Moving Lake Singularity

The Moving Lake Singularity is a Singularity during the Human Order Revision in Fate/Grand Order.

The events of Chaldea's visit to this Singularity are covered in an event of Cosmos of the Lostbelt; Sea Monster Crisis - Floating Island of the Innocents! (水怪クライシス 無垢なる者たちの浮島^?).

Setting

History

Prologue

Ritsuka and their team rayshift to a Singularity of unknown coordinates. Leonardo da Vinci asks Ritsuka if they can see anything to help them figure out where they are. Ritsuka tells her it looks like a tropical coast. Da Vinci mentions their scanners aren’t much help right now and agrees with Mash that physical attributes like cloud formations and ambient temperature will help provide clues. But she is surprised by how forgiving such an opaque Singularity is with rayshift compatibility. Still, when selecting Servants to deploy, they erred on the side of caution and chose those who seemed compatible.^[1]

Ereshkigal apologizes that she doesn’t know where they are either, only knowing it has absolutely no connection to the underworld. She feels the underground feels empty, but not like a hollow cave.^[1]

Wu Zetian also doesn’t know where they are other than it is far from civilization. Meltryllis only complains about the heat and questions if she was a good fit for this mission. Mash concludes none of the Servants where they are and questions why they were chosen for this mission when they have nothing in common.^[1]

Ereshkigal sends out her Gallû Spirits to scout out the surroundings. They quickly find something, so the heroes follow Ereshkigal to what her spirits found. They find a small presumably indigenous creature and follow it in hopes of learning more about the Singularity from it. But it is being chased by a merman, so the heroes decide to protect the little creature. The heroes kill the merman. More small creatures suddenly appear and, thank the heroes, shocking Zetian that they can talk.^[1]

The Sisters and the Innocents

The heroes try to make sense of what the creatures exactly are when the latter suddenly run toward the scent of their boss; Mash detects a Servant in that same direction. Following them, the heroes find the two girls with whom the creatures seem to have a rapport with. The friendlier of the two introduces herself as Trưng Trắc while the less friendly one introduces herself as Trưng Nhị. Together they are the Trưng sisters but they do not remember how they arrived in the Singularity so they can only assume they’re Servants summoned the land itself.^[2]

Unfortunately, the sisters know as much about the Singularity as the Chaldeans. Shortly after they were summoned to Singularity, the sisters saw the small creatures being attacked by monsters. They saved them and the creatures have taken a liking to them ever since. They only saved one at first, but for some reason, all of the creatures became attached to the sisters. Meltryllis asks the sisters what the creatures are. Nhị says they are called Con, but she and her sister know nothing else about them besides assuming they’re native to this land. Trắc clarifies they named them Con after the word for child in their homeland’s language, needing to call the creatures something.^[2]

Da Vinci asks if the Con with them are their total population. Nhị says there are more elsewhere but their total population is unknown, not to mention their numbers fluctuate. Trắc suggests they continue this conversation somewhere safer and has everyone follow her to the safe haven she and her sister are building for the Con. Unbeknownst to everyone, a mighty merman in the water was watching them.^[2]

Along the way, Da Vinci explains the Trưng sisters lived during the Later Han Dynasty in what is now northern Vietnam and led a rather successful rebellion against their oppressive Chinese rulers until it was suppressed by an army from central China. Ereshkigal worries about hostlies between the sisters and Zetian given the former rebel against China and the latter is a Chinese empress. Trắc and Zetian both state there are no hard feelings between them, especially considering their eras were six hundred years apart.^[2]

The heroes soon arrive in the village the sister and Con had built. There Trắc introduces them to Elder, a talking sea turtle who is the island itself. He believes he has lived for a very long time, but he cannot remember where this sea is, nor his purpose for being in it. He does remember, however, that the island was formed from the dirt that accumulated on his back, meaning everyone is standing on him right now.^[2]

After the Chaldeans recover from the shock of finding out they’re actually on the back of a giant turtle, they continue the conversation from before in the Trưng sisters’ room, which will serve as their headquarters from now on. Da Vinci concludes what Elder said earlier is true as the island doesn’t reach the seabed. Elder doesn’t make it clear if he is a Divided Spirit or Cerebral Corpus of his real body.^[2]

Zetian asks him what his relationship is with the Con. Elder says he doesn’t have one, only knowing they suddenly started growing on him. They’re harmless, so he doesn’t mind them staying. But he remembers a few days ago, monsters started coming to the island from the sea and out of the fog. The monsters vary, but one commonality they share is that they’re water dwelling monsters. As more of them appeared, these monsters began devouring the Con and stealing their lands. Fortunately, the Trưng sisters arrived, and they have protected the Cons since. They believe they were summoned for that reason, not that they can think of any other.^[2]

