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« This is the Reverse Side of the World. An imaginary realm that encompasses all possibilities... Imaginary Numbers Space.
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| (Captain Nemo) |
The Concave Imaginary Number Theorem, Imaginary Trench (凹型虚数怪理 イマジナリ・トレンチ?) is a space formed in the normally formless Imaginary Number Space through the machinations of the Evil God of the Flowers during the maiden voyage of Chaldea Security Organization's Nautilus during the Human Order Revision Incident.
The events of Chaldea's visit to this area are covered in an event of Cosmos of the Lostbelt; Imaginary Scramble (イマジナリ･スクランブル?).
Setting[]
History[]
The Submerged Voyage, Deep and Far[]
Someone narrates their only thoughts thus far are to go deeper and further. They are in the Reverse Side of the target world, an impossible to observe domain. It is the deepest and most shallow trap to ever to exist. It is both the closet afterworld and the furthest.[1] Someone narrates their only thoughts thus are to go deeper and further. They are in the Reverse Side of the target world, an impossible to observe domain. It is the deepest and most shallow trap to ever to exist. It is both the closet afterworld and the furthest.[1]
However, it is not their duty to invade the target world, nor to commence a war for its observation. Rather, it is to call for them and remain themself. The conditions have all been met, so they proceed to shut down their consciousness and transfer all their authority to themself.[1]
Someone narrates they have been adrift alone somewhere forever, so they will call for them by their names. They will wait at the unknowable sea within the rainbow dream.[1]
Mash wakes up Ritsuka who has been in the hall staring into space for the last few minutes. She worries the stress of tomorrow’s special mission may be affecting their health, but Ritsuka assures there is nothing wrong.[1]
Moving on, Mash states ever since they enhanced Captain Nemo’s Spirit Origin in India, he can keep his Noble Phantasm, the Nautilus, in reality indefinitely. A ship that can cross the ancient sea of the gods will be crucial for when they go to the Atlantic Lostbelt.[1]
However, while they do need to test the Nautilus to ensure that it’s ready for the upcoming voyage, there is also other essential gear and equipment that still needs to be procured. So while the rest of Chaldea’s staff is busy with that, Nemo, Ritsuka, Mash, and a few other Servants will be taking the Nautilus out for a test run. But Mash advises Ritsuka not to relax as the test run will be an intense training covering many different scenarios, including Imaginary Number Space dive.[1]
As for the Servants who will accompany them, Ritsuka only heard it was narrowed down to four. Mash heard the final decision was to bring Osakabehime, Scáthach-Skadi, and Xiang Yu. Abigail Williams was originally chosen to go, but Sion Eltnam Sokaris took her off because Leonardo da Vinci said the data made it clear the mission would be too much for Abigail. Mash goes to bed after mentioning Sion said she was going to pull an all-nighter so she could search Trismegistus II for entropy.[1]
Ritsuka notices Abigail staring at them. She understands why she can’t come, but she still wishes she could ride the Nautilus with them. Ritsuka promises to bring her next time. Abigail is delighted to hear that, but feels she won’t be ready for a long time.[1]
Katsushika Oui shows up, surprised to see Ritsuka and Abigail still up. She knows Ritsuka is leaving for the Nautilus’ test run tomorrow, so she thought to pain them a treasure ship for good luck. But seeing her fellow Foreigner depressed, she asks Abigail to paint with her. Abigail ultimately agrees, with Ritsuka staying up with the two Foreigners a while longer at Oui’s request.[1]
The next morning, Ritsuka runs for the docks and arrives only a few milliseconds late. Goredolf Musik reminds them the success of the test run will be the clearest indicator they will be able to infiltrate the Atlantic Lostbelt. It is therefore imperative they focus at all times to ensure the mission’s success. Ritsuka leaves, thanking Goredolf for his advice.[1]
After they’re gone, Sion reveals the test run’s second purpose is for Ritsuka and Nemo to get to know and trust each other better. Her hope is that their relationship will become as strong as the rest of Chaldea. Goredolf and Da Vinci aren’t worried about that since Ritsuka is already fond of Nemo.[1]
However, Sion admits she is confused why Trismegistus II decided the Servants it chose were the best fit for the mission. Her concerns aren’t about Trismegistus II but the environment in which such Servants will be necessary. She questions, for example, what sort of environment would lead Abigail to being a recommended addition. It makes her wonder if removing her was the correct choice.[1]
Da Vinci sees Sion’s point, but there is no other choice but to remove Abigail since they can afford to have three Servants go. She and the others then start preparing for the next operation.[1]
In the Nautilus, Nemo finishes harshly scolding Ritsuka for their tardiness, telling them they will be on time for everything while on his ship. Mash promises to reflect on her failure to ensure Ritsuka got enough rest last night.[1]
Nemo asks the others if they are ready to set sail. Skadi says she is ready, eager to follow Nemo’s instructions. Osakabehime says she isn’t but will stay since Ritsuka wants her to. Xiang Yu meanwhile is thinking about how his beloved Yu Mei-ren thrashed about on the floor when her requests to accompany him on this mission were denied. He assures he is ready and recommends they set sail immediately. The Nautilus dives.[1]
Later, after a training session, Xiang Yu requests a ten-minute break and leaves. Ritsuka feels something off with him today. Osakabehime and Skadi both decide to rely on Ritsuka’s judgment on this matter. Everyone then takes a break.[1]
In the cockpit, Mash, having watched the training simulation, expresses how impressed she was with everyone’s teamwork. But she states for the next phase they will simulate an unexpected encounter with a hostile marine force during a shallow water dive and practice diving into Imaginary Number Space to evade it all on their own. It makes her nervous knowing Chaldea will be unable to observe them once they’re in Imaginary Number Space. On that note, she decides to go over the navigation manual again and leaves to let Ritsuka rest.[1]
Xiang Yu repeatedly enters and leaves the room, doing various things without explanation. First, he fiddles with the instruments, then he puts down a large wooden crate, and finally paints a symbol on the wall.[1]
Ritsuka and Mash are both left confused, but hope thanks to his precognition that Xiang Yu will have a good reason for his bizarre actions in time. Nemo is mad though and tells Ritsuka to keep an eye on Xiang Yu.[1]
Seeing it’s time, Nemo then begins the training session for using Zero Sail to evade a threat. He initiates said Zero Sail after informing Chaldea they will be back in twelves hours.[1]
Meanwhile, at the docks, Sion, Da Vinci, Goredolf, and Sherlock Holmes all believe the test run will go without a hitch. But Mysterious Heroine XX suddenly appears hinting she’ll be needed soon before diving into the water, telling the others to trust her that the test run will go smoothly. Her unintentional warning leaves the senior staff feeling less sure nothing will go wrong with the test run, especially since she became a Heroic Spirit on her intuition alone. [1]
Sion then announces Trismegistus II has calculated that everyone is in a dream, much to the confusion of the others.[1]
The Unknownable Reef[]
(1/2)[]
Following a successful Zero Sail, Nemo hands command of the ship over to Ritsuka and Mash per emergency regulations. He reminds everyone they will be cut off from the Wandering Sea for a while as planned, which means he’ll lose his connection to Sion, effectively making him a Stray Servant. He can last longer than the average Servant thanks to his connection with the ship’s Magical Reactor, but he will still disappear if he is depleted of magical energy. So if anything happens to him, he wants Ritsuka to get everyone back to Real Number Space. On that note, he and Ritsuka form a temporary contract.[2]
After reintroducing the Nemo Series, Nemo explains each has their own personality as the sole requirement for them to act autonomously. The exception is the Marines, who are effectively one person sharing twelve bodies. Each of the Series also has their own private memory.[2]
Moving on, Nemo tells Ritsuka that their first duty as acting commander is to each part of the Nautilius in action for themselves. After that, he will have them undergo a training program that will brief them on the process of emerging into Real Number Space. Finally, they will practice undersea warfare in the simulator for which he’ll joining them.[2]
But suddenly the alarm sounds. Also, the sonar used in Real Number Space is active for some reason. The alarm is warning that the ship is around to run aground, but Nemo reminds the panicked Osakabehime that there is no ground in Imaginary Number Space. Osakabehime admits she is still struggling to understand concepts like Imaginary Number Space and Real Number Space.[2]
Skadi explains Imaginary Number Space contains all possibilities, for it is unobservable. It is the Reverse Side of the World, an unobservable territory where the established laws of physics do not exist. As a result, there is no possibility here that cannot be assumed to exist in some form.[2]
Ritsuka is confused by what she means by unobservable, as they can see strange rainbows outside. Skadi explains what they’re seeing is merely an illusion made observable thanks to the Zero Sail’s technology. Everyone sees the rainbows differently. Conversely, even if there were beings that resided in Imaginary Number Space that would be unable to observe or interact with anything from Real Number Space for the two are incompatible with one another. It should, therefore, be impossible for any obstacles to exist in Imaginary Number Space.[2]
Nemo assumes the alarm is a glitched caused when Xiang Yu was fiddling with the instruments. To his surprise, Xiang Yu is in the room even though he was absent the Nemo Series’ introduction. Xiang Yu apologizes for his absence and the insufficient explanation he is about to give. He tells everyone to cover their ears.[2]
He suddenly screams at the top of his lungs, all the while painting on a bamboo scroll and gives said scroll to Ritsuka once he’s finished. He says his body is unsuited for the upcoming battle, so he opted to take numerous advance measures in preparation. Advising that they stop the ship and open the box, he leaves the room to rest, wishing Ritsuka good luck.[2]
Ritsuka orders the ship to be stopped, but Nemo and his partitions agree the sonar is merely malfunctioning. Nevertheless, they comply with the order when the Nautilus crashes into something.[2]
Marine and Professor report the hull has been penetrated, and rainbows—Imaginary Numbers—are leaking inside. Professor warns everyone will die if the flood isn’t stopped, so Nemo orders Section 4 through 6 to be abandoned. He also orders the evacuated sector welded shut, and barriers and Bounded Field to be set up to isolate observation. Ritsuka, refusing to let Marine and Professor die, uses a Command Spell to teleport them to the control room.[2]
Nemo realizes the fact that Marine and Professor drowned in Imaginary Numbers means Imaginary Number Space is now observable. He suspects someone or something has altered Imaginary Number Space, making so everyone can see the same rainbows, meaning Real Numbers and Imaginary Numbers can observe one another. As such, the heroes will go insane if they observe or interact with Imaginary Numbers.[2]
Something suddenly attacks the ship. Ritsuka opens the crate that Xiang Yu placed and told them to open. Inside, they find Mash’s swimsuit, along with a message from BB. She foresaw what would happen and prepared a secret weapon, referring to the swimsuit. Unfortunately, she couldn’t make more since Xiang Yu requested it so suddenly. The letter ends with saying she’ll be at the Far Side of the Moon to avoid being accused of being responsible for this incident.[2]
Ritsuka uses a Command Spell to change Mash into her swimsuit instantly. Mash goes out to fight the hostiles, feeling as if the swimsuit will allow to go outside.[2]
When Mash returns victorious, she describes how the swimsuit not only lets her observe Imaginary Number Space as if it were Real Number Space, but also increases her physical abilities. Her victory relied mostly on luck, however, since she couldn’t see the enemy.[2]
Nemo reveals the abandoned sectors contained their computers, observation devices, torpedoes, pantry, and a plethora of magical energy resources. As a result, the Nautilus’s potential cruise time dropped to ~150 hours. Everyone could have been dead by now if it weren’t for the preparations Xiang Yu made beforehand.[2]
Mash opens Xiang Yu’s scroll to find it has a sea chart; Osakabehime surmises his roar was a wide range echolocation scan. The chart shows they’re currently in a maze-like trench, also marking their current location, a recommended route, and a destination.[2]
Ritsuka decides to summon a Servant for extra help. Nemo worries another Servant will only deplete their already depleted resources faster. But he relents when Mash says it’s the only strategy and Professor confirms they have enough energy for one more Servant with Xiang Yu resting.[2]
He informs Ritsuka that even though in Imaginary Number Space, they’re still on Chaldea premises and the ship has summoning functionalities, making it akin to a Chaldea branch office. That means they can use the Spirit Origin graph to summon a Chaldean Servant or one they connected with in the past. Nemo suggests letting Professor choose, though, her limited personnel selection routine Sion implanted in her mind can determine the ideal Servant even if it seems incomprehensible.
