« The place you wander in is a utopia of immorality. Dreams and reality will disappear like that of a bubble. » |
(Scheherazade) |
The Agartha Subcategory Singularity (アガルタ亜種特異点, Agaruta ashu tokuiten?), identified as Subcategory Singularity II (亜種特異点 II, Ashu tokuiten II?, localized as "Pseudo-Singularity II"), is one of five singularities manifested by the remaining Demon Gods after the defeat of Beast I Goetia. Located in 2000 AD Central Asia, its Humanity Foundation Value is ?? and the Demon God Phenex is its creator. It was the second officially recognized of the five subcategory singularities visited by Chaldea Security Organization in the undertaking of the Remnant Order to deal with the collateral damage caused by the Human Order Incineration Incident.
The events of Chaldea's visit to this Singularity are covered in the second chapter of Epic of Remnant, Subterranean World of Folklore: Agartha (伝承地底世界 アガルタ, Denshō chitei sekai Agaruta?). It has the subtitle Women of Agartha (アガルタの女, Agaruta no onna?). It received a manga adaptation illustrated by Hideo Takenaka.
Setting[]
After escaping the Time Temple, Phenex summoned Scheherazade, and sympathized with her fear of death. Together they conspired to reduce the world's Mystery to render the Servant Summoning System and other related existences obsolete.[1] Phenex empowered Scheherazade's Noble Phantasm, Alf Layla wa-Layla, to make the stories she created real.[2] Using her newly enhanced Noble Phantasm, she created the Singularity by blending several stories together (YsWP, The Peach Blossom SpringWP, Nightless City, El DoradoWP, and the Dragon PalaceWP) in a underground space, as ordered by Phenex. Afterwards she was ordered to summon Heroic Spirits into the Singularity, either summoning them herself, or taking them from Chaldea. In order to increase fictional nature of the Singularity, she placed the Servants she summoned as the rulers of cities they had no connection to in life. Penthesilea was made to rule El Dorado while Wu Zetian was made to rule the Nightless City. The exception to this rule was Dahut, whose existence is akin to a Phantom prevented Scheherazade from summoning her as Servant, so she altered Francis Drake's Saint Graph to play the role.[2] Scheherazade also subconsciously made the entire population female due to her fear of men.[1] While the means of their reproduction is akin to asexual reproduction, the women still needed men to reproduce, so they kidnapped them from the surface.[3]
After Scheherazade summoned these Heroic Spirits, Phenex ordered her to incite conflict. As a base for this conflict, she summoned Christopher Columbus with amnesia.[1] While he had no memories, Columbus still followed his dream of becoming rich through slave trading, and sought to conquer Agartha to sell its female population. Needing a hideout, he eventually found the Peach Blossom Spring. There he met and presumably murdered Helena Blavatsky. After establishing the spring as his hideout, Columbus began recruiting men to use as soldiers in his conquest under the pretense of forming a resistance to free the men from the women of Agartha, and return them to their families on the surface.[4] In order to create more chaos, Scheherazade altered Heracles's Saint Graph to make him into the more monstrous and ever-rampaging Megalos. She also intended to summon Fergus mac Róich as a teenager, believing his increased lust at that age would cause more chaos, but he ended up as a young boy whose anxious around women.[2] The impending conflict between the Servants would eventually form a vortex of magical energy, and the enclosed nature of Agartha would trap the souls of the vanquished Servants. Agartha would then exploit the energy generated by the souls as they try to return to the Throne. Eventually the energy would be used to make the fictional nature of the Singularity into reality. Once this is achieved it would be used to destroy a real city to damage human understanding to destroy the concept of Mystery, thereby rendering all existences related to it obsolete. Phenex believed doing this would eventually result in humanity's destruction.[1]
History[]
Prelude[]
In the Command Room of Chaldea, Ritsuka Fujimaru is informed by Leonardo da Vinci and Mash Kyrielight of a new, highly unusual Pseudo-Singularity - the next appearance of one of the surviving Demon God Pillars, escaped from the Temple of Time, after the Shinjuku Pseudo-Singularity. With Mash still without her Demi-Servant powers, she is forced once again to remain in the Command Room as support staff.[5]
Da Vinci formally dubs the Order of eliminating the Pseudo-Singularities the "Remnant Order", a cleanup operation of the remnants left behind after the Final Singularity's resolution. She reveals the Singularity's location to be central Asia in the 2000s, close to the modern present era. However, what makes the Singularity unusual is its depth - an underground hollow deep beneath the surface of the Earth, large enough to house an entire country.[5]
With the briefing complete and nothing left to discuss, Ritsuka is Rayshifted alone into the Singularity.[5]
Welcomed by the Subterranean World[]
To the surprise of all, Ritsuka (and a stowaway Fou) arrive in the Singularity to find lush, grassy hills filled with greenery; perfectly hospitable with none of the environmental caveats expected of a subterranean hollow. In place of the sun, the underground ceiling is covered in glowing moss, bizarrely emitting enough light to spark photosynthesis in the normally terrestrial flora. [6]
Distinct from the underworlds Chaldea is familiar with, Da Vinci theorizes the subterranean space is its own independent world, not adhering to conventional laws of nature. She formally names it Agartha, after the subterranean kingdom of the same name from occult myth, once described by Helena Blavatsky.[6]
Suddenly reminded by the mention of Helena, Mash reveals that several Chaldean Servants had suddenly gone missing when Agartha was discovered: Helena, Heracles, Fergus mac Róich, and Francis Drake. Naturally, Da Vinci suspects a connection, and recommends Ritsuka rendezvous with them if possible. [6]
However, two other Chaldean stowaways suddenly reveal themselves: Astolfo, Paladin of Charlemagne, and Chevalier d'Eon, Knight of the White Lily, having Rayshifted with Ritsuka with the help of Chaldea staff member Jingle Abel Meunière. Their assistance is welcomed, overlooking Meunière's breach of the rules just in time for a group of wild Chimeras to attack.[6]
After the Chimeras are slain, the heroes continue to assess their surroundings. From Chaldea's analysis, Agartha's topography appears to be an incongruent mishmash of environs and features, as if several authors had created a single combined anthology of Agartha. Additionally, readings of Agartha are heavily blurred the further from Ritsuka they are - including the Demon God Pillar's signal, forcing Ritsuka to search on foot.[6]
With Da Vinci detecting artificial structures nearby, the heroes prepare to investigate. However, Astolfo recklessly runs ahead of the others, predictably returning with a pack of Demon Boars in pursuit. d'Eon, however, notes that they appear to be fleeing from something else.[6]
After slaying the boars, the heroes follow their tracks to an unconscious boy on the ground, apparently caught in the boars' stampede. The purple-haired boy regains consciousness, and it soon becomes apparent to the baffled heroes that the boy is a younger, much meeker Fergus, summoned into Agartha with only memories of his childhood, and none of Chaldea or his adult self. Having been waylaid by the stampeding Demon Boars, the child Fergus, still a Servant, is accepted into the heroes' party.[6]
Contact[]
The young Fergus is astonished to learn about his adult self from the heroes, showing a complete contrast in personality. As opposed to his normal lustful and boisterous nature, the child Fergus is innocent and awkward with women almost to a fault, only sharing a love for physical training on his journey to become king. Regardless, Da Vinci determines with confidence he is still the Chaldean Fergus, but somehow transformed.[7]
Led by Astolfo, the party reach the nearby settlement, finding a campsite filled with tents, inhabited by musclebound women. The women react with neutral confusion until they see Fergus, whom they dub a "stray man", drawing the ire of the entire camp as they arm themselves to attack. Fergus reveals his insecurities with women reach the point where he cannot fight or even attack them (having not met any female warriors at this point in his life), restricting him solely to defending Ritsuka.[7]
The rest of the heroes defeat the attacking women, whom Da Vinci surmises to be Amazons. d'Eon further deduces the camp is a hunting outpost, with the fleeing pack of Demon Boars being their latest quarry and food source, to be taken away down another road to presumably another larger settlement. With the heroes needing more information about Agartha, they head down the road to find more inhabitants, while Mash privately wonders what the Amazons meant by dubbing Fergus a "stray".[7]
At the Amazon Village[]
The heroes arrive at the settlement, finding it is surprisingly a fully-fledged town populated solely by Amazons. However, the party quickly seeks cover as they witness the horrifying answer to Mash's earlier question: Amazons keeping men as slaves - chained, caged, and abused like livestock with no free will. The heroes are unnerved by this revelation, particularly the young Fergus.[8]
The heroes are soon discovered via Fergus (an Amazon openly wondering if he fell from the sky), and are quickly surrounded by the town's entire populace, accused by the Amazons as scouts for an unknown organization. The Servants sans Fergus manage to hold off the surrounding Amazons, buying a moment of respite.[8]
However, they are immediately confronted an enemy Servant, drawn by the commotion - the Amazons' Queen, an unusually young girl wielding an enormous chained flail. The Amazon Queen interrogates Ritsuka, demanding to know their allegiance. She lists a "decadent water city", a "dazzling city of trash", or a "band of stray dogs", all unknown factions to the Chaldeans.