Nhị tries to warn the Chaldeans it is best not to defeat the monsters when her sister asks how they defeated the merman they encountered earlier. Ritsuka tells her they defeated the same way as any other monster, much to the Trưng sisters’ concern. Nhị tries to reveal what will happen if a water monster eats a Con when a Con suddenly alerts everyone that the monsters have returned and one of them was eaten.^[2]

Trắc decides it’s better to show the Chaldeans what she and her sister mean. Zetian tries to stop the Con from coming with them since the monsters will only eat them, but Nhị reveals the Con have a special role so they’ll be taking a few with them. The heroes set off to fend the monsters off.^[2]

As the heroes fight the monsters, the Trưng sisters tell the Chaldeans not to finish the monsters off but instead weaken them as much as possible and allow the Con to deal the final blow, which they demonstrate. While it is okay to kill ordinary water monsters, some became stronger after eating a Con and gained the ability to eventually return to life after being killed. But by sheer coincidence, the sisters discovered that for some reason if the Con finish off these enhanced monsters, then the latter turn into the Con they ate and remain dead.^[2]

The Chaldeans agree to help the Con slay the monsters while restoring their population. Da Vinci mentions even though the Singularity’s coordinates are still indecipherable, they can rayshift across a wide swath of it, so they can send in more Servants if necessary. The Chaldeans also agree to help expand the village.^[2]

Prying Priests

The heroes go to an area close to the village where, according to the Trưng sisters, they’ll see water monsters different from the merfolk from before. There are several species of water monsters and usually only one from the fog at a time, with it being a different species each time so far. These new monsters look more human than the merfolk, but for some reason they are impervious to the Con’s finishing move, and use a special technique to enhance themselves. These two factors are why the sisters had previously left the area alone.^[3]

Da Vinci drew a sketch of the monsters based on the sisters’ description and determined that they wear japanese clothing, so Musashibou Benkei and Houzouin Inshun were selected to accompany the heroes. They soon encounter one of the monsters the sisters described and find it looks like a japanese monk. Inshun attacks it only to find his spearmanship to be ineffective. The monster then asks a riddle: “I have both two legs and eight, my residence is both impenetrable and mobile, and I can change it whenever I please. What am I?”; Meltryllis assumes the riddle was their technique for enhancing themselves. Benkei feels he has heard of this before.^[3]

Another “monk” arrives and asks the same riddle. Benkei realizes the answer is hermit crab, revealing the “monks” are actually hermit crab monsters. He calls them a variant of the Kanibozu, crab youkai that wander Japan posing riddles while dressed as monks and killing any who cannot answer. The monsters shed their disguises, seeing no need to hide now that their riddle has been answered.^[3]

Inshun points out some of the monsters are hiding in the shells to prevent the Con from dealing the final blow. Mash suggests breaking open the shells. Inshun points out they would need to break open their shells without damaging their insides. He thinks he could do it thanks to his mastery of the Houzouin style, but the others admit they’re incapable of such precision. He suspects the Con will need to break through the shells themselves to deal the finishing blow, but they lack the strength to do that so the heroes decide to retreat for now.^[3]

Returning to the village, the heroes agree that their only option is to arm the Con. Trắc is hesitant to let the Con fight, comparing the current situation to her and sister’s rebellion when they were alive. But to her surprise, the Con all say they want to fight.^[3]

Da Vinci concludes arming the Con is their only viable option. Fortunately, Chaldea has Servants who excel at Item Construction, so there shouldn’t be any issue using the Island’s unique resources to make weapons the Con can use. The only question is what to make.^[3]

Abruptly calling from Chaldea, Sei Shounagon says she brought in several weapon experts to get their opinions. Minamoto-no-Raikou suggests long sword, Leonidas suggests spear, and Amakusa Shirou Tokisada oddly suggests Pile Bunker. Everyone leaves the decision of which weapon the Con should use to Ritsuka.^[3]

The Battle To Reclaim Area One

With the Con now armed, the heroes confront the hermit crab monsters again and prove victorious.^[4]

Benkei admits he was surprised to encounter a variant of the Kanibozu and asks if they're anywhere near Japan's coastal waters. Da Vinci says they still can't determine the Singularity's position, not helped by the fact a constant fog prevents them from checking for constellations and that topography is unknown. Regardless, the heroes need to continue liberating the island.^[4]

Someone notes the fact the heroes recaptured an area is an unexpected development. But they are not concerned, for they will never run out of bait, nor creatures to feed on them. They state the cultivation will continue.^[4]

Intermission

Habetrot and Morgan have rayshifted to the Singularity. Con sprout out of the ground before them. Morgan asks Habetrot to let her hold one under the pretense she is interested in the connection with magecraft.^[5]

