it does and, while most of its useless with the Atlantic Lostbelt now gone, there were two interesting bits of information. The Earth was bleached before the Fantasy Trees came and the bleaching’s point of origin was in Area 51. Holmes has Da Vinci send the data to him.[8]
Sion tells everyone to relax for the time being. She says Trismegistus II has predicted the Earth will remain intact for at least another month, which gives her plenty of time to devise a plan sure to succeed.[8]
Fifth Year of Kankou, Heian-kyo[]
In Saiji, in the southwestern end of Heian-kyo’s central area, a young warrior slays a supposedly great evil spirit. He is part of a group that keeps the Far East islands safe from monsters. But to his irritation, he now guards the city, a task he finds hardly worth one of Minamoto-no-Raikou’s Four Heavenly Kings. It vexes him he has yet to become a Master, though something about that doesn’t sit well with him. He wonders how Tsuna made peace with it.[9]
At the Main Street Ichijou Modori-bashi Bridge, Tsuna speaks with a girl. As she already knows that he is the famed swordsman from the Genji clan, he trusts she already knows the Minister of the Left has tasked the Genji with guarding the city. He then reveals the girl is Ibaraki-douji transformed, pointing out she forgot to change her shadow to match.[9]
In a rage, Ibaraki attacks Tsuna, but he dodges every one of her attacks, all the while keeping his eyes closed. He then swiftly cut off her right arm. But instead of finishing her off, he sheathes his sword as he has determined that she isn’t a Master, so he has no further quarrel with her. Ibaraki doesn’t understand what he’s talking about and unleashes flames to mask her retreat. She swears to Tsuna that she will take back her arm and kill him when they next meet.[9]
Tsuna calls for his Caster, Medea Lily, and decides to hold on to Ibaraki’s arm for the time being. He thanks Medea for enhancing his senses with her magecraft. Medea finds it incredible, though, that he avoided Ibaraki’s attacks all through his own power. Tsuna believes any of the Four Heavenly Kings should be capable of such a feat. He and Medea then set off in search of more quarry.[9]
Chaldea has detected a Singularity, but it isn’t a Micro Singularity like all Singularities that occur on the bleached Earth are. Instead, the threat to humanity it represents is akin to the original Seven Singularities. Holmes finds that the Singularity has a as a blot of black stagnation even on the blank Earth suggests its influence is far reaching, which is the conclusion Trismegistus II reached.[9]
Ritsuka is confused because Sion said the Earth would be safe for at least a month. Sion says to forget everything she said regarding that, as the only people who can predict Singularities are the ones who cause them.[9]
Da Vinci tells Ritsuka their mission is to investigate and eliminate the Singularity. It is located in Japan during the Heian period in the fifth year of Kankou, or 1008. More precisely, it is in Heian-kyo——Heian period Kyoto.[9]
Mash recalls the Heian period Raikou, Sakata Kintoki, Shuten-douji, Ibaraki, Murasaki Shikibu, and Sei Shounagon. Kintoki recalls the fifth year of Kankou was just before the Genji’s Ooe oni cleanup operation. He thinks it would be great for him and Raikou to come along on the mission. Da Vinci agrees having Kintoki would be ideal for gaining the cooperation of his historical counterpart if it were possible.[9]
Fuuma Kotarou and Katou Danzou appear. Kotarou explains he and Danzou both got the same unpleasant sensation at the same time the Singularity appeared. They both think it is directly connected to Limbo——the Alter Ego Ashiya Douman. Kintoki recalls Douman was in Kyo in 1008, though he didn’t start competing with Abe-no-Seimei and become deranged until later on.[9]
Danzou feels she and Limbo are both connected by fate. Kotarou feels the same, which became stronger when he heard Heian-kyo mentioned. So he implores Ritsuka to let the two of them join the mission so they may cut the fate that binds them to Limbo once and for all.[9]
Unfortunately, Da Vinci reveals it is nearly impossible for contracted Heroic Spirits to rayshift from the present era thanks to history’s corrective restrictions. Micro Singularities are an exception since they’re less restrictive. Subspecies Singularities are the same, though only certain Heroic Spirits are allowed to rayshift into them. For this Singularity, however, Da Vinci finds no Heroic Spirit can accompany Ritsuka based the Paper Moon’s numbers.[9]
Sion interjects and reveals she ran her own calculations to discover Kotarou and Danzou will have no issue rayshifting with Ritsuka. However, everyone else is a no go.[9]
Though disappointed he can’t come, Kintoki advises the team to find his clan and explain the situation to them. He is certain his and Raikou’s living selves are sure to believe them as protecting the human world is the Genji’s sworn duty.[9]
Da Vinci suspects Limbo will have the Holy Grail used to create the Singularity. Holmes finds it likely that the Singularity is a trap and surmises Limbo is acting independently . He reminds the team their mission is to not only correct the Singularity but also to eliminate a key figure in the Alien God’s forces before she intervenes. Ritsuka, Mash, Kotarou, and Danzou then rayshift to the Singularity.[9]
Ritsuka and Danzou arrive at the ruins of a village, but Mash and Kotarou are nowhere to be seen. Danzou is unable to detect any trace of them. She determines she and Ritsuka are in an uninhabited area of Heian-kyo’s southwestern district. However, given Mash and Kotarou’s absence and their inability to contact Novum Chaldea, she concludes she and Ritsuka were the only ones who made it. She and Ritsuka both agree Limbo interfered with the rayshift.[9]
Danzou confesses she and Kotarou were using Presence Concealment as a countermeasure against rayshift interference. Da Vinci came up with the idea for each Class to use their specialized Class Skill using interference data from the Shinjuku Singularity. However, before the rayshift ended, Danzou felt a disturbance in her magical energy, almost as she passed through a Bounded Field. She agrees with Ritsuka that is what interfered with Mash and Kotarou’s rayshift. She also believes Kotarou acted as a decoy to draw the enemy’s attention so RItsuka would have at least one Servant accompanying them.