Ritsuka agrees, only for a Foreigner-class Servant they don’t remember to be summoned. The selection routine had apparently glitched out and summoned a Heroic Spirit from the Throne instead of the Spirit Origin graph.[2]
Nemo is disappointed the ideal Servant they wanted wasn’t summoned. Nevertheless, he asks for her True Name and special skills. She introduces herself as Yang Yuahan, better known as Yang Guifei——Emperor Xuanzong’s queen consort whose beauty influenced all of China.[2]
Mash asks Guifei if she knows why she materialized as a Foreigner. They are exceedingly rare even among the Extra classes and much is still unknown about them. The only thing that is certain about them is that they can disturb the very laws of the world. Fortunately, Abigail and Hokusai are aware of their nature and have agreed to keep themselves in check and help Chaldea with its mission. Mash asks Guifei if she is the same and if she will help them during these dire circumstances.[2]
Guifei promises to help, revealing her hearing is good enough to hear outside. She has been hearing someone outside pounding on the ship saying “there are enemies coming!”[2]
Mash requests permission to go out and rescue this person, but Nemo refuses to let her go out there alone. Skadi, however, reassures him that won’t be a problem anymore and changes herself and Osakabehime into swimsuits. She promises to explain later, but what’s important right now is that they have more people who can go outside to fight enemies and rescue whoever’s out there.[2]
Ritsuka is still worried, though, about the fact the enemy can’t be seen. But Guifei reveals since the trench is filled with a false light, she can use her flame illusions to imbue the enemies with the appropriate visual concept to make them somewhat visible. Basically, she can determine the enemy’s position, size, and class through sound, and project an image that matches. Mash, Skadi, and Osakabehime then go outside[2]
Mash confirms Guifei’s support is working. Guifei warns the voice has been getting weaker, suspecting they’re desperately hanging onto the ship’s port side hull. She urges Mash to rescue them before they lose their grip.[2]
Skadi doesn’t seem she’ll be of any help, so Osakabehime tells Mash to find this mysterious person while prepares an origami rescue team. Mash sees them and leads Osakabehime to them at her request since she is too nearsighted. Once they’re in her sight, Osakabehime sends her rescue squad to retrieve them.[2]
The group then return with their rescuee. She introduces herself as a Foreigner with her True Name being Van Gogh.[2]
Five hours have passed without another attack, and Van Gogh is already cooperating. Guifei wonders she’ll be able to go outside too, asking Skadi how she made it possible for herself and Osakabehime.[2]
Memory chio branded with an Imaginary Numbers Magecraft formula made and sent by BB.
Skadi reveals the swimsuit BB had sent was embedded with a memory chip branded with an Imaginary Numbers Magecraft formula. When the chip is installed in a spirit’s clothing, it makes the wearer compatible with Imaginary Number Space and increases their physical capabilities. However, it’s only for Servants with a swimsuit Spirit Origin or those who acquired a swimsuit in the past. Skadi can duplicate the chip using her runic magecraft.[2]
Mash questions if Van Gogh is Vincent Van GoghWP and if she really is an ally. Nurse reports Van Gogh’s blood is unique compared to other Servants, with her spiritron composition and reaction suggesting she is using a non-human vessel. She also confirms Van Gogh is undoubtedly female.[2]
Skadi doesn’t see the issue since there seems to be a precedence for genderswapped Heroic Spirits in Chaldea. Mash explains there has always been a reason for why certain Servants materialized as a gender different from what is known, such as those whose genders were lost to history or misrecorded, had male names referring to the unit rather than the individual, and unique cases. But the commonality between them is that they’re all from time periods with very few reliable historical records. Meanwhile, Vincent van Gogh was from the 19th century and there is plenty of visual evidence to confirm he was male.[2]
Ritsuka recalls an earlier conversation with Van Gogh, whose accounts matched historical records. However, she avoided all subjects regarding her gender.
Nemo suggests she is either deluded into thinking she’s Van Gogh, Van Gogh himself with his gender and memories confused by an abnormality in his Spirit Origin, or a hostile impostor. It’s also worrying she doesn’t truly understand she is a Foreigner. But because she’s already provided valuable information about Imaginary Number Space, everyone agrees she isn’t an enemy. Ritsuka decides to enter into a temporary contract with her.[2]
At that moment, Nemo has everyone leave the room so he can have a private conversation with Ritsuka. Professor even puts up an audio jamming Bounded Field so not even Guifei can overhear them. Nemo tells Ritsuka he thinks he might know who Van Gogh really is.[2]
Meanwhile, outside the room, a Marine serves Mash and Guifei nonalcoholic cocktails. Unfortiunately, Mash gets drunk from the cocktails somehow and presses the self-destruct switch Skadi had found in the storeroom.[2]
RItsuka and Nemo hear the resulting explosion. Professor reports someone had activated the self-destruct switch that was made for April Fools’s. A Marine reports everyone’s hair has been singed, but otherwise they’re fine.[2]
Guifei at first assumes the ringing in her ears is from the explosion, but quickly realizes it is an enemy attack and warns everyone.[2]
Van Gogh enters the bridge and explains Imaginary Number Sea monsters are very sensitive to sound. Only Skadi is available for combat, as Mash is drunk, and Osakabehime is gone. Since she alone isn’t enough, she forces the Imaginary Numbers formula on Guifei so she can fight outside. Van Gogh joins them after contracting with Ritsuka.[2]
After achieving victory, Skadi realizes Osakabehime ran away because she realized the tactic she was about to suggest: Send Osakabehime out to reconnaissance by firing out of a torpedo tube.[2]
Osakabehime is captured and brought to the bridge, where Skadi’s intentions for her are explained. Because the monsters attack everything that makes sound, it is too dangerous to use sonar to locate them. That is why Skadi proposes using Osakabehime as the divination she uses to prepare her Noble Phantasm is essentially a wide range cursed-scan used to distinguish friend from foe. It also doesn’t rely on light or sound, so it can be used to detect enemies without risk of detection and has a range of 600 meters.[2]
Osakabehime agrees to be shot like a torpedo after Ritsuka offers to use one of their Command Spells any way she likes.[2]
Nemo explains there are four areas they need to get through to reach the goal. Until a region is assuredly safe, the Nautilus will wait on the margin of each area and send Oskabehime out to probe the area. Once enemies are detected, she, Van Gogh, and Guifei will be sent to eliminate them. Meanwhile Mash will stay to act as a last line of defense and Skadi will work with Professor as head of engineering.[2]
The conversation then turns to how they have very little resources; food, magical energy, and materials for repairs. Van Gogh suggests eating the monsters for food and magical energy like she did while adrift.[2]
After a battle, it is confirmed the monsters can be processed into food and magical energy. It is therefore decided the combat team will double as a resource provisional team. Then, tying monster entrails to her to act as a lifeline, Osakabehime is launched.[2]
(2/2)[]
Later, while working out, the Marines inform Ritsuka that Professor and Skadi found a way to convert enemy carcasses from Imaginary Numbers to Real Number, making them edible.[2]
Mash comes in to retrieve Ritsuka as Nemo has called for an emergency briefing on the bridge about the recent discovery he made.[2]
At the bridge, Nemo says there is good news and bad news. For the good news, he reveals Van Gogh could only eat the Imaginary Number Sea monsters as they were because of her unique Spirit Origin. Professor took a sample of her blood and discovered it can convert Imaginary Number beings into Real Number beings. She also discovered after further research that monsters are essentially a renewable source for everything they need.[2]
But the bad news is first it is confirmed they cannot currently resurface into Real Number Space. Even without the damage to thee shape, it is impossible to resurface because the current Imaginary Number Space lacks the concept of depth. As a result, the spells the Paper Moon uses to employ the necessary concepts for reemergence are currently Any attempts to resurface will either result in nothing happening or crashing into a reef because of the glitched coordinates.[2]
The other bad news is that Osakabehime had discovered a monster measuring 80 meters long. That makes bigger than the Nautilius, so Nemo calls it an enemy ship. The combat team is sent out to prevent it from reaching the ship.[2]
Unfortunately, they soon become overwhelmed. Ritsuka calls for a retreat, but the lifelines are snagged. Worse, Guifei hears reinforcements coming. Fortunately, Van Gogh uses her Noble Phantasm to rescue the combat team, allowing the Nautilus to ram on through. None of the combat team save Van Gogh seem to remember how they were rescued.[2]
The Thunder Shooter's Fishing Ground[]
(1/4)[]
Reaching the second area, Nemo tells Ritsuka to summon another Servant, preferably someone who possesses a large solid projectile Noble Phantasm to act as anti-ship artillery. Ritsuka summons Minamoto-no-Raikou and uses a Command Spell to change her into her swimsuit.[3]
After the situation is explained to her, Raikou reassures she will use her Noble Phantasm to eliminate the enemy, providing the Nautilus with torpedoes of a sort.[3]
Skadi adds Raikou’s powers can also improve the size and scope of their recon capabilities. Raikou concurs, explaining she can send out an envoy of Gozu Tennou and have them scan by sending out waves of lightning. Unfortunately for Osakabehime, that doesn’t mean she is off recon duty as they need as much recon as possible. In addition, Raikou making her interpret the results of her scans.[3]
Van Gogh wonders if her class would change if she wore a swimsuit, but she knows that could never happen. Nemo asks her if there is something worrying her. Van Gogh denies there is and leaves the room, claiming she is just enjoy her second lease on life making pictures with the paint Skadi provided.[3]
Then at Guifei’s request, everyone except her, Ritsuka, Nemo and Mash, leave the room so she can tell something confidential. She admits she lied about not remembering the details of the rescue, revealing that Van Gogh’s Noble Phantasm, Le Père Tanguy, involved her painting an old man surrounded by various objects. Said objects then came to life and rescued the combat team. The fact Van Gogh was able to make what she painted in Imaginary Number Space into Real Number-based objects worries Guifei. She leaves the room after divulging all that.[3]
Since the Imaginary Number Space naturally lacks monsters and/or obstacles, Nemo suspects Van Gogh may have created them with her Noble Phantasm.[3]
Mash acknowledges everyone thought Van Gogh was suspicious from the start and while she doesn’t believe she is an enemy, she still recommends they keep a closer watch on her going forward. Nemo agrees, concerned at how Van Gogh doesn’t seem to know who she is.[3]
Van Gogh catches Guifei trying to eavesdrop on the conversation. Guifei leaves reassuring Van Gogh that as a fellow Foreigner she will always be on her side.[3]
(2/4)[]
Later, Raikou destroys an Enemy Ship with her Noble Phantasm inscribed with runes to prevent spatial vibration.[3]
Afterward Ritsuka shows Van Gogh around the Nautilus, during which she undergoes Ascension, when something suddenly hits the ship. The two of them rush over to the bridge.[3]
At the bridge, Nemo reports countless small enemies are attacking the outer Bounded Field, and orders the combat team to eliminate as silently as possible.[3]
After the battle, Nurse heals the injured Servants in the infirmary. However, it seems Van Gogh’s Ascension is causing her issues, so Nurse wants to study it for any adverse effects. She leaves to get Professor to help her once Van Gogh agrees to be studied.[3]
Ritsuka exits the infirmary to find Nemo, Mash, and Guifei waiting for them. Nemo tells them they need to make a decision on how to continue treating Van Gogh. He worries she could pose a danger given her mental instability, the changes to her Spirit Origin as a result of her spontaneous Ascension, and the fact is a Foreigner. He also considers the possibility Guifei was summoned to act as a deterrent against Gogh for when she reaches her final Ascension.[3]
He then mentally retrieves Nurse’ medical report on Van Gogh, but it’s unsubstantial. Regardless, he suggests either putting her Spirit Origin in hibernation like Xiang Yu, or put in a isolated room. Ritsuka rejects his suggestions, as everyone hasn’t decided yet if Van Gogh is dangerous or not. Nemo challenges Ritsuka to a fight, believing their decision could potentially endanger everyone.[3]