Later that night, Ritsuka finds themselves unable to sleep when they spot a strange light. They discover it was Ereshkigal receiving a patrol report from her spirits and sending them out again. Ereshkigal admits she has secretly been doing this every night, believing as ruler of the underworld it is the only way she can help Ritsuka.^[5]

She nearly tells Ritsuka about how there is something strange scent in the island's air but quickly switches to how nighttime on the island reminds her of Kur. She thinks she couldn't sleep because she feels homesick and couldn't relax unless she did something familiar. She feels she must protect those who live dark quiet places concluding that is the type of goddess she is.^[5]

Ritsuka goes back to bed at her urging. Alone again, Ereshkigal appreciates she was able to talk to Ritsuka alone again, noting it's been a long time since they've had the chance.^[5]

Biting Bunyips

The next day, Ritsuka assembles and uses simple drones to scout out the area but to no avail as the both magecraft-based and scientific-based sensors cut out the moment they enter the fog. That unfortunately means Chaldea still lacks the means to observe the outer areas of the island.^[6]

Da Vinci says she has been gathering other kinds of data, but the island’s actual position remains elusive. They still can’t see any stars at night, and the data on water quality doesn’t match any location in their database. But seeing no need to be hasty, Da Vinci advises Ritsuka to go back to the village saying she’ll devise a way to use the leftover drone later.

Returning to the village, Ritsuka discusses with the others about the next area. According to Trắc, the water monsters in the next area are very strong. She describes them as looking like alligators and dogs but neither all at once. The heroes head out to the next area.^[6]

Nagao Kagetora accompanies the heroes to the next area, having been selected for being a strong fighter and leader. Also, since it’s possible, the island may be near Japan’s coastal waters, having another Japanese Servant might provide some useful insight.^[6]

The heroes soon arrive at a watering hole where they find the monsters Trắc described. Kagetora’s intuition tells her the monsters are not Japanese and immediately goes to attack them. But to everyone’s surprise, the monsters move so fast it is as if they’re teleporting, leaving the Con vulnerable to being eaten. As they cannot keep all of the Con safe, the heroes retreat for now.^[6]

Back in the village, Kagetora notes how strangely the monsters looked at the Con. She therefore thinks they can kill whatever they’re looking at which manifests in their high-speed movement. Mash finds a matching entry in the database: an Australian water monster called a bunyip. Da Vinci thinks they can sense when someone is looking at them and then use their speed to ensure their prey doesn’t escape.^[6]

Zetian suggests having the Con keep their eyes closed to counteract the bunyips. Kagetora doubts that will work because while an experienced warrior Heroic Spirit can close their eyes on the battlefield, she cannot suggest the Con try to do the same. She is sure the bunyip can still move normally so they could go after the Con like any other predator.^[6]

Trắc concludes they’ll need to provide the Con with armor. Calling from Chaldea, Ushiwakamaru suggests Genji armor, Julius Caesar suggests Roman legionnaire armor, and Mecha Eli-chan suggests armor plating. Everyone leaves the decision of armor the Con should use to Ritsuka.^[6]

The Battle to Reclaim Area Two

With the Con now wearing armor, the heroes confront the bunyips again. The bunyips are still too fast, but thanks to the armor they can no longer devour the Con in a single bite. Additionally, them trying to bite the Con stops them in their tracks, providing the heroes with the opportunity to counterattack. The heroes and the Con proceed to slay the bunyips, thereby freeing the Con they were eaten and reclaiming the second area.^[7]

Later on the beach a Con visits Melt while she is drinking coconut juice by herself in celebration of the earlier victory. It gifts her with a flower for saving it twice. Melt remembers she saved Con from being eaten by bunyips, but she was unaware it was the same one twice as they look alike. She tells it her saving it twice was just a coincidence, but she nevertheless accepts the flower promising to cherish. She then gives it a ribbon to wear so she can tell it apart from the others, calling it the first member of her fan club on the island.^[7]

Watchtower Project

Morgan sulks by herself about Habetrot being away for work and curses Chaldea for ruining her respite. A Con offers to play with her and suggests they go sunbath, which she happily accepts.^[8]

Meanwhile, Calamity Jane and Lakshmibai have been rayshifted to the Singularity and are patrolling the village's now expanded territory for water monsters. They soon return to the village and return there is currently no danger, but Jane still recommends they devise a plan if and when water monsters do infiltrate their territory.^[8]

Nhị concludes their only option is to build a watchtower near their border. Lakshmibai suggests they have the Cons take turns doing lookout duty, which everyone finds acceptable as long as the Con know when to run. As for what kind of watchtower to build, Da Vinci suggests a replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Calling from Chaldea, Xuzang Sanzang suggests a pagoda while Nitocris suggests a pyramid. The decision of what kind of watchtower to build is left to Ritsuka.^[8]