Unsure if the rayshift interference returned Mash and Kotarou to Novum Chaldea or sent them somewhere else in Heian-kyo, Ritsuka and Danzou prepare to set off in search of their companions and to find a local who can help them. However, before they can, the pair are attacked spider-like monsters that had seemed to conceal themselves.[9]
Danzou slays the monsters and determines they use camouflage rather than true concealment. She increases her sensors’s detection rate so she and Ritsuka are not caught off-guard again. She recommends they leave the area before more come.[9]
The pair soon encounter a new creature. After slaying it, Danzou reminds Ritsuka they had encountered these dark armored warriors before in Shimosa, according to Chaldea’s database.[9]
Suddenly, a spider creature emerges from the earth and ambushes the pair. Danzou injures herself protecting Ritsuka and struggles against the monster. Fortunately, a swordsman arrives and effortlessly slays the monster, calling it a tsuchigumo.[9]
The swordsman quickly identifies Ritsuka and Danzou as Master and Servant. He introduces himself as the head of the Four Heavenly Kings——Watanabe-no-Tsuna.[9]
Heian Warrior[]
Medea appears and confirms Tsuna’s suspicions. Tsuna, in accordance with the rules of the Imperial Holy Grail War as decreed by Fujiwara-no-Michinaga, then challenges Ritsuka, calling them Caster to their confusion. Danzou fights Tsuna to protect Ritsuka, confused to why one of the Four Heavenly Kings is attacking them and why he has a Servant.[10]
Struggling against Tsuna despite him being human, Danzou tells him they have no reason to fight. Tsuna thinks Danzou is a Master like him and asserts fighting is the only path for them, as Fujiwara has decreed Kyo is now their battleground. Danzou realizes Tsuna truly intends to kill them, so she produces a smokescreen to cover her and Ritsuka’s escape.[10]
Ritsuka and Danzou escape into an alleyway where they run into Kintoki, who offers his help after seeing Danzou’s injuries. Tsuna catches up and confesses he is responsible for Danzou’s injuries. He demands Kintoki stand aside as the Imperial Holy Grail War requires he kill Ritsuka and Danzou. But Kintoki vehemently refuses, leaving Tsuna no choice but to fight his sworn brother. Medea tries lending her aid with her Dragon Tooth Warriors.[10]
Not wanting to spend all night fighting Kintoki, especially since he isn’t a Master, Tsuna decides to just kill Ritsuka. But he stops and realizes his mistake when Danzou goes into spirit form on Ritsuka’s orders.[10]
Medea apologizes for not specifying that the Servant signal came from Danzou, not Ritsuka. She also identifies Danzou as Assassin,. Tsuna is surprised that there are Servants other than Casters.[10]
Admitting to his mistake, Tsuna allows Kintoki to have Ritsuka. However, he warns Kintoki that he will kill him if he sees he has Command Spells on his left hand when they next meet. Kintoki looks forward to fighting Tsuna. With that, Tsuna and Medea take their leave.[10]
Imperial Holy Grail War[]
Traveling elsewhere, Kintoki tells Ritsuka and Danzou about how someone presented Minister of the Left Fujiwara with a letter from Seimei detailing the ritual for the Imperial Grail War, which consists only of Casters. Fujiwara permitted the ritual after learning that sacrificing the Casters would assure a thousand years of peace and prosperity.[2]
It has been about since the Imperial Palace started the ritual in secret and so far, two Casters have been killed. Their Masters were Usui Sadamitsu and Urabe-no-Suetake of the Four Heavenly Kings. Tsuna was the one who defeated them and killed their Casters.[2]
Danzou agrees with Ritsuka’s suspicions that the Imperial Grail War is a trap by Limbo, especially considering there has been no mention of the Grail.[2]
She explains to a curious Kintoki who Limbo is. She and Ritsuka do not yet know what type of connection he may have with the living Douman. But she is certain the Imperial Grail War is his work, even though it was supposedly Seimei who created it.[2]
Adding to suspicions, Kintoki recalls Seimei had supposedly sent the letter detailing the ritual a month after he disappeared. Raikou tried to tell Fujiwara not to be so quick to trust the letter’s contents, but was ignored. Douman is also the one in charge of the Onmyou Bureau in Seimei’s absence.[2]
On the subject of the Grail War, Kintoki removes his glove to reveal he has Command Spells. He also seems to think Ritsuka is his Servant.[2]
Meanwhile, Limbo reveals the Imperial Grail War is a ritual that couldn’t possibly exist in any hypothetical version of human history. It represents all the culmination of all the independent research he conducted as an Apostle of the Alien God. As such, he hopes the Chaldeans enjoy this Psuedo-Parallel World he created, including the personal touches he made to better suit his tastes.[2]
Kintoki is disappointed to learn that Ritsuka isn’t a Servant. He also understands now Danzou is a Servant, having not understood at the time why Tsuna and Medea ceased their attack. Furthermore, since Danzou isn’t a Caster, he realizes neither she nor Ritsuka are participants of the Imperial Grail War.[2]
Ritsuka tells him the truth of who they and Danzou, along with their current predicament. Kintoki decides to help them get back to Chaldea somehow, as he too has no place to call home either. He is keeping his distance from Raikou for his own reasons, only saying that he ran away. He also can’t go to any other Genji home since he is more likely to be attacked by Tsuna and he doesn’t Ritsuka caught up in if that were to happen.[2]
The heroes then meet Shounagon, who is going by Kiyoko, as her wagon happens to pass by. Hearing they need a place to stay, she has them join her. Danzou rides in the carriage with her while Ritsuka and Kintoki walk along. However, they’re soon attacked by monsters.[2]
After the monsters are slain, the heroes reach their destination: Murasaki’s manor. Even though she never met her before, Kiyoko is certain Murasaki will put the heroes up for the night if they tell her that Kusa-no-Iori sends her regards. She then leaves and the heroes enter the manor to see if Murasaki will let them stay.[2]
Murasaki is confused, as she has no clue who Kiyoko is. She recognizes Kintoki from when he visited the palace, but considering the late hour of his visit she thinks he has come to punish her for some mistake she made.[2]
Kintoki assures her it is nothing of the sort, calling her Lady Murasaki. Murasaki is shocked as that is only a pen name and asks to be called Kaoruko. Kintoki tells her they need her help.[2]
Ritsuka tells her Kusa-no-Iori sends her regards. Upon hearing that, Kaoruko realizes Shounagon (unaware that is Kiyoko’s pen name) sent that message, even though she never met her before. Regardless, she allows the heroes to stay.[2]
In their room, Kintoki reveals Raikou has secluded herself in her house since the Imperial Grail War began.. He isn’t sure if she just dislikes the Genji fighting one another or if she is a Master herself.[2]
Suddenly, Mash and Kotarou make contact thanks to Danzou activating her full functionality and successfully establishing contact with Novum Chaldea.[2]
Mash and Kotarou both confirm they couldn’t rayshift, instead they were left behind at Novum Chaldea. They tried to rayshift again, only to fail again. Mash says it is probably an advanced jamming method that bypasses every anti-interference method Chaldea devised. They have yet to come up with a countermeasure.[2]
Da Vinci reveals the only reason Ritsuka and Danzou were able to rayshift is because they were invited by whoever interfered with the rayshift. Ritsuka and Danzou both agree it is obviously Limbo.[2]
Holmes deduces Limbo picked Ritsuka for repeatedly obstructing his plans and Danzou because of their history. He suspects, however, that Limbo’s goal is only to toy with them on his home ground. He also suspects Limbo had a collaborator, though he isn’t certain at this point.[2]
Da Vinci confirms Limbo was responsible for the interference as he signed each of the failed rayshift logs with a letter from his name.[2]
RItsuka and Danzou then explain the Imperial Grail War. As the only summonable Servants are Casters, Da Vinci and Holmes surmise the Grail has been restricted to a singular purpose. Holmes suspects the purpose is to change the world and reveals Shimosa was changed into a Pseudo-Lostbelt by the ritual to summon Onriedo Castle. The castle was the equivalent of a Fantasy Tree, a Pseudo-Fantasy Tree.[2]
Because Limbo seems to want to turn Heian-kyo into a Lostbelt, Holmes suspects Limbo wishes for the Alien God to manifest in the Heian period. He discounts the possibility it is for a spare vessel, as a transcendent being like her wouldn’t need one. Da Vinci says using only Caster souls would ruin such a large-scale ritual, but suspects there’s a trick to it.[2]
