(Under Construction)
Durning Cosmos in the Lostbelts, meetings are held between the seven Crypters. These are their conversations.
scene opens
Kirschtaria: It has been ninety days...three full months since the Tree of Emptiness took root. The world has been successfully rewritten with the Lostbelts. The Felling Theoretical Phenomenon is complete.
Kirschtaria: Let us take a moment to celebrate this milestone. None of this would have been possible without each of your devoted efforts.
Beryl: Psh, you're giving us waaay too much credit, Kirschtaria. None of us has done anything worth celebrating. The Foreign God did all the work, invading and rewriting history and the world and all that.
Beryl: All we've done is keep our Lostbelt kings in good spirits. The real work's only just starting, yeah?
Ophelia: You don't get it, Beryl. Stabilizing the Lostbelts and growing the tree are one and the same. Lord Kirschtaria is telling us to devote ourselves to maintaining our contracts with the Lostbelts' Servants.
Ophelia: Particularly Masters like you, who treat this as some kind of game.
Beryl: Whoa, whoa, easy there, Ophelia. Looks really CAN kill when you're the one giving them.
Beryl: That aside, "Lord" Kirschtaria, huh? Changed a bit since you woke up, haven't you? Ah, don't worry. I won't give you TOO much shit about that. I get why you'd wanna cling to someone under the circumstances. Heh. But as long as we're on the subject, lemme make something clear here: I've never been more serious in my life.
Beryl: We already died once. Think I don't know better than to treat this like a game? This Foreign God person might have resuscitated us this time, but I don't see that happening a second time. So you better believe that I wanna get things taken care of while I'm still kicking.
Beryl: After all, can only enjoy stealing and killing while you're alive. Don't you agree, Daybit?
Daybit: Indeed. You cannot experience the sensation that accompanies methodical killing from the confines of the Coffin. Happily, our respective regions are quite primitive, so we are afforded plenty of opportunities for that experience now.
Beryl: You said it. They keep coming at us, practically begging us to kill them. Not a lotta time to screw around, huh?
Ophelia: ...I see. I feel sorry for your Lostbelts.
Kadoc: ...
Peperoncino: Hmm? What's the matter, Kadoc. Beryl is his usual self, but you seem a bit off. What's bothering you? You look just dreadful! Oh my, those bags under your eyes! Have you not been sleeping? Or is it just that you're under a lot of stress?
Kadoc: ...Both. Never mind me. I'm doing what I'm supposed to.
Peperoncino: I'm sorry, you know I can't do that, Kadoc. If you really want me to leave you be, then at the very least, I need to see a smile from you! How could I not be sad, seeing a friend so down in the dumps?
Peperoncino: I can't help worrying about you, whatever you might think on the subject! Understand? If you really want to be alone, you need to be strong enough to handle it. And if you're letting your stress show like that, then you clearly aren't. Why not try relieving a bit of that stress with a bit of fun?
Peperoncino: Hmmm, this suggestion won't win points for originality, but how about some tea? I found some great tea leaves here in my own Lostbelt. I'd be happy to let you have some. I bet the Grand Duchess would be delighted as well.
Kadoc: ...None of your business? I swear, you just don't change no matter what happens, do you, Pepe?
Peperoncino: Ooh, flattery will get you everywhere! I must say, that wasn't bad, Kadoc!
Kadoc: I'm not praising you. That was an insult. ...Sheesh. How come you're not telling THIS guy not to treat this like a game, Ophelia?
Ophelia: I... P-Peperoncino's different. He's always like this.
Beryl: Exactly. He doesn't listen to what people tell him. Just think about that weird nickname he picked for himself. He's a dyed-in-the-wool optimist, or maybe a natural-born outlaw. Either way, you don't wanna see him get serious, y'know? He'd only ever show his true colors if the shit REALLY hit the fan. Like, the apocalypse or something.
Beryl: ...Actually, scratch that. Maybe not even then!
Akuta Hinako: ...No more wasting our time. Kirschtaria, what did you want to talk about? We've already reported in about our Lostbelts. Mine isn't fit for territory expansion, and I have no intention of competing with the rest of you. If you want to fight over who gets to rule this planet, knock yourselves out. Did I not already mention this?
Kadoc: ...You think we buy that? You can't just shut yourself away and sit this one out, Akuta. In the end, we're going to have to choose a single Lostbelt. If you give up on expanding your Lostbelt's territory, it'll just be a matter of time until another Lostbelt invades it. You really want to just lose by default?You're okay with that?
Akuta Hinako: ...Yes, I am. And if my Lostbelt ends up disappearing, I'm fine with that too. This time, I just want to stay there right up to the end. As long as I'm satisfied, I'll go along with the rest of the Crypters.
Beryl: So you don't give a shit about this power struggle thing, huh? Eh, can't blame you. We all know who's gonna win anyway.
Beryl: Kirschtaria's could beat all of ours put together with one hand tied behind its back. This whole game to figure out who's gonna be the king of the earth has been rigged from the start. I mean, you should see how bad mine and Daybit's Lostbelts are. There's just no way these are possibilities for how humanity would turn out.
Beryl: But there's not a