Manipulative Mist

A strange mist accompanied by tremors drifts in from the sea. Trắc warns the mist is the first sign of water monsters coming onto the island from the outer sea. It has happened several times before and each time these new water monsters eat the Con wherever they arrive and steal their homes for themselves. They’re different from the monsters who have been attacking the island until now.^[9]

Nhị says from what she could see from the watchtower the mist is approaching from the mist and mentions the northern coastline is closest to the village. The heroes go to slay the monsters the moment they make landfall.^[9]

They’re surprised by how easily they slew the humanoid frog monsters and how few there were. They look around for more nearby when Ereshkigal spots more heading inland along a river; Zetian notices the river seems to be dammed. The heroes chase after the monsters.^[9]

But to their surprise and confusion, these monsters are impervious to their attacks, even though they’re the same species as the ones from before. Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova calls in from Chaldea and informs everyone based on the data collected that these monsters are vodyanoy, a water spirit known throughout Russia and Eastern Europe. She remembers they like to be near sluices and water wheels, but she can’t remember why.^[9]

Ereshkigal notices there is a shoddily made dam and wonders if that counts as sluice. Da Vinci recalls the crab monks received a power boost so long as their riddles remained unanswered, so she suspects the vodyanoy gain special protection from meeting a similar condition with their dams.^[9]

Melt destroys the dam, depowering the vodyanoy and thereby allowing the heroes to slay them. However, the mist hasn’t gone away and, according to Trắc, it has stayed for a while each time it has appeared. It grows thicker and thinner, and water monster attacks have followed like waves shortly after.^[9]

The heroes worry that the vodyanoy building more sluices will only complicate matters. They can monitor them from the new watchtower, but that isn’t enough to repel every attack from the sea. By the time it takes the Con to spot new enemies and alert the heroes and for them to reach them, the vodyanoy would have ample opportunity to build more sluices. The heroes need a way to keep the village defended while also allowing them to quickly deploy to defend other areas.^[9]

Qin Shi Huang abruptly calls from Chaldea and suggests the heroes recreate the Great Wall. Thomas Edison meanwhile suggests they build a train system. Lastly, Odysseus suggests a wooden horse. The decision of which one to pick is left up to Ritsuka.^[9]

The Sluice is Loose

Thanks to their new defense network, the heroes and the Con are able to successfully repel the invading vodyanoy. The mist disappears indicating the invasion is finally over. The Trưng sisters are grateful to the Chaldeans for they have never been able to permanently reclaim areas of the island before. Da Vinci decides she'll try to figure out what and where the island is while the heroes take a break before preparing to retake the next area.^[10]

Someone decries that the "replenishments" have failed, but they never had any expectations for them, which is why they have no interest in "leftovers". Meanwhile, at a watering hole, a mighty merman kills all of the remaining vodyanoy.^[10]

Later Nhị makes stilts and a slide for the Con who convince her to go down the slide. Ritsuka then arrives much to her surprise; a Con had brought them to the area. Nhị says the Con have been using this particular area as a playground for a while now.^[10]

She confesses she used to enjoy playing outside back when she was alive, but something about the island and the Con makes her want to be playful again. She had to stop playing though because she had to protect her sister after they started their rebellion, something she did happily. After her sister became ruler, she had to do some things her sister wasn't happy but both accepted they needed to be done. Eventually she forgot about playing, so she never imagined she'd play again like she used to.^[10]

Ritsuka leaves, promising Nhị not to tell the others about her playing like a little kid. Nhị asks the Con what they should play next when she sees Morgan has arrived. Like Ritsuka, she too was led to the area by the Con. She reassures Nhị she is a Chaldean Servant and insists she wants nothing from her and she was only following the Con. But the moment she sees Con walking on stilts, she demands Nhị make her a pair for her as well under the pretense it is tribute.^[10]

Mount of Doom

The heroes go to the third area and immediately confront the water monsters there: the kelpie, a water spirit from Scottish folklore. Unfortunately, the Con are compelled to get on the kelpie’s back to ride them, which results in them getting eaten. Ritsuka and the Servants are feeling no compulsion to ride the kelpie, though. As they cannot possibly fight like this, the heroes take the remaining Con and retreat.^[11]

Back in the village, Mash notes the Con that were eaten had their entire bodies instantly absorbed, so armor didn’t make a difference. The heroes need a way to prevent the Con from riding the kelpie without impairing their ability to fight. The Con think they wouldn’t feel compelled to ride the kelpie if there was something cooler to ride, not caring what it is so long as it looks cool.^[11]

Calling from Chaldea, Carmilla suggests a supercar while Europa and Parvati suggest a bull. Ritsuka ( thinking of Gilgamesh and Arjuna Alter) recalls there are some rides that fly mysteriously, peaking the Con’s curiosity. The decision of which ride to make for the Con is left up to Ritsuka.^[11]