Ritsuka defeats Nemo with a full party of Servants, so Nemo agrees to follow their orders. In private, he confesses to Ritsuka he gave them the final decision regarding Van Gogh to them because he and his partitions were conflicted.[3]
Later, after she is released from the infirmary, Ritsuka and Van Gogh have an all night painting session. It seemed like she enjoyed teaching Ritsuka how to paint to Mash, but Ritsuka feels like she trying to distract herself from her problems.[3]
(3/4)[]
Everyone is later called to the bridge. Van Gogh has returned to her first Ascension, having done so because it requires less magical energy and is less depressing.[3]
Nemo enters and reports as of a few minutes they have pasted their 150 hour time limit and called everyone so to congratulate them. To commemorate their hard work, he and Skadi have prepared a feast. Everyone heads to the mess hall for the feast, though Guifei thought she heard something.[3] Unfortunately, the feast is interrupted when the ship is attacked. Nemo finds it strange the enemy found them as he was certain the ship was running silently. At his behest, the combat team heads out and eliminates the enemy.[3]
Resuming the feast, Raikou starts a karaoke session complete with a karaoke machine coming out of the floor unexpectedly. Nemo reassures a concerned Mash it is fine for them to sing since they already eliminated all enemies in the area.[3]
(4/4)[]
Nearing the second area’s exit, Nemo reports there are a number of enemy ships blocking their way. But he already has Raikou in position, and according to their calculations, the battle should be over with about six lightning strikes of her Noble Phantasm. There is a risk, though, that the enemy counterattacks and calls in reinforcements. So Nemo wants the combat team on standby just in case, and if needed, they will use the Nautilus Noble Phantasm. The operation will begin in 600 seconds, but first Nemo wants to speak with Ritsuka privately.[3]
Now alone with Ritsuka, Nemo calls in Raikou, even though she was supposed to be outside the ship. He confesses he had her investigating on his behalf for anything suspicious or anyone acting suspiciously.[3]
Raikou reports she had found nothing suspicious and no signs of suspicious behavior from anyone during the previous attacks. That includes Guifei and Van Gogh. There weren’t any loud noises produced in or by the Nautilius prior to the attacks.[3]
Nemo reveals Guifei said she heard a strange noise she couldn’t pinpoint before the attack. If true, he suspects said noise was the enemy’s pinger, meaning the enemy has begun searching for them. It would seem the enemy is learning or evolving, so the crew is cleared of any suspicion, at least now.[3]
Raikou confesses her singing karaoke during the victory feast was a ploy to see if anyone in attendance would act suspiciously, but nothing happened. Nemo further reveals the song was prerecorded and used a polar opposite waveform to ensure it cancelled out before it got outside. If the ship was attacked during that time, it’d mean the sound made was irrelevant and the suspicion that someone among the crew is remotely controlling the enemy would have more credence. Raikou then leaves to eliminate the enemies barring the Nautilus from entering the next area.[3]
While Raikou is eliminating the enemy ships (which aren’t even retaliating) however Guifei hears that strange sound again and warns an ambush is coming. Nemo orders the combat team to be ready to deploy when Osakabehime reports that the ambusher is another enemy ship.[3]
Nemo asks Professor to tell Raikou to switch targets to the new enemy ship. But Professor refuses as calculating Imaginary Number Space coordinates and entering them into the homing spell inscribed on Raikou’s Noble Phantasm is an advanced and delicate operation and will take her at least 300 seconds. Nemo thinks they may have no choice but to use the Nautilus Noble Phantasm, even with Raikou still out there.[3]
Van Gogh changes into her second Ascension and offers to paint a platform where Raikou is currently standing so she can continue fighting. While she does, the Nautilus can slowly reverse, luring the enemy ship targeting it away from Raikou so Nemo can use his Noble Phantasm to destroy it safely.[3]
Going with Van Gogh’s plan, Nemo orders the combat team to protect Raikou while she focuses on destroying the enemy ships from Van Gogh’s platform. He will use his Noble Phantasm to eliminate the enemy ship at point-blank range once the Nautilus is far enough from Raikou and the combat team. The combat team then heads out.[3]
Unfortunately, while the plan does succeed, the combat team’s platform suddenly falls apart and the shockwave from the Nautilus Noble Phantasm blasts away. Communication with them has also been lost. Worse, they cut their lifelines in preparation for the attack so now they are adrift.[3]
Ritsuka summons Meltryllis and Skadi presents her with an Imaginary Numbers Space. Melt refuses to wear anything made by BB until Ritsuka convinces her to rescue the combat team. She assimilates the chip and sends out her penguins to rescue the combat team.[3]
Afterward, however, everyone witnesses Gogh suddenly gnaw on her own arm. She is taken to the infirmary, where she eventually calms down. Her outburst was apparently the result of her being confused about what had happened. Melt suspects Ritsuka is aware that she has something else mixed in.[3]
Idle Talk 1[]
Meanwhile, back at the Wandering Sea’s docks, with it now just her and Da Vinci, Sion reaffirms Trismegistus II’s previous calculation that they are in a dream. She doesn’t know if they’re all characters in the dream who will vanish once the dreamer wakes up, but she is almost certain the dreamer is Ritsuka. The very fact they’re discussing it right must mean the dreamer is observing them, so perhaps they are only mental constructs of Ritsuka’s unconscious mind.[4]
Moving on, Sion asks Da Vinci if they should leave the Nautilus to its own devices or try to do something to help. Da Vinci responds that they have no way of intervening, plus there is no sign anything has gone wrong. Nevertheless, she suggests they could try a forced rayshift using Goredolf’s connection with Ritsuka as an anchor.[4]
Sion declines that suggestion as they do not want to inadvertently risk a dream becoming reality. If someone who definitely exists is made to intervene in a normally non-existent world, the latter would end up incorporating the former. In this case, the world that the Nautilius crew are currently in would be the dream. Those at the Wandering Sea are technically part of that dream, but they also exist outside. They are in a reality-based while the Nautilius crew is in a dream within a dream.[4]
Trismegistus II then calculates there is an 80% likelihood of the dream becoming real.[4]
Rallying Cry from the Calmest Region[]
(1/6)[]
Ritsuka and Nemo take Van Gogh to the bridge where it is announced she will serve as an advisor from now. In addition to Van Gogh’s new position, Nemo also wants to increase their recon abilities even further for the third area so to find and eliminate every last enemy and for that he needs Osakabehime, Raikou, and Melt to help.[5]
Melt admits with her penguins and Authority it would be trivial to send them out on silent recon missions. But doing so requires her to go out into the Imaginary Number Sea herself to command them. She agrees to do it though at Ritsuka’s insistence.[5]
Nemo tells Guifei he wants her to stay on the ship from now since sonar is critical to their operations. Also, while the ship’s defensive Bounded Fields are stronger now, he wants Mash to stay as well as a last line of defense. Guifei and Mash both understand Nemo wants them to be near Ritsuka and Van Gogh in the event of a worse case scenario.[5]
Raikou, meanwhile, will remain the core of the Nautilus' offensive strategy in addition to her recon duties.[5]
Professor announces they have entered the third area. Osakabehime scans the area and discovers a swarm of smaller enemies right outside the ship. There is also an enemy ship about three times the size of the Nautilus, about 200m ahead.[5]
Guifei hears the smaller enemies have just sent out a ping simultaneously and now they’re all swarming toward the ship. The Nautilus crew battle the swarm.[5]
The swarm is defeated, but Guifei still can’t hear the giant enemy ship Osakabehime mentioned. Osakabehime affirms it is out there having been scanning the area every ten seconds and the other scouts’ data support her. The only reason Guifei can’t detect is because it isn’t making any sound.[5]
The giant enemy ship suddenly moves, allowing Guifei to finally hear it. She hears it moving away from the Nautilus so Osakabehime assumes that means they’re safe when Guifei hears it firing a beam. Said beam destroys a landmass in the opposite direction, the aftershock of which rocks the Nautilus.[5]
Considering how strong just the aftershock was, Nemo and Professor agree the beam was at least as powerful as an A-rank Noble Phantasm. Professor doubts they could survive a direct hit even with their new armor.[5]
Nemo wonders if the beam was a warning shot, telling them not to proceed. If so, that would suggest the enemy is intelligence, but Nemo saves that for discussion for later. The Nautilus proceeds further in.[5]
(2/6)[]
Following many battles, it becomes very clear the third base is absolutely packed with enemies. There hasn’t been any sign of the giant enemy ship, though, since the crew's first encounter with it, so Osakabehime presumes it is the “lord” of the area.[5]
Professor refutes Osakabehime’s assertion, recounting the dissections and research she and Skadi performed on the Imaginary Number Sea creatures proved they are not animals. Rather, they are more akin to marionettes only moving in response to stimuli. There has been very slight behavior diversity between them over time, but there isn’t currently enough variety to suggest a leader unit.[5]
Skadi and Ritsuka both suspect someone is controlling the creatures. However, Nemo states that is only speculation at the moment. Nevertheless, the giant enemy ship could attack at any moment, so Osakabehime and Guifei must keep a watch out for it. The ship then suddenly comes under attack by a swarm of enemies.[5]
After the battle, Nemo tells Osakabehime and Guifei to stay on the bridge at all times for now. As for long-range scans, he wants them to work alongside Professor to engineer a viable technology for remote operations. But he understands this double workload for the two of them isn’t sustainable, so they’ll need to think of a longer-term viable solution.[5]
(3/6)[]
Later, while on patrol, Ritsuka runs into the Marines and notices one of them holding something. One of them accidentally blurts out Guifei gave it to them, which confuses Ritsuka since she is supposed to be on the bridge.[5]
Guifei suddenly appears, much to the confusion of Ritsuka. She reveals she had duplicated herself using her Divinity in conjunction with Memory Partition she learned from Professor and Skadi’s runes. She did so she could multitask and did the same for Osakabehime as well.[5]
Good luck charm made by Yang Guifei
She then gives Ritsuka one of the good luck charms she made, which is what one of the Marines was holding. She starts to talk about how proud she is of it despite its creepiness when she senses her other self at the bridge has detected enemies. The alarm goes off, so Ritsuka rushes over to the bridge.[5]
Later in the hall after the attack is dealt with, Raikou reports to Ritsuka there is still no suspicious activity and promptly leaves. Melt, who was in spirit form, heard the whole thing and now knows Raikou has been spying on everyone.[5]
Ignoring that for the moment, she asks Ritsuka what they make of the giant enemy ship. She won’t fight unless absolutely necessary and believes Raikou and the others can handle it.[5]
However, certain they know what the true threat is, she warns Ritsuka they need to be wary of what’s happening inside the ship rather than outside. It is for that reason she is glad to know they have someone keeping an eye on everyone and, thanks to that, she can focus on helping everyone else.[5]
Ritsuka thanks her, but Melt reminds them that in contrast to BB’s claims of wanting to help, the Sakura Five is rather apathetic toward humanity’s fate. She is only here helping because circumstances demanded it. But no matter how strong the mastermind or how much of a threat they pose to humanity, it is up to Ritsuka, not her, to stop it. She warns them not to trust anyone else and leaves, pointing out the fact BB decided to help must mean the situation is extremely bad.[5]
A Marine comes up to Ritsuka and reveals himself as the Marine who nearly drowned in the Imaginary Number Sea when the Nautius collided with that reef at the beginning. He very much appreciates Ritsuka saving him even though Nemo can just recreate him.[5]
Ritsuka notices Marine also has one of Guifei’s good luck charms, but it looks different. Marine admits he drew swirls on the face’s cheeks because he thought it looked cuter and to differentiate it from everyone else. He and Ritsuka then get back to work.[5]
(4/6)[]
Eventually, the crew encounter the giant Enemy Ship, but they’re able to get past it without incident. However, a surprise attack comes from behind.