The Servant quickly misinterprets Ritsuka's confusion as an insult, flying into a vindictive rage and attacking the heroes with her Amazons. The Queen proves to be an incredibly powerful opponent, and Mash determines her class to be Berserker as the heroes barely hold their ground against her.[8]
The Berserker pulls back, admitting she is impressed by the heroes' prowess and bravery (except for Fergus, who didn’t even defend himself). Approving of their strength, she changes her mind and decides to take the heroes as slaves - particularly the men for reproduction, as more contingents of Amazons arrive. However, the Berserker is abruptly notified by an Amazon of a certain man's appearance in a nearby town.[8]
Berserker immediately flies into an even worse murderous rage, ranting incoherently and rushing off to kill her apparent rival, leaving her forces behind. The Amazons split into two groups, half sent to follow their queen, the other remaining behind to capture the heroes, and another fight breaks out.[8]
The heroes hold out against the Amazons, Fergus still unable to bring himself to fight, when a second force comes to their rescue - a charismatic bearded man, leading an armed group of men, identified as the Resistance. The heroes join forces with the Resistance, managing to defeat the rest of the Amazons.[8]
After the battle, the Resistance frees the enslaved men, while the Resistance leader meets with the grateful heroes. He reveals that the whole of Agartha is under an oppressive matriarchy, not just the Amazons, and the Resistance is fighting back against it. He agrees to answer any further questions at the Resistance’s hideout.
Though he confirms he is another summoned Servant, the leader reveals to Mash's surprise that he is unable to remember his True Name or any of his life, and is thus unable to use his Noble Phantasm. For the time being, he introduces himself as the Rider of the Resistance.[8]
Resistance[]
Later, following Rider, Ritsuka's party emerge from a mountain cave into a beautiful valley paradise filled with blossoming peach trees, which Da Vinci deduces to be the Peach Blossom Spring of Chinese legend. [3]
While meeting a young Resistance boy who Rider is fond of, he explains to the heroes that the valley is the Resistance hideout, used for its strategic value - hidden from the outside by the surrounding mountains, its only entrance being the mountain cave, and an infinite supply of food from the peach trees.[3]
Inside Rider's shack, the heroes brief him on their mission and share their knowledge. They learn from him that while Agartha seemingly has no exits to the surface, the Resistance men were all abducted from the surface across the world, by mysterious holes opening beneath them, falling from Agartha's "sky" - a possible teleportation trap. On the subject of the Amazons, Rider compares them to Servants, in that they spontaneously appeared in Agartha without cause.[3]
The conversation is interrupted by the Resistance boy, warning of an attack by wild wyverns - a periodic annoyance as they can fly over the mountains. The heroes join Rider in slaying them, but the latter is unable to use his Noble Phantasm due to his amnesia. Da Vinci, suspecting he is from her time based on his attire, attempts to jog his memory to no avail. [3]
However, both Ritsuka and Mash are reminded of the traitorous Archer of Shinjuku - James Moriarty, who similarly claimed to suffer amnesia. Mash is uncertain as Rider appears to have genuine human allies, but cannot help but feel anxious regardless.[3]
Rider continues his briefing, going over Agartha's three primary factions (besides the Resistance) - warring major cities, each ruled by a Servant, all who keep their True Names hidden. The three cities fight for control of Agartha in an endless war:
El Dorado, the golden city in the jungle, ruled by the Berserker of El Dorado and her Amazons - the largest and most aggressive faction; the Nightless City, a fortress city perpetually lit by lanterns, ruled by a fearsome empress Servant; and the City of Water, on the bank of the great underground lake to the east, ruled by another female Servant. Agartha is a totally matriarchal society, with men being oppressed and treated as lower beings, which the Resistance is fighting against.[3]
Da Vinci suggests the Demon God Pillar has likely assimilated with one of the three ruling Servants that serve as the Singularity’s core, though they'll need to be defeated first to determine which is the host. As their goals seem to align, the heroes officially join the Resistance, before stopping to fend off more pests attacking the peach trees.[3]
Afterwards, the heroes relax while watching Rider train and manage his men and the Resistance boy, showing incredible charisma, confidence, optimism and ability as a leader. The heroes are impressed, with d'Eon wondering if he had military experience in his old life, before once again helping the men defeat golems in the quarry, accidentally awakened by the men's work.[3]
Later, Rider declares the City of Water as the Resistance’s next target, having already set up a Resistance resupply camp on the edge of the city’s territory. At Mash's questioning, Rider reveals the city is called Ys, a decadent town built on the surface of the lake itself.[3]
Heading to Ys[]
As the party head for the supply camp, Rider continues to explain Agartha's nature, which Da Vinci notes seems to be specifically designed with humans in mind (e.g. a 24 hour day cycle from the luminescent moss on the ceiling). Rider further explains that Agartha’s rivers flow into the lake Ys is located, making it a prime tactical position to quickly sail almost anywhere in Agartha - a fact that is well-exploited by the people of Ys to attack and plunder. The Resistance is targeting Ys first to both stop the attacks and take control of the rivers themselves.[9]
The group eventually reach the camp to find it under attack by female pirates, who had ambushed them from an undiscovered waterway. The pirates are revealed to be from Ys, loudly expounding the philosophy of their ruler, the Pirate Princess - "take whatever you want, whenever you want it", wantonly plundering, enslaving and slaughtering as they wish. The heroes fight and defeat the pirates (who are briefly confused yet undeterred by Astolfo and d'Eon's genders).[9]
Afterwards, Rider has their relief group and the survivors remain to take care of the camp, while the rest of them will proceed onwards to sneak into Ys and kill its ruler. Ritsuka and Mash suspect the "Pirate Princess" to be Drake, but remain skeptical, while the young Fergus grapples with the concept of a female pirate ruler.[9]
The Pirate Princess Lewdly Smiles[]
Within Ys, after sufficiently pleasuring herself with an enslaved man, the Pirate Princess callously kills and disposes of him in the city's waters. In doing so, she announces her only two teachings in Ys - to take whatever you want, whenever you want it, but also to not want what you have taken. [10]
The heroes successfully sneak into Ys, a city built on the water lined by canals (akin to Venice on the surface). A den of pure hedonism and wasteful indulgence, violence and excess pollute its waterways, disgusting the heroes.[10]
Eschewing taking a gondola to quickly reach the city's ruler, they opt to covertly make their way on foot under d'Eon's suggestion and leadership, using their expertise as a spy and restricting unnecessary communications with Chaldea. Finding a busy tavern in their path, the heroes look inside to see Ys' pirates violently abusing and humiliating their enslaved men as cheap entertainment.[10]
d'Eon recommends sneaking past while the pirates are distracted by their "entertainment", but relents when Ritsuka voices their intent to rescue the men. With the full support of the other Servants, the heroes enter the tavern and quickly defeat the pirates inside the main room before they can raise the alarm. However, they are discovered and surprised by a single pirate returning from the bathroom, who calls for help before Rider can knock her out. With the whole city now hunting them, the heroes are forced to flee the tavern. [10]