The Battle to Reclaim Area Three

After reclaiming the third area, the heroes decide to rest. While they're doing that, someone decides to review what is known about the Con with no intention of sharing it with anyone. They theorize the Con share a collective consciousness and they are some kind of fungus.^[12]

City on the Water

Now that they have more Con than homes, the heroes decide to expand the village again. But given the topography, they think it’s best to construct a floating residential area. Semiramis, who has been responsible for gathering materials and overseeing construction, asks the sisters what sort of floating residences they have in mind. Trắc says they can only think of more of the simple structures the village already has, so this time, they want to hear the Chaldeans’ ideas.^[13]

Calling from Chaldea, Marie Antoinette suggests a cruise ship, Oda Nobunaga suggests a Japanese-style houseboat, and Mysterious Heroine X suggests a colony ship. The decision of what style of home to build is left up to Ritsuka.^[13]

Seaside Singing, Invitation to Eternity

After solving the Con housing problem, the heroes went to reclaim the fourth area fully prepared. Unfortunately, they were forced to retreat from the new water monsters, and they came to the conclusion that the Con are susceptible to psychological attacks. The new monsters looked like human women who used their singing and dancing to lure in the Con and also Vritra, who came to help, and sucked them into the water.^[14]

Anastasia calls from the Chaldea and informs the heroes that the monsters were rusalki and their legend describes them as using singing and dancing to lure people in and pull them underwater.^[14]

The ribbon wearing Con notes how close they were to getting eaten, but they resisted because they have already seen Melt, whom they consider better than any monster. Melt is flattered when she realizes that means if the Con know about other forms of art and entertainment they’ll be able to resist the rusalki’s singing and dancing. She agrees with Da Vinci that to bolster the Con’s resistance they need to provide them with culture, but she refuses to cheapen her water ballet with too many repeat performances. Da Vinci concludes they’ll need to build a culture center then.^[14]

Trắc asks what kind of facility they should build. Calling from Chaldea, Nero Claudius suggests a Golden Theater, Tomoe Gozen and Ganesha suggest an arcade, and Murasaki Shikibu suggests a library. The decision of which one to build is left to Ritsuka.^[14]

The Battle to Reclaim Area Four

Thanks to the Con's exposure to other forms of art and entertainment, they have become immune to the rusalki's allure, allowing the heroes to slay the monsters and reclaim the fourth area.^[15]

While the heroes take a well deserved break, at Chaldea, Da Vinci tells the others what she thinks the water monsters have in common. She hasn't been able to draw any conclusions yet, but she suspects it is the key to solving the mystery of why the Singularity's coordinates have remained indecipherable.^[15]

Naval Warfare Preparations

The Trưng sisters inform the heroes they need a boat to reach the final area, which is populated by mermen. Da Vinci expected this might happen so she held a design competition and selected three companies that met her standards. She calls upon the companies to go ahead and make their case.^[16]

Calling from Chaldea, Francis Drake suggests a pirate ship, Mordred suggests hovercrafts, and Katsushika Hokusai suggests the Utsuro-bune^WP. The decision of which to build is left up to Ritsuka.^[16]

Eve of the Decisive Battle

That night, Ritsuka goes out on a walk when they run into Trắc. She is too nervous about tomorrow’s battle to relax because she fears it will fail like her rebellion did. She questions why she became a Heroic Spirit, believing she is not a real hero as she considers herself just a scared little girl only playing the part of a strong leader. Ritsuka tells her she is a hero though and believes they can win together. The Con are also confident that they can win.^[17]

Trắc agrees with them and comes to the conclusion that a leader putting on a brave front can put everyone else’s fears and concerns at ease. She therefore decides she will protect everyone else from worrying by taking on their fears, concerns, and obligations, and tucking them away deep down in her heart. Unbeknownst to her, Nhị heard everything she said.^[17]

Someone notes they had to revise their original plan to make use of “them”. The tank resident continues to produce precious bait, yet without any sign of weight gain. Contrary to their expectations, the bait has grown significantly in the tank, to the point they can no longer ignore it. So even if they can no longer achieve their goal, they must remember the bait is valuable no matter who harvests them.^[17]

Battle for the Final Area

With their transport built, the heroes go to the final area-----the first place the monsters stole from the Con. They slay all the mermen and assume they’ve reclaimed the area when they’re suddenly attacked by a mighty merman, who they assume is the leader of the mermen. They slay it, thereby presumably freeing the island of the monster threat at long last.^[18]

However, Da Vinci points out they still haven’t found the Singularity’s Holy Grail. She thought they would find it once they defeated the mighty merman, but they didn’t, leading her to question if it was really the leader. She doubts it will be easy to find it considering there is still much they don’t know about the Singularity. The heroes return to the village to celebrate their victory.^[18]