Communications start to cut off, which Holmes suspects is Limbo’s doing. So before comms are cut, Holmes tells Ritsuka it is imperative they stop the Grail War. If they do not, a Pseudo-Fantasy Tree could manifest and Heian-kyo may become both a Singularity and a Lostbelt.[2]
Elsewhere, Limbo mocks the Chaldeans for not having more secure communications. He seems to have wanted Holmes to explain some of his plan, but he wants to save some surprises for later. He declares that from this point onward, he, Ritsuka, and Danzou will be engaged in a contest of pure strength.[2]
Steel Diaries (First Half)[]
The next day, Danzou reports on rumors about a steel monster supposedly walking the main roads at night. These rumors started a few days ago, around the same time as the Grail War.[11]
Kintoki doubts it’s a monster wearing steel armor as nothing like that exists in Japan or China. He presumes it’s actually just a monster with unusually thick skin, and mumbles about how they’re not talking about the Settsu armor.[11]
Ritsuka automatically realizes Kintoki is talking about Golden Huge Bear. Kintoki asks them to forget what he said as he’ll get in trouble for blurting out one of the Genji’s greatest secrets. Ritsuka and Danzou both agree to pretend they heard nothing.[11]
Kintoki agrees to help stop the Grail War, having had his suspicions confirmed by last night’s conversation. The quickest way to stop it in his mind would be to take down Limbo since he’s the mastermind. They don’t know his location, though, only that his other name is Douman. Danzou assures she would able to recognize if the Douman currently in charge of the Onmyou Bureau is the living one from this period or Limbo.[11]
Since the Grail War requires every onmyouji in the Burea and they need to be protected, Kintoki is certain Douman will be in the Imperial Palace. Danzou recounts she discovered the palace has a strong, temple-level Bounded Field, so sneaking in isn’t an option. Therefore, going through the front door is the only option.[11]
Kintoki requests Kaoruko's permission to visit the palace, knowing she is a lady-in-waiting for the empress. It doesn’t seem she’ll grant his request, though, so Kintoki performs dogeza and begs Kaoruko to let them in the palace so they can speak with Douman. This convinces Kaoruko to do everything in her power to get Fujiwara’s permission for the heroes to come into the palace and she leaves.[11]
She returns later that night to inform the heroes that Fujiwara has permitted them to enter the palace tomorrow morning, though only briefly. They’ll need to take the carriage now if they are to arrive at the palace before the gates open. The gates normally don’t open that early, but Fujiwara made an exception as this matter needs to be kept secret from the main Genji house. Everyone then gets into the carriage and sets off the palace.[11]
Arriving at the palace by morning, the heroes enter with Kaoruko and soon meet Lady Takako, one of the emperor’s concubines, whom Ritsuka recognizes as Tamamo-no-Mae. She is surprised Ritsuka can see her true form, as her as her illusions are perfect unless it’s against Seimei. It would be different if they had a connection, which they do. But seeing they’re here for Douman and not her, Tamamo promises to keep out of RItsuka’s affairs and hopes they’ll do the same for her. Ritsuka agrees to keep her secret.[11]
After Tamamo leaves, Douman appears behind Ritsuka without Kintoki noticing. He exorcises Ritsuka of the impurities they got from the monsters. Kaoruko apologizes as a student of Seimei for not noticing. Douman explains his duty to protect the palace from all impurities, no matter how minor.[11]
Kintoki asks Danzou (who’s in spirit form) if this Douman is Limbo. Danzou admits that while they look the same, she senses Douman lacks Limbo’s maliciousness.[11]
Michinaga then appears and demands to know from Kintoki why he wanted an audience with Douman. Kintoki tells him the Grail War will not bring about a thousand years of peace, rather it is a villainous scheme that threatens the peace, and so implores him to reconsider continuing it. Michinaga doesn’t care, though, because the risk is worth it if it means peace for Kyo. This angers Kintoki, who questions the validity of Seimei’s letter. Seeing how passionate Kintoki is about this, Michinaga agrees to listen.[11]
RItsuka explains to Michinaga who Limbo is and how the Grail War is scheme of his. Michinaga points out, however, that the letter had Seimei’s seal and stroke style. There is also no evidence that the Grail War is an evil plot, so it will not be halted. But Michinaga is willing to halt it if the heroes can provide evidence of its nefarious nature, get the participants to drop out, or convince the Genji, the city’s protectors, to abandon it.[11]
Tsuna arrives, surprised he and Kintoki scheduled a visit at the same time. He overheard the conversation from before, but he refuses to abandon the Grail War. He reminds Kintoki of his threat from two nights ago, but as they’re in the palace, he cannot make good on it for the moment. The heroes leave following a tense moment between Tsuna and Kintoki.[11]
Later that night, the heroes investigate the area around the Inari shrine after hearing the rumored steel monster was seen there. Danzou tells Ritsuka and Kintoki that she found a cave behind the shrine. They enter the cave, and Danzou senses it is on a leyline. She notes how such a discovery would be a tremendous asset for any Master and Servant. Suddenly the heroes are attacked by Helter Skelters.[11]
After destroying the robots, Danzou suspects they were placed by the Caster who discovered the cave to ward off unwanted creatures. As they are familiars of Charles Babbage their appearance all but confirms his involvement.[11]
Steel Diaries (Second Half)[]
Returning to the mansion, the heroes ponder on who the fifth Master could be under the assumption Babbage is the fifth Caster. On that subject, Danzou surmises that the requirements to be a Master in the Imperial Grail War differs from a typical Grail War. She recalls Kintoki said Imperial Grail War Masters are officially known as Imperial Warriors, so she asks if that means a Master must be a warrior. Kintoki bluntly says that isn’t the case.[4]
He recounts how, at the beginning of the Grail War, Michinaga said those who possess power known to everyone in Heian-kyo will be Masters and ordered them to collect the heads of the Casters to be summoned. He and the others ponder on what power means when they’re interrupted by Kaoruko.[4]
Kintoki tells her they were investigating Inari shrine for the rumored steel monster. Kaoruko gets more nervous than usual after hearing this and seemingly goes to bed.
The heroes later follow her to Inari shrine, breaking through the Helter Skelters barring their way.[4]
There Danzou confirms Kaoruko went into the cave and so the heroes follow her in. But before they can further in, they are stopped Kiyoko, who tells them to turn back. Kintoki wonders if she is the Master, but she doesn’t know what that means.[4]
Kintoki tells her to stand beside, but she refuses as she is helping Kaoruko. Neither of them know each other, nor is Kaoruko aware of Kiyoko’s actions, but Kiyoko is helping out pure love for Kaoruko’s stories. She then summons monsters with the talisman Seimei gave her before he disappeared.[4]
The heroes slay the monsters and proceed further into the cave after promising Kiyoko they will not hurt Kaoruko.[4]
They find her and Babbage talking to each other. Kintoki tries to tell Babbage that the Grail War is evil, but he refuses to listen and attacks heroes.[4]
Kintoki defeats Babbage and deduces Kaoruko is the fifth Master for she has the power to weave stories to life. Kaoruko confesses, however, that neither Michinaga nor Douman know she’s a Master, as she refused to fight. But she was chosen by the Grail because she so desperately wanted to give her story, “Tale of Genji” the best ending possible.[4]
She recounts how, after many days and nights of trying to write an ending, she received her Command Spells when the Grail War was announced, followed by Babbage appearing at her house. But she refused to hurt anyone for the sake of her wish, so Babbage chose to be her protector instead. He would stay in the cave during the day and return to Kaoruko’s manor at night to protect her from the other Masters.[4]
