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GiantRockFromSpace posted:Nasu was breaking his rule That's how all of Nasu's stories work, though. Nasu establishes rules for "this is how poo poo works" and then keeps introducing exceptions that break those rules to show off how badass/powerful/threatening they are.
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Feb 27, 2022 00:22
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W.T. Fits posted:That's how all of Nasu's stories work, though. Nasu establishes rules for "this is how poo poo works" and then keeps introducing exceptions that break those rules to show off how badass/powerful/threatening they are. Seeing how the rules are based on the GM rules for D&D, like most of japan's more modern fantasy stories, the GM can break them if they want, that's like rule one of the Dungeon Master's guide.
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Feb 27, 2022 00:24
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cdyoung posted:Seeing how the rules are based on the GM rules for D&D, like most of japan's more modern fantasy stories, the GM can break them if they want, that's like rule one of the Dungeon Master's guide. Right, but what I'm saying is that it seems kinda pointless to get all wound up about the author breaking the rules of their setting when the whole point of those rules existing in the first place is so that they can be broken to show off how exceptional the cast is.
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Feb 27, 2022 00:26
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The thing is, Nasu doesn't really break his rules. Take the HS cutoff for example, the point isn't that "after 1900 you CAN'T be a HS", it's that "in the 20th century weapon advancements made 'being good at battle' not enough to become a HS. That is actually respected, none of the modern Servants are the likes of Cu or Achilles who are heroes renown for battle. Even Li Shuwen is only here because Or like how the Grail is said to only summon Western Heroes, and then it turns out that was a rule made to Or like how you can't normally summon Gods as Servants but if they're possessing Sorry if it sounds defensive, it's just there's a lot of opinion of "LMAO who cares about Nasu rules he doesn't" when he does have a solid set and lore. He just... kinda needs to add new stuff to put what ideas he likes. Edit: Also I have seen enough terrible Simo Haya fanservants and fanfiction using that excuse which colors my view.
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Feb 27, 2022 00:44
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W.T. Fits posted:That's how all of Nasu's stories work, though. Nasu establishes rules for "this is how poo poo works" and then keeps introducing exceptions that break those rules to show off how badass/powerful/threatening they are. To be fair, that's how every story works. If a rule or law or whatever is explicitly stated, the audience should expect that rule to be broken at some point.
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Feb 27, 2022 01:33
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MonsterEnvy posted:Tamamo's lore also says they are the same person. Li insulting her by calling attention to her cringe high school phase.
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Feb 28, 2022 23:25
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Update LII - Anachro-analog Rin As you might have expected.  Only two weeks can change due to the route split, as Julius and Leo are locked in.  So this'll be a speedrun of the week to show what Rin has to say in Rani's place. Music: Down to Dawn     He is a more formidable opponent than even Leo and has killed many of my fellow insurgents. As a Master, he is the polar opposite of you. Show any empathy and you're as good as dead. Recalling that foreboding sense of death sends a chill racing down my spine.  Things that might confound most people won't work on him, but I'll do what I can to help you. After all, I'm pretty much healed and I have nothing better to do. Anyway, try not to get killed. It's not totally hopeless. I'm sure we'll be able to figure a way to give you an edge somehow.Sound: Phone ringing An electronic chiming sounds from my terminal.  I find myself recalling Julius's hollow, vacant stare. My opponent...is a real assassin— One mistake, and I might as well cut my own throat and save him the trouble of doing it for me. But I can't worry about that now; I have to go to the Arena and find my first Trigger. As it turns out, you can get your weekly supplies on Day 1! Your partner just yoinks it from Sakura's stash.   There are eight Masters left now. You are a more superior Wizard than I thought.The only people I'll be talking to this week are Rin and Rani.   So I run off to the Arena so Caster can get got.  Music: Duel of Fate  That's a problem. Looking at my Servant, the words of Julius's invisible Servant taunt me. —Death is inescapable. Death. Is Caster going to die? My strong, wise Servant who's always defended stupid me might really die? As much as my heart wants to deny it, my brain can't. Caster sucks in labored breaths, but doesn't awaken. I have to do something! Knowing that I have to do SOMETHING doesn't mean I know WHAT to do! When I rush out of the room to collect my thoughts, I run into a concerned-looking Rin. Morning, Hakuno. Oh... Hi, Rin. Good morning. I absentmindedly reply. Rin's worried tone jump-starts my addled mind into processing things again. The first thing I notice is that my face is stiff with worry. Belatedly, I turn and greet Rin with a smile. —I'm glad to see you up and about. The nice thing about all this generic dialogue is that I can just directly copy it from Rani's route and save me some time.  Now it's you I'm worried about, Hakuno. What happened? I mean, I lost my Servant already. I told you I'd help you, Hakuno. Rin did in fact say that. But did she really mean it? Don't make me repeat myself! Yeah, I meant it. I'm fighting through you now. If it's a choice between you or Leo getting the Holy Grail, I'm siding with you. Got any complaints? I don't have any objections. In fact, I'm deeply grateful that I can draw on a Master as strong as Rin. Okay, just so you don't ask again: I don't want Leo to get the Grail, so I'm helping you win.Rin, you're repeating yourself.  Right off the bat Rin's route starts to fall behind compared to Rani's. In Rani's version of this scene, Rani talked about how she's starting to help us because she actually wants to, not because of any instructions given to her by her Professor. Hakuno also starts pressing that she's Rani's friend, not any form of owner. Rin's side? She just repeats how she wants to help us win to stop Leo from getting the Grail, which we already knew. I hand her the terminal. Rin mutters a couple things and the terminal blinks. What did she do? Cool. The ability to comnunicate at any time is reassuring. Rin smiles a bit when I thank her. It's no big deal, okay? Anyway, I don't sense your Servant. What's up with that? —That's right. That's right! Rin may know a way to revive Caster.  Is your Servant going to be okay? When I tell her my Servant is still asleep in our private room, Rin ruminates for a moment. Your Servant is still asleep in your private room? Take me there right now. I may know a way to revive your injured Servant. Definitely not saying no to that. I nod curtly and accompany Rin to my private room. Caster should still be asleep there. Music: Down to Dawn  Some new type of virus? No... It's more like energy that has its own will... Tainted blood. This is a lot worse than I thought. It's like a tornado upended all the magic circuits in your body. Meaning, the conduits that provide magic from you to your Servant no longer function properly. The check's getting lost in the mail, so to speak. A Servant's body is sustained by a flow of magic from their Master. Without that magic, they fade. Your Servant is sustaining their body on their own magic reserves right now. But, that source is finite. Unless supply from their Master resumes, they'll only last a few more days. —Okay, I grasp the situation. I'll compose a plan of action, so come see me on the Rooftop later. Rin leaves the room, the look on her face solemn. Frustration at my powerlessness wells up every time I see Caster in pain, but it's accompanied by the urge for me to get help, fast. With Rin's help this evening, I'll form a plan of action. Music: School I   Fun fact, you can completely bypass that scene with Li in the hallway by just fast travelling to another floor.  