"Oh God, we're sledding! We're actually sledding in this thing! This is ridiculous, even for us! Still, this SHOULD let us escape. Once we've made our way down the mountain, there should still be an Association ship at the–"
Suddenly, the container shook violently, throwing a couple of the staff members off their feet. Gudako lurched forward, barely managing to stop herself from face planting by miraculously grabbing onto another pipe somewhere behind her. Right as she was about to right herself, she felt the ground shift underneath her and the world start to spin.
"Wh-wh-wh-what the hell was that!? Oh God, we're spinning! The container's spinning around on its side!"
"Fou, fooou!"
Goredolf, in pure terror, started yelling, "Did somebody just snipe us!? But where could they have possibly shot at us from!?"
"I think missiled might be a better term!" ,Gudako yelled back.
Ignoring the reply, Goredolf continued on ranting until he noticed something that made his face turn a pale white.
O-o-oh God, the container's falling apart! If we get thrown out at this speed, we'll–"
Gudako, with much difficulty, turned her head to look where Goredolf was looking and saw the corners of the box began to break apart.
"...! Holmes!"
But the voice that replied was high-pitched and female. And sounded very familiar.
"Don't worry! It only looks like a container from the outside! We WILL survive this! I planned for pretty much exactly this situation! I didn't spend the last six months modifying this thing for nothing!"
"...Huh?"
The sound of a button beeping once was heard and Gudako watched as metallic plates, something she didn't notice earlier, began to shift around and lock together. And right on time as well.
This time, the box lurched forward as it hit a rock or something outside, but instead of tilting back down, it opened up...
To reveal a large, metallic vehicle.
Gudako collapsed on the floor, her head still spinning. Next to her, Mash, who was completely fine, rubbed her shoulder. The other staff members' reactions ranged from rushing off to find somewhere to puke or simply holding their heads in their hands. But this was no time for any break. After the world stopped twirling around her, Gudako raised her head to where Holmes(also perfectly fine) was. She planned on asking him who the voice was when she was interrupted by a door clicking open, revealing a small girl with a very familiar smile.
"Hello and good morning, fellow Chaldeans! Well, I guess I should say it's nice to meet you all? I'm Leonardo da Vinci. But since we're all friends here,you can just call me Da Vinci."
"..."
Mash blinked, her shock not even letting her jaw drop as every muscle in her body froze in confusion.
"Fo–"
"Wha–"
"What the hell's going on!?"
Da Vinci(?) beamed at all of them, before doing a light twirl.
"I got a new look! I'm a genius, after all. Can't expect me to keep the same style forever! Or are you so struck by my beauty you're at a loss for words? Hah! Of course you are! You little devils, you! Let's just say this is the sheer, unbridled power of a main character! Bit of a shock seeing me again five minutes after my tragic death scene?"
Holmes chuckled, before stepping away from the screens to face the Chaldeans.
"Allow me to explain. That is a spare body Ms. Da Vinci created for herself in case of emergency. It is a relatively low-cost solution, though unfortunately it has a commensurately low output. And so she is able to behave as though she is simply picking up where the former Da Vinci left off...even though she is a low-ranking Servant who only just awakened."
"Hmph. You there! Black Coat Guy who's just plain SUCKING at manning this thing! What gives with the spoilers? I was waiting for the perfect moment for my big reveal, you know?"
"E-excuse me, but...is that true? Are you really Da Vinci?", Mash asked, her voice shaking a little.
"I sure am. Take a look at these glasses if you don't believe me. Mash, Fujimaru, this may be the first time we're meeting, but I already know all about you. I inherited all the other me's memories, after all. I've really been looking forward to the day I could meet you all like this! I might not be quite as capable a Renaissance Woman as the old me, but I hope I can help you out from now on just the same."
"If you've quite finished with your introductions, please get back to the controls, Da Vinci. Need I remind you that you are an artificial Servant created expressly for the purpose of piloting this All-Terrain Void-Transporter, the Shadow Border. Without you, the Shadow Border cannot function at full capacity."
"Ugh, you really are a buzzkill, Holmes. You know I can't talk while I'm in the control tube! But, this IS an emergency, and everyone's safety does come first. Guess I'll just go back to sleep, then. We'll talk later, after things have calmed down. Good night, Fujimaru. Good night, Mash."
"G-good night? S-S-Senpai! Who was that tiny Da Vinci!?"
"I am so, so confused...but also, what's a 'Shadow Border'...?"
*Up in the Chaldea Observatory*
"Tsk, to think you could knock two of those state-of-the-art missiles out of the sky, little missy."
"I believe it is you who underestimated them, Koyanskaya."
"Oh shut it, Priest. You're clearly having trouble there keeping your clothes off that guy's blades aren't you?"