After the ambush is dealt with, outside the bridge, Gogh suggests attacking the large Enemy Ship point-blank, thinking it can’t defend itself from such attacks. Plus, with Melt they can silently approach it. They might damage it surprisedly easy if they have a strong enough weapon to use at close-range. Osakabehime praises Van Gogh as a smart strategist on top of being a genius painter.[5]
Professor finds Van Gogh’s strategy feasible if the next Servant summoned has a powerful close ranged Noble Phantasm. But between that and the repairs and improvements being made to the Nautilus, she recommends collecting more resources.[5]
Ritsuka and Mash return to the Bridge to formulate a plan for acquiring resources. Van Gogh, meanwhile, thinks it’s wrong to call her a strategist. She is just good at entrapping people.[5]
(5/6)[]
After enough resources are collected, Ritsuka summons Frankenstein and uses a Command Spell to change her into her swimsuit. She very quickly befriends Van Gogh and asks her if she is a monster too much to the surprise of Mash and Nemo. She leaves the bridge with her agreeing to model for her.[5]
Osakabehime and Guifei report an incoming attack. Ritsuka thinks Frankenstein would be perfect for this when Van Gogh returns with her. The combat team head out and eliminates the enemy.[5]
The battle tired Frankenstein, so Skadi offers to let her nap in her workshop. She needs to work on her Noble Phantasm, anyway. Frankenstein goes with her along with Van Gogh, who wants to finish her sketch.[5]
Nemo tells Ritsuka he doubts they can avoid talking around the issue any longer. He asks them when they think they can bring it up. Ritsuka is unsure, still wanting to give her a chance.[5]
Osakabehime, unaware of what Ritsuka and Nemo are discussing, wonders if she should interrupt and join them. Mash tells her it’s best to let Ritsuka and Nemo handle it, believing as the ones in charge of the ship, they are the best ones to do so. Guifei agrees, telling Osakabehime the best way to help is to do their jobs.[5]
(6/6)[]
Later, the crew goes over their plan to destroy the giant enemy ship before confronting it. First, Melt and her penguins will silently bring the combat team right alongside the enemy. Next, Frankenstein will cut its armor and from there Raikou will finish it off with her Noble Phantasm. Mash, meanwhile, will stay to defend both Raikou and the ship.[5]
The Nautilus soon arrive at the giant enemy ship’s——Enemy Ship Alpha——designated position and thus begins the operation to destroy it.[5]
Alpha makes a loud sound as it dies and Guifei unexpectedly collapses, bleeding. Nemo calls for Nurse to come in and demands Professor to explain what happened.[5]
Professor surmises whatever sound Alpha made actually wounded Guifei because of her delicate hearing. Worse, though, is that because she transferred most of her Spirit Origin to her clone, Guifei made her main body weaker to the point a fatal injury could cause her and her clone to disappear.[5]
Nurse arrives and learns Guifei had tweaked to boost her audio sensitivity without giving thought to the risks. Guifei apologizes she wanted only to want as much as possible. Ritsuka uses all their Command Spells to try to restore her Spirit Origin at Nurse’s behest. It is useless, though, and Guifei begins to disappear.[5]
Van Gogh decides to use her Noble Phantasm. She knows its effects and how to use it, but never spoke about it because it’s dangerous. It proves she is an enemy to humanity, but she doesn’t want Guifei to disappear, so she’ll use it.[5]
She activates her Noble Phantasm De Sterrennacht, a Reality Marble depicting the painting from which the Noble Phantasm got its namesake through which an Outer God glares. Any Foreigners look upon it now will be deified while everyone else will be driven insane. Van Gogh therefore implores the latter to close their eyes when a white flash occurs.[5]
The deification restores Guifei’s Spirit Origin, but as a side effect, her Spirit Origin changed to her third Ascension. Van Gogh is glad the deification didn’t go any further, otherwise Guifei wouldn’t be a Servant. However, it seems the Ascension had affected Guifei’s personality, as she offers to serve everyone and her beloved emperor for giving her a second chance at life. She notices the change and changes back to her second Ascension, restoring her original personality.[5]
Van Gogh concludes her Noble Phantasm is too dangerous, knowing with a single mistake every Foreigner can become a threat to humanity. Her Noble Phantasm in itself is a threat to humanity. She admonishes herself as a pathetic excuse for a Heroic Spirit and believes she has no right to serve Ritsuka.[5]
Ritsuka refutes her, telling her they still need her help. Nemo agrees, telling if she truly was an enemy of humanity she would have killed everyone with her Noble Phantasm at any time. But she hasn’t and will not, which tells him without a doubt she is on humanity’s side.[5]
He, Ritsuka, and Guifei all want her to stay. Van Gogh is moved by their kindness and promises to do everything to help. In her thoughts, however, she sinisterly remarks “Just kidding.”[5]
Idle Talk 2[]
Sion and Da Vinci discuss how they can increase everyone’s chances of survival just in case the dream does become real. Sion thinks they could determine the situation with the Nautilus crew through one of the Servants they summoned. She realizes, though, thanks to Da Vinci, that wouldn’t work as the Servant would be summoned into the dream and forget everything upon waking.[6]
Gilles de Rais arrives and is informed of the situation by Da Vinci. He concludes the current situation is an invasion from another world. Da Vinci realizes he is talking about those fictional stories he and the Foreigners are supposedly based on. She is skeptical of said stories, though, since magecraft cannot verify if they’re actually harmful.[6]
Agreeing, Gilles explains the outer universe is a place of fiction that transcends reason, making it difficult to predict or defend against. He offers to share what little knows with Sion and Da Vinci. They accept his offer at Sion’s insistence.[6]
The Unthinkable Dissolving[]
(1/3)[]
Upon entering the fourth and final area, the Nautilus is hit by an enemy ship’s beam. However, neither Guifei nor Osakabehime could tell where the attack came from. Nemo wonders if the enemy is using white noise to mask the sound of their attacks. Skadi calls from their workshop saying she’ll study the enemy’s new adaptation as soon as they’re out of harm’s way.[7]
(2/3)[]
After several more stealth attacks, Nemo and Ritsuka both agree to retreat to a calmer area. Guifei, however, suggests sending out a ping to scan the terrain since she has been hearing strange reverberations from the enemy attacks. Nemo agrees, so Guifei plays a note on her pipa to send out her ping and there is no retaliation.[7]
Guifei reveals the exit is blocked and updates the chart to show it. Skadi reiterates her theory the Imaginary Number Sea creatures are being controlled by someone. If true, this mysterious entity is either telling the crew they’re going to kill them slowly or they shall not pass. She suggests following the latter when another attack hits the ship.[7]
Nemo has the ship stopped, and after a while Skadi’s theory is proven true. Ritsuka notices he is looking pale. Nemo admits the stress of the situation is getting to him and worries it will wear down his confidence in his abilities as captain if he doesn’t snap out of it. He decides he needs to be alone.[7]
Ritsuka tells everyone to take a break. Van Gogh asks Nemo if she can stay with him, but he declines and leaves the bridge. Van Gogh laments she can’t do anything to repay Nemo for helping her.[7]
She wonders to herself if it is because she isn’t really Van Gogh. However, all her memories and knowledge say she is Van Gogh, despite some inconsistencies. The only reason she can’t bring herself to believe it is because she lacks conviction and wonders what she can do to show it. Blood splatters and Van Gogh begins to speak in R’lyehian.[7]
(3/3)[]
Ritsuka goes to their room to think about the whole situation when they get a surprise visit from Frankenstein since their room is cool. She notices they seem tired and asks what is wrong. Ritsuka admits they’re having trouble figuring out who the mastermind could be. They wish they had someone smart to give them a hint when they remember something. They leave their room in pursuit of it, accompanied by Frankenstein.[7]
They find bloodstains out in the hallway when Raikou appears ready to keep the two safe, having felt something was amiss. Monsters then suddenly appear.