Babbage confesses he was mostly in his spirit form during the Grail War’s early proceedings, but Michinaga soon forbade it since it would disrupt the ritual. Kaoruko reveals three days after the war began, Michinaga had every onmyouji in the Burea place a Bounded Field on the city’s leylines that forced Servants to materialize. But Babbage says he could dematerialize for extremely short periods in emergencies.[4]
Tsuna arrives and confesses he already knew about the cave and Babbage’s nightly walks. Babbage activates Dimension of Steam in response to Tsuna’s presence, forcing the head of the Four Heavenly Kings to fight an innumerable number of Helter Skelters. Everyone sees this as a chance to escape, except for Babbage, who challenges the heroes to battle.[4]
Kintoki accepts his challenge, so Babbage brings them to a hellish landscape for their battle. Ritsuka realizes it’s like the deathmatch stages the Heroic Spirit Swordmasters used. Babbage calls it the bloodstained battlefield of Limbo where the losing Heroic Spirit’s soul is consumed upon defeat———the Imperial Deathmatch Stage. He and Kintoki then fight.[4]
Kintoki shatters Babbage’s Spirit Core, causing his Noble Phantasm to cease functioning. Tsuna realizes Babbage challenged Kintoki to protect his Master. He recognizes he lacks restraint, so a non-warrior like Kaoruko would never survive against him. He accepts Kintoki won and leaves with Medea.[4]
Babbage implores the heroes to protect Kaoruko in his stead once he’s gone, even though he already knows there will be no need since she will her status as Master. He disappears, imploring the others to never forsake their dreams.[4]
Friends and Children (First Half)[]
On a rooftop, Raikou speaks with a young girl, who assures her she will not end up like Humpty Dumpty. Raikou wishes Kintoki were with them, certain he and the girl would have been great friends. But the girl tells Raikou that Kintoki has forgotten her now that he’s grown up, so she is the only friend she needs.[5]
Meanwhile, south of Heian-kyo, oni led Shuten and Ibaraki have bypassed Seimei’s Bounded Field and are attacking the city. Ibaraki gleefully watches as Torakuma smashes everything is his path, feeling better than ever thanks to the new arm Shuten gave her. Shuten encourages her to indulge in her impulses, so as long as she eats what she kills. She tells her tonight, however, that they will not be doing their usual stealing, kidnapping, or “playing” with Kintoki. She and her “guest” have something important to do in Kyo.[5]
Her “guest” materializes; Shuten reminds Ibaraki it was thanks to him they could bypass the Bounded Field without asking for the moon’s aid. They can only sneak into Kyo once a month and Ibaraki already used her chance this month to go to Ichijou Modori-bashi Bridge. Meanwhile, big oni like Torakuma and Hoshikuma can only do so every six months. But for tonight, those restrictions are gone all thanks to Shuten’s “guest”――――her Caster.[5]
Meanwhile, the heroes come across large oni. Kintoki explains Seimei’s Bounded Field keeps oni out of Kyo, though they can get through once or twice a month by weakening themselves. However, he notices these oni are still strong to destroy buildings and that Ibaraki and Shuten lead them.[5]
He demands Shuten to explain why she is wreaking havoc tonight rather than her usual sneaking around. Shuten shows her Command Spells, revealing she is the sixth Master.[5]
She notices something is different about Ritsuka and tells them to look at her as she surges with magical energy. RItsuka looks at her and crumples from the pressure of her magical energy. Kintoki tells Ritsuka it isn’t safe for humans to look directly at oni like Shuten. But Ritsuka toughs out, having faced worse with Aphrodite.[5]
Shuten notices Kintoki isn’t accompanied by a Caster of his own, so Ibaraki presumes he isn’t a Master. She mocks him for it and decides she and Torakuma will put him out of his misery. A fight between the heroes and the two oni ensues.[5]
Ibaraki and Torakuma are being pushed back, so Ibaraki implores Shuten to help. But Shuten orders her to stand down. Ibaraki complies, but gets upset with Ritsuka and Kintoki for not trying to kill her, unlike Danzou.[5]
Kintoki, though he’s yet to see hers, surmises Shuten isn’t Casterless. Shuten proves him right by calling upon her Caster―――Paracelsus von Hohenheim. Shuten and Paracelsus then fight the heroes aided by Paracelsus’ homunculi.[5]
Kintoki slays his homunculi, so Paracelsus on Shuten’s command transports her, himself, Ibaraki and Torakuma away. Danzou searches the area for them on Ritsuka’s command.[5]
The next day, at Kaoruko’s manor, while waiting for Danzou to return with her report, Kintoki tells RItsuka how Shuten and Ibaraki are the most dangerous oni of all, particularly the former, and how they’re essentially build an oni army at Mt. Ooe. He even recalls stories saying Shuten once lived on a mountain in a different country killing and eating people as she saw fit. Despite all that, though, he feels if he were to kill Shuten and Ibaraki when they’ve yet to eat a single human (Shuten stopped some time ago) he would only come to regret it.[5]
Danzou later returns, reporting the oni were difficult to track thanks to Paracelsus’ spell randomly teleporting them. She further reports Genji warriors have been stationed at various posts throughout the city, on orders from the main house. But there was no strange activity at the palace. Kintoki figures they already knew Shuten was behind last night’s and she was a Master and so didn’t anything.[5]
At Kintoki’s request, Danzou then lists all the places oni went to. Ritsuka draws up a map and Danzou details what direction the oni went in each area. But remembering she already has a map of Heian-kyo in her database, she draws lines along the paths the oni took from each location they visited. The heroes see they all intersect at a single location―――Seimei’s house.[5]
Arriving there, Ritsuka and Danzou learn Seimei and Raikou were neighbors. Kintoki suspects the oni are after Raikou’s house. Danzou agrees with Ritsuka on the possibility that Raikou is a Master, in which case she recommends either convincing Raikou that the Grail War must be stopped before Shuten or convince her to persuade the Genji to disavow it.[5]
Kintoki tries to work up the nerve to knock on the gate when a young girl opens it and steps out. She knows Kintoki ran away and invites him to come inside. Kintoki is suspicious of her, having never seen her before, but Danzou senses nothing unusual about her. The heroes then enter Raikou’s home.[5]
Inside, they notice how heavily guarded the manor is. Kintoki feels it’s practically shouting that Raikou is a Master and makes him suspicious of the girl. He tries to ask her how long she’s been staying with Raikou, only to learn she left while he was lost in thought.[5]
Raikou arrives and coldly welcomes Kintoki home, warning him he will punished for his unauthorized excursion later. She then asks him who Ritsuka and Danzou are, with the implied threat of killing them if he doesn’t answer.[5]
Kintoki calls Raikou “Mother” which flusters her so much she drops her cold facade. He calls Ritsuka and Danzou his friends and asks Raikou who the girl is. Raikou is relieved to hear Kintoki has friends, though she ignores his question. But then she forgets who Ritsuka and Danzou are, so Kintoki has to repeat himself. Raikou is overjoyed he brought friends home and insists they stay for dinner.[5]
Friends and Children (Second Half)[]
During dinner, Kintoki suspects the girl is Raikou’s Caster. The girl clings to Raikou, terrified. Raikou reassures her no one here will hurt her. She hands her over to Danzou to look after, then demands Tsuna show himself.[6]
Tsuna complies, impressed Raikou could sense through the concealment spell despite it being foreign. He apologizes to her for the condition he left Urabe and Usui in. Raikou forgives him, though, honored three of her Genji warriors were chosen for such an important ritual.[6]
Turning his attention towards Kintoki, Tsuna chastises him for leniency toward oni and questions if he knows what a Genji warrior should be. Kintoki turns the question on him.[6]
Tsuna seems like is going to answer, but instead has everyone take notice of the scent of monsters——of magical energy. Kintoki knows it’s Shuten, which is confirmed by her voice coming from the western yard. The heroes head there immediately.[6]
Shuten, having no business with him, demands KIntoki send Raikou. But Ibaraki loses her patience and sics Torakuma on the Genji. RItsuka and Kintoki fight Shuten, leaving Danzou to protect the girl, Torakuma to the Genji warriors, and Ibaraki to Tsuna and Raikou.[6]
Inside the manor, Medea materializes and informs Raikou that the oni already know the girl is her Caster, which is why they broke through Kyo’s Bounded Field to attack her house.