It seems the poison of the black scorpion of the Harways is already in circulation.Compared to Rin in the Rani route, Rani in the Rin route is much more neutral about us. Music: Duel of Fate   If they don't get an infusion of magic soon, they'll be essentially dead by the end of tomorrow. Dead by tomorrow...?! Whatever the case, what can I do before tomorrow comes?! How can I supply them with magic—  I can tell Rin is confident in her knowledge. If she knows a way to do this, I'm all for it. Is that so? All right then, let's do it. I should probably let you know what's going to happen. For a moment, Rin looks down, but then continues as if she's come to a decision.  Rin will be using her own powers? It seems really...unfathomable. I wonder if she can really do it. Honestly, even after hearing what she plans to do, I can't begin to imagine how it'll work.  My connection will run through your Servant, but that's just a matter of schematics and such! Rin pats herself on the cheeks repeatedly, as if to psyche herself up. ...It may seem like a big deal and all, but now is definitely not the time for hesitation. So, what do you need me to do? *Ahem* First, head into the Arena, find an area that'll be easy to hack into, and then set this up. As she says this, she hands me a black cube. And this is—? Something that will hopefully bypass the Arena's security and allow me to send magic there. For now, head inside the Arena. I'll fill you in on the details once you're there. I'm glad I spoke with Rin- I'm sure everything will turn out okay...somehow. For now, I'd better head to the Arena like Rin said. Music: Fourth Chimeric Lunar Sea - First Floor Sound: Phone ringing   Okay, I'll instruct you on what I want you to do, so listen carefully. Like I said earlier, find the weak points in the Arena's firewall and set up a bypass circuit. I'll guide you along, so please listen to my transmissions. Yeah, go ahead. ...That, and when I connect myself to the Holy Grail with the bypass circuit, I'll link with you. It's inadvertent, so it's not like I'm trying to peep at your files or anything. Tsuns gonna tsun. Whatever Rin needs to do, she has my permission. If I want to carry out Rin's plan, I'll need to avoid contact with the enemy.  ...Can you hear me? Good. It looks like I finally got everything connected properly. After a cursory glance, it looks like there are six suitable hacking points. I've marked those places in the Arena, so get going and locate them all. This one's useless...the code is too complex to decipher...Her other lines for the wrong points are: This one is no good, either... Hurry, move on to the next marker.~ Nope. Next~ Argh! This is pissing me off! Why's this firewall so damned annoying?!~ Nope. Next. Uhhhh, Rani? You kinda forgot to mention this.    I'm in full loving around mode today, so I'm putting the last point off.  Interestingly, there's no Nephilim guarding the Staff today.  So if you use Shockwave to stun your way past two enemies, you can easily grab this without a fight!  Also I grab the Trigger for laughs.  Although there's no change in Tamamo's line for it.  Alright, time to play with Julius. Okay, you've reached a good spot for hacking. The portable terminal has caught a signal. Give me a moment and I'll analyze it in more detail if it's a suitable location for a bypass circuit. It's all you, Rin. —She responds quickly. ...Okay, it checks out. Right there, that's the best place to establish a bypass circuit. All right, I'll create a channel between myself and the Holy Grail that maintains the Arena. She whispers something— I'll transfer the hacking code from my terminal. ...I won't know for sure until I try it out, but it seems the bypass circuit is up and running. You're done. You can return whenever you finish your other stuff. We'll continue this at the school—  Again, full loving around mode today. I also learned a fun fact about the auto-reveal cheat I've been using for these alt weeks:  Namely that it just sorta... breaks moves that read your inputs. The one Attack is the normally revealed move.  It isn't a proper Wait either, as Waits get that small notice on the bottom right. I guess the game is designed to never change a shown command on the fly, so forcing a variable move to be revealed locks it to some kind of default action.  My reward for this blatant cheating?  Death. Which makes sense, as unlike the early duels last week Li has way too much bullshit to overcome normally. The only feasible way I can see to beat him legit would be to get the Staff today, then hope you get Attack on action 6 every turn so you can block it and save a Curse. Having to use a Curse all six actions would run Tamamo dry long before turn 3, even with mp_heal.  So I'll have to follow the plot. I'd never win, challenging this fierce opponent while my Servant is exhausted like this. I need to escape somehow, but— I'm facing the harshest of all the Masters I've encountered so far. He and his Servant are like a pair of hawks who would only revel in swooping down on their fleeing prey. I have to prepare for the worst-Sound: Phone ringing  Hakuno! I'm going to perform a forced withdrawal on you! Accompanying Rin's voice is a blinding light that comes shooting out of my terminal.  My vision goes white. All my senses are snuffed out. The bright light forces me to clench my eyes shut, as I give my body over to a strong gravitational pull. The spiritrons that make up my body are compressed into a single point, and removed from the Arena. My consciousness condenses, like two dimensions becoming one, and then traveling to a far beyond- In that strange timespace— "drat— Her files are flowing in...!" I hear Rin's voice. "I have to cut the connection quickly, or...huh? Wait, this-" Her voice wavers, as if she's so shocked she can hardly speak. "No way— Her body is missing." She softly mutters a searing truth. Music: School I  Still dazed, I move my head some. It appears my motor skills are intact and my body's okay. I'm sore all over, but I'm alive. I sit up and open my eyes.Music: School III  Things got pretty dicey in there. You've been asleep ever since the imposed withdrawal. Checking my portable terminal, I see that a day has passed. Rin ejected me from the Arena when Julius attacked. I've been asleep from the shock ever since, I guess. A silver lining in a dark cloud, I suppose. That's right. About the bypass circuit... Is it in progress? The bypass circuit is providing a satisfactory influx, so I should be able to supply magic. What a relief. It's pure luck that Rin found a way to heal Caster just in time.Music: Stops  ...? I wonder why? Still, I do as I am told.  Is it my imagination, or is Rin really close by? Suddenly, there is a soft touch against my lips. —? Is this another procedure that'll supply my Servant with magic? —Whew. A-All right, calm down, me. Okay, you can open your eyes. Rin grumbles to herself. Was there some sort of problem? J-Just now, I ran a program that interrupts the contractual bond between you and your Servant. I should now be able to supply magic to your Servant directly from myself. That soft sensation still lingers on my lips. When I look at Rin, she blushes and looks away.  I'll perform the treatment, so... You just come back to the nurse's office this evening. This isn't right. I can't keep leaving everything up to Rin. If there's anything at all I can do to help...  —I mean , leave this one to me and just go putz around in the library or something! And absolutely don't peek inside the nurse's office! Don't peek...? She probably doesn't want any distractions while she's working. I should do as she says and wait until the evening.  Next time: We peek inside the nurse's office. BisbyWorl fucked around with this message at 10:58 on Feb 16, 2023 |
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Mar 1, 2022 10:19
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I see Rin's closeted bisexuality is a constant amongst all timelines.
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Mar 1, 2022 19:13
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Blaze Dragon posted:I see Rin's closeted bisexuality is a constant amongst all timelines. She's fairly open about it in the core Fate series, or at least all the facsimiles and hallucinations of her caused by enemy servants are anyway.