Raikou and Frankenstein slay them, only for more to appear. Raikou says she’ll carve a path to the bridge, but Ritsuka points out the blood leads to the cargo hold. The three thus cut their way to the cargo hold.[7]
Cargo hold
Meanwhile, Nemo finds Van Gogh in the cargo hold bleeding (from self-inflicted wounds). Van Gogh asks Nemo to punish her, finding it strange she can’t die even though she is Van Gogh. Nemo is shocked to see her blood creates monsters.[7]
Van Gogh is no longer certain of her identity. If she isn’t actually Van Gogh, then the crew no longer needs her, especially when she just creates monsters. She therefore requests Nemo kill her, saying he’d be doing everyone else a favor.[7]
Before Nemo can even respond, Ritsuka bursts into the room with Raikou and Frankenstein. Ritsuka promises Nemo to explain, but first they need to subdue Van Gogh for her own protection. The heroes fight Van Gogh and the monsters spawned from her blood.[7]
Van Gogh collapses at the end of the battle. Nurse is brought in to treat her wounds. Ritsuka, Raikou, and Frankenstein leave for the bridge, cutting down any monster in their way.[7]
They arrive and find Mash, Osakabehime, Guifei, and the Marines are all safe. But calls for reinforcements from all over the ship indicate the monsters are everywhere. Ritsuka, Raikou, and Frankenstein head out to slay the monsters.[7]
After the monsters are all slain, everyone gathers at the bridge. Professor and Skadi reveal Van Gogh didn’t create the monsters from her blood, rather her blood was used as a catalyst to summon them. The monsters will stop appearing once her blood is cleaned up.[7]
Skadi suspects a spell inside Van Gogh’s body activated automatically regardless of her will. Professor disagrees, saying they can’t discount the possibility the whole commotion is part of an elaborate suicide attempt. The Nemo series is conflicted about what to do about Van Gogh.[7]
Ritsuka decides they need to solve the mystery and points to the drawing Xiang Yu made on the wall before everything started. They deduce it is a Go piece and reveal the enemy is hiding where the squares on the monitor intersect, similar to how in Go pieces are placed on the intersection between the squares, not the squares themselves. They posit the monitor, which they call game board-like, had observed a gap between the spaces of existence.[7]
Professor realizes that might explain the strange display glitch on the monitor. But she wonders if observing the Imaginary Number Sea through a buggy monitor had actually created the spatial gaps. Guifei seems to agree, but Ritsuka disagrees, believing someone distorted Imaginary Number Space using the monitor as a guide.[7]
Skadi suspects a Foreigner created the spatial gaps, presumably inspired by the game board-like monitor. They know without a doubt Guifei was summoned from the Throne after this incident began, so the most likely suspect would be Van Gogh.[7]
Everyone starts arguing until Ritsuka tells them to stop, saying they need to verify the gaps theory first. Professor agrees and takes Guifei and Osakabehime with her to construct a magecraft function based on the gaps theory, and update the monitor once it’s done.[7]
Professor later confirms the gaps theory to be true. She and the others also found a way to adjust their targeting coordinates to aim at the gaps and devised movement spells to let the ship’s weaponry to reach them. They can finally eliminate the enemy hiding in the gaps, so all that remains is to give the signal to counterattack.[7]
Raikou wants to test it out right now, but Melt thinks they should take care of their internal dispute first. Raikou jokes the best strategy for internal disputes is to give an external enemy to focus on. But on the matter of Van Gogh, she asserts she is innocent, having found no evidence proving otherwise.[7]
The Marines refuse to believe Van Gogh is innocent and start a mutiny calling Van Gogh’s execution. The conflict overloads Nemo into an unresponsive state. Professor warns if a Marine is killed while Nemo is in this state, he will not be able to recover their data or Spirit Origin, which will cause severe issues. They can try “rebooting” him, but the other Nemo series must authorize it.[7]
Xiang Yu uses his Noble Phantasm at minimum power to knock out the thirteen Marines. He is awake because he is calculated the incident would be concluded by now, yet it hasn’t. He apologizes his foresight was limited in regard to these events. Even so, the fact everyone is still alive must mean the three things he left for Ritsuka served their purpose.[7]
Ritsuka, however, points out Xiang Yu actually gave a fourth hint just now. Everyone (except Osakabehime and the Servants summoned after the incident began) remembers Nemo said they are twelve Marines. Professor is shocked an impostor could infiltrate the Nemo series when they’re all using Memory Partition.[7]
Skadi believes that served as the blind spot for which the culprit to take advantage of. The Nemo series share their senses and thoughts but overreliance on sight meant the impostor could blend in if they acted like the others. The fact none of them could detect the impostor’s thoughts and senses also made it easier.[7]
Ritsuka deduces the fake Marine is Oui. Oui removes her disguise and asks Ritsuka how if they knew it was her. Ritsuka explains the Marines are all essentially the same person, yet the fake was only who wanted to customize their good luck doll. They also remember she showed them one of her famed paintings——Kan’u Kappizu or Operating on Guan Yu’s Arm, which depicts Guan Yu ignoring the pain of his wound while playing Go. Oui confesses she remembered that painting when she looked at the game board-like monitor.[7]
She then reveals her father is currently acting as an antenna to the Outer God. She also created nearly every problem encountered to stop the ship from going any further. It was because she wanted to stay in the Imaginary Number Sea. calling it a painter’s dream come true.[7]
Her father, however, wasn’t convinced. She disobeyed him for once and knocked him out, deciding she was getting on the Nautilus no matter what. She used Item Construction to bypass the ship’s scans and easily stowed away when her vital signs were knocked out as a result of her Foreigner Spirit Origin fighting for dominance with her Saber Spirit Origin.[7]
Guifei asks Oui if she has sworn loyalty to the Outer God. Oui laughs that it is the furthest thing from her mind. All she wants to do is stay here and paint all she can. She asks Ritsuka to keep the ship for 200 years or so, but Ritsuka refuses so Oui turns hostile. Believing she was summoned to stop Oui, Guifei and the others fight her.[7]
Pushed back, Oui confesses she came to the Imaginary Number Sea because a voice from its deepest depths was calling to her. She and Guifei start charging their Noble Phantasms when Van Gogh enters the room. She had caught Nurse by surprise and tied her up.[7]
Oui figures she is the one who called her, but she realizes she isn’t Vincent Van Gogh. She tries to ask for her true identity, but Melt knocks her out.
Van Gogh realizes what Oui said was true and asks Ritsuka if they know her Heroic Spirit’s true identity. Suddenly the Marines all start saying ClytieWP, a name Nemo has been keeping himself, repeatedly. Van Gogh recognizes the name and turns into her third Ascension.[7]
But even after hearing that, she still can’t help but think of herself as Van Gogh, nor can she escape his memories. She therefore intends to die somewhere deep and far away so she will not bring trouble to everyone and teleports away. Everyone agrees with Ritsuka they need to find her.[7]
Later, Nemo has recovered. The Marines who were acting erratically have had their personalities suspended for the time being. The rest of the Nemo series are still functioning as usual, but they’re still divided on what they to do next. Nemo confesses that is largely because he is still is conflicted about the situation himself.[7]
Frankenstein says Oui is currently locked up, but she looks sane. Raikou adds Oui’s father has regained consciousness, though he claims not to remember anything. Melt recommends they keep Oui locked up just in case she goes crazy again.[7]
Skadi reveals she and Professor examined Oui’s Spirit Origin graph and discovered her Skills were illegally modified. Her Father-Daughter Bond Skill, which she used to resist the Outer God, was severely weakened. Conversely, her Item Construction Skill was vastly improved.[7]
Believing the Skill modification is the method by which the Outer God influenced her, Skadi has already equipped Oui with a Mystic Code which should counteract the weakening effects on her Father-Daughter Bound Skill. Fortunately, Oui has been cooperative ever since she was captured, so she shouldn’t be a concern for the time being.[7]
Guifei asks who Cyltie is, so Mash tells her story. Clytie was the Oceanid lover of Apollo, but he yearned for LeucothoeWP, daughter of OrchamusWP, the king of Persia. Clytie grew mad with envy upon learning Apollo lost interest in her and influenced the king into executing his own daughter. However, Clytie never regained Apollo’s love like she hoped and instead lost it forever. She regretted her actions, but she never abandoned her love for the sun. She kept gazing at the sun and eventually turned into a flower.[7]
Nemo confesses Van Gogh’ss flower girl motif reminded him of Clytie when they first met. The flower Clytie turned into in her myth was a heliotrope, which means “to always face the sun”, but later retelling depicted it as a sunflower instead. Vincent Van Gogh often used sunflowers in his paintings to represent the sun’s warmth.[7]
However, both he and Clytie tended toward self-destruction. Vincent’s unbridled passion lead him to self-harm while unrequited love had led Clytie to do what she did. Her turning into a flower could be seen as punishing herself. Despite being of different backgrounds and genders, Clytie and Vincent have much in common.[7]
Nemo deduces Van Gogh’s Spirit Origin is Clytie, yet her memories are all Vincent’s. He isn’t sure if she is a High-Servant like Melt thinks she is. He only knows that, unlike him and her, Van Gogh is melded together from disparate parts of a female nymph and a male artist. Her very existence is a contradiction, so it isn’t a surprise she is unstable.[7]
Skadi realizes Van Gogh’s instability is the Outer Gods’ intent, able to understand its thinking somewhat due to being a god from a Lostbelt. She theorizes the Outer Gods seek to use Imaginary Number Space as an outpost to invade the modern-day Earth.[7]
To achieve this, they summoned Van Gogh to Imaginary Number Space, where she proceeded to call Oui and waited for the crew. Van Gogh also ordered to create a base and recruit and deify Chaldea’s Foreigners. It seems summoning Heroic Spirits to Imaginary Number Space proved too costly for the Outer Gods to amass their army that way, so they took advantage of Chaldea’s Servants and access to Imaginary Number Space.[7]
In answering Van Gogh’s call, Oui became mad, warping her Skills, and making her amendable to the Outer Gods’ desires. Just like they planned, she stowed away in the Nautilus and transformed Imaginary Number Space into a sea. If she wasn’t stopped, it is likely she would’ve succumbed to madness completely and painted a temple for the Outer Gods, which they would use as their outpost.[7]
Skadi theorizes the Outer Gods planned on having Van Gogh use her Noble Phantasm to deify the other Foreigners once the temple was complete. It is the final phase of their plan through which they meant to descend upon Earth.[7]
However, Skadi believes Van Gogh had no desire to betray the crew, which is why the Outer Gods fused her with Clytie. She learned from Vincent’s history that while he yearned to connect with gods beyond the stars, he would never willingly participate in their plans if they were evil in nature. The life he lived was proof of that.[7]
Mash realizes Skadi is saying Vincent committed suicide because he learned his painting Starry Night had inadvertently invited an Outer God into their world. Skadi clarifies Vincent would rather die than fall under the Outer Gods’ influence.[7]
Vincent’s absolute refusal to obey them obviously caused a conundrum on the Outer Gods since they desired his Noble Phantasm above all others. Therefore, they created their own Heroic Spirit to fulfill their needs by implanting Clytie with Vincent’s memories and talent. Clytie’s refusal to end her life would counteract Vincent’s unconscious need to commit suicide so not to ruin the Outer Gods’ plan. With suicide no longer an option, if Van Gogh succumbed to madness, she would have no compunctions using her Noble Phantasm. If that happened, it would only be a matter of time until the Outer Gods’ temple was completed, like they planned.[7]