Meanwhile, Ibaraki continues fighting Tsuna, whose dismissal of her and bringing up her past only serves to anger her. Enraged, she attacks Tsuna again under the pretense of getting her arm back. But it is a feint and her true target is Raikou, who she immediately tries to decapitate from behind.[6]
The girl takes the blow for Raikou, damaging her Spirit Core. Ibaraki is confused by what happened and becomes distraught that she failed Shuten. Paracelsus appears and tells Ibaraki to return to Mt. Ooe with Torakuma. He and Shuten had actually predicted that the girl would protect Raikou. He then teleports Ibaraki back to Mt. Ooe.[6]
It amazes him that the girl completely erased her presence as a Heroic Spirit by completely suppressing her magical energy. He understands it was possible for her because she possesses many forms and none at all. She is the embodiment of the ever-changing fairy tale——--Nursery Rhyme.[6]
Meanwhile, Kintoki surmises Nursery Rhyme being a child was why Raikou secluded herself and was constantly on guard for other Masters. He blames himself for what happened.[6]
He and Shuten continue fighting when they all feel Raikou’s Divine Power. Kintoki tasks Ritsuka with stopping Raikou before she destroys Kyo and throws them off the roof. Shuten confesses she knew all along about Raikou’s other self——--Ushi-Gozen.[6]
Raikou, meanwhile, is building high-destiny magical energy to transform her Spirit Origin. Paracelsus notes her transformation is only bodily so far, so she needs to transform her mind as well to draw out her maximum magical energy. He has spell ready to do just that, not caring about the mass destruction that will result in as he had swore to never betray his Master again.[6]
Ritsuka arrives. Danzou informs them of the situation, including the fact Medea can’t seem to heal Nursery Rhyme. Ritsuka tries their Mystic Code healing spell on Nursery Rhyme, which seems to work even though Medea’s Age-of-Gods-level spells had no effect.[6]
Nursery Rhyme is soon healed to the point she can stand. She then transforms into her usual self and calms Raikou down.[6]
Shuten enters, disappointed Ushi-Gozen didn’t show up. She then dodges an attack from Kintoki.[6]
Paracelsus tells Shuten their plan to destroy Heian-kyo with an awakened Ushi-Gozen failed because Raikou and Nursery Rhyme, who personifies stories meant to entertain, share a deep bond. Shuten accepts the outcome, having thought destroying Heian-kyo would win her the Grail War. She decides they should at least kill Medea and Nursery Rhyme.[6]
Tsuna and Medea get ready to fight, but Kintoki demands he fight instead so he may rectify his failings. Tsuna, feeling Kintoki’s resolve, allows it. Paracelsus then transports himself, Shuten, Ritsuka, and Kintoki to the Imperial Deathmatch Stage for their battle.[6]
Kintoki defeats Paracelsus with a fully powered thunderbolt, shattering his Spirit Core. Before he disappears, Paracelsus teleports Shuten presumbly back to Mt. Ooe as an apology for his incompetence.[6]
Nursery Rhyme starts to disappear, but for some inexplicable reason, she doesn’t disappear. Medea checks her Spirit Origin and sees that the damage to her Spirit Core has been repaired. No one can explain how it happened, though Nursery Rhyme seems to think Kintoki’s lightning and him being the basis for the character Kintarou had something to do with it.[6]
The next day, Raikou decides to hold a Genji council meeting at noon to determine if Ritsuka is telling the truth about the Grail War being an evil plot.[6]
Genji Meeting[]
Starting the meeting, Raikou determines they require conclusive evidence to prove the veracity of Ritsuka’s claims. Kintoki recommends they halt the deathmatches until they can determine the truth. Tsuna, however, thinks they should continue until Michinaga orders otherwise. Raikou finds both Kintoki and Tsuna’s points valid, so she suggests the two settle their differences through battle as it has always been with the Genji. Neither Kintoki nor Tsuna object. Medea thus transports herself, Tsuna, Kintoki, and RItsuka to the Imperial Deathmatch Stage.[3]
Kintoki defeats Tsuna. Medea tries to fight, but Tsuna refuses to let her because she reminds him of a girl he had failed to protect. He had hoped to use the Grail to bring her back to life. She was a noble’s daughter he had known since childhood and he was assigned to protect the district she lived. But one day she and her entire house were killed by a small oni. It was only upon seeing her dead that Tsuna understood he had loved her.[3]
Tsuna accepts resurrecting the dead is wrong and concedes to Kintoki. Raikou declares Kintoki to be winner, thus she will tell Michinaga that the Genji suspect the Grail War is an evil plot.[3]
At the palace, Michinaga receives word of the Genji’s decision and so orders an end to the Grail War. Douman reacting to the news, begins to laugh manically. His outfit changes and he briefly rants about how the Chaldeans foiled his plan for the Genji to slaughter each other. Michinaga realizes the Douman speaking is Limbo and that the heroes were speaking the truth. Douman reveals he is the Douman of this period and Limbo merged together.[3]
On Michinaga’s command, the palace guard and twelve of the Onmyou Bureau’s best onmyouji arrive on the scene, ready to kill Douman. The onmyouji then unleash a spell designed to kill Douman as commanded by Michinaga, proving he took Kintoki’s exhortations seriously enough to prepare contingency. Douman easily breaks the spell, though, and kills the onmyouji with a single curse.[3]
He reveals Limbo telling Douman he would never surpass Seimei was all it took for him to join Limbo. Furthermore, he is the seventh and most powerful Caster in the Imperial Grail War. He is also one of the Hasshoujin———the eight onmyoudou general gods who seek to establish the Naraka Mandala. He is Ouban Ashiya Douman.
Though only four Heroic Spirit souls were sacrificed, Douman still manifests a Pseudo-Fantasy Tree at Suzaku Gate, turning day into night and the moon bloodred. It was once known as Onriedo Castle, but now it is called Naraka Mandala. The mere sight of it instills fear in the people of Heian-kyo. Douman then calls forth the Hasshoujin.[3]
Saisatsu Hyoubi (First Half)[]
With a bolt of lightning, the Hasshoujin Saisetsu and Hyoubi are summoned at Rashoumon. They slaughter the officers and warriors tasked with defending Rashoumon when they try to prevent them from heading towards Naraka Mandala.[12]
Meanwhile, at the Genji house, the heroes learn of Saisetsu and Hyoubi’s massacre and that they are currently heading toward Naraka Mandala. They then see floating text explaining that a Fantasy Tree growing in Heian-kyo means the city will become a different world. It also means a new Tree will take root in the Proper Human History and destroy the future. Medea deduces the floating text is a long-range communication spell, possibly woven with a translation spell. Tsuna surmises it was cast by Kaoruko; Kintoki even senses her.[12]
Kaoruko arrives, exhausted, having rushed from the palace after she received a letter from Seimei urging her to head to the Genji house immediately.[12]
Communicating through the floating text, Seimei admits he already knows everything happening in Heian-kyo thanks to his Bounded Field doubling as a monitoring device.[12]
He confirms the Pseudo-Fantasy Tree Naraka Mandala was summoned as a collaborative effort between Douman and Limbo. He further reveals Limbo was summoned as the personification of evil in Douman’s body and swallowed his soul. The heroes couldn’t have realized that though when they spoke with Douman at the palace as Limbo was still deep inside Douman at the time, so there was no Heroic Spirit to be sensed. But Limbo is no longer hiding likely because of the heroes’ success in halting the Grail War.[12]
Limbo originally planned to collect the souls of seven Heroic Spirits so he could use the Grail to accelerate Naraka Mandala’s growth. But because of the heroes’ actions, he has sped up his plans and is now summoning Heroic Spirits under the names of the eight Hasshoujin. Limbo is calling himself by one of their names, so it can be presumed he will summon the other seven separately.[12]