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Mar 1, 2022 20:17
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https://twitter.com/FomahlaultStar/status/1500258548520996864 Surely no cause for alarm.
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Mar 6, 2022 11:45
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ArcMage posted:https://twitter.com/FomahlaultStar/status/1500258548520996864 I mean, fortunately Tamamo was exorcised from the sesshou-seki and reentered the cycle of reincarnation quite a long time ago, according to the legend. Hasn't stopped Fate fans in basically every circle from going "SHE'S FREE", though.
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Mar 6, 2022 15:13
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Materant posted:I mean, fortunately Tamamo was exorcised from the sesshou-seki and reentered the cycle of reincarnation quite a long time ago, according to the legend. Hasn't stopped Fate fans in basically every circle from going "SHE'S FREE", though. So more like finding out the house you rented during your edgy phase finally got condemned, got it.
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Mar 6, 2022 15:57
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Update LIII - Rin and high tech  I'd better see what's going on.Music: Down to Dawn  As I put my hand of the door, I feel a slight shock, as if I was plugged into a socket. I crack the door open and peer inside...   What are you doing? Why are you so energetic all of a sudden?! Why are you licking your lips?! ...I can't really see anything. What is going on in there...? If I open the door a bit more... All of a sudden— What could that possibly— Music: Stops Noise: Electronic screeching   I told you to stay out! If you peek in again, I swear I'll wipe every last memory of yours! Her anger washed over me like a wave. All I could think about was her leg...and other— No. Better not to dwell on that. The next time I try to peak will probably end up being fatal. I guess I'll go kill time in the Library instead. *SIGH* Talk to Leo.  Then head back down. Music: Down to Dawn  Just like the terminal said, when I reach the first floor, Rin is waiting for me. My Servant is behind her. Look, Master! I'm all better now! It's a big relief to see Caster's smile. Since she's extra bouncy, things must have gone well. Rin, on the other hand, looks a tad exhausted. Was the healing that difficult?! I-I mean, it's nothing! I-In any case, you don't have to worry about Caster's magic now. Oh good. What a relief. The nurse's office smells sweet. Maybe I should ask what they did in there, for future reference.   Oh, but I better cut the main body from the power source so higher-ups don't yell at me. *Giggle* No, you idiot! There's nothing to discuss. You healed miraculously and that's that! Main body?! Power source?! I don't know what she means! What did they do in there?   How could I not? I'm a Master, I care what happens to my Servant. So that's what they call it these days. You're lucky the trap didn't catch you. If you'd gone in... Your electronic brain could have exploded. The trap was meant for the enemy, not you.Alright, Rin's trap sounds much more of a threat to Hakuno than Rani's. ...Rin...is pretty scary. I'm glad I didn't, um...interrupt her. Well, I ought to thank Rin. She looks worn out.  But, I'm a bit tired. I'll rest for the remainder of today. The rest of the day is identical from here. However, I intentionally skipped heading back to the private room, so keep in mind that Tamamo's Matrix is stuck at Level 1 for the rest of the week.   I cannot comprehend what you and Rin Tohsaka are doing.Music: School III  I guess my Servant is getting enough magic for now, so no problems there. However... My real concern is that Caster's spell failed to even touch Julius's Servant. I guess my fear is immediately apparent, something which annoys Rin even more than usual. Your point being...? Did you lose your spine somewhere in the Arena or something? Despite her abuse, she listens intently as I describe my enemy's ability to become invisible. At the very least, not being able to see him will make it impossible for my Servant to attack him. I can see why you looked so dejected. Fighting an enemy you can't see would be impossible. Even Lancer and I would have had a seriously tough time fighting an invisible opponent. Another thing is that, being a Heroic Spirit, they may have a number of unknown abilities. And I can't do anything until I find out exactly what my enemy is doing, and how they're doing it. So, for now we should concentrate on finding out how he manages to conceal his presence. Music: Stops  ...? Rin suddenly comes out of her contemplative study and regards me with a serious look. Her look couldn't be caused by thoughts of Julius. I can see pity and puzzlement in her eyes. Is she...thinking about me...? Did something happen? As I start to ask her what just happened, she takes a deep breath and looks straight at me. —Actually...I do know something. Something about you, anyway... I wasn't sure if I should share this with you or not, but I figured you have a right to know. There's no easy way to put this, so I won't bother trying. I tried to find a link to your body. There...isn't one. There is nothing on the other end of your link to this place. You can't remember anything because there's nothing for you to remember.Music: Duel of Fate   Prior to the start of the Holy Grail War, not a single log regarding your activities exists. The reason I can't find a link is because you have no body to link to. You aren't human. —I see. No words come to mind. Honestly, I'm not too surprised. I suspected as much already. Right now, I just appreciate the fact that this girl took the time to help me find the truth.  My theory is that you are one of these NPCs who somehow gained the powers associated with Masters... Some think that if you die in reality, your soul remains behind and you become a cyber ghost. ...That's why I thought you were an NPC at first. You didn't seem real the way most Masters do. While I nod in sullen understanding, I steel myself to ask the obvious question: Why? Regardless of what I am, I had a feeling this moment of revelation would come. I now know why my memory won't return. Alice's "I've finally met you" now makes sense to me. This body, this mind...is not human. I am just a remnant of a real life, a packet of data. A collection of ones and zeros. Even if you win the Holy Grail and receive a wish, you'll still be stuck in the SE.RA.PH. Unfortunately for you, the words "get out" have absolutely no meaning for you. If you were fighting for survival, you can stop now. After all... you're already dead. ...I know it's harsh, but better to know the truth now rather than suffer for it later. ...I hope you agree. That's why I needed to tell you this now.  I really don't want to die. Though I am just ones and zeros, I fight, and kill, living beings. When I think about how pathetic it sounds, my heart turns to ice. But still, I cannot even begin to contemplate the thought of dying. And just allowing myself to disappear into the ether isn't even an option worth considering. I can think of no compelling reason for giving up now, even considering the costs. I wonder... Could this desperate desire to live be the last vestige of my previous humanity? When I faced Shinji, Dan, Alice, and Julius, my Servant was always there. Also Rin and Leo... I've experienced a lot, suffered a lot, and always did what I thought best... Now, to learn that none of it was real... That I wasn't real... It's not right— ...To be accurate you don't have a soul. But that doesn't mean you're not alive...more or less. For living beings, fighting for survival is a legitimate, even admirable, reason to go on. In the past, anything artificial wasn't thought to be alive and stories thought to have no life. It was believed that true life could only be born from the living. I wonder if people still feel that way, think that way, even now... Hakuno's line here cuts off earlier. In Rani's route she denies her life being fake because that would mean Rani's life is equally fake, and she's spent the entire time since the route split telling Rani that she's more than a doll. There just isn't an equivalent for Hakuno on this route. Though human cloning is still a hotly debated topic, as a magus my opinion should be obvious. An existence born of data isn't life... That's absolute bullshit. I won't deny that you're alive.So Rin has to step in. ...After that, she continued on, saying that there may be something waiting for me if I survive this. If the Holy Grail does what it's said to do, it might be able to give hope to even a virtual life. For someone like me who ”has nothing, is nothing," it shines like a beacon in the dark.