Melt suggests they honor Van Gogh’s wish and kill her since she cannot kill herself. The fact she abandoned the only people who could fulfill her wish may be a sign her madness has reached its peak, though. Van Gogh is only step from entering her final most dangerous plan so if they want to save her from that fate they need a plan that’s just, kind, wise, and smart.[7]
Everyone agrees to come up with a plan to save Van Gogh while stopping the Outer Gods. Xiang Yu then reveals calculated Van Gogh would separate herself from the others. The current area will be where they will reencounter her, but Xiang Yu warns to expect fierce battles so they need to be prepared.[7]
Idle Talk 3[]
Gilles has finished describing the Outer Gods to Da Vinci and Sion. According to him, the Outer Gods are huge, gross, and powerful. The typical laws of physics and magecraft do not apply to them, making communication difficult. They claim ownership over the Earth and claim to have invented its lifeforms. Earth would turn into something weird and grotesque if they were in charge of it. Most of them have been imprisoned. They generally act independently, but some are allies, some are enemies. They are, despite appearances, are not immortal metaphysical or conceptual beings and are flesh and blood creatures with finite lifespans.[8]
Da Vinci concludes the Outer Gods’ options for intervening with Earth are limited. She thinks they could leverage the Outer Gods’ opposition to one another as a means to drive them away. In the worst case, it’s possible to destroy them using physical, magecraft, and other worldly means.[8]
Asked about the opposition between Outer Gods by Da Vinci, Gilles explains some believe each of the Outer Gods belongs to one of four factions. While he personally finds the idea preposterous, there is clear some gods innately oppose each other because of their conflicting natures.[8]
Abigail and Hokusai are friends, but Gilles fears with how the current situation is proceeding it is only a matter of time until they encounter a truly hostile Foreigner. He is certain there is a god who opposes Hokusai, and the same is true for Abigail. Chaos would be unleashed if two Foreigners who are enemies were to fight. However, opposing Foreigners can act as a deterrent to one another. It is for that reason Gilles is for keeping the Foreigners around, arguing they also prevent a far greater threat from occurring.[8]
Sion asks Gilels what he thinks Foreigners actually are. Gilles believes them to be genuine heroes because the fact the Outer Gods can only enter our world by taking a Heroic Spirit as a vessel proves our world is impenetrable and indomitable. He also sees no need to fear the madness the Outer Gods would bring, since humans can create chaos without their influence. That chaos creates Anti-Heroes, who go on to create legends of terror, and all of it is welcomed by the Throne.[8]
Gilles is essentially saying Foreigners are Anti-Heroes. However, they are still creating their legends and doing so in the way all the other Heroic Spirits did in their lifetimes. That is why Gilles doesn’t fear them and instead welcomes new additions to the class.[8]
The conversation is briefly interrupted when XX returns from diving and goes off to get something to eat. Sion asks Gilles where XX fits into all of this. Gilles laughs nervously, playing dumb.[8]
Getting back on topic, Gilles admits he is still uneasy about a Foreigner who could mediate a conflict between two Foreigners appearing.[8]
The Bottom of the Sea Blooming and Yielding[]
(1/2)[]
The crew eventually locate Van Gogh thanks to Guifei repeatedly sending her the same message: “Shallower! Higher!” However, they discover her body has mutated into a spherical flower measuring 3km in diameter. Nemo wonders if it is a side effect of Clytie’s Spirit Origin, like she is blooming instead of killing herself. Osakabehime feels it’s closer to a bud.[9]
Skadi theorizes Van Gogh’s transformation is a contingency plan of the Outer Gods. In the event she failed to deify enough Foreigners they would turn her into a god in her own right. If true, it would make her both an undercover agent and a ticking time bomb.[9]
Nemo says they need a plan that will let them break through the flower’s shell with their current firepower and asks for Skadi’s help. Skadi agrees but suggests turning to a malefactor.[9]
Ritsuka, Mash, Nemo, and Skadi speak with Oui in the cargo hold where she is kept prisoner. She is upset they called her a malefactor and claims to not remember what transpired, but everyone knows that is an obvious lie. She is ashamed of what happened, but everyone assures her no one blames her since she was made to do it. They only imprisoned her as a precaution, but there is no longer any need and, in fact, need her help given she painted the Imaginary Number Sea into existence. Oui agrees to help.[9]
Returning to the bridge, Oui reveals she cannot paint anything into existence in Imaginary Number Space now that she has been cut off from the Outer God. She further reveals the gaps aren’t for hiding like the crew thought they were. Rather, they work like a real Go board, meaning any area they surround becomes their territory. So if they can make the area Van Gogh is in their territory by capturing the four surrounding gaps, they can warp inside her.[9]
Nemo says they will capture the four gaps with as few people as possible. Once that is done, they will go inside the flower and rescue Van Gogh at its center. Afterward, they will use Raikou’s Nobel Phantasm to destroy the flower from the inside.[9]
Skadi decides the rescue team will consist of Raikou, Melt, and Frankenstein. Raikou will assume torpedo duties, Melt will be the escort, and Frankenstein will rescue Van Gogh. Ritsuka will be unable to accompany them so Frankenstein should carry a camera so they see what is happening.[9]
As for who will capture the four points, Guifei and Osakabehime can seize one each since sonar isn’t a concern here. Mash needs to stay to protect the ship, so Skadi decides she will seize a point herself even though wearing a swimsuit embarrasses her greatly. Oui will seize the last point; Skadi has already prepared a swimsuit for her. Ritsuka uses a Command Spell to put it on her instantly.[9]
Suddenly a very loud screech shakes the ship; it is Van Gogh’s voice coming from within the flower, telling the crew to stay away. Swarms of enemies then head toward the ship. Guifei doubts the ship’s autonomous defenses can handle them all, so the combat team heads out to fend them off.[9]
Van Gogh can tell Guifei’s voice calling out to her she and everyone else want to save her. But she believes they shouldn’t, considering herself too dangerous and feels she has no right to be with them.[9]
She is no longer certain of who she is, wanting to die because she is Vincent, but refusing to die because she is Clytie. But none of that matters, for she only needs to follow the Outer Gods’ orders to use her Noble Phantasm to deify other Foreigners. Even if her mind self-destructs due to overload, she can still fulfill her main objective by engaging her core consciousness and letting her divine form bloom. She is glad her life has a purpose even if she cannot stand it or herself and is certain Vincent and Clytie would feel the same way.[9]
Ritsuka feels something is off with the enemy attacks. Mash and Professor agree as half of the enemy warheads contain A-rank explosives while the other heals. If they weren’t hitting at the same time, the ship would have sunk long ago.[9]
Guifei realizes this is Van Gogh’s doing. Nemo takes it to mean she is conflicted over whether to give herself over to the Outer Gods’ influence or rid itself herself of their influence. As a Phantom Spirit himself, he can tell she is trying to fight their influence. Ritsuka suggests to Nemo since that they’re both Phantom Spirits, maybe his voice can get through to Van Gogh.[9]
Nemo immediately has Guifei amplify his voice so it can reach Van Gogh. Calling out to Van Gogh, he asks her to give herself so he may gain a sense of self. He promises her no matter what name she choses she will not be abandoned and she will be rescued.[9]
The enemy projectiles are all fully converted into support resources. Van Gogh then addresses the Nautilus crew declaring herself Clytie van Gogh telling them if they can accept that name she’d be happy if they saved her.[9]
(2/2)[]
Inside Van Gogh's flower body.
After the four points are secured, Frankenstein and Melt warp inside the flower, with Ritsuka seeing everything through Frankenstein’s camera. They eventually find Gogh buried in a wall when the .Evil God of Flowers speaks through her.[9]
It demands Frankenstein and Melt leave, saying that while De Sterrennacht may have failed to activate, it has grown to the point it can’t be destroyed through conventional means. But it reassures them even after its plan concludes it will invade not Earth for another millennia. It promises when it does, all intelligent life will be unharmed and allowed to coexist. Frankenstein refuses to listen to its lies, and fights it to rescue Van Gogh.[9]
She defeats it, but the Evil God of Flowers questions the heroes if they believe they can leave here alive when its true body still lives. Frankenstein cuts Van Gogh free and tries to escape with her when the Evil God of Flowers blocks them with its vines. It also cuts communications with the Nautilus when Frankenstein requests support.[9]
Van Gogh decides to use her Noble Phantasm, reassuring Frankenstein it isn’t De Sterrennacht. However, she will need a whole minute to paint, so she asks Frankenstein to buy her time. Frankenstein does just that fending off the Evil God of Flowers’ attempts to stop Van Gogh.[9]
With preparations complete, Van Gogh activates her other Noble Phantasm: Het Gele Huis. It is another power Vincent acquired from the beyond, bringing blessings to Van Gogh’s friend and disaster to her enemies. It empowers Frankenstein, allowing her to break free of the Outer God’s clutches with Skewered Plasma Blade. However, as a side effect of Van Gogh’s Noble Phantasm, both she and Frankenstein are cursed.[9]
After reuniting with Melt, the three of them escape from the flower which Raikou destroys from the inside with her Noble Phantasm.[9]
The Evil God of Flowers contacts the crew, accepting it lost due to lack of foresight. But it also claims they in turn refused their chance at the second-best outcome they could’ve hoped: a peaceful, gentle destruction. It finds it a pity and bids the crew farewell.[9]
Firing a Salute to the Abyss[]
With back on everyone on the Nautilus, Nemo announces Operation: Imaginary Scramble is complete and without a single casualty, for which thanks to the entire crew.[10]
As for how they will be leaving Imaginary Number Space, Skadi and Van Gogh have already discussed it. Van Gogh explains the area has a plethora of resources floating around from the wreckage of her spirit body. If they combine those resources with the surplus already on the ship, then the Nautilus can convert them into pure magical energy and into a Holy Grail.[10]
Fortunately, the current abundance of magical energy means Van Gogh can easily meet those conditions to create a Grail by altering Imaginary Number Space a little. Said Grail can then be used to return the space to normal and give it additional protections to make future invasions more difficult. After that, the Nautilus can emerge from Zero Sail and Chaldea can collect the Grail.[10]
While Van Gogh is making the Grail, Ritsuka asks Frankenstein what after they lost contact. Frankenstein tells them Van Gogh used another Noble Phantasm. Mash presumes it was Le Père Tanguy, the one she used to rescue the combat team early one. Van Gogh, however, reveals she cannot use that Noble Phantasm, though she can still paint the picture.[10]
Ritsuka remembers it was Guifei who first brought up Le Père Tanguy when Xiang Yu suddenly tries to kill her. He fails and is defeated by Guifei's counterattack. He apologizes to Ritsuka that the rest is up to them and collapses.[10]
Guifei snatches the Grail Van Gogh just finished making. Raikou and Melt try to stop her, but her flames keep them from approaching her. Guifei reveals she carefully researched everyone so none of them could stop her in this moment. She then fills the bridge with a curse.[10]
The Marines suddenly grab Skadi, Osakabehime, and Melt from behind. Melt cannot liquify her body to escape for unknown reasons. Baker is also speaking in R’lyehian. Nemo’s root-level authority is unable to reverse what is happening.[10]
Guifei explains she gave out gifts and ensured all her based were covered while waiting for everyone to drop their guard. It’s the final stage, and she is overflowing with eldritch, so she decided now was the time for her to make a move.[10]