Someone decries their kin as utterly useless, but that was expected. They were too few, too weak, and above all, represented everything they despise, which is why they prepared the Singularity for them. But now that they can’t even use their kin, their only option left is to take matters in their own hands. Thanks to the intervention of the heroes, the bait they fed the monsters survived and began acting in unexpected ways. But without mermen to feed them to, they will devour the bait themself.^[18]

At the village, while the heroes are celebrating, the strange mist returns expect it’s even thicker. The heroes assume new water monsters are coming, but Elder warns it is actually an incoming flood.^[18]

The water is rising incredibly fast. Nhị asks Elder if he can make himself float above it, but Elder says he can’t, reminding her that his connection with his main body is all but gone. Some of the Con are washed away. Trắc implores everyone to calm down and hang onto something that floats. Zetian fears, however, it is only a matter of time before the whole island is flooded. Da Vinci confesses she expected something like this might happen, so readied the rayshift to return home beforehand. Ritsuka appreciates it, but they refuse to abandon the island. Ereshkigal fears there is nothing they can do even if they do stay, but Melt says there is.^[18]

She reminds everyone she is a High-Servant with Leviathan as her main essence and her Leviathan Melt Purge makes the sea swallow up both land and sky. She believes she can use it to control the ocean itself and prevent it from drowning the island. Once she has collected and stabilized all the excess water, she can release back into the sea once things have calmed down. However, the Noble Phantasm uses an absurd amount of magical energy, so Melt requests Ritsuka to use all of their Command Spells on her. Ritsuka agrees without hesitation.^[18]

Melt goes down to the shore while Ritsuka remaining in the village empowers her with all of their Command Spells. She then activates Leviathan Melt Purge and begins drawing in the seawater and compressing it into a giant orb. Unfortunately, she lacks the magical energy to keep up with the sheer scale of her Noble Phantasm and her Spirit Origin may collapse if she keeps it up. Worse, the flood is still rising even with efforts.^[18]

But suddenly the ribbon-wearing Con appears before her and offers their help, telling Melt to eat them for extra energy, much to her confusion. They didn’t like being dug up and eaten without being asked, but they’ll let Melt eat them as a thank you for helping them.^[18]

Melt’s Melt Envy suddenly activates on its and absorption rate of Noble Phantasm increases exponentially. She realizes what the Con is doing and demands they get away from her, not wanting to lose them. The Con tells her they’re still like the others; they just have a ribbon. They reassure her they’ll see each other again and allows themself to be completely absorbed. Melt, receiving a boost in power, activates her Noble Phantasm, and this time she compresses all the water both on the island and nearby, ending the flood.^[18]

But Da Vinci warns everyone they have another emergency. She tells them that thanks to Melt they can now see the island’s foundation and shows them drone footage of the island’s current state, revealing it is not the back of a giant turtle but a Taisui---living mass of flesh said to curse anyone who digs it up. Da Vinci demands that Elder tell them who he really is.

No longer pretending to be senile, Elder admits he was the one who tried to sink the island. He had embedded a Grail into the conceptual root of the Singularity and linked it to his own existence, meaning he is the very water surrounding the area, which gives him a degree of control over it. It also allows him to stir up the surrounding waters to drown the heroes in one fell swoop, revitalize the Taisui through the water and grow beings akin to Taisui sprites that are even more nutrient-rich: the Con.^[18]

Elder calls the Con bait filled with nutrients that are essential to his goal. He was going to feed them to his kin and the other water monsters to shape them into what he wanted to, but thanks to the heroes killing all the water monsters, the Taisui absorbed the nutrients in their bodies and produced more Con than he anticipated. Now he can devour them all and possibly return to his previous form. He then reveals who he truly is: Dagon, god of distortion.^[18]

A New Deity Appears

Ereshkigal realizes the scent she smelled before was the aura of a Mesopotamian Divine Spirit. She never met Dagon personally, but she knows he is one of the oldest, greatest gods in existence. She asks him why he is in the Singularity and why he looks like a ghost.^[19]

Dagon tells her he, the former god of prosperity and grain, has been warped into his current monstrous form and he refuses to accept it. Da Vinci recalls most legends depict Dagon as a half-man, half-fish, but there are theories he looked very different back in the times he was worshipped. She suspects Dagon is well aware that his essence changed because of later generations’ interpretations and stories.^[19]

Ereshkigal tells Dagon that as a god she understands his anger but his new nature has already been defined and cannot be changed, so she asks him how he intends to deny it.^[19]

Dagon reminds her faith is what makes gods, so all needs is a faith that sees him in the right way. He attempted to return to his rightful form by using the faith of his kin and the water monsters with whom he shares an affinity with. His plan was to gather them in vast numbers, feed them Con to strengthen them, and remake them into the kind of kin he wanted. Then, once he had a flock of the right kind of kin, with the right kind of faith, he could retake his rightful godly form.^[19]