~ I will end the Holy Grail War. I think I finally understand my purpose now. I know now that this is the only life I will ever have. I don't want this world to be a place where the only way to continue to live is to kill.  wait this line used 'zealot' on the other side they actually changed the line??? they just decided to skip past Ronnie/Gatou's name for no real reason???? Yes, in that case, if it's the system who takes away lives... I should just change the system itself with the power of the Holy Grail. I see, though I personally don't agree. The risk is consummate with the reward, after all... Whether the system is good or bad is a matter of opinion. It is a compelling reason to go on.~ I have no clue as of yet. What will I do? I can't answer now. Especially not after just learning that my life is a lie. You're not sure, are you? If you stay like this, your odds of surviving are pretty much— Actually, all things considered, I don't blame you for not having an answer. Not right now, anyway. ...For a wonder, Rin actually seems genuinely concerned. But...to just be eliminated from the Holy Grail War and then erased. There has to be more. Shinji, Dan, and Alice, who I fought. Julius, who was betrayed. And, of course, my own Servant... The Masters whose paths I've crossed, those who I've spoken to, like Rani, Leo and Rin. The things that have happened, the hopes I had... To let it all fade away as if they had no meaning would be a complete and total waste. Dan said to accept the consequences of my acts. Regret, doubt, even defeat is okay. But whatever the odds, stand and face them. Never run away. He said to always move forward towards my goal, to take my life into my own hands. ...Thinking on his words gives me hope. If I win the Holy Grail War, will it give my life meaning? Even if there is nothing for me at the end of this, I will not give up and wait for death. ~~ Music: Down to Dawn  Caster speaks to me a little more serious than usual. I'm kind of glad that you are what you are. It's like you're one of us Servants, or that one person. Ah, I'm sorry! I mean, I know you're not happy about being like us, but...I mean...sorry... Gah, I almost screwed up again! Anyway, the difference between you and us is focus and experience. A-Anyway, don't give up! And if you get the Grail, you can wish all of your worries away! She's really trying to comfort me...at least, I think she is. ...Isn't she...? I have no idea how to respond, so I try to flash her a winning smile and hope that it doesn't come across as a sardonic smirk. ...? What was that? Was it my imagination, or did Rin's normally haughty expression slip there for a second?  A-Anyway, have you decided what you want to do? Even if a miracle occurred and you won, you might not even receive the promised reward. Knowing all this, you're still willing to take on Julius? You're ready to fight to the end? Of course. While I still have lingering doubts, this is one thing that I state with absolute confidence.   I'm glad you chose how you did. If you'd given up after all this, I would've killed you myself. All right, enough about the past. From now on, we need to focus on the future. I nod in agreement and silently thank Rin for her concern and her support. I'm sure she wanted to say that running was okay, that there is no reason to continue fighting. But giving up would be wrong. Now, I must win the Holy Grail War in order to shape the future.Music: School I  A preemptive strike? What does she intend to do? First off, we need to do something about your opponent's invisibility, right? To solve your most pressing problem, I will make three traps for you to set in the Arena. One will react to talismans, one will react to thaumaturgy, and one will react to your enemy's chi. Whether they're using a spell, item, or whatever; we have to find a way to counteract it. —Got it. And of course, I agree with what you've suggested. Once I know you're in the Arena, I'll pass along to you more detailed instructions. Okay, we have a plan now. All I have to do is place the traps without Julius noticing— Music: Fourth Chimeric Lunar Sea - Second Floor Sound: Phone ringing   First, here is a map of the Arena's second floor. I predict that Julius and company will follow this path.  We...well, you...will be setting traps in three different locations along those paths I mentioned. Each trap tests for a different thing, so they can't be set together in one place. We'll choose the best areas to place the traps as you walk through the Arena. All right, so get to it, okay? So she already hacked the Arena and mapped its layout. Her attention to detail is truly astonishing. I should take my time and be careful so that all of her assistance doesn't go to waste.  I'll send you the anti-artifact trap now. Once you get it, put your terminal against the field. Following Rin's instructions, I touch my terminal to the ground. It seems as if the trap code is being encoded into the Arena.  The installation of the trap is complete. This is a simple interrupter that will react to any equipment that Servant might be using. If that Servant is using something to make himself invisible, this will let us know almost immediately.   As per Rin's instructions, I touch my terminal to the ground.  Okay, installation complete. This trap will be set off if he's using thaumaturgy to hide himself. I have the feeling that this is the one most likely to work...maybe...  Rin's line for approaching the gate is: I've closed that way off for now in order to force Julius and his Servant to go where we want them to. It's more of a desperate bluff than anything else, though. Just leave it alone for now.   Following Rin's command, I touch my terminal to the ground. The data for the final trap is inserted into the field.  This trap has a way of disrupting the spirit as it flows along a person's meridian lines. Anything that requires advanced martial arts technique or serious concentration will set it off. However, don't get your hopes up. I doubt that anything will happen. Really, it's impossible to become invisible without an item of thaumaturgy. Oh well, whatever... All right! Mission...complete! It isn't really all that much, but it should give us some sort of clue. In this war, invisibility is invincibility. Being invisible gives him an overwhelming advantage. Okay, I guess all I can do now is wait for tomorrow. Bye! It looks like the way to the next Trigger is blocked. I should just head back now— Or maybe I should stick around and get some more training in.  Music: School I  You know what comes next...right? We need to drive Julius straight to those traps. And for that, I have a plan. A plan? Despite her bantering tone, it was obvious that Rin was being dead serious.  If I manage to time it right, I should be able to force Julius to enter the Arena.Music: Duel of Fate  That'd be incredibly dangerous. She might be killed in the attempt. I cannot allow her to risk her life for such a mad plan— Seriously, relax. I'll make sure that everything goes as planned. However— None of this will matter if Rin is murdered by Julius. Although slightly startled by my vehemence, Rin somehow silences me with one of her glares.  Please don't insult me. Unlike you, I've survived situations far more lethal than this. This is just another dangerous situation amongst many. So don't worry. If I fail, I die— And I don't plan on dying just yet. And at that time, Julius will probably lose it, right? If I die or not, you'll come out ahead.Until Hakuno gets slaughtered in the next two weeks because at the end of the day she still has zero experience in hacking and there's no chance she can deal with whatever Rani or Leo have in store. Music: Stops  Hey—! What in the hell are you—?! What am I doing? I don't even know. The fear I feel for this girl who can so casually shrugs off death overwhelms me. It just now hits me how cruel and vicious her daily life must've been. What I do know is behind her cold, hateful facade is a caring person worthy of respect. And even though I understand the necessity, I do not want to put Rin in any danger. Julius is the kind of person who'd kill anyone in his way, especially someone like Rin. ...But I can't do this alone. For that reason I cannot push Rin away. —Idiot. That's the very reason why I'm doing my best.Music: School I  Even if I'm no longer a Master, if I'm to die I want to go down fighting until my last breath. But really, I don't plan on dying yet. You just...concentrate on exposing Julius's Servant. I can see her determination in her eyes. I have no choice but to match her strength. This plan will succeed, regardless of what may happen.Music: Fear Sound: Phone ringing  Are you in the Arena yet? Go wait by where you set the traps and I'll drive Julius your way. While I'm worried about Rin's safety, I need to focus on what I need to do now. I'd better hurry and head to where the traps are set before Julius and his Servant arrive.  