She explains eldritch power is an indescribably evil power from the outer universe. It’s often tied directly to madness and is used by the Outer Gods to bring about great disaster. They used it to glitch out the summoning system so it would connect from the Throne. Guifei changes into her third Ascension, telling the others that while she bears them no ill will, her ultimate goals and their contained existence are mutually exclusive.[10]
Van Gogh believes her usage of De Sterrennacht had turned Guifei into the Outer Gods’ ally. Guifei corrects her she was always their ally, revealing she came to Imaginary Number Space because she called. Van Gogh refuses to believe that as the Evil God of Flowers only had her call out to gods of the same alliance. Out of all of them, Hokusai was the only one who answered.[10]
Guifei reveals her beloved emperor vacated a seat for her and ordered her to take advantage of it. Thus, she made her way to the Throne and answered the summon just as planned. She then calls Ritsuka her emperor, putting them in a trance.[10]
Unable to speak, Ritsuka is manipulated into commanding Guifei to bring forth depravity or destruction. Fortunately Frankenstein destroys the good luck doll Guifei gave Ritsuka, allowing them to speak again. Ritsuka tries to rescind “their” command, but it is too late, as Guifei uses the Grail to activate the summoning system.[10]
Abigail and XX are summoned, though Gufei could have sworn she summoned a third Servant. But believing the current number will suffice, she proceeds to infuse all present Foreigners with eldritch power. They’re changed into their third Ascensions (expect for XX who goes to her second) and driven insane (except for Van Gogh).[10]
Still calling Ritsuka emperor, Guifei refers to the Foreigners as the dancers they had requested. Now they will hold a festival of indescribable madness where they will vie for control over of the Imaginary Number Sea and the winner will earn the right to rule over the next era on Earth. The Great Foreigner Festival Imaginary Number Sea Scramble that Ritsuka “asked” for is about to begin.[10]
Ritsuka tries to tell Guifei they never asked for anything of that. But it is now clear to Melt that Guifei had only pretended to be sane from the very beginning. Then, at Guifei’s behest, the Foreigners leave the Nautilus to take the Imaginary Number Sea for themselves. Only Van Gogh stayed as the eldritch power didn’t render her insane, presumably because her link with her Outer God was severed when its terminal was physically destroyed.[10]
The Marines and Baker all return to normal thanks to Frankenstein destroying the dolls Guifei gave them. Skadi concludes they can stop the Foreigners’ rampage by destroying the terminals feeding them eldritch power from the Outer Gods. The crew can then restrain them once they’ve come to their senses.[10]
Skadi suggests Van Gogh use De Sterrennacht, believing it can be used to remove the Outer Gods’ terminal from each Foreigner, thereby severing the link between the two. Van Gogh agrees to do it, wanting to be of more help now that she is free of the Evil God of Flowers’ machinations.[10]
Though she is sure the Foreigners will be fine once their madness is removed, Osakabehime asks what should be done about Guifei since it seemed her madness ran deep. Melt and Raikou both want to kill her, but Ritsuka refuses to let that happen.[10]
Wu Zetian then addresses the crew, having been summoned with Abigail and XX but went unnoticed during the commotion. Mash thinks they might be able to return Guifei to her senses with Zetian as she is the grandmother of Emperor Xuanzong, Guifei’s beloved emperor. Zetian agrees to help and so the Nautilus crew sets out to stop the Foreigners.[10]
Idle Talk 4[]
Gilles suspects the mediator he mentioned could be the third younger sibling of Hokusai’s Outer God and their rival. He knows little of them, not even their general disposition, but he believes this third siblings may be planning to mediate the disputes between the disparate factions of the outer universe.[11]
Da Vinci thinks they have nothing to wrong even if the Outer Gods were reunited as one against them because, like Gilles said, not even Foreigners can escape the constraints of being a Servant. So once they encounter Ritsuka, they will be unable to resist their charms, having formed a contract with every type of person. Da Vinci is therefore confident that once this mediator gets to know Ritsuka, they will be charmed and contract with them, then convince the remaining Foreigners to follow their lead. The Outer Gods’ invasion attempt is thus already a failure.[11]
Gilles agrees with Da Vinci, doubtless Ritsuka will be able to reach a peaceful resolution. He then returns to his workshop inspired by the discussion to begin work on a new creation. Da Vinci leaves as well, concluding they at least put the dream’s mind at ease about Foreigners.[11]
Voyager arrives curious about what Sion, Da Vinci, and Gilles were discussing, assuming it was about outer space. Sion confirms they were, adding they learned a lot from Gilles’ mostly delusional ravings. While what he said is certainly fantastical, it is by no means impossible, so there may very well be another universe of the kind he posited.[11]
Agreeing it is possible, Voyager confesses he has felt someone from a distant star calling to him too when Erice Utsumi catches him. She has been worried ever since he floated away suddenly to the docks and drags him back to finish their tokoroten cooking battle. Voyager complains he wants to join the Great Foreigner Festival, but Erice ignores his pleas, reminding him he is only an honorary Foreigner.[11]
Sion thinks it’s a bad sign that even a Foreigner like Voyager, who is inarguably from our world, is being influenced. But since there is nothing she can do about it, she decides to just hope Nemo is enjoying himself and to have some dreams of her own.[11]
Sea of the Foreign Deities[]
(1/5)[]
Abigail Williams' territory
The Nautilus arrives at Abigail’s territory, which is filled with childish drawings. Van Gogh heads out wearing a camera like Frankenstein did at Nemo’s behest.[12]
Ritsuka introduces Abigail to Van Gogh, whom Abigail recognizes as another painter like Hokusai. Hokusai had invaded her territory earlier, but left after taking one look around saying it had “character”. Abigail presumes Hokusai thought her drawings were terrible because she is a talented and believes Van Gogh is laughing at her on the inside as well.[12]
Van Gogh denies she is and says everyone’s drawings look like Abigail’s when they first start drawing, including her own (Vincent’s). She truly believes Abigail is bound to be a greater artist than her when she grows up, if she is already drawing this much.[12]
Unfortunately, Van Gogh’s habit of laughing when she is nervous leads Abigail to believe she is indeed mocking her. Fed up with drawing and the Foreigner turf war, Abigail demands Ritsuka take her on a picnic with just the two of them to make up for leaving her behind. Ritsuka tells her to wait until she is older, so Abigail changes into her swimsuit, turning her more deranged.[12]
Van Gogh defeats Abigail in the ensuing battle and uses De Sterrennacht on her to sever the link with her Outer God. As a result, Abigail reverts back to her original first Ascension and regains sanity, though she can’t remember what just transpired.[12]
Teary-eyed, she apologizes to Ritsuka, believing they hate her because she has been a bad girl. She has gotten used to life in Chaldea, but it’s still mostly adults. As a result, she gets lonely and inevitably ends up leaning on Ritsuka. Part of her is even happy to see them scramble to help her. Thus, when Guifei encouraged her to act on those feelings, they manifested stronger than ever and she even enjoyed being bad. She cries that she really is a witch and believes she has no right to be by Ritsuka’s side.[12]
Ritsuka tells that isn’t true. Mash tells her she thinks many of the evil-aligned Servants are well aware of when they do evil acts and so regret their crimes in life and strive to be better people as Heroic Spirits. She also thinks the kind of evil Abigail spoke of is something everyone has inside them. The fact Abigail is aware of it and tries to control is wonderful, especially considering many good-aligned are unaware they sometimes act in monstrous ways.[12]
Abigail is happy that she can stay in Chaldea. Van Gogh changes into her first Ascension and asks Abigail if they can be Foreigner friends. Abigail accepts having always a friend closer to her age.[12]
(2/5)[]
Mysterious Heroine XX's territory
The Nautilus crew next goes to XX’s territory, where she has created multiple Imaginary Number revenue streams for herself. But everything has become so empty to her and she has decided to embrace that emptiness. Still, she attacks the heroes, insisting she is not jealous of Van Gogh and calling for death to all Foreigners but herself.[12]
Van Gogh defeats her and cleanses her with De Sterrennacht, restoring her sanity and reverting her to her first Ascension. XX immediately apologizes for what she had done.[12]
Sympathizing with XX’s financial troubles, Van Gogh confesses to her she (Vincent) too had a hard time making a living, having only ever sold one painting her entire life. She had day jobs too, but only managed to pay for paints and models thanks to her parents and her brother TheoWP’s support. Even then, she could only do that by skimping on food.[12]
XX asks Ritsuka if Van Gogh really is Vincent van Gogh and concludes she cannot win a misery contest with a starving modern European artist. Ritsuka tells her the point is she and Van Gogh were both wronged by society. Van Gogh offers to be her friend, one understands her struggles.[12]
XX confesses she actually lost all of her eldritch power some time ago. But she is still scarred from working at that one super toxic company that she can’t be certain she won’t succumb to this despair again someday. Van Gogh’s encouragement, however, has inspired to live her best life and promises to repay her by helping her out of her despair someday. She is disappointed and confused, though, when Van Gogh admits her despair mostly comes from borrowed memories.[12]
Mash recommends they hurry to the next Foreigner since the situation here has been resolved. Nemo agrees but asks XX what it was that drove her insane if it wasn’t eldritch power. XX admits she isn’t sure herself, as the Servantverse doesn’t have anything like an outer universe. Van Gogh jokes it was obviously the great evil god known as capitalism.[12]
(3/5)[]
Katsushika Hokusai's territory
The Nautilus next goes to Hokusai’s territory, which is filled with ukiyo-e depictions of various sea creatures. Mash asks him why he answered Guifei’s call even though his Father-Daughter Skill should’ve been restored and if he is still linked to the outer universe even now.[12]
Hokusai confesses Oui agreed to let him borrow her Spirit Origin so he could get a turn at painting in Imaginary Number Space. He has a lot of painting to get done and would like Ritsuka to be here for it. Ritsuka sees the bonds between father and daughter are too strong.[12]
Nemo concludes Hokusai isn’t beholden to any eldritch power and merely wants to test his skills against theirs. He thinks it might be the perfect chance for Van Gogh to display her painting skills. Van Gogh, feeling Vincent’s feelings and memories urging her to compete with Hokusai. She thus accepts Hokusai’s challenge.[12]
Van Gogh bests him and uses De Sterrennacht to return Oui’s Spirit Origin to her, per Hokusai’s request. Oui immediately apologizes for the trouble she and her father caused. Van Gogh tells she didn’t mind, considering a dream come true, and invites her to her room later to discuss art.[12]
(4/5)[]
Yang Guifei's territory
The Nautilus crew at last comes to Guifei’s territory. She welcomes Ritsuka, whom she still sees as her beloved emperor, though she never expected them to defeat the other Foreigners and come to her so last. It makes her happy almost to the point of delirium. Van Gogh realizes Guifei doesn’t even see her and is only looking at Ritsuka through her camera.[12]
Though she now realizes their friendship was a sham, Osakabehime still believes the way Guifei smiled when they ate lychees or when she played with the Marines was the real her. So even if Guifei is a broken, Osakabehime knows Ritsuka could never abandon a Servant with redeeming qualities.[12]
Osakabehime’s words seem to confuse Guifei as reverts to her first Ascension and cannot remember if her beloved emperor was sealed way in the far reaches FomalhautWP or buried in the Tailing Mausoleum. Unfortunately, it only lasts for but a moment and she returns to her third Ascension.[12]
She implores her beloved emperor not to leave her again, for all she wants to stay by his side until she dies. Thus, to reunite with him, she will become a living flame to consume this world and all others beyond the stars. She then readies her Noble Phantasm to engulf the Imaginary Number Sea.