Later, the heroes lay low deep in the streets of Ys, having shaken their pursuit. d'Eon notices they are not far from the city’s largest mansion, presuming it to be the home of Ys's leader. However, a young, purple-haired girl suddenly appears, offering to show the party into the mansion, claiming to know a secret path inside. d'Eon is wary of her, while the rest of the party only see her as a child, sensing no hostility or any sign of a trap. They are soon discovered by more pirates, and Ritsuka orders the Servants to only knock the pirates out, not wishing to traumatize the girl.[10]
After knocking out the pirates, the heroes follow the girl through the secret path. The girl seemingly remains innocent, claiming her family wasn't among the previous group of pirates. The heroes eventually reach the mansion’s rear garden through a hidden hole in its wall, only for the girl to suddenly vanish as quickly as she had appeared. d'Eon and Rider's suspicions of a trap are once again aroused, noting that no other children have been seen in Ys. Regardless, with no other options, the group enters the mansion.[10]
The heroes head for the mansion's central room, informing Mash of the strange girl. Inside, they meet Ys's ruler - Francis Drake, her Spirit Origin confirmed as identical by Da Vinci. However, her clothes and mannerisms have been changed completely; she does not recognise the Chaldeans and asserts her True Name is Dahut - the Pirate Princess and Rider of Ys.[10]
d'Eon and Da Vinci recall the tale of Ys, a legend from France’s Brittany region. The name of a coastal city, Ys was known for being a hotbed of sin and vice that was one day swallowed up by the sea, remaining untouched in the depths ever since. Legend also speaks of the wicked daughter of Ys's ruler - Dahut, whose plundering formed Ys’ immoral backbone, setting an example for its citizens. However, they assert that there is no record of Ys or Dahut ever truly existing, a fact plainly refuted by their presence before them.[10]
Undeterred by their denial of her existence, Dahut welcomes the heroes to her city, proclaiming its hedonistic philosophies, celebrating the desires of the moment as the ultimate good. The heroes reject her values, her city having devolved into a chaotic mess, while Dahut asserts that her city is one of pleasure and happiness under her rule. When Rider demands her to consider the "happiness" of those being taken from, Dahut simply claims that those being robbed should instead be grateful to be used, exposing the true twisted heart of her hedonism.[10]
It is this that makes Ritsuka and Mash understand Dahut isn’t the Drake they know, as Drake fully understood the weight of her actions in taking from others, and deem Dahut as an enemy to be defeated. Dahut's warped mindset leads her to believe the heroes mean to “take” her sexually, and she battles the heroes, calling in her pirate maids to join in the fun. Dahut is unable to use Francis Drake's Noble Phantasm, instead opting to Seize power from her enemies and transfer it to her allies.[10]
After a few pirates are killed, however, Dahut orders the pirates who are "pregnant" to give birth. The heroes are horrified to see that unlike regular childbirth, the pirates split themselves apart like cells to create exact clones of themselves, replenishing their numbers. Dahut begins to sink deeper and deeper into her own desires, which Rider denounces as foolish and unsustainable, as she will continue to take from the finite world without ever giving back, until there is nothing left but her desires alone, now unquenchable.[10]
Asserting that she cares nothing for the world and only for the happiness of her city, Dahut and her still-multiplying army battle the heroes once again, and she is finally defeated. Dahut tries to escape, refusing to allow herself to be taken. The heroes try to give chase, but are blocked by her maids, who continue to replicate. [10]
Suddenly, everything begins to shake. A pirate reports to Dahut that the city’s floodgates have been opened, causing the lake to flood the city; Dahut realizes someone stole the gate's only key from her possession while she was fighting. At that moment, the culprit reveals herself - the girl who helped the heroes earlier, who Dahut identifies as Assassin, the Empress of the Nightless City.[10]
Confirming that Assassin is a Servant, the Chaldea team realises their plan to cut off communications backfired, as it prevented them from discovering Assassin's earlier subterfuge. Now speaking in a royal manner, Assassin thanks the heroes for distracting Dahut, and forgives Ritsuka for treating her like a child. [10]
Dahut realizes her previous confidant, a Caster, had defected to the Nightless City after leaving Ys and was the one who informed Assassin of the key's location. The mansion is then hit with a flash flood, washing the injured Dahut away to seemingly certain death. Her mission complete, Assassin invites the heroes to visit her city if they survive, before she escapes herself, giving Ritsuka the nickname of "Hun Yang" - Lost Sheep in Chinese.[10]
The heroes escape the mansion under Mash's guidance to find Ys completely flooded, reflecting its fate in folklore. With this, one of the three ruling powers in Agartha is now gone.[10]
Mash and Da Vinci confirm Dahut wasn’t the host of the Demon God Pillar, on the basis that the Pillar never revealed itself even on the brink of defeat, an action uncharacteristic of the Demon God Pillars. With no other leads, the heroes decide their next destination - the Nightless City.[10]
Privately, Fergus takes note of Ys’s governance, one without class structure or hierarchy. Despite being evil and twisted, he cannot deny its people were happy, and decides to keep it in mind as a possible way to rule as part of his training to become king (despite acknowledging its pointlessness given his nature as a Servant).[10]
To the Nightless City[]
As the party travels to the Nightless City, Rider briefly laments the total loss of Ys along with its tactical benefits, but remains optimistic, having ordered the Resistance to search its ruins for any seaworthy vessel. He further warns the heroes of another threat separate from Agartha's ruling Servants and wild monsters - a highly dangerous "natural disaster", whose movements are almost entirely unpredictable.[11]
After the heroes slay some wild Soul Eaters, Rider describes the women of the Nightless City at Da Vinci's request. He notes they are far more reserved and defensive compared to the Amazons and pirates, with their ruler's solo toppling of Ys being a deliberate exception that took Dahut by surprise. With Ys now gone, he suspects there will be recent changes taking place within the City, and suggests doing recon first.[11]
Ritsuka and Mash briefly wonder if the Caster mentioned by Dahut is Chaldea's Helena. Fergus admits he still cannot bring himself to fight women, and asks Rider about the possible dangers within the Nightless City, hopeful for an opponent he can be of use against. Rider recalls the Resistance once took in a man who escaped from the city. Severely traumatized, the man only revealed that the city was "full of dogs" (Rider pointing at the defeated Soul Eaters as an example), Rider being unsure if the statement was literal or figurative.[11]
The Brilliant Fortress City[]
As the heroes near the Nightless City, Rider returns to the hideout, so he can return with a proper force to take the city after Assassin is defeated.[12]
After the heroes infiltrate the city, D'Eon recommends gathering information first to ensure the operation can go undeterred. Once they gain information on the city, its threats, and Assassin's location, they will all move in together. D'Eon decides they and Astolfo will gather the info since they can pass as citizens. To help with that, D'Eon had already grabbed clothes from a nearby house to use as disguises. They and Astolfo go into the shadows to change.[12]
D'Eon and Astolfo come out wearing a maid outfit and a skimpy sailor uniform respectively, much to the chevalier's embarrassment. D'Eon admits they weren't looking when they grabbed the outfits and that they took them from the bedroom drawers. Astolfo then implies that they're outfits for roleplaying, adding to the chevalier's embarrassment. But considering the city's women are wearing clothes from different regions and eras, D'Eon and Astolfo should be able to blend in just fine. The two of them then leave to gather info.[12]