Seimei warns Saisetsu and Hyoubi are heading for Naraka Mandala to sacrifice themselves to it. As they didn’t kill themselves on materialization, though, it can be assumed they must first be in the Tree’s proximity. However, like Shimosa, it can also be assumed the Grail will automatically collect their souls if they should die.[12]
Fortunately, Seimei foresaw this conundrum and has Kaoruko present the eight Taizan talismans he prepared beforehand. With these, the heroes can seal the Hasshoujin’s souls once they shatter their Spirit Cores. Their souls will be set free once Naraka Mandala is destroyed. Everyone then sets out to protect Heian-kyo.[12]
They arrive at Suzaku Avenue and battle with Limbo’s shikigami. The shikigama instantly regenerate from their injuries, but Tsuna, Kintoki, and Raikou are able to kill them. Afterward, the heroes meet Saisetsu and Hyoubi———Saisetsu Tawara Touta and Hyoubi Suzuka Gozen.[12]
Saisatsu Hyoubi (Second Half)[]
As Raikou, Tsuna, and Kintoki battle Touta and Suzuka, Ritsuka realizes Limbo’s Hasshoujin are like the Heroic Spirit Swordmasters. Touta and Suzuka soon overwhelm Raikou, Tsuna, and Kinotki with their Noble Phantasms, but fortunately Medea and enhances the three Heian warriors. Then, in response to Kintoki’s challenge, Touta and Suzuka transports themselves and the heroes to the Imperial Deathmatch Stage for their battle.[13]
The battle ends with Tsuna and Raikou slaying Touta and Suzuka before they could release their Noble Phantasms. Ritsuka seals their souls away with Seimei's talismans before they disappear.[13]
Genji Killer (First Half)[]
At Gojou Street, near the Kamogawa, a group of Genji warriors surround a warrior atop the great tsuchigumo———Kugamimi-no-Mikasa. The warrior, upon hearing they are Genji, announces they are the Genji’s end. They declare they materialized in Heian-kyo as a Heroic Spirit corpse, along with the great tsuchigumo, Hasshoujin Saiha. They introduce themselves as Saikyou Saikyou Taira-no-Kagekiyo and kills the Genji warriors after promising death for their clan. Afterward, Kagekiyo and Mikasa rampaged through Kyo with an army of tsuchigumo, slaughtering every Genji in their wake.[14]
At the Genji house, Danzou returns from her patrol and reports the third and fourth Hasshoujin have materialized at Gojou Street near the Kamogawa. Seimei agrees with Ritsuka that Limbo’s ability to summon Servants is limited to two at a time. Danzou further reports the Hasshoujin killed the two-thirds of the force at Gojou.[14]
Raikou orders they head out immediately when Danzou reports on her encounter with the two Hasshoujin, namely Kagekiyo. She explains Kagekiyo is a survivor of the Genpei War centuries into the future who swore revenge on the Genji for wiping out the Taira to establish the Kamakura shogunate. They had led attacks on the Minamoto-no-Yoritomo, the shogunate's founder, no fewer than thirty-seven times, and according to legend, they were unkillable. As a Heroic Spirit, they are akin to a living weapon specialized in killing Genji.[14]
Danzou confirms those killed at Gojou were Genji warriors, as Kagekiyo had spared the imperial officers. Bizarrely, though, when the Genji warriors drew near Kagekiyo, they dropped their swords and fell to their knees, as if offering their heads voluntarily. Danzou can only assume it’s an ability Kagekiyo as a Heroic Spirit, which only affects Genji. She therefore warns the Genji that they will certainly die if they get near Kagekiyo.[14]
She further reports the officers were forced to retreat from the tsuchigumo led by Kagekiyo. Afterward, they gathered more officers and set up an encampment on the Kamogawa bridge that leads to the city. Kagekiyo and the tsuchigumo arrived at the river later, but instead of advancing they are holding their position.[14]
Kintoki is confused as the Hasshoujin were supposed to head straight for Suzaku Gate, so he wonders if Kagekiyo has some of sort of attachment to Kamogawa bridge. Danzou is uncertain but reveals Kagekiyo resembles Ushiwakamaru——Minamoto no Yoshitsune. She is sure Ushiwakamaru has reason to hate the Genji given how her brother betrayed her.[14]
Realizing there is no other choice, Raikou orders Kintoki to go to Mt. Ooe and request the oni’s aid. Even though she said that, she contemplates double crossing the oni before they do, but Nursery Rhyme talks her out of it. Nonetheless, given her animosity toward the oni and Tsuna cutting off Ibaraki’s arm the other day, Kintoki is the only person Raikou can send to get help from the oni. Kintoki, Ritsuka, and Danzou then rush toward Mt. Ooe.[14]
Arriving at the foot of Mt. Ooe, Kintoki thinks about his relationship with Shuten. Afterward, he and the others continue onwards to the peak.[14]
There at the fake Rashoumon Kintoki tries to ask Ibaraki for help against Kagekiyo, but she vehemently refuses and sics Hoshikuma on the heroes.[14]
Kintoki defeats Hoshikuma, so Ibaraki decides to wake up Kanekuma when Shuten knocks her out from behind. Shuten agrees to help fight Kagekiyo.[14]
Genji Killer (Second Half)[]
Kagekiyo reveals they are actually the collective form of the thirty-seven Kagekiyos who tried to kill Yoritomo. They later became a legend and were inscribed in the Throne of Heroes as the concept of killing Genji personified. Now, thanks to Naraka Mandala, they were summoned in Heian-kyo in the perfect vessel: Yoshitsune, who too hates Yoritomo, her own brother. They are both Kagekiyo and Yoshitune, and tonight they will annihilate the Genji.[15]
Realizing they had been staring too long at a bridge they do not recognize, Kagekiyo tells Mikasa they will resume their extermination. But while Kagekiyo has no recollection of this bridge, Yoshitsune’s body does, as it is where her battle began. Memories of Yoshitsune’s life are then recalled from her first encounter with Musashibou Benkei on this very bridge to her death as a result of her brother’s machinations.[15]
Kintoki stops Kagekiyo from crossing the bridge, reciting the line Benkei told Yoshitsune. He heard all about Yoshitsune on the way down the mountain. But something about her life bothered him, so he wanted to ask Yoshitsune directly.[15]
Kagekiyo becomes enraged at Kintoki for treating them like Yoshitsune and calls on Mikasa. In response, Danzou, Ritsuka, and Shuten come out to help fight Kagekiyo and Mikasa.
Kintoki fights Kagekiyo all the while suffering from the Genji poison. Fortunately, Shuten is keeping Mikasa away from him and neutralizing the poison by releasing wave after wave of her wine.[15]
Shuten kills Mikasa and Ritsuka seals his soul away. Afterward, Shuten tells Kintoki the Genji poison was actually Mikasa’s miasma mixed in with a spell, so with him gone, the Genji no longer have to worry about it.[15]
Kintoki addresses Kagekiyo as Ushiwakamaru and, again, reenacts what Benkei said to her before their famous duel. This sends Kagekiyo into a rage, prompting them to ascend and Yoshitsune’s personality to take over.[15]
She reprimands Kintoki for pretending to be Benkei and goes on tirade about how she will never forget her grudge towards her brother, who never understood her love, for betraying her. As such, she curses him, Japan, and the Genji. She then fights Kintoki and Shuten.[15]
Kintoki is injured several times in the fight. Shuten tells him Kagekiyo/Yoshitsune is filled with Genji poison, and while he doesn’t have to worry about breathing it in now that Mikasa is gone, he will die if Yoshitsune keeping injuring him.[15]
Yoshitsune declares she will kill the Genji’s ancestors. Kintoki, recalling Ushiwakamaru’s fixation with heads, offers his own to Yoshitsune should she defeat him. But first he wants to know why a hero like her fought.[15]
After a moment of silence, Yoshitsune answers she fought to make the ideals they hold dear a reality, as that is what defines them as Genji warriors. Kintoki then challenges her, so Yoshitsune brings everyone to the Imperial Deathmatch Stage for their battle.[15]
Kagekiyo turns back into Yoshitsune as she dies.