Prepared to fight her, Van Gogh reminds Guifei how she was always nice to her. Even if it was all just an act, she still needs to repay her for all her kindness, considering it’s what it means to be human. She then proceeds to fight Guifei.[12]
She defeats her and tries to cleanse her with De Sterrennacht. Unfortunately, 90% of Guifei’s Spirit Origin is occupied by the Outer God’s terminal, so trying to remove the latter means the former cannot survive.[12]
Xiang Yu cannot recall Guifei having an inclination for madness in life that would make her an attractive target for an Outer God. However, they cannot ignore the fact her body went missing after her death. He speculates an outer universe faction took notice of her keen mind and devout love for her emperor and used her body as the basis the Heroic Spirit before them. As a result, her Spirit Origin is flooded with reverence for the outer universe, despite having no connection to it in her lifetime.[12]
Guifei begins to disappear, but it stops when she is hit by one of Raikou’s torpedoes she created in conjunction with Nurse, which is loaded with a liberation spell and binding spell. Melt, Frankenstein, and Zetian then join Van Gogh, Mash, and Nemo at Raikou’s behest.[12]
After introducing herself to Guifei as her grandmother-in-law and threatening to torture her for plunging China into chaos, Zetian request Van Gogh to let her borrow her Noble Phantasm. Skadi explains it would normally be impossible, but thanks to a backdoor in the Imaginary Number chip, they can now link Van Gogh and Zetian’s Spirit Origins. Van Gogh is concerned, however, that connecting to a Foreigner Spirit Origin will drive Zetian mad. She is reassured they’ll be using Frankenstein as an intermediary, who, as a monster, can handle madness and fear.[12]
Frankenstein connects Van Gogh and Zetian’s Spirit Origins. Zetian, using Van Gogh’s Spirit Origin, then proceeds to do something to Guifei, reverting the latter to her first Ascension. Frankenstein disconnects the two once she is done.[12]
Asked by Van Gogh what she did to Guifei, Zetian explains she outfitted her Spirit Origin’s primary Spiritrons with strict and complicated operating restrictions. Her obsession with her beloved emperor will remain and she doubtlessly still wishes to marry him, but Zetian reassures Ritsuka one of the restrictions she placed on her requires her to grow to the point she is ready for marriage. She tells them to take advantage of this opportunity to help her grow as a person, believing one day they may be able to remove the Outer God’s terminal from her.[12]
(5/5)[]
Later, back on board the Nautilius, Van Gogh uses the Grail to return Imaginary Number Space to its pre-tampered state, allowing the ship to finally emerge from Zero Sail. Nemo disengages Zero Sail, but the moment he does, both Ritsuka and Mash start to feel sleepy. The Nautilus returns to Real Number Space.[12]
Ritsuka wakes up in their room, the entire voyage having been a dream. But deciding to learn from it, they write down everything that transpired before they forget. Once they’re done, they prepare to go report it when Fou alerts them to something.[12]
Van Gogh reveals the entire voyage was a dream, but that doesn’t mean it was just a dream or that everything that transpired in it was meaningless. She is certain the things Ritsuka gained from it from will be of help in reality. She will remain to keep everyone safe from the Reverse Side of the World to repay them for saving her. But giving Ritsuka one last handshake before they wake, she finds her tentacle unable to get loose.[12]
They look underneath their bed sheets to find Van Gogh. She apologizes that she messed up as her being here probably means the prophetic dream everyone experienced has completely changed. Ritsuka doesn’t mind, though, and welcomes her to Chaldea. But seeing they’re both still sleepy, Ritsuka and Van Gogh go back to sleep.[12]
Chaotic Yet Good[]
Guifei finds herself in BB’s studio. BB reveals she removed all the parts of Guifei’s Spirit Origin occupied by the Outer God’s terminal, leaving only her public persona. She promises to “fix” her later, but first comes her punishment: a comprehensive review of her failed scheme. Guifei easily agrees to talk when BB tickles her a little, threatening to subject her to tickle torture.[13]
She first explains that her Foreigner Spirit Origin was inscribed with a few directives. She had to be completely in tune with her god and she had to accumulate eldritch power with arousing suspicion. Once she had enough eldritch power, she could turn the tide in her god’s favor. From there, she was meant to convert the most important thing in her summoning process into experience points, which would enable her god to grow stronger using her as conduit until they’re strong enough to break their seal.[13]
Her emperor’s divinity is all about burning and killing everything in sight, but she couldn’t do that right after being summoned, since she was still too weak. Fortunately, her Outer God, an intelligent and calculating type, opted for a more discreet approach. Her next step would be to ingratiate with Ritsuka, able to resist Command Spells as long as her emperor.[13]
However, the situation was more difficult than she had expected. When she first arrived, Van Gogh had failed to unite the opposing factions, so the Evil God of Flowers initiated its backup plan of turning her into a flower of pure madness. Her rival, Hokusai, meanwhile, only wanted to paint, which Guifei can only guess would lead to the former’s final manifestation if done enough. Guifei snuck in amidst all this chaos, but even with the odds against her, it was still a three-way race.[13]
But regardless of who would win, Guifei couldn’t afford to sink the Nautilus until it was all over, since it was the only place she and Van Gogh could store eldritch power. Even Hokusai couldn’t operate in Imaginary Number Space on her own, at least at first. Either way, it looked like they were all heading a no-win scenario.[13]
BB asks Guifei why she didn’t form an alliance with Hokusai. Guifei explains she couldn’t because Van Gogh’s arbitration abilities only worked on gods from the existing alliance. Also, since collecting eldritch power is a zero-sum game, nothing good would have come from multiple factions vying for it. They could have worked together to accumulate eldritch power if their gods were of the same alliance, but that is rarer than rare.[13]
Guifei explains while the best way to accumulate eldritch power is through phenomena that inspire terror and primal disgust, the only pure human on the Nautilus was Ritsuka, while everyone else was a Heroic Spirit. She couldn’t drive the latter mad and they were guarding the former, who’d normally be her best bet, very closely. But when all seemed hopeless, that was when she noticed the Marines.[13]
The Marines were Phantom Spirits, not Heroic ones, and are essentially one person sharing twelve bodies, making them Guifei’s best hope for spreading rumors aboard the Nautilus. Thus, she gave them cursed objects under the pretense they were good luck charms and, over time, she cultivate madness in them based on piety and good intentions. Eventually, they began spreading a new kind of madness different from Hokusai and Van Gogh’s.[13]
Meanwhile, the Nautilus had regained its ability to fight, and Van Gogh was nearing her breaking point. Guifei could already tell what would happen to Van Gogh once Ritsuka and Nemo began to show her genuine affection. So, with all that in mind, she thought about how to go about stealing Van Gogh’s eldritch power. However, that when she wondered if Ritsuka was her beloved emperor.[13]
BB asks her why she went crazy all of the sudden when it seemed like her scheme was going so methodically up to that point. Guifei replies Ritsuka was formed contracts with many powerful and temperamental Heroic Spirts and they keep their composure no matter what. There is also their generosity, which is exactly just like her emperor’s. BB deduces the more eldritch power Guifei accumulates, the less she can tell who her own god really is.[13]
Continuing her explanation at BB’s behest, Guifei admits once she stole the Grail she should have converted its magical energy into experience points and used them to transform into a living flame. But she wanted to make her beloved emperor happy so much she created the Great Foreigner Festival instead. It had the opposite effect though, as BB points out, and her defeated was sealed when she got a lecture from grandmother-in-law.[13]
Guifei deludes herself further into believing Ritsuka is her beloved emperor, considering it her greatest wish come true if she can serve them in Chaldea.
BB concludes despite their similarities, she and Guifei are different from each other. Guifei is Chaotic Good because one evil deed spoils everything good she does, but BB is Chaotic Good because she pretends to be all evil while managing one good deed. Love drives BB to make her schemes succeed while it makes Guifei’s fail.[13]
Yet despite her misgivings about Guifei, BB decides to incorporate her scheme in her own when she next wears a swimsuit. Guifei, upon hearing her say swimsuit, goes from hating BB for reminding her of her failures to wanting to murder her and wonders if she is her sworn enemy.[13]
Realizing she has said too much, BB decides to send Guifei back to Chaldea. She reassures the seemingly guilt-ridden Guifei that once her Spirit Origin is returned to its original, she’ll be so obsessed with her beloved emperor again she’ll forget all about her guilt. Naturally, she will also forget everything that occurred in the studio and most of her memories regarding the Imaginary Number Sea will be sealed away. From her perspective, she will begin a new life at Chaldea under the impression her emperor ordered her to go there.[13]
Guifei regrets how she treated Ritsuka, Osakabehime, and Van Gogh as they treated her like a friend even though her public persona is just a facade. She feels terrible she won’t even notices them once she is get back at Chaldea because she will too preoccupied with her beloved emperor.[13]
BB starts to feel sorry for Guifei, which surprises the latter. Guifei then decides she likes BB and suggests they become best friends. BB refuses, reminding Guifei she said “the best villains are solo acts!”[13]
Guifei replies she never thought of herself as a villain. She then wonders with Zetian’s restrictions keeping her from going berserk and her natural diligence if she can grow strong enough to save humanity or Proper Human History one day even with her fake personality. She then suggests to BB they air out their “dirty laundry” and join the good side together.[13]
BB now realizes why Guifei earned her reputation as a nation-ruining femme fatale. She refuses to do what she suggested and sends her back to Chaldea. Guifei gives her a friendly goodbye, expecting to see her again.[13]
Participants[]
Servants
| Designation | Identity | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Berserker | Xiang YuWP | Ritsuka Fujimaru |
| Archer | Osakabehime | Ritsuka Fujimaru |
| Caster | ScáthachWP SkadiWP | Ritsuka Fujimaru |
| Rider | Captain NemoWP | Ritsuka Fujimaru |
| Foreigner | Yang GuifeiWP | Ritsuka Fujimaru Guifei's Outer God (true) |
| Foreigner | Van Gogh | Ritsuka Fujimaru |
| Lancer | Minamoto-no-RaikouWP | Ritsuka Fujimaru |
| Lancer | Meltryllis | Ritsuka Fujimaru |
| Saber | FrankensteinWP | Ritsuka Fujimaru |
| Foreigner | Katsushika HokusaiWP | |
| Foreigner | Abigail WilliamsWP | |
| Foreigner | Mysterious Heroine XX | |
| Assassin | Wu ZetianWP | |
| Moon Cancer | BB | Ritsuka Fujimaru |
Non-Servants
| Designation | Identity | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Outer God | Evil God of Flowers | Van Gogh |
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Imaginary Scramble - Opening Act: The Submerged Voyage, Deep and Far
- ↑ 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 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 2.35 2.36 2.37 2.38 2.39 2.40 2.41 2.42 2.43 2.44 2.45 2.46 2.47 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Imaginary Scramble - Act One: The Unknowable Reef
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 3.31 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Imaginary Scramble - Act Two: The Thunder Shooter's Fishing Ground
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Imaginary Scramble - Idle Talk 1
- ↑ 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 5.19 5.20 5.21 5.22 5.23 5.24 5.25 5.26 5.27 5.28 5.29 5.30 5.31 5.32 5.33 5.34 5.35 5.36 5.37 5.38 5.39 5.40 5.41 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Imaginary Scramble - Act Three: Rallying Cry from the Calmest Region
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Imaginary Scramble - Idle Talk 2
- ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 7.17 7.18 7.19 7.20 7.21 7.22 7.23 7.24 7.25 7.26 7.27 7.28 7.29 7.30 7.31 7.32 7.33 7.34 7.35 7.36 7.37 7.38 7.39 7.40 7.41 7.42 7.43 7.44 7.45 7.46 7.47 7.48 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Imaginary Scramble - Act Four: The Unthinkable Dissolving
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Imaginary Scramble - Idle Talk 3
- ↑ 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 9.20 9.21 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Imaginary Scramble - Act Five: The Bottom of the Sea Blooming and Yielding
- ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 10.14 10.15 10.16 10.17 10.18 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Imaginary Scramble - Final Act: Firing a Salute to the Abyss
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Imaginary Scramble - Idle Talk 4
- ↑ 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 12.12 12.13 12.14 12.15 12.16 12.17 12.18 12.19 12.20 12.21 12.22 12.23 12.24 12.25 12.26 12.27 12.28 12.29 12.30 12.31 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Imaginary Scramble - Extra Act: Sea of the Foreign Deities
- ↑ 13.00 13.01 13.02 13.03 13.04 13.05 13.06 13.07 13.08 13.09 13.10 13.11 13.12 13.13 13.14 13.15 13.16 13.17 Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Imaginary Scramble -Fade Out: Chaotic Yet Good