Ritsuka and Da Vinci tease Fergus about his future self’s lust for women, making Fergus worried he’ll become a man who sees women only as sexual objects. Mash tries to reassure him he still grows into a great man who is like everyone’s dependable uncle despite his behavior when she notices something breathing heavily and running toward Ritsuka and Fergus’s position. It turns out to be dog-like creatures, which attack the pair out of hunger.[12]
Fergus slays them and Mash wonders if those were the dogs Rider was referring to. Their keeper arrives to find the dogs slain. Fergus tries to ask for his help, but the man is terrified of the executioners who are certain to arrive soon.[12]
As D'Eon and Astolfo continue their reconnaissance, they find the men aren’t physically restrained. D'Eon considers the possibility that they’re bound by a spell. They decide to ask a man about it, but Astolfo points out they’re all accompanied by a woman at all times. The pair then notice a woman accompanied by two men, so they follow them.[12]
While the woman leaves the men to relieve herself, one man tells the other about his desire to flee the city and join the Resistance. D'Eon tries to go talk to the men when the other man loudly reports the other is disturbing the peace by trying to flee the city.[12]
Meawhile with Ritsuka and Fergus, the keeper explains the executioners are the Empress’ official Torturers who serve as the city’s police force. After he flees, a Torturer arrives to find the slain dogs. She correctly surmises Ritsuka and Fergus are the culprits and intruders, and she goes to carry out their punishment.[12]
Unlike his previous inability to fight women, Fergus fights and defeats the Torturer. The keeper returns to see the Torturer defeated, and so decides to help the group. He relays his knowledge of the city and the Torturers when a loud noise in the distance interrupts him.[12]
Meanwhile, with Ritsuka and Fergus, the keeper explains the executioners are the Empress’ official torturers who serve as the city’s police force. After he flees, a Torturer arrives to find the slain dogs. She correctly deduces Ritsuka and Fergus are the culprits and intruders, and she goes to carry out their punishment.[12]
Unlike his previous inability to fight women, Fergus fights and defeats the torturer. The keeper returns to see the Torturer defeated, which amazes him since all men in the city are terrified of them, especially after witnessing one of their “shows”. He agrees to relay his knowledge of the city and the Torturers when a loud noise in the distance interrupts him[12]
Simultaneously in the plaza, D'Eon and Astolfo witness a Torturer carryout the public execution of the man who tried to flee by Langchi. Seeing it reminds D'Eon of their regret of having not been there to stop Marie Antoinette's execution. Astolfo thus encourages D'Eon to stop the execution unfolding before them.[12]
The Torturer is tougher than she looks, however, with more incoming. Fortunately Ritsuka and Fergus arrive to help. After defeating the Torturers, the heroes flee to find a hiding place. D'Eon assumes the Torturers are actually women who’ve been chosen to become one.[12]
The heroes eventually escape their pursuers, and D'Eon and Astolfo return to their regular outfits. D'Eon asks the keeper if he knows where Assassin is. He cannot answer because men are only slaves to women. Ritsuka asks him if he heard rumors that may lead to Assassin. He recalls hearing about an underground facility that only Toruturers and higher may enter. He reveals the entrance is behind the executioner’s sacaffold in the plaza, so the group goes there.
The heroes eventually escape their pursuers, and D'Eon and Astolfo return to their regular outfits. The keeper doubts the man the party rescued from being executed will last the night, seeing how profusely he is bleeding from having his hand severed.[12]
D'Eon, wishing to free the city from Assassin’s tyranny like the others, asks the keeper if he knows where Assassin is. He cannot answer because men are only slaves to women. So long as men obey the law, they and women are technically equal, but only women have basic human rights. The lives of the men are all severely regulated.[12]
Ritsuka asks him if he heard rumors that may lead to Assassin. He recalls hearing about an underground facility that only Toruturers and higher may enter. He reveals the entrance is behind the executioner’s scaffold in the plaza, so the party heads there.[12]
There, however, they activate a trap and find themselves surrounded by Torturers. The keeper confesses he reported the group’s location for his own survival; D'Eon realizes what Rider meant by dogs. An absent Assassin agrees to reward the keeper but not before torturing him for his poor attitude.[12]
She then invites the heroes into her palace, which she usually keeps underground to not “overwhelm” her subjects with “noble presence”. Though her tactician advises against it, Assassin proceeds to reveal the city’s so-called true form. The scaffolding opens and an extremely bright castle rises from the ground. Assassin calls it Yaoguang Hall. The Torturers emerge from its entrance while more appear behind the heroes to prevent their escape. Fighting their way through, the heroes enter the castle.[12]
The heroes enter Assassin’s throne room to find her and an unknown female Servant. The woman introduces herself as Caster, who serves as the Nightless City’s tactician. Fergus notices how sad she looks, as if she is scared of everything. Assassin says it was Caster’s plan to flood Ys. Caster admits she once served Dahut, but left to serve Assassin when she feared for her life.[12]
Assassin asks the heroes what they think of her city, believing it’s better than Ys. They, however, criticize it for its public displays of torture, lack of basic human rights for men, and an intolerant justice system that only encourages men to betray each other to survive. Assassin tries to justify it by saying a nation where every wrongdoing is reported on and human desire is wholly suppressed will surely become one where evil does not exist. But Ritsuka and Mash both refute that wouldn’t make the subjects happy and thus not lead to true peace. Enraged by their criticisms, Assassin decides to punish the heroes aided by her Torturers and Caster.[12]
Da Vinci soon reveals Assassin’s True Name is Wu Zetian―――China's only empress. Zetian tries to convince the heroes to be her subjects, but they refuse. In response, she orders Caster to call in more Torturers, and she orders them to clone themselves. She and the heroes then fight again.[12]
Outside the city, Rider and the Resistance are waiting for their chance to take the city. He gets an urgent report of a force approaching the city from the west. To make matters worse, something monstrous is approaching. Rider orders his men to be ready to enter the city once they get the signal.[12]
The heroes defeats Zetian, but she refuses to give up. A monstrous giant then suddenly crashes through the ceiling, crushing her. Mash confirms it is Heracles, albeit more monstrous than before. He attacks everyone, so the heroes consider fighting him. But Caster convinces them not to, calling this Heracles more of a natural disaster than a person. Everyone realizes Rider was warning them about Heracles. Caster then surrenders to the heroes, not wishing to die now that Zetian is dead, and escapes with them.[12]
They arrive outside to find the city being besieged by Amazons. Rider and the Resistance arrive to help them escape the city through the front gate. Waiting there though is Berserker while Heracles is exiting the castle. However, she rushes past everyone to fight Heracles. Using this opportunity, the heroes escape the city.[12]
Fergus contemplates on the manner by which Zetian ruled and concedes a nation may prosper if everyone were suppress their desires. But he doesn’t believe it is possible to wholly suppress human desire and finds they are what make people who they are. However, like Ys before it, only the women benefited while the men were made to suffer. Fergus thus wonders if it’s possible for all people to live equally. Astolfo snaps him out of his contemplating, reminding him they need to get the would-be execution victim they rescued while they all escape.[12]
Temporary Retreat[]