The Father only smiled as he dodged another swing from Childe.
Fischl, who had forced herself to fire two powered-up arrows consecutively, gasped for breath as tiredness took over her body. Oz, on the other hand, had already disappeared, having used up all of his energy by blowing up the missile in mid-air. Although Fischl could summon him again, she'd need a little break before she could muster enough power to do so.
But there's never a break in battle.
All four of them suddenly felt the room drop by 10 degrees with the sudden change in temperature catching Childe's attention just long enough for the Priest to make two hops back and join Koyanskaya's side.
"For the love of Snezhnaya, we just can't catch a break can we? The pale girlie from before is coming...Fischl. Can you handle the cold?"
"Do not mock the Prinzessin der Veruteilung, mortal! There exists no realm which my darkness cannot conquer!"
"Woah, there. Didn't mean to rile you up. Since you're from Mondstadt, I wasn't sure if you knew how to handle temperatures way below freezing. Well, here's a tip: don't stop moving. If you do, you'll die."
"Your heartfelt guidance has been received."
Fischl then summoned Oz again and prepared herself for battle as Childe eyed the door where ice was slowly growing on.
On the other side of the room, Koyanskaya and Kotomine both faced the door.
"So her majesty will be here soon...I thought the priority was to freeze CHALDEAS?"
"Hmm, it is indeed, but her majesty felt the existence of those two over there. That is probably why she decided to come here first."
"Well, how horrendous. I wasn't able to finish the job properly and now she's coming. Tch."
"Relax, Miss Vitch. We just have to remain on the sidelines until her majesty comes. At least those two haven't made a move yet."
"Alright."
*Back in the Shadow Border*
"What a jump! That was a slope-crossing impact, wasn't it!?"
"Correct! I see you're quite the driving enthusiast, Goredolf!"
"Wh-why yes, as a matter of fact. I don't like to brag about it, but I am something of an amateur racer. I'm the sponsor, driver, and strategist, all rolled into one. Musik the Phoenix, they call me–"
"Now then, we're about to reach the ice shelf! From there, we'll head for the coast and the sea beyond!"
"...Ice shelf?...Coast?"
"Hm? Oh, that's right, you don't know where we are, do you? Well then! Take a look out the window, Ms. Gudako! It's not every day one gets a chance to see scenery like this!"
"! Antarctica? We've been in Antarctica this whole time!? But, they told me we were on a huge mountain...!"
"Although many nations have claimed this land as their own, the fact remains that it is the last frontier yet to fall into humanity's grasp. Chaldea was built right in its center, so that no nation could use it for their own ends. It was built on a mountain range hidden by an endless blizzard–or rather, the lingering scent of Mystics–and then further reinforced by a Bounded Field. It is the largest, and only, observatory of humanity on the entire planet, its location and secrets concealed from the moment of its creation. That is Chaldea, the Security Organization for the Preservation of Humanity. I suppose I ought to say that it WAS Chaldea. As of now, Chaldea has fallen into the hands of an unknown adversary, one who is trying to shut it down even as we speak."
"Trying to shut it down...? Even as we speak?"
"Correct. I've confirmed that as of twenty seconds ago, all Command Room transmissions have ceased, and all power output has shut down. Chaldeas is no longer operating, either. The air-conditioning has stopped, and the inside temperature has dropped below minus one hundred degrees. As loath as I am to say it, we must face the facts: Chaldea is lost. We no longer have any means of taking it back, or even returning to it."
"..."
Gudako paused, her voice catching in her throat. The building she lived in, the building she had lived with her friends. The people there, the Servants there, all of those memories...gone?
Mash gasped, tears welling up in her eyes, as she rushed towards Holmes and grabbed onto his cloak.
"Stop it...Please, stop it! I have to go back to Chaldea! Please, let me go back! It hasn't been taken from us yet! I know it hasn't! All my memories of the time I spent with everyone else are there! Nothing can change that! And...and...Doctor Roman's room is still...!"
"Fou..."
"S-stop that! What do you hope to accomplish by going back now!? Go on, youngster, talk some sense into her!"
"Ms.Gudako, would you mind holding Mash back from–Never mind, there is no need for that. Her body has reached its limit. I am afraid that is what happens when one transforms while one is unable to properly synchronize with one's Spirit Origin: all the duress you place on your body comes back to bite you. At this point, she lacks even the strength to open the hatch. I would advise that you sit her down and strap her in before she suffers unnecessary injury."
"Ugh...!...I'm, sorry...I'm so sorry, everyone...! If I'd...If I'd only been able to fight as a real Servant...!"
"This isn't your fault, Mash. Nobody's to blame for this."
"Senpai..."
"Mash...Hm? Hang on. What's that...? Holmes, are you seeing what's outside the window!?"