Powered by Ritsuka’s Command Spell, Kintoki defeats Kagekiyo/Yoshitsune with a blast of lightning before they can release their Noble Phantasm. Kagekiyo/Yoshitsune commends Kintoki and confesses they were the source of the Genji poison; Mikasa’s miasama was only a means by which to spread. They encourage Kintoki to follow his ideals and disappears, asking him to not forget their words. Seimei’s talisman ensures Kagekiyo’s soul is not absorbed by Naraka Mandala.[15]
Kintoki wakes up, with the last thing he remembers being firing off that lightning blast. He is glad to hear Kagekiyo was defeated and their soul has been sealed. But because of the Genji poison coursing through his system, he thinks he will die soon. Ritsuka, Shuten, and Ritsuka tell him he isn’t going to die. Shuten even clarifies that Kagekiyo’s hatred for the Genji disappeared while they were talking. Kintoki is glad to hear it and heads back to the Genji house with the others.[15]
Dragon/Divinity of Calamity[]
During the battle against Kagekiyo, however, the fifth Hasshoujin seized control of Mt. Ooe’s oni in an instant, ready to descend upon Kyo.[16]
The remaining Genji warriors and the heroes gather around Suzaku Gate, ready to face the encroaching oni who broke through the Seimei’s Bounded Field from the city’s western edge. Seimei had predicted this would happen and advised the Genji to gather at Suzaku Avenue. The oni are being led by Ibaraki.[16]
While waiting, Kintoki wonders why each pair of Hasshoujin has been summoned at different locations and distances from their destination. Tsuna suspects Seimei’s Bounded Field reacts to the Hasshoujin’s power, meaning the stronger they are, the further they’ll be further from Suzaku Gate when they materialize.[16]
The oni army soon arrives with corpse shikigami accompanying them. Ritsuka and Danzou are incredulous that Ibaraki leads them as they were certain she would never go against Shuten. Ibaraki apologizes to Shuten, not understanding what is happening to her, and mentions “she” and Shuten have the same eyes. She then generates fire to signal the army to advance.[16]
The Genji and the heroes defeat the army, but Ibaraki has no choice but to advance because that is what “she” wants. Not even her desire to get her arm back from Tsuna can stop her. Shuten hits her so hard that her legs are stuck in the ground.[16]
Suddenly, a tremendous amount of magical energy starts concentrating in the air. Medea identifies it as a Heroic Spirit coming out of their spirit form, though she is incredulous that it is distorting the air. Danzou reads this Heroic Spirit’s magical energy levels are at least that of a Lostbelt King.[16]
A female figure manifests before everyone’s eyes. She says she was told she could have the title of Taisai, one of the Hasshoujin, but she had no need for it, for she has always been a god. She introduces herself as Taisai Ibuki-douji———the divided spirit of Yamata no Orochi, the dragon god of disaster. According to Chaldea’s database, she is another side of Shuten.[16]
Commanding everyone to kneel, Ibuki weighs everyone down with a gravitational field. Shuten is unaffected, though, and her power weakens the gravitational field, allowing everyone to raise up and ready to fight. In response, Ibuki grows in size and fights the heroes.[16]
The heroes are unable to penetrate her personal Bounded Field. But Shuten ambushes from behind, shatters the Bounded Field, and injures Ibuki. Danzou realizes Shuten was able to do so because she and Ibuki share the same origin.[16]
Ibuki regenerates and returns to her original size. She then weighs everyone down with a gravitational field stronger than the previous one. She moves to devour them, starting with Ritsuka.[16]
Naraka Mandala blooms
Meanwhile, at the palace, Michinaga ridicules Limbo for failing to acquire the three Heroic Spirit souls necessary to complete Naraka Mandala. Limbo, however, reveals he already fed the souls of Iztpapalotl and Chernobog, both of whom are components of his as a High-Servant, and his own soul to Naraka Mandala. With that, he can make Naraka Realm bloom.[16]
When the Alien God summoned him, he was imparted with a ritual designed to grow a Fantasy Tree. Normally, certain conditions must be met to mature a Tree, but that is why he started the Grail War. Now the Grail is filled with seven souls, though he still needs one more to grant his true wish. Nevertheless, he has Naraka Mandala bloom, blackening the sun.[16]
Rakshasa King - Skull Eboshi Ashiya Douma[]
Through sheer willpower, Kintoki stands up, though he can’t do much else. Ibuki is amused, but decides she should head toward Suzaku Gate now. Before that, though, she will consume three of the heroes, starting with Kintoki. But a projection of Limbo appears and implores Ibuki not to eat them, for they are his honored guests. Ibuki agrees to leave them be.[1]
Limbo confirms that with Naraka Mandala fully blossomed, Heian-kyo is now a Singularity in the process of becoming a Lostbelt. He then reveals the true purpose of Naraka Mandala was to create the perfect vessel for his own personal “Alien God”. As she is a divided spirit of Orochi, he wants Ibuki to become that vessel by having her use Naraka Mandala to elevate herself into a Beast. He will wait for her at the Tree. Ibuki increases the pressure on Kintoki so she can proceed to Naraka Mandala unimpeded.[1]
There, however, recalling the events of the Russian and Scandinavian Lostbelts, Limbo concludes there is no need for two kings and he should become a Beast himself instead.[1]
Meanwhile, the heroes notice the magical energy weighing down on them is weakening, so Kintoki and Raikou dissipate it with their lightning. Everyone gets up no worse for wear and gets ready to head for Suzaku Gate. Shuten even digs out Ibaraki to help now that she is free of Ibuki’s influence. But then Naraka Mandala’s seeds crash down to bar the heroes’ way, so they must be dealt with first.[1]
After several seeds are destroyed, Danzou reports the Genji warriors have recovered and are now battling the corpse shikigami. Thanks to that, the heroes are now free to break through to Suzaku Gate.[1]
They arrive just as Limbo was about to sacrifice Ibuki. Kintoki surmises the two had a falling out and decides to take them both out with the support of the others. Amused, Ibuki agrees to battle the heroes before she kills Limbo. But Limbo takes advantage of her shift in attention to have Naraka Mandala absorb her through one of its branches.[1]
Limbo fuses with Naraka Mandala to become what he claims will be the last Beast ever to exist and the pinnacle of the Evils of Humanity. He declares himself Naraka Mandala Skull Eboshi Ashiya Douma. His Spirit Origin remains unchanged, however, much to his frustration.[1]
Kaoruko suddenly arrives with a letter from Seimei. Seimei tells Limbo that it doesn’t matter how many gods he devours, he will never become a Beast, for he has no love for humanity. Ritsuka even adds that the Evils of Humanity are meant for humans to overcome.[1]
In response, Limbo discards his desire to become a Beast and decides to consume Naraka Mandala in its entirety to become a Rakshasha King, the Skull Eboshi Ashiya Douma. After that, he will kill everyone everywhere.[1]
Sakata Kintoki Is Here![]
Upon hearing what Limbo wants to do, Kintoki declares he will stop him. He now finally understands why it is he fights. It is because he cares, not only for Kyo, but for every living person in the world. So for the sake of their happy uneventful lives, he will stop Limbo.[17]
With a bolt of lightning, Kintoki dons himself in the Settsu Armor Kumano———Golden Huge Bear, rapidly increasing his magical energy. He is the first of the Genji to awaken it, said to be forged from the fragment of a great vessel that drifted from far distant seas.[17]
Ibuki’s voice is then heard from inside Naraka Mandala, having not been completely absorbed. Kintoki amuses her, so she lends him the Divine Sword Kusanagi, causing Limbo excruciating pain when it emerges from Naraka Mandala, to cut down the Tree. Limbo then transports everyone to the Imperial Deathmatch Stage for their final battle.[17]
Naraka Mandala destroyed.