Returning to the hideout, Rider informs the others that Heracles left after finishing his rampage, and the Amazons took over what remained of the Nightless City. Da Vinci decides they should call Heracles Megalos due to how dramatically his Spirit Origin has changed.[13]
Mash asks what happened to Zetian’s subjects after Megalos destroyed the city and the Amazons took what remained. Rider answers they all lost their will to fight and surrendered to the Amazons. Da Vinci theorizes the women of Agartha are familiars, given their method of reproduction, created by their respective rulers. It therefore makes sense for them to submit to whatever ruler has assumed control.[13]
Performing a dogeza, Caster pleads for her life and asks to be allowed to serve the heroes. Columbus deduces she wants to serve as the Resistance’s tactician, but he is cautious since she has betrayed her previous patrons. [13]
Caster explains all her previous actions stemmed from her desire and pleads not to be kicked out. If she is forced to leave, she’ll have no choice but to go to the Amazons in El-Dorado, which unintentionally sounds like she was threatening to employ herself to them. Caster strongly suspects, though, that Berserker wouldn’t have use of her and would kill her.[13]
Da Vinci decides they should call Heracles Megalos due to how much more powerful and monstrous he is now. She also deduces the Amazons, pirates, and Torturers are akin to familiars, given their reproduction method, created by their respective rulers.[13]
To prove her willingness to help, Caster reveals her True Name: Scheherazade—―――the narrator of One Thousand and One NightsWP. After everyone accepts her, Scheherazade picks up the scent of Lamia on the wind. The boy alerts Rider that lamias are after their peaches. Scheherazade goes to help slay the monsters.[13]
Afterward, the Chaldeans ponder the possibility of Megalos being the Demon God. Rider, however, believes its more sensible for Berserker to be the host since she completely adheres to Agartha’s matriarchy. He then asks Scheherazade the best way to fight El Dorado.[13]
Invading El Dorado[]
Following Scheherazade’s advice, the heroes travel through the jungle to infiltrate El Dorado, whose defenses should be at its weakest now its forces are split occupying the Nightless City. With only the Amazons left to defeat, Columbus is delighted to see his goal is within reach and lets out a sinister laugh. Mash realizes Rider never told them what his goal actually is.[14]
After the heroes kill an Amazon patrol party, though, Scheherazade realizes the plan is going too smoothly. She tries to warn they may be walking into an ambush but it’s too late as the heroes find themselves surrounded by Amazons who were lying in wait. Rider wonders if Scheherazade betrayed them, but seeing how she is shaking with fear, he realizes that isn’t the case and that she was merely outsmarted.[14]
Berserker appears, having already known Scheherazade joined the Resistance and determined what her next move would be. She proclaims with Ys and the Nightless City gone, Agartha now practically belongs to the Amazons. It is now a single nation of warriors led by a single queen, where there is no poor nor rich, and the only class distinction is between warrior and royalty. In her mind, such a nation is more fair and strong than any other. But as she cannot have stray men befouling the land, she will determine who she will enslave and who she will kill through their strength. Rider tells his men to focus solely on the Amazon while he and the others handle Berserker.[14]
Impressed by the men’s tenacity, Berserker orders her Amazons to perform their synchronized war cry. This grants them increased strength, agility, and durability, and the inability to feel pain. Realizing they cannot win, Ritsuka’s party and the Resistance breakthrough where the Amazons’ formation is weakest and escape.[14]
An Amazon apologizes to Berserker that the Resistance has escaped, though she reports half of them were killed, including those killed during the chase. Berserker finds that is the same as their own casualties. She then orders the men who surrendered to be executed, as she cannot permit such cowardice to be bred into the Amazon bloodline. But she does permit her Amazons to breed with those men who are willing to fight until the end. The only exception is the Greek hero.[14]
Flames of Progress[]
Returning to the hideout, everyone sees they lost half their forces. Rider wants to figure out their next move, but seeing how terrified the men are, he tells everyone to rest. He learns the boy that was following him was killed.[15]
Fergus encourages Scheherazade to join the men in drowning their sorrow and take whatever grievances they may aim at her to heart, calling it part of a tactician’s role to ease resentment when a plan fails. He also promises to protect her if any of the men go beyond just venting. D'Eon decides to join the two, hoping they can ease the men’s sorrows by entertaining them with their sword dancing. Astolfo opts to sleep with Ritsuka.[15]
That night, Fergus joins Scheherazade after she leaves the tavern. Hypothetically, he asks her what sort of nation would she like to live in. Scheherazade answers a nation without danger, so she wouldn’t have to fear dying. Fergus finds that would be difficult to create and the closest example he can think of is the Land of the Young, impressed Scheherazade knows of it. While he cannot create her ideal nation, he instead offers Scheherazade a replacement by promising to protect her. Scheherazade finds that reassuring and the two of them head back inside.[15]
The next day, everyone finds the hideout on fire, seemingly set by the Amazons. The heroes set out to save as many men and supplies as possible.[15]
After the fire dies, Rider encourages his men to keep fighting. Fergus remarks how Rider has the qualities of the type of leader who can motivate their people to get moving by merely commanding them to. He only wishes those qualities didn’t lend themselves to self-destructive tendencies. He tries to say what sort of Rider charisma has when Rider comes over and asks Scheherazade for a counter-strategy.[15]
Scheherazade advises they launch another sneak attack, believing it will succeed since the Resistance’s numbers are fewer and the fact Rider is a ship captain. She explains they will use a ship taken from Ys, all of which were enchanted to sail forward regardless of the wind’s direction. The success of her plan hinges on Rider’s ability to command a ship. Given their diminished numbers, they only need one ship to sail through the river that leads to the heart of the jungle to launch an attack on El Dorado with what remains of the Resistance.[15]
With Rider captaining and Astolfo (wearing his sailor uniform) steering, the heroes sail through the jungle when they come across a bridge, acting as a barrier. Rider orders Astolfo to sail on through; Ritsuka’s party will deal with the amazons while the men focus on destroying the barrier.[15]
After breaking through two more barriers, the heroes spots the central temple of El Dorado. They prepare to set anchor on the shore nearest the temple when the ship shakes. Megalos emerges from the river and boards the ship.[15]
The heroes try fighting him, but they barely scratch him. But having regained his memories, Rider activates his Noble Phantasm, Santa Maria - Drop Anchor to summon another ship to hold Megalos in chains. Thanks to that, Da Vinci deduces Rider’s True Name is Christopher Columbus――the famed explorer best known for “discovering” the New World.[15]
Now knowing Rider is Columbus, Da Vinci has her concerns, but she knows there are more pressing matters at the moment.[15]
With him now chained up, the heroes fight Megalos again.[15]
They prepare to finish him off when Berserker and her Amazons board the ship. Scheherazade realizes they should have expected Berserker to appear as she will always rush to battle Megalos wherever he is, regardless of where she is and the current situation. Berserker flies into a rage and attacks Megalos while calling him Achilles, allowing Da Vinci to deduce her True Name as Penthesilea――the strong and beautiful Amazon queen who aided the Trojans and died in a duel against Achilles.[15]
Penthesilea decides to kill the heroes, believing they’re keeping her from killing Megalos. At the same time, Megalos breaks free of Columbus’s chains, so the heroes are forced to fight both Berserkers. The ship is destroyed in the aftermath, sending everyone overboard[15]