Julius's lines change for this.  We won't be able to move until we have more information. But first, I must take care of that young girl.  The rest...is up to you... Hakuno... Rin gives her message. Music: None  And the rest of the sequence is the exact same until the end.  Rin sounds as if she's in some pain, but surprisingly, there's a genuine warmth in her voice. All that matters is that she's alive. I'm so overcome with emotion at hearing her that I grip my terminal to keep my hands from shaking. —Are you okay, Rin?Hakuno described Rani's voice as having some of it's 'characteristic warmth' on the other side, while she's shocked at hearing any warmth from Rin. Just a fun little difference. Yeah... More or less. I had to burn through all of my protective programs, though. But I am still alive, so no worries. More importantly, how did our plan go? Thanks to you, Rin, we were able to reveal Assassin's presence with the anti-spirit trap you created. With what we discovered, we should be able to fight them. I see. Good— I'll restore full access to the Arena for you now. But don't feel you have to push yourself today. Sorry to bail on you, but I really need to get some sleep. I'll catch up with you tomorrow.  Music: School I  Music: Down to Dawn  It was all thanks to Rin. After hearing her pained voice yesterday, I'm worried about her. Injury?! I knew I shouldn't have let her put herself in harm's way— I said don't worry about it. I knew enough about Julius to avoid the worst of his tricks. Even being focused on evading him as I was, I knew I could survive at least one hit. But enough about me. Did you get a good look at his Servant, or figure out who he is? Julius's Servant. I didn't uncover his identity, but I was able to break through his ability to hide his presence by disrupting his chi. -Impressive. He must be a kung fu master whose skills at Concealment allows him to become one with nature. Julius's Servant is probably a Heroic Spirit with a martial arts pedigree. A kung fu master— That would explain his fighting style. If his mastery of kung fu is that advanced, it should make it easier to discern his identity. Today's your last full day to prepare, so get to it. You'll be facing Julius, after all. With that, Rin turns and walks away. Today is my last full day to prepare. I'd better make the most of it. Train in the Arena, then head to the chapel... There's so much I still need to do—  Alright, only thing left for today is the lore dump from...  ...Rin? Again?  I guess they didn't want to make a Rani version of this conversation, so they just popped Rin in regardless of route.  Rin being friendly for this makes so much more sense compared to Rani's route.  Remember when I said I skipped learning Tamamo's name? Turns out that the night conversation that unlocks her NP sorta... ignores if you actually got Level 2 or not. Hakuno just suddenly knows who Tamamo is with no fanfare.  Your partner doesn't show up during Elimination Battles.  Die. Next time: The most baffling scheme. BisbyWorl fucked around with this message at 11:09 on Feb 16, 2023 |
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Mar 8, 2022 10:23
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Sincerely hoping you started leveling Luck for one of the paths going forward, because it's going to be...interesting if you didn't.
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Mar 8, 2022 11:27
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You copy-pasted "It was all thanks to Rani" when it's probably meant to be Rin there. Also I'm still surprised that the generic "zealot" was actually changed here, like what was the point of not naming Gatou/Ronnie? Then again, they're skipped in every single other line so I guess Hakuno just did not give the slightest of a poo poo about them.
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Mar 8, 2022 13:51
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Gatou/Ronnie were kinda unlikable shits, to be frank. I don't blame Hakuno for not committing them to memory like the first three, which she did actually care about killing.
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Mar 8, 2022 15:59
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Honestly, if I was in Hakuno's shoes, I'd be doing my level best to purge all memories of Gatou and especially Ronnie from my digital brain.
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Mar 9, 2022 07:27
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Update LIV - Invader    Music: School I Sound: Phone ringing    There are only two real choices left. Music: Duel of Fate  So our opponent for this week has to be...  ...Rin??? I can't read the name. Did someone scribble over it? No... It's not scribbles. The information has been straight up destroyed. Who could have done such a thing? And why...? What does this mean...? The culprit is our next opponent! They hid their name because they want to sneak attack us! That's what I'd say normally, but... Hrmmm, but a sneak attack is gonna be pretty hard with just the four of us left. This person sucks! My opponent did this? I get it, they want to hide their own name as well as their Servant's. I see. That makes a lot of sense. Maybe Rani will have some ideas. I should do ask her later. This plan barely makes any sense! If it was earlier in the war, maybe, but now there's only three possible choices, and one of them's a generic!  Music: School I   As your Servant says, it is likely that one of the remaining Masters removed them. —It's a good deduction, but is it possible to do that?  ...I cannot say for sure, but if your opponent noticed the bulletin board and then defaced it... ...the perpetrator may have left behind evidence, even witnesses. Perhaps you should investigate. Rani's right. Without so much as a name, I can't collect information on the opposing Master. There's one thing I know for sure: my opponent is one of the handful of remaining Masters here. I'll start out by investigating the campus.  An investigation is in order. Our mystery opponent's Matrix page also has them blanked out.   What was that?! Some miscreant deleted all of the names from the bulletin board? That's unforgivable! If you find the culprit, please let me know. I will lecture him for eternity. This girl is actually an NPC, note the slightly different outfit color compared to everyone else.  Tamamo is currently sleeping, so she has nothing to say right now.  This Master is so thorough they're not even revealing their own name. Be careful. This one's strong.~ Huh? You want to know if I'm your next enemy? Idiot. Would I be chit-chatting with you if that were the case? C'mon, think about it. Am I really the most suspicious person here?  I saw someone head down the stairs just a bit before you got to the bulletin board.The girl upstairs needed a new outfit because this guy here is the final generic Master, so the devs needed a way to tell the two apart.   Any masters who have made it this far are without a doubt the creme de la creme. Keep working hard—no ifs, ands, or buts!  Now that you mention it, I do recall seeing someone heading toward the nurse's office.