At the battle’s climax, Limbo begs for his life by offering information about the Alien God not even the two other Apostles know. Ritsuka, however, uses two Command Spells to strengthen Golden Huge Bear, allowing Kintoki to severely damage Naraka Mandala with Great Golden Slice.[17]
Danzou, Raikou, Shuten, Ibaraki, and Tsuna follow up by attacking Limbo directly aided by Seimei’s arts. Limbo attempts to activate a powerful Xian Art spell which originated from Vulture Peak to take everyone out with him, only for Danzou to finish him off with Black Arts Decapitation Method - Moonflower.[17]
Warriors' Dreams Are All that Remains[]
After Naraka Mandala disappeared, everything returned to normal, and those who were trapped in the palace were rescued by Raikou and her Four Heavenly Kings. Everyone resumes their daily lives as if nothing happened.[7]
Nursery Rhyme and Medea soon disappear after saying their goodbyes to their respective Masters.[7]
At her manor, Kaoruko reveals she knows Ritsuka and Danzou are from a different time. She eavesdropped on theirs and Kintoki’s conversation with Chaldea the first night they stayed. She even told Babbage about it afterwards. The three are utterly surprised they never noticed her. Kaoruko then leaves to get back to her writing.[7]
Kintoki wonders who his Caster was. Earlier, Seimei told the heroes Limbo was seventh Caster and his Master was the living Douman. Kintoki was the eighth Master, either because of Limbo’s machinations to make the Grail War more enjoyable or by a miracle to thwart him.[7]
Kintoki again thinks Ritsuka was his Caster, so Danzou has to remind him Ritsuka is completely human and thus cannot be a Servant. Regardless, Kintoki and Ritsuka both agree they were the most “golden” partners of all time.[7]
Da Vinci calls, though its audio only as Seimei’s Bounded Field makes it difficult to maintain a connection, to inform Ritsuka and Danzou that she is ready to rayshift them back. Before they go, Danzou informs Kintoki that everyone in Heian-kyo, including him, will forget everything that had transpired. Kintoki accepts it because he is certain Ritsuka will remember it for him and knows the both of them will fight hard for their worlds. Ritsuka and Danzou are then rayshifted back.[7]
From atop the Mt. Arashi, Douman looks upon the happy people of Heian-kyo. Guilt-ridden by what he had done, he breaks down in tears. He miraculously survived both the destruction of Naraka Mandala and Limbo and found himself where he is now. Fearful he will become like Limbo, he tries to commit suicide but Seimei stops him.[7]
Ritsuka and Danzou return and are welcomed back by Mash and Kotarou. They both reprimand themselves for failing to even join the mission. Danzou tells them not to be so hard on themselves as Ritsuka is perfectly fine and succeeded in their mission. The only one they should blame is Limbo. She knows how they both feel, so all they need to do is make up for it on future missions.[7]
Da Vinci congratulates Ritsuka and Danzou on a successful mission. Holmes is glad to know Limbo is gone. Goredolf was also glad to hear it, and while he expecting a report from Ritsuka in 2 hours, right now he is fixing them a meal to recover their strength. Ritsuka is worried about what Limbo alluded to about the Alien God at the end, though. Both Danzou and Holmes assure them it was nothing but more of Limbo’s lies.[7]
At Da Vinci’s behest, Mash starts escorting Ritsuka to the exam room for their check-up. On their way, they run into Kintoki, who asks what he and the others were like. Ritsuka simply answers they were golden.[7]
Participants[]
Servants
| Designation | Identity | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Berserker (Living Hero) | Sakata KintokiWP | Ritsuka Fujimaru |
| Saber (Living Hero) | Watanabe no TsunaWP | Minamoto Clan |
| Assassin | Katō DanzōWP | Ritsuka Fujimaru |
| Caster | MedeaWP (Lily) | Watanabe-no-Tsuna |
| Berserker (Living Hero) | Minamoto-no-RaikouWP | Minamoto Clan |
| Caster | Nursery RhymeWP | Minamoto-no-Raikou |
| Alter Ego | Ashiya DoumanWP | |
| Assassin (Living Hero) | Shuten-doujiWP | |
| Berserker (Living Hero) | Ibaraki-doujiWP | |
| Caster (Living Hero) | Murasaki ShikibuWP | |
| Caster | Charles BabbageWP | Murasaki Shikibu |
| Archer (Living Hero) | Sei ShōnagonWP | N/A |
| Caster | Tamamo no MaeWP | N/A |
| Saber | Suzuka GozenWP | |
| Archer | Tawara TōtaWP | |
| Saber | Ibuki-doujiWP | |
| Caster | Paracelsus von HohenheimWP | Shuten-douji |
| Avenger | Taira no KagekiyoWP |
Non-Servants
| Designation | Identity | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy Tree | Naraka Mandala | |
| Human | Fujiwara no MichinagaWP | |
| Onmyouji | Abe-no-SeimeiWP |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Hell Realm Mandala, Heiankyo - Flash of Roaring Thunder, Act 14: Rakshasa King - Skull Eboshi Ashiya Douma
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Hell Realm Mandala, Heiankyo - Flash of Roaring Thunder, Act 3: Imperial Holy Grail War
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Hell Realm Mandala, Heiankyo - Flash of Roaring Thunder, Act 8: Genji Meeting
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Hell Realm Mandala, Heiankyo - Flash of Roaring Thunder, Act 5: Steel Diaries (Second Half)
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Hell Realm Mandala, Heiankyo - Flash of Roaring Thunder, Act 6: Friends and Children (First Half)
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 6.19 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Hell Realm Mandala, Heiankyo - Flash of Roaring Thunder, Act 7: Friends and Children (Second Half)
- ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Hell Realm Mandala, Heiankyo - Flash of Roaring Thunder, Epilogue: Warriors' Dreams Are All that Remains
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Hell Realm Mandala, Heiankyo - Flash of Roaring Thunder, Prologue
- ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 9.15 9.16 9.17 9.18 9.19 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Hell Realm Mandala, Heiankyo - Flash of Roaring Thunder, Act 1: Fifth Year of Kankou, Heian-kyo
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Hell Realm Mandala, Heiankyo - Flash of Roaring Thunder, Act 2: Heian Warrior
- ↑ 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 11.12 11.13 11.14 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Hell Realm Mandala, Heiankyo - Flash of Roaring Thunder, Act 4: Steel Diaries (First Half)
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 12.8 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Hell Realm Mandala, Heiankyo - Flash of Roaring Thunder, Act 9: Saisatsu Hyoubi (First Half)
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Hell Realm Mandala, Heiankyo - Flash of Roaring Thunder, Act 10: Saisatsu Hyoubi (Second Half)
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 14.8 14.9 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Hell Realm Mandala, Heiankyo - Flash of Roaring Thunder, Act 11: Genji Killer (First Half)
- ↑ 15.00 15.01 15.02 15.03 15.04 15.05 15.06 15.07 15.08 15.09 15.10 15.11 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Hell Realm Mandala, Heiankyo - Flash of Roaring Thunder, Act 12: Genji Killer (Second Half)
- ↑ 16.00 16.01 16.02 16.03 16.04 16.05 16.06 16.07 16.08 16.09 16.10 16.11 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Hell Realm Mandala, Heiankyo - Flash of Roaring Thunder, Act 13: Dragon/Divinity of Calamity
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Hell Realm Mandala, Heiankyo - Flash of Roaring Thunder, Act 15: Sakata Kintoki Is Here!