Nhị surmises by kin Dagon means the merfolk, but she questions if he only gathered the other water monsters for their numbers why he went through the trouble of assembling so many different species. Da Vinci realizes Dagon didn’t have a choice in the matter. They may come from very different regions, but except for the merfolk, all the water monsters live in rivers and lakes. This led her to two hypotheses: there is something special about the merfolk and the Singularity is actually a lake, not an ocean.^[19]

She concludes it is a salt lake, noting the salinity of the water was one of the first things Chaldea investigated and how every sea has its own unique salinity measurement. But they couldn’t see it wasn’t a sea earlier because the salinity had been carefully adjusted to a level that could have come from just about any sea and because Dagon concealed the truth by making the island’s springs seem to be fresh water. It would be simple for him to do it if he was connected to the water itself via the Grail’s power.^[19]

Dagon supposes Da Vinci has realized which lake it is. Da Vinci at first guesses it is the wandering lake Lop Nur from Central Asia but quickly realizes Dagon only used it as a base to a Singularity built on the concept of moving lakes and wandering watering holes. The Singularity’s true nature is why Chaldea couldn’t pinpoint its coordinates.

Da Vinci further deduces If Dagon used the Grail’s power to partially integrate himself with the moving lake, then he could control where it went. Dagon confirms Da Vinci’s deduction that he didn’t call the water monsters but rather he flew the lake all over the world to collect them from their respective regions. They attacked the island because they felt their territory was being invaded, not knowing Dagon wanted to eat the Con he prepared for them. But to successfully gather the water monsters, he needed a living being, a beacon, to act as their leader. That was his turtle disguise, something he couldn’t change after the fact because he already built it into the system.^[19]

Even without the water monsters, all he has to do is eat all the Con that grown in number beyond his expectations and use them as sustenance to create his true kin. He already ate all the Con who swept away in the flood——about half of the population. Thanks to them, he is now far stronger.^[19]

The mist returns; Dagon reveals it is a byproduct of him using the Grail’s power to galvanize the lake. He then commands the water to bring every Con to him for him to consume. However, Melt, who is still maintaining her Noble Phantasm, is preventing him from doing that, so Dagon moves the lake to bring in more water monsters to kill Melt. Dagon goes off to them, so the heroes go after to protect Melt and the Con.^[19]

The heroes struggle against Dagon and the sheer number of water monsters. Trắc laments they’re not strong enough to do anything, believing they’re not true heroes and all they can do is act tough. She apologizes to the Con that they didn’t get someone stronger, someone that could save them.^[19]

Ritsuka tells her that isn’t true when Mash shows up, agreeing with her Master. She arrived a moment ago as soon as her equipment and the Rayshift were ready. She knows she can’t turn the situation around on her own, but she was entrusted with something else and proceeds to throw a special anchor arrow into the lake.^[19]

Thanks to the arrow, Da Vinci now has a connection to the lake. She reveals the lake is currently warping automatically to replenish water monsters, but she can hack it to change its warp coordinates to somewhere they choose at least once. She chooses North Vietnam to provide the Trưng sisters with a fame boost so they can fight at their full power.^[19]

The sisters feel the people’s faith in them. Trắc is confused as they lost and died without accomplishing anything. Ritsuka tells her that isn’t true because what they did made the people revere them as gods. Trắc doesn’t understand why they would, though.^[19]

Mash tells her it’s because everyone who saw you her and her sister standing up for yourselves was inspired to do the same. Even if they did lose in the end, they showed the people they should fight back and for that why they consider the sisters true heroes and revere them as gods. Those thoughts and feelings were what shaped the sisters into what they are now, so Mash implores them not to turn their backs on the people now.^[19]

Nhị wholeheartedly agrees with what Mash said. She believes the fact they lost and died doesn’t matter because nobody regretted followed them into battle. She calls Trắc her awesome big sister and a wonderful ruler——the best anyone could have hoped for. That is why everyone still remembers her and thinks of her as a god.^[19]

Trắc accepts who she and her sister are, allowing them to become their deified selves. It then suddenly starts to rain. Da Vinci explains later generations were said to pray to the deified sisters for rain during times of drought. The people had revered them as gods of fortune and probably asked them for rain because they believed they had a natural affinity for water.

Dagon is absolutely furious that the Trưng sisters have the faith he so desires and decides to eat them and take it for himself. The hero fight Dagon again, but Da Vinci questions if the sisters being deified and receiving fame boost will be enough to defeat him considering he is empowered by the many Con he has eaten.^[19]

Despite the heroes’ best efforts, they still can’t defeat Dagon. Morgan suddenly walks in on the scene, having grown irritated by the commotion they’re making. Ritsuka, Mash, and the Trưng sisters implore her to help them. She agrees to help, wanting to at least repay the Con for letting her pet them, but she will not help them personally, for there is someone more suited.^[19]

She tells Mash to stand her shield on the ground. Next, seeing this is an unorthodox approach, she takes a hair from Ereshkigal, Melt, and Zetian to prime the “pump” for the summoning. Ereshkigal’s hair to prime the “pump” for divinity——an affinity with the underworld, deep in the bowels of the earth; Melt’s hair to prime the “pump” for affection——the ties that bind for whom we care, and who in turn care for us; Zetian’s hair to prime the “pump” for knowledge——confirmation of existence, and the definition inscribed upon humanity.^[19]

With the “pump” for the spell now primed, Morgan selects the Taisui and the Con to act as the catalyst. Then, at her behest, the Con gather round Mash’s shield and Ritsuka recites the Servant summoning chant, summoning the deified form of the Taisui——Taisui Xingjun.^[19]

Ritsuka finds Xingjun very unnerving when he isn’t speaking. Zetian warns just like the Taisui is an ominous being that curses clans to death, Xingjun is a god of curses and ill omens. She doesn’t know what sort of curses he is cloaked in currently and it’s possible he can’t understand anyone.^[19]

Xingjun transforms into a child and immediately begins acting like the Con; Melt notices the robbin he is wearing and realizes that particular Con is part of him. Nhị senses all of the Con are there inside him, so he still remembers everyone. Together with him, the heroes battle Dagon for the final time.^[19]

Dagon is defeated. Ereshkigal calls him pathetic for losing sight of himself and not accepting that he was once worshipped. Dagon warns her that she may find herself in the predicament as him when faith in her is distorted and believes she would resist however she could like he did. Ereshkigal admits she doesn’t know, but she knows for certain the Age of Gods has long passed. It is up to humans to make of the gods what they will now, which is why she is grateful humans and gods can interact on equal footing.^[19]

But Dagon refuses to accept this outcome and decides if he can’t have the faith he desires, then he’ll spread a curse as far as he can. He uses the last of his power to turn his body and the water it’s connected to into a cursed poison. Now the lake will teleport somewhere (he doesn’t care where) and when it does, the poison will seep into the water there, creating a spring of death. Dagon disappears into water, having embraced he is now an evil god.^[19]

The color of the water changes to purple, indicating the lake has become poisonous. Mash asks Da Vinci if she can stop the teleportation, but Da Vinci says she can’t because it is already underway. It will be too late once the lake connects to a water source and from there spread its poison throughout and kill untold numbers of people. The Trưng sisters conclude they have a chance to prevent that if they act now.^[19]

Da Vinci believes there has to be an alternative and asks Morgan if she can neutralize the poison. Morgan explains the poison was once a god’s divine body and to neutralize it would require a Divine Spirit of equal strength and with a connection to water. As this is Proper Human History, she cannot use her Water Mirror to send it back to the past, so there is nothing she can do. The Trưng sisters see they only have one option.^[19]

Holding hands, the sisters walk toward the lake. They explain that after losing a major battle they were about to be captured by the Han army. But they decided if they were only going to be tortured and executed, they’d rather take their chances with the freezing water and so they held hands and jumped in.^[19]

Back then, they jumped to escape from everything, but this time they will do it so Ritsuka can ensure the world has a future. Unfortunately, using their own divine, water-based bodies to neutralize Dagon’s poison is the only option left to them. They bid farewell to Xingjun and Ritsuka, promising the former they will see each other again. They then enter the lake and neutralize Dagon’s poison with their own bodies.^[19]

Epilogue

Da Vinci confirms the Taisui will disappear with the Singularity once the Grail is collected, for it was summoned using the Grail’s power. Morgan, however, says they can still bring Xingjun back with them because while they did employ unusual means to summon him, he is still a Servant who answered Ritsuka’s call through Mash’s shield, and forged a genuine bond with. The Chaldeans collect the Grail and return home with Xingjun. Later, at Chaldea, Xingjun happily accepts Melt’s invitation to watch her dance rehearsal.^[20]

Participants

Servants

Designation	Identity	Affiliation
Lancer	EreshkigalWP	Ritsuka Fujimaru
Assassin	Wu ZetianWP	Ritsuka Fujimaru
Lancer	Meltryllis	Ritsuka Fujimaru
Saber	Trưng sistersWP
Lancer	Muashibou BenkeiWP	Ritsuka Fujimaru
Lancer	Hōzōin InshunWP	Ritsuka Fujimaru
Lancer	Nagao KagetoraWP	Ritsuka Fujimaru
Berserker	MorganWP
Archer	Calamity JaneWP
Saber	LakshmibaiWP
Assassin	SemiramisWP
Alter Ego	Taisui XingjunWP

Non-Servants

Designation	Identity	Affiliation
Divine Spirit	DagonWP

References