~ Are you insinuating that I might be your next opponent...? Hahahaha... Don't be ridiculous. All I will say about that is this: If I were your next opponent, you'd already be dead. Yes ma'am. Great! Once again, someone has smuggled a forbidden magazine onto campus! Magazines are not permitted on Tsukumihara Academy grounds! The rules are very clear about that! Your job is to track down this scofflaw and confiscate said magazine! Get the magazine within three days or they might throw it away. And no, I don't want to read it... As you might expect, the new NPC on 3F is related. This is actually some data that was supposed to be deleted along with some unfortunate Master... It's yours, but for a price. Get me a student council badge from the Arena and I'll hand it over.The entire purpose for her existance is to fill Taiga's sidequest quota. I'm actually a bit annoyed by this, as Extra's been really good so far with keeping a consistent side character roster. Sure, there's been one-off people before for sidequests, but that was earlier in the war when having someone show up once and vanish could be easily justified by them, you know, dying. Here, they had to make a entirely new color scheme just to make sure you don't get confused.  The store has no new items this week, but does have the usual two new Mystic Codes. The Sword of Repentance has a 60 MP boost and shock(64);, a Cast that deals a bit of damage with a chance to stun. It isn't 100% like hack(16);, but it can work on any action.  At any rate, congratulations. Hopefully your good luck will continue into this round.  Yes, someone passed by the nurse's office. I couldn't make out any details from in here, but... I believe they were headed toward the Garden.We can't get our weekly supplies from Sakura today thanks to this investigation.  There are two things of note out in the garden.  I wonder how he's holding up after the loss? He was staring at the fountain for a while...This isn't a new NPC, surprisingly! If you were paying close attention, you might have noticed how I skipped past the NPC at the Library desk during my rounds. She's been moved out here for whatever reason. ...the flower girl is gone.   It's a... It's a lapel badge shaped like a lion...? Could my opponent, who removed the names from the bulletin board, have dropped this? It may be a clue to my opponent's identity. I better keep it.  ...Jesus, this is such a painfully obvious ruse.  Like, Leo being our opponent and defacing the board runs completely counter to his entire character to date! His idea of a perfect rule is hosed, yes, but in his eyes he's been preordained to lead, so there's no reason for him to try any cloak and dagger schemes. Tricks are for people who can't win in a straight fight, so Leo has no reason to stoop to that level. Music: School III  Anyways, more Aozaki lore.   As for that noxious little troll, one of her nicknames is Magic Gunner or some such nonsense. It sounds somewhat masculine, just like her! Why, you'd become the strongest of magi just by firing a laser beam from your forehead, right? Shoot a laser from my forehead? Don't say such moronic things to this nice girl, you harpy. And anyway, my magic manifests as manipulation of energy and not by shooting laser beams. And as for the "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception" attitude? Well, that's not quite my style. ... Whoever gave her that nickname...was dead on. I quietly give thanks that these two aren't active participants in the Holy Grail War. ~ You're the only one who comes here anymore. It went from total chaos to desolate loneliness in a flash. Oh well, it'll probably become a zoo again with the next Grail War. Luckily, I won't be here.Music: School I  Rani has nothing new to say after we get the lapel badge. Sound: Phone ringing  So we're off to the Arena. An electronic chiming sounds from my terminal.  I receive my first task. Along with learning about my enemy, I need to find the cipher keys. If this lapel badge's owner was able to hack the system, random searching will do me no good. It'd probably be in my best interest to focus on investigating the Arena today.Music: Fourth Chimeric Lunar Sea - First Floor  The Orb Zone has gone back to a nice soothing green this week.   Holy poo poo that's a lot of loot.  There's also a red chest visible from the very start. Music: Stops   We don't even know the name of the enemy this round, so let's retreat and go into surveillance mode.Music: Breach   The usual healing fountain is off to the side.  We also have a new Viper-type enemy.  Random fights are pretty much non-threats now.  Just up ahead is another red chest.  ...Taiga gave me three days for this?  A scene starts by this hallway.   I'm not allowed to turn back so I can, you know, just see who is tailing us.  Oh well, at least I find some loot.  And a new Fishbite-type off in the corner of that last image.  Past that is a fork in the road.  And a quick cutscene.  One path leads to an item and shows the floor's second healing fountain.  The detour wasn't worth it.  The other path leads to a locked gate.   Music: Stops  ...Nothing happens? As I nervously grind my teeth, Caster's stance relaxes. Music: Fourth Chimeric Lunar Sea - First Floor  Wow, what a killjoy. Caster's right. That feeling of being chased is totally gone. But why...? Are they trying to deceive us by obfuscating their presence...? There's a real simple reason, actually. That Assassin from the fifth round was special. We'd be able to see traces of anyone inferior trying it. For the time being, it's safe to assume that our enemy has left. Whoever the enemy is and whatever they wanted, they're gone now. They must have their reasons, not that I understand. While I mull over the mystery, Caster notices something over by the door. Namely: blatant asset reuse. Think about how this day has gone. The only things that would have to change in Rin's route is the conversation with our partner at the start and who shows up on 2F, everything else can be 100% identical. Our enemy is Rin, it is very painfully obvious that our enemy is Rin, the only enemy that makes narrative sense is Rin, but this bullshit guessing game means that the writers only need to change like 20% of the week depending on route.  But did you notice, Master? There are traces of tampering on this door? Right, the door without a switch. In other words, my opponent hacked into the Arena and modified it. Maybe the enemy returned because they had already blocked my access to the Trigger in advance?  Let's go back for today and think up a plan, my dear Master. Well, I've cleared out as much of the floor as I can.  So I leave.  Music: School III  But, I'm a little bit impressed that they were able to produce a barrier in the Arena. You've got to investigate that barrier tomorrow, Master. Oh, and don't forget about the lapel badge! Next time: Everyone gets hit with the Idiocy Beam. BisbyWorl fucked around with this message at 13:17 on Mar 12, 2022 |
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Mar 12, 2022 09:30
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I hope Extra Record overhauls the events of each week, in addition to the changes they've made to combat. Stuff like this is just painful.
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Mar 12, 2022 12:00
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Admittedly, Rin thinking Hakuno is an absolute idiot is perfectly in-character...and also, considering how things are going, completely correct. This still doesn't look all that fun though.
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Mar 12, 2022 14:12
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Blaze Dragon posted:Admittedly, Rin thinking Hakuno is an absolute idiot is perfectly in-character...and also, considering how things are going, completely correct. This still doesn't look all that fun though. Rin thinks you're an idiot mage? Who is she talking about? Shiro? or Hakuno?
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Mar 12, 2022 17:32
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cdyoung posted:Rin thinks you're an idiot mage? It could be both, if we were running Archer! 
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Mar 12, 2022 17:51
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Oh yeah, Archer's in this game, isn't he. A 'pick nameless, save rin' has got to be the most callback heavy route...
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Mar 13, 2022 21:44
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Crasical posted:Oh yeah, Archer's in this game, isn't he. Aside from some snark, the archer route is the same as the other two servants. Here's hoping the remake will make all three routes unique.
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Mar 13, 2022 21:52
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As you can probably predict, there's some good dialogue on the heavy callback route. But we're a ways out from that yet. ...Honestly, Archer's probably the reason they even made a Rin route in the first place, given the plot just works so much better for Rani.
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Mar 13, 2022 22:57
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Update LV - Is my Master aptitude low? Music: School I  I don't have enough clues. I'm thinking myself in circles. I should try consulting Rani.  Music: Down to Dawn  Tamamo's awake today, so let's see what she has to say.  Tamamo appears to be lost in her own dark studies, which is unusual. Normally she's always talking, whether the subject's important or not. Once the sixth round started, Caster seems to sulk silently whenever I'm not looking at her. Her normally cute, perky appearance is now masked with a sullen, troubled expression. Um, yes? Were you talking to me just now? I nod in affirmation. Tamamo's ears, which were limp, suddenly stand up straight. ...Fortunately, I don't seem to be the source of her discontent. Maybe she just isn't feeling well. No, my dear Master, it's nothing that you've done. It's like my tail has a buildup of static electricity, or a shiver that hasn't, but will, run down my spine... ...Hmph. I wonder it all means? It's probably a portent of some approaching doom. I can only pray it's nothing catastrophic. You must be careful as well, Master. Be wary of offering kindness without honor, or being a lapdog to everyone around you.Music: School I  Oh hey, Leo is marked!   —Do you doubt my words? *Chuckle* ...I wonder what the truth might be. They're a threat to us maintainers of order! We have no choice but to strengthen the firewalls.   I wonder if this comic book is as bad as the manga we had to confiscate earlier?  Ah.  That would be impossible. Remember, I am an NPC created by the system...I'm not a Master.  And, once in the Arena, you were barricaded from exploring. This is indeed a formidable enemy. That gate is troubling. As long as it exists, I won't be able to get the cipher keys, and I'll die.  Although, that line of reasoning may be wholly faulty. Could that mean my enemy is... trying to avoid a confrontation? I got booted from the Arena before I could confront them. And there's this passive-aggressive stuff. I still don't know why, but it's safe to assume they're trying to avoid a fight. Almost as if our opponent has some form of prior connection with us... Maybe, and I'm completely guessing here, a friend. In any case, that gate must go. If only we had some other item that could serve as a clue. Speaking of evidence, I will ask her about this lapel badge.  ...Leonardo Bistario Harway could be your opponent. It might be a good idea to confront him. However, take caution. This enemy might attack at any given time. Yeah, I know. All I have to go on right now is conjecture, but I should confront Leo before I go to the Arena.  This is why Leo was marked. Without a word, I show Leo the lion lapel badge I had found. This is...a Harway lapel badge... Where did you get this? I briefly explain how I picked it up near the fountain in the garden. —I see. It appears it's my brother's badge... However, there seems to be a number of subtle alterations done to it. I fear someone may have placed it there intentionally as a red herring. Perhaps for the purpose of diverting your attention to me. However, I assure you that I am not your opponent this time around.Yeah, no poo poo. Leo handles the lapel badge almost as if it's a new toy, a smile forming on his lips. So, Hakuno, you gonna think about how you're down to a 50% chance of fighting Rin? -Interesting. It appears that they somehow used my brother's code breaker.No? Code breaker...? It's true that Julius was able to access areas other Masters are prohibited from entering— Just going to let that sit there? With our resources, we can access restricted areas of the Holy Grail. Yes, like the multimedia room. My brother wasn't necessarily a skilled hacker, nor was there any need for him to be. You see, this lapel badge is also a key of sorts, used to access the Harway Beowulf cluster back on Earth.Okay! I guess this means my true opponent tried to hack into the Arena using this lapel badge. That would mean that it might be possible to unlock that door— Your opponent erected a door in the Arena? They must have quite the active imagination. Another explanation is that they have some reason why they do not want to face you directly. But that's beside the point. Right now it's enough to know that you can open the door with the lapel badge. It'd be a shame to be disqualified for something so trivial, so I will give you the lapel badge. Pardon me, but I'd like to return to this rather rare book, so let us end our conversation here.Do you get it yet? And with that, Leo's gaze returns to the shelf of books he was perusing before we began talking. So Leo isn't my opponent and the lapel badge was just a ruse... Was this a trick by my real enemy? After all of that running around, I still have no clue as to who my opponent really is. Oh well, no use in worrying about it. I might as well just head to the Arena now. ~  Prick.  This one will let you stop an opponent from acting. Useful if you can't predict their actions.Music: Stops  A cutscene starts as soon as we enter 1F. Music: Breach  Whatever the case, we'll need to be able to see them before we decide on any kind of plan. Caster is probably right. We should head to the Arena and hit them there.  Unlike Robin's ambush back in Week 2, we aren't forced into the Arena, so we can just wander around. Breach overrides the normal school music.  It's only lately that I've valued this place for being beautiful. Took me long enough, huh?Thankfully,  Here you go, Hakuno! Healing supplies. I wish you the best of luck this week, too.  Alright, now we can deal with it. Music: None   -And that's when it happens. Sound: Explosions   Still, this person is really strong! We should escape deep into the Arena ASAP!Music: Fear   A cutscene starts over here. Music: None  What are they scheming, with this not attacking us after making it so clear they wanted us dead? It's unsettling to not know what the opponent is up to, but it seems there is no longer any danger. They hunt us down twice, and pull back at the last second. It does feel like they're avoiding conflict. -Are they being hesitant? If so, why? And if not, what's the real reason?Music: Fourth Chimeric Lunar Sea - First Floor  We've got a window of opportunity, so let's take the liberty of hacking into the door with the lapel badge. It's unsettling to not know what the opponent is up to, but it seems the danger is gone. But, it's not unlikely that they'll come at us again. I should hack the door with the Harway lapel badge while I still can. Is it just me, or has the writing gotten really redundant this week?  Anyways, there's the door.   I nod in response to Caster's words and look at the lapel badge. ...The lapel badge's magic circuits are coupling to my own. In the massive influx of data, I find the data on the door, and then—   OMG, Master! You broke down data with the power of your mind! I'm so glad you're not an airhead! Wheee, let's go! The Trigger will be ours now! With the door gone, it's finally possible to search the rest of the Arena for the Trigger. Instead of dwelling on my opponent's intentions, I'll keep going.  Right past the door is a split path. I'll take the other one later.  It immediately leads to a second split.  One path leads to that healing fountain we saw yesterday.  And also a bit of loot.  Down the other path is a Cluster Horn-type.  Plus our first level of the week!  The path leads to a third split.  One path leads to a new Weather Drive.  This one is a Gammawave.  The path ends at that red chest we saw at the very start of the floor.   Strangely enough, while the 1st Strike costs 10 MP per shot, the 2nd and 3rd Strike both cost 15.  I head back up to where the Destroyer was and take the other path.  It also has the latest brand of Nephilim, putting us at 5 rare enemies killed. That's a requirement for a private room conversation, so we'll see that tomorrow.  The path ends with the exit portal. Where's the Trigger, you might be asking?  Right next to the door. I could have gotten it first thing if I went the other way.  Our reward for all of this?  Our second Elixer. For reference, this means that I now have 700 MP worth of items on hand, and that number will keep going up as Tamamo gains more levels and I get more Elixirs. Sorta kneecaps how useful her Noble Phantasm is, really.  The other chests holds money.  And even more money.   It's so frustrating not to know the enemy's identity! We have a cipher key, but we have to be careful. And that's the floor cleared out.   Music: Duel of Fate  Oh jesus the wall is broken. Yesterday, after entering the Arena, I heard a blast. I head to the Arena to see the aftermath. -Wh-Whoa! To think that the Moon Cell can't handle this type of damage... Wow, color Tamamo surprised. If that attack had landed, it would have been...bad. Well, it's over and done. Either our enemy isn't very good, or we were very, very, lucky. I wonder if that's really true. Luck only goes so far. Did my enemy miss on purpose, and if so, what would the reason be? As I stare blankly at the scars on the wall, I hear a voice call me from behind. Do you get it yet?   