"Of course, Menuiere. I've seen it since I took control...Nevertheless, it IS hard to believe. One could be forgiven for thinking it a bad dream."
"Are those meteoroids!? But we didn't get any reports from Panama! If there were meteoroids too big to burn up in the atmosphere headed this way, we would've heard! And what's with those trajectories!? How can they possibly be falling straight down like that!?"
"An occurrence that defies human understanding, hm? That tells us they cannot be meteoroids. I believe we can rule out debris as well. Which means this can only be something once relegated to fiction. For example, an invasion from outer space."
"You're joking, right? Who could say something like that with a straight face!? I-I mean, that would just be absurd, right? Or what, are you really saying those people were aliens? That they only pretended to be human in order to take over Chaldea? How can–"
"My apologies, but please, do be quiet. We're picking up an external transmission. It's using the same frequency you did at Chaldea."
"Bzzt...bzzt....anity. We have a message for all of humanity.This planet will soon be reborn as an old, brand-new world. Human civilization was a mistake. The path of our growth was incorrect. And so I have made my decision. I will revolt against all of human history–Proper Human History. We are about to fill this world with inhuman Mystic secrets. We will restore the Age of Gods. To that end, the gods have descended from a far-off galaxy, and in their wisdom, they have used seven seeds to select new leaders. These leaders will remake this planet as they see fit. And the one who reign supreme shall be given the right to renew the world itself. The life-forms from Proper Human History will not be permitted to take part in this war, or even to view it from the sidelines. The roots of cosmic fantasy have descended upon us. Trees of creation have sprung up all across the land."
Another bout of static was heard before the transmission cleared up again.
"Now, all of the old humanity's endeavors will be set aside, frozen. Thus shall you atone for your sins. 2019...The year that Proper Human History came to an end. My name is Wodime. Kirschtaria Wodime. On behalf of the seven Crypters, I have a message for those of you who escaped from Chaldea. No, rather, I have a message for the scant few remnants of the human race: WE will be the inheritors of this world's history."
Mash blinked. "...Kirschtaria...? That did SOUND like Kirschtaria, but..."
"Kirschtaria Wodime!? The leader of Team A!? Here I was going to take him under my wing,and this is the thanks I get...!?"
"Crypter...? The end of human history...?"
A loud warning sound filled the room, followed by a monotone voice announcing, "Emergency from the computer room! Emergency from the computer room!"
"Now what is it!?"
The voice on the PA System coughed before becoming high-pitched and feminine.
"Hey there! It's me, Da Vinci, the one controlling the Border all by my lonesome☆ We're less than two thousand meters away from the coast now, but I'm afraid we've got a little problem to deal with first. System I'm picking up a TON of Spirit Origin signals up ahead. It's more of the soldiers that attacked Chaldea. I'm counting about...Well, see for yourself! As they say, a picture's worth a thousand words!"
Gudako uncovered a window and looked out, with Mash by her side. Together, they saw a sea of black dots that stretched as far as the eye could see. Peering into the window, Gudako could make out a crow mask and black clothes...
"...! It IS those soldiers that attacked Chaldea...!"
"H-how can there even be that many!? Dammit! Looks like a whole damn division out there! The hell is this!?"
"They're covering the entire coastline...It's over..."
"There's no way our Border here can break through a group like that. If we try to charge them, we'll all be dead way before we hit the water! Holmes! Hard right! We'll have to give up on the ship and try for another observatory!"
"I'm afraid that won't work, Da Vinci. We're getting no response from the American base. In fact, according to the sonar, there is nothing to be found anywhere. Surely you can see that yourself. As long as we remain in Antarctica, we have no chance of victory. If the enemy forces who occupied Chaldea catch up to us, we will be quite finished. Our only hope for survival is to plow through that mass of soldiers and pray we make it out to sea."
"You'd bet all our lives on THAT!? What are you, an idiot!? We can't possibly break through that army! Even if we did somehow make it out to sea,the ship is bound to be hijacked by now! It would only be a matter of time before they catch up to this broken-down truck and slaughter us all!"
"That's one opinion. Ms.Gudako, tell me, what do you think?"
"..Hey, Sherlock Holmes IS a man of adventure, right?.."
"Quite right! This is an adventure,and one of the grandest ones imaginable at that. It's certainly not some boring escapade where we barrel our way through an army of horrific killers. No, this will be humanity's first magecraft voyage. To date, humankind has traveled to the moon, the subterranean world, and even through time. This voyage will be unlike any of those trips,though no less grand in ambition. The world we hope to visit is one that cannot exist without being defined, even as it lies in a domain beyond our reach. In other words, we will be attempting to travel to a world that exists on the negative vector."
"Wh...what did you just say? You can't mean..."
"Da Vinci."
.
..
...
"Permission to use the Paper Moon."