Unpaintable Beauty[]
The heroes find themselves at the Dragon Palace inside the eastern lake. Megalos is also there, but he is inactive. Astolfo suggests exploring, while Ritsuka suggests contacting Mash for a way out. D'Eon, however, reveals communications with Chaldea were cut when they arrived at the Dragon Palace. They convince Ritsuka to explore for the time being when a still living Dahut appears.[16]
Dahut reveals the Dragon Palace is her last bastion in the case Ys was ever destroyed. She planned to wait while her injuries healed and her magical energy replenished. That plan was ruined, though, by the heroes’ arrival. Dahut then attacks them in a frenzy, intending to at least satisfy her lust.[16]
D"Eon deals the final blow to Dahut, shaking her Spirit Origin to its core and restoring Drake to her old self somewhat. But Drake only has a vague recollection that she and Ritsuka met before. She accepts her loss and gives the heroes the treasure box she used in their battle, only knowing it was on her person. She suspects there are more in the Dragon Palace and encourages the heroes to take them since they had beaten her. Drake then disappears, regretting she has to go when she just arrived.[16]
Ritsuka and Scheherazade both realize the treasure box is the Tamatebako from the tale of Urashima Tarou. Scheherazade surmises it has the power to grant a single wish. A mage or Servant could use it to enhance themselves, similar to a Command Spell. Astolfo and D'Eon suspect they can use it to power the Noble Phantasms they avoid using so as to not drain RItsuka’s magical energy. Columbus surmises that there are more in the Dragon Palace based on what Dahut said.[16]
He asks Scheherazade to use a Tamatebako to create a contract that allows Megalos to follow simple commands, and discern friend from foe. But not wanting to risk Ritsuka’s life, Columbus decides he’ll be Megalos’ contractor. Scheherazade then opens the Tamatebako and creates the contract between Columbus and Megalos.[16]
Astolfo reveals he and D'Eon found a lifeboat inside a bubble that they can use to return to the surface. Then, with the Tamatebako they collected, the heroes prepare to return to the surface.[16]
Decisive Battle in El Dorado[]
Upon returning to the surface, communications with Chaldea are restored. After explaining what happened, the heroes enter Penthesilea’s palace. In her madness, Penthesilea sees everyone as Achilles and uses the synchronized war cry. Fergus realizes the nation Penthesilea is trying to create is akin to a single organism, where everyone follows the leader unquestionably. D'Eon and Astolfo leave to hold back the Amazons.[17]
Confronting the Amazons outside, Astolfo and D'Eon use a Tamatebako to allow usage of their secret Noble Phantasms. Astolfo then uses La Black Luna to neutralize the war cry by knocking away a number of Amazons. With the Amazons’ berserk state undone, D'Eon uses Fleur de Lys in preparation for their and Astolfo’s battle against the Amazons.[17]
Thanks to Astolfo and D'Eon’s efforts, none of Penethesilea’s soldiers rally to her. Regardless, she fights the heroes by herself, her rage at recalling her humiliation boosting her stats.[17]
Defeated, Penethesilea recounts how Achilles called her beautiful after removing her helmet following his victory over her in life, leading her to conclude that he never saw her as a warrior. Never wanting to hear those words again even should she lose, Penthesilea as a Servant took the form of her younger self.[17]
Now near death, Penthesilea finally sees Megalos isn’t Achilles. But that doesn’t matter to her, as all Greek heroes are the sworn enemy of the Amazons, recalling how Heracles killed stole her older sister Hippolyta’s girdle and killed her and how Theseus abducted her younger sister to be his wife. She swears to kill both of them one day and disappears, cursing all Greek heroes.[17]
A Demon God doesn’t manifest, meaning Penthesilea wasn't the host. Fergus then protects Ritsuka from a gunshot fired by Columbus, confessing he never trusted him. Da Vinci reveals she told everyone to expect his betray after telling them of his history as a conquistador.[17]
King of Slaves[]
Columbus reveals his true intentions are to rule Agartha himself and to sell its women into slavery. He doesn’t care if slavery isn’t condoned in the present era as it was a perfectly normal in his era and he is merely acting according to those values. Many Heroic Spirits owned slaves when they were alive, but after hearing that practice was frowned upon in the modern day, some abandoned it while others refused to. Columbus therefore questions if it’s wrong for someone to practice what was normal in their time. Mash finds that is a complex questions.[4]
He reveals that Dahut, Wu Zetian, and Penthesilea already ruled Agartha when he was first summoned. Despite his amnesia, he still retained his personality and sought to make his dreams come true. Needing a hideout, he eventually found the Peach Blossom Spring, where he met Helena, who was excited to be in Agartha. Helena at first thought he was an Agarthan until he corrected her, to her disappointment. Columbus then killed her, since it seemed like her intelligence would prove to be a liability to him.[4]
With all Agartha’s leaders now all dead, Columbus declares he will become Agartha’s ruler. As for why he chose now to make his move, it is because he has the perfect slave in Megalos. He thanks Scheherazade for giving him control of the giant hero and commands Megalos to kill the heroes.[4]
The heroes struggle against Columbus and Megalos when D'Eon and Astolfo return to help. D'Eon confesses they didn't defeat all the Amazons, but there was no need to as they became inert after Penthesilea was defeated. They then ask Columbus if he was the one who set fire to the hideout.[4]
Columbus confesses he did it in order to spur the men into fighting again. He also reveals the Resistance was a ruse to recruit soldiers for his conquest after he established his hideout, seeing them as his slaves.[4]
Now joined by D'Eon and Astolfo, the heroes fight Columbus and Megalos again.[4]
After being defeated, Columbus tries to use a Tamatebako to heal Megalos, but a Resistance member shoots it out of his hand. Fergus then deals a fatal blow to Columbus, expecting a Demon God to emerge. However, both Columbus and Megalos disappear without a Demon God emerging. As if to answer the heroes’ confusion, Sherlock Holmes asks them who was the one surviving Servant they met in Agartha that has absolutely no connection to Chaldea. Everyone realizes it is Scheherazade, who declares the story is complete.[4]
The Story Comes to Fruition[]
Scheherazade reveals she created Agartha by having her Noble Phantasm erode reality. Mash is confused as none of Agartha’s locales were ever included in One Thousand and One Nights. Scheherazade, however, explains One Thousand and One Nights was never a fixed set, but a malleable collection that grew over time. As such, she can choose what goes into them. Agartha is essentially a story of her making. Such a feat is comparable to a Reality Marble, only possible with the aid of a Demon God.[2]
Sherlock states every Servant in Agartha possessing a level of inauthenticity to them is proof Agartha is itself a story. He compares its blend of story and reality to that of Shinjuku, albeit to a much greater degree. In Shinjuku, that blend was the result of Baal’s choice to use Phantom Spirits, but in Agartha, the blend was a deliberate choice. Once Agartha was created, Heroic Spirits were summoned to it with alterations made to them to coincide with the story they were made to perform. Sherlock asks the others what inauthenticites they noticed.[2]
Ritsuka and Mash recall the inauthenticities they experienced: Columbus’s amnesia, Heracles being Megalos, and Drake being Dahut. Scheherazade reveals Dahut was impossible to summon as a Servant. Sherlock deduces this to mean that Dahut was akin to a Phantom.[2]
Da Vinci reveals Zetian ruling the Nightless City is another inauthenticity, as she’s from the Tang Dynasty while it is from the Han.[2]
Sherlock explains the Amazons never protected El Dorado; they only served as the model for those that did.[2]
Fergus realizes he is another inauthenticity. Scheherazade reveals she originally intended to summon him as a teenager, hoping to take advantage of his increased lust to cause chaos in Agartha. Instead, he ended up as a boy whose anxious of women.[2]
Scheherazade confesses her actions all stem from her fear of death, not seeing a difference between dying as a living person or disappearing as a Servant. The man who summoned her taught her that the only way to end her existence as a Heroic Spirit is to destroy the world. Ritsuka realizes he was a Demon God, but Mash didn’t get such a response when she scanned Scheherazade upon first meeting her.[2]
Scheherazade reveals the Demon God strengthened her Noble Phantasm so her stories would be made real. After she declares the story of Agartha will become its true form, Agartha raises in the sky.[2]
As Agartha flies upwards into the sky, Scheherazade reveals this is its final form: the floating city of Laputa. She finds “Laputa"―――the “whore” to be a fitting name as she offered not only stories but also her body so “that king” wouldn’t kill her. She announces to Laputa to continue raising and then plummet towards the earth, declaring it to be the last of the mythical cities, and the destroyer of the world’s natural laws.[2]
Women of Agartha[]
Astolfo, to keep them from panicking, orders the men to free and gather those still enslaved in El Dorado and rendezvous at the ship.[1]
Scheherazade reveals her intent is have Laputa crash into any heavily populated city. Laputa then sets course for somewhere.[1]
Da Vinci explains the damage Laputa’s crashing will cause will not be limited to the physical realm since the world hasn’t stabilized yet from the Incineration of Humanity.[1]
Scheherazade reveals the reasoning behind having a fictional city destroy a real one is to destroy the concept of Mystery. When people everywhere witness Laputa destroy a real city, they’ll be forced to accept it as reality. Once that happens, everyone will learn to accept the existence of the mystical, which will become a regular part of their lives. That would in turn Mystery being rendered moot, making the Servant Summoning System obsolete. Scheherazade would thus be freed from death.[1]
Fergus is shocked that she would go so far to avoid death. He cannot understand her fear, as it is far out of proportion for any living creature and suspects something went wrong in her life to make her so afraid of dying. He recognizes their perspectives on death differ, but he reminds Scheherazade that death is inevitable for all living things, so she should fight the cause of her fear, not death itself.[1]
While she admires Fergus’ insight, Scheherazade cannot help but fear the thought of her dying. Her storytelling was the only lifeline. Ritsuka realizes One Thousand and One Nights was all about Scheherazade trying to avoid death.[1]
Mash explains One Thousand and One Nights centered on a king who took virgins as his wives and killed them the next morning. She believes Scheherazade volunteered to stop him out of moral obligation.[1]
Scheherazade confirms that was the cause at first, but spending night and night with a deranged misogynist king, uncertain when he would kill her, left her with nothing but the fear of death. The king came to his senses after a thousand nights passed. But to Scheherazade’s horror, she became a Heroic Spirit after death.[1]
Fergus realizes nothing he can say will ease the suffering Scheherazade endured. Even so, he cannot allow her to destroy the world solely because she doesn’t want to die. Everyone else concurs.[1]
Scheherazade confesses she would leave the world out of it if she could. She then recalls the Demon God told her of a Heroic Spirit who disappeared from the Throne of his own accord. She envies him, finding things could be easier if she could do that too. Her misguided envy for he who had no choice but to erase himself from the universe incites fury in Ritsuka, Mash, and Da Vinci. The heroes then fight Scheherazade to stop her plan.[1]
While D’Eon was no issue fighting her, Astolfo and Fergus cannot even hit her. Scheherazade informs them she became a Heroic Spirit because she avoided killed by a king. As such, she has a Skill to keep kings at bay with her movements. Astolfo realizes it works on him as he is technically prince.[1]
Scheherazade reveals the Demon God ordered her to summon Servants to Agartha, and have them fight each other. Wanting to incite chaos, she summoned Columbus and used his desire to serve as a base. The conflict between Servants would result in a vortex of magical energy, and Agartha’s enclosed nature would trap their vanquished souls. Agartha would then continuously exploit the energy generated from the souls trying to return to the Throne, and use said energy to make its story into reality. It was essentially a Holy Grail War where no one even attempts to seek the Holy Grail. But the Grail did eventually materialize as a story come to life.[1]
Understanding she will only die if she continues fighting the heroes, Scheherazade releases Phenex from her body. Mash realizes she couldn’t detect a Demon God from her was because Phenex was already dead, an ability unique to him as the Demon God of death and rebirth.[1]
Ritsuka surmises from Phenex’s poetic speakings that he truly sympathizes with Scheherazade. The heroes then kill the Demon God, though at the cost of Fergus being severely injured. However, even with Phenex dead and Scheherazade near death, Laputa continues to exist.[1]
Though his Spirit Origin is at its limit, Fergus wishes to speak with Scheherazade, declaring to her that he will free her of her fear of death. He confesses that through observing the women of Agartha, he has come to realize how strong women truly are. His adult self came to know of such women: Medb, Scáthach, AifeWP, DeirdreWP, NessWP, and perhaps many other women before them. That helped Fergus realize how men and women ought to be. Scheherazade doesn’t understand why Fergus is talking about his past. Fergus says it’s necessary because if he is to stop her, he must tell her about himself and his greed.[1]
Fergus admits he was greedy in that he wanted to lead a nation in a way that everyone would accept and make them happy. But his experiences in Agartha have all led him to conclude that he isn’t fit to be king, suitable only for pursing what he truly cherishes: fighting and women. Ritsuka and Mash both notice that he’s starting to sound like the usual Fergus.[1]
Scheherazade gets upset by how incoherent Fergus’ story is. Fergus tells her the point is that he learned women are equal to men, that they can be rivals and are worth lusting after. He therefore asks Scheherazade why she made women the dominant gender of Agartha.[1]
Before Scheherazade can claim it was because of Columbus’ desire, Fergus refutes her as Columbus was more interested in selling slaves to get rich than their gender. If Scheherazade truly made Agartha in line with Columbus’ desire, it could have easily been an oppressive patriarchy rather than a matriarchy. But Scheherazade made Agartha so women ruled it.[1]
When Scheherazade cannot answer why, Fergus concludes she did it unconsciously. He deduces she inherently fears men and sees them as being inextricably linked with death, so she wanted to keep them oppressed. Her experiences with that king instilled that fear in her. It is for that reason Fergus must remind Scheherazade of a mundane truism as he loudly exclaims that men and women are needed to make children. It is an important role men and women both share, one that Scheherazade should think of before seeing all men as killers.[1]
Scheherazade dismisses Fergus’ attempts to erase her fear because even if he is successful, Laputa will not stop. Phenex’s voice is then heard, concurring with Scheherazade. A corpse of a Resistance member then raises, having been possessed by Phenex.[1]
Phenex changes into a humanoid form, and no longer speaking in rhyme, he reminds Scheherazade how they bonded over their fear and hatred of death. He reassures her that their plan will succeed no matter what the heroes say or if he dies. He reveals his true ambition of having Laputa destroy a real city is to damage human understanding in the hopes of it would eventually result in humanity’s destruction. Understanding Scheherazade is near death, Phenex promises her it will be her last death and fights the heroes in his pillar form.[1]
The heroes cannot kill Phenex. Suddenly Zetian appears and attacks him. She reveals she couldn’t kill Scheherazade because of her Counter King skill, which in turn made it impossible for her to kill Phenex since the two were bonded. Because of this truth, she had no choice but to hide and bide her time until Phenex and Scheherazade separated. Mash reveals Zetian’s signal didn’t disappear when she was crushed by Megalos and assumes she used Presence Concealment.[1]
Wu Zetian uses her Noble Phantasm, Manual of Accusation, to torture Phenex, who severely wounds her in retaliation. She tells the group to finish him off now that he’s in a constant state of life and death.[1]
Fergus walks into her Noble Phantasm to use its concept of mixing life and death together to essentially resummon himself closer to his adult form through the use of Columbus’s Tamatebako. He soon achieves his goal when his short sword turns into Caladbolg, and unleashes Caledfwlch Caladbolg on both Phenex and Laputa. With Phenex being constantly damaged by both Fergus and Wu Zetian’s Noble Phantasms, the heroes fight him once more.[1]
Scheherazade pleads for Fergus to stop destroying Laputa, not wanting to return to a cycle of death. Fergus tells her it’s because death is inevitable that you learn how to enjoy life. He believes she should live in a way that makes her happy, seeing her current fearful self as being no different from being dead. He wants to see her smile and tries to encourage her to choose life through his flirtations. Ritsuka tells Scheherazade that fearing death is normal, but that fear can be alleviated by living a meaningful life.[1]
Fearing his own demise, Phenex extends tiny tentacles from himself and implores Scheherazade to give him more energy. But Scheherazade refuses, not wanting to be killed by him. Phenex is then finished off by Fergus.[1]
Wu Zetian disappears, having exerted the last of her strength.[1]
Scheherazade admits it was Ritsuka's words earlier that gave her the courage to choose the manner of her death. That is why she refused to give Phenex the last of her energy, preferring a death surrounded by loved ones and feeling content with her life.[1]
Fergus, who is disappearing now that he has reached his limit, is glad to hear that. He tries to convince her to let his adult self make love to her until her fear of death is completely subsided. Scheherazade vehemently refuses, to which Fergus boasts he made many a woman feel she would die from sheer bliss.[1]
Scheherazade disappears, amused by the thought of the type of “death” Fergus would give her. Fergus disappears soon afterward.[1]
Da Vinci informs the heroes that thanks to Fergus destroying Laputa’s landscape, it has come to a halt. However, the Singularity also disappeared, meaning Laputa is going to break apart. Mash assures Da Vinci that Laputa will crash on the unpopulated Tibetan Plateau.[1]
The situation gets more hectic, though, when D’Eon reminds Astolfo that they still rescue the men who are fortunately all gathered up in one place. With time running out, Astolfo decides he’ll bring any stragglers to the rendezvous point on his Hippogriff trusting Chaldea will come up with a rescue plan in the meantime.[1]
He mounts up and quickly flies into Helena’s UFO, which Sherlock tried to warn him about. Helena recounts how Columbus’ murder attempt failed thanks to her falling into a nearby river. Still in terrible shape, she erected a barrier and slept underground so she could recover. After recovering, she explored Agartha and happened upon the Grail, using it to empower herself. She confesses she came because she thought she caused Laputa’s tremors.[1]
Helena feels as if there was something different about her before she went to sleep. Da Vinci suspects Helena must have had inauthenticity to her if she was part of Scheherazade’s story.[1]
Sherlock deduces the Grail served as the Singularity’s structural core and imagines it became free once Laputa started to collapse.[1]
Agreeing to Ritsuka’s pleas, Helena rescues the men with her UFO. Ritsuka and D’Eon, meanwhile, ride on Astolfo’s Hippogriff.[1]
After they land, the men eventually return to their families, and Laputa finally collapses completely. The heroes then return to Chaldea.[1]
Sherlock tries his hand at storytelling as he concludes the events of Agartha, but finds he has no talent for it as he struggles to find a feasible way to allude to the possibility that the remaining Remnant Orders will continue following the theme of stories. He feels there wouldn’t be any need for him to record his case if there was a beautiful woman with a lovely voice to tell these “stories”.[1]
Meanwhile, in Chaldea, the regular Fergus senses a beautiful woman (Scheherazade) nearby. After failing to find her twice, he laments he hasn’t bedded many women lately and leaves worried he may be losing his touch. Scheherazade is relieved once he’s gone, remarking she must be certain to never run into him. After all, she doesn’t want to “die” just yet.[1]
Participants[]
Servants
Designation | Identity | Affiliation |
---|---|---|
Rider | AstolfoWP | Ritsuka Fujimaru |
Saber | Chevalier d'EonWP | Ritsuka Fujimaru |
N/A | Fergus mac RóichWP (Child) | Ritsuka Fujimaru |
Berserker of El-Dorado | PenthesileaWP | El Dorado |
Rider of Resistance | Christopher ColumbusWP | Resistance (False) Himself (True) |
Rider of Ys | DahutWP (modified Francis DrakeWP) | Ys |
Assassin of the Nightless City | Wu ZetianWP | Nightless City |
Caster of the Nightless City | ScheherazadeWP | Phenex (true) |
Berserker | Megalos (modified HeraclesWP) | N/A |
Caster | Helena BlavatskyWP | Chaldea |
Non-Servants
Designation | Identity | Affiliation |
---|---|---|
Demon God | PhenexWP | Scheherazade |
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 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 1.32 1.33 1.34 1.35 1.36 1.37 1.38 1.39 1.40 1.41 1.42 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Agartha: The Mythical Subterranean Society, Section 16: Women of Agartha
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Agartha: The Mythical Subterranean Society, Section 15: The Story Comes to Fruition
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Agartha: The Mythical Subterranean Society, Section 4: Resistance
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Agartha: The Mythical Subterranean Society, Section 14: King of Slaves
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Agartha: The Mythical Subterranean Society, Prologue
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Agartha: The Mythical Subterranean Society, Section 1: Welcomed by the Subterranean World
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Agartha: The Mythical Subterranean Society, Section 2: Contact
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Agartha: The Mythical Subterranean Society, Section 3: At the Amazon Village
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Agartha: The Mythical Subterranean Society, Section 5: Heading to Ys
- ↑ 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 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Agartha: The Mythical Subterranean Society, Section 6: The Pirate Princess Lewdly Smiles
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Agartha: The Mythical Subterranean Society, Section 7: To the Nightless City
- ↑ 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 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Agartha: The Mythical Subterranean Society, Section 8: The Brilliant Fortress City
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Agartha: The Mythical Subterranean Society, Section 9: Temporary Retreat
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Agartha: The Mythical Subterranean Society, Section 10: Invading El Dorado
- ↑ 15.00 15.01 15.02 15.03 15.04 15.05 15.06 15.07 15.08 15.09 15.10 15.11 15.12 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Agartha: The Mythical Subterranean Society, Section 11: Flames of Progress
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Agartha: The Mythical Subterranean Society, Section 12: Unpaintable Beauty
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Agartha: The Mythical Subterranean Society, Section 13: Decisive Battle in El Dorado