Rani? What is this...? I came to check out the situation and I came across this... Did something happen yesterday? I explained what happened to me to an increasingly worried Rani. After running to the Arena to escape a sudden feeling of death, I heard a loud blast. After the explosion, the sense of my enemy's presence suddenly and mysteriously disappeared. Interesting... At the moment a person enters the Arena, they are completely defenseless. If that was their intent, then it seems your enemy will go to any lengths to see you dead. ...However I couldn't tell you why this attack failed... As she continues to speak, Rani keeps running her hands over the crater in the wall. Suddenly, she stops dead. She must have noticed something. Rune...? If I remember correctly, runes are lesser charms frequently used in the past, but are now considered weak and powerless. I thought it was a weapon at first, but it seems to be related to thaumaturgy instead. If that's the case, then our opponent's Servant would be... a Caster, maybe? No, not necessarily. Runes were used by Celtic warriors, so it might not be a Caster at all. ...In this case, I'd guess that it was a warrior who uses runes to enhance a physical attack.Hey? You know who fought a Celtic Servant before? loving Rani! She fought Rin! She gathered information on her Servant! She should, at the very least, be able to point at Rin as a possible suspect! This entire week only works if everyone spontaneously becomes complete morons!  Information about my enemy's attacks. It's not their class, but any info is better than none. Thank you, Rani. As I give my thanks, she lowers her head and softly says, "Yes." Your opponent managed to survive this long. I can't see how they managed to miss you. This is only a guess on my part, but...maybe your opponent really doesn't wish to face you.Do you get it yet? Do you loving get it? ...Doesn't want to face me? But there are only enemies to be found in the Holy Grail War. ...Well, except maybe Rani. I wonder, is there a reason for this conflict? All that awaits the loser is virtual death. It was a hypothesis, nothing more. Sorry if it didn't seem quite rational. However... Rani closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if she was trying to relax. Almost immediately, her inscrutable demeanor returned.  With a final shy glance, Rani turns and walks away. I wonder what she wants. I'll be sure and go talk with Rani later.  Music: School I  ... ... It's pointless to speculate. It's noon, maybe I'll go to the cafeteria to nourish my brain.    Wielder of Runes posted:A form of thaumaturgy unique to Northern Europe. The foundation of this craft is the engraving of words of power into stone to induce various mystical events. It is believed that this ability has been lost to time. Next time: What is this high school harem romcom bullshit? BisbyWorl fucked around with this message at 11:30 on Feb 16, 2023 |
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Mar 15, 2022 09:11
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BisbyWorl posted:
This should probably be Hakuno, not Rani. Also I imagine everyone being an idiot here is to facilitate having two versions of this, this way the game can keep things generic for longer. It's still impressively bad writing.
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Mar 15, 2022 13:16
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Blaze Dragon posted:Also I imagine everyone being an idiot here is to facilitate having two versions of this, this way the game can keep things generic for longer. It's still impressively bad writing. The quality of the writing has dropped dramatically. Maybe instead of making two versions of the 'zealot' week, they should have kept one and made tailor-made versions of this stupid week.
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Mar 15, 2022 13:30
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Ratoslov posted:The quality of the writing has dropped dramatically. Maybe instead of making two versions of the 'zealot' week, they should have kept one and made tailor-made versions of this stupid week. don't you mean the zealot/clown week because they actually changed the loving line God, I was a bit iffy on doing both routes at the same time, but now I'm glad I did so just so everything in one route is still fresh in our minds when I cover the second.
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Mar 15, 2022 14:07
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If you think about it, aren't they both zealots?
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Mar 15, 2022 14:22
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In related news: I finished recording the Tamamo playthrough!  I'm now completely free from having to play Extra until we get into NG+.
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Mar 15, 2022 17:11
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Wait, runes, doesn't want to fight us... I've figured it out! Our enemy...is Father Kotomine! Is what I would say if I was suffering from Hakuno and Rani's INT debuff.
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Mar 15, 2022 18:03
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Cyouni posted:If you think about it, aren't they both zealots? Thus the surprise that it's not actually a generic line, yeah.
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Mar 15, 2022 18:10
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Cyouni posted:If you think about it, aren't they both zealots? Not really. Zealot would work for Ronnie's Servant, but not Ronnie herself.
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Mar 15, 2022 19:20
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They may not be both zealots but they're both undoubtely clowns.
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Mar 15, 2022 19:39
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Blaze Dragon posted:They may not be both zealots but they're both undoubtely clowns. Weird that none of them summon one of the 2 clown Servants then.
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Mar 15, 2022 22:32
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Now I want a Grail War with Caster Pagliacci. Unfortunately it’d probably have to be a different one than with Caster Ea-nasir, since… two Casters.
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Mar 15, 2022 23:15
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Just have the Grail screw up at some point and suddenly OOPS ONLY CASTERS. Fate and Grail wars seem very well suited for near unlimited fanfic potential. Casters also seem like they would be the most interesting barring other Servants Noble Phantasms, depending on the Servant in question i guess. What insanity musicians/entertainers/scientists could end up with as Casters could be both funny and awesome.
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Mar 16, 2022 02:35
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I have to say, I did play this game many years ago and still have (mostly) fond memories of it, but Bisby's playthrough is making it clear to me, when it wasn't before, just how MUCH effort the designers put into genericizing text so they didn't have to really change the routes so much. It is actually amazingly clever(cheeky) some of the ways they managed it, right up until the current chapter where the quality of the script just falls into a manhole and dies. I really would like to know what happened, but no behind-the-scenes info on the Extra development seems to be around in english - or at least, i can't find any. The answer almost certainly boils down to "Marvelous has very limited time and budget and the art team can only give you this to work with, deal with it", but details. Was there a failure at the planning stage? Did the company have a failure of some other game at the time and they had to suddenly tighten deadlines? Does a PSP disc really not have enough room for the extra text (unlikely)? Koboje posted:Just have the Grail screw up at some point and suddenly OOPS ONLY CASTERS. Fate and Grail wars seem very well suited for near unlimited fanfic potential. Casters also seem like they would be the most interesting barring other Servants Noble Phantasms, depending on the Servant in question i guess. What insanity musicians/entertainers/scientists could end up with as Casters could be both funny and awesome. Yall know you want to see Carl Sagan all up in this bloodsport bladededge fucked around with this message at 03:26 on Mar 16, 2022 |
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Mar 16, 2022 03:23
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bladededge posted:Yall know you want to see Carl Sagan all up in this bloodsport As far as scientists go I'd want Nikola Tesla but I remember hearing he's an Archer, for some reason. ...actually, no, that makes sense. It's the death ray.
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Mar 16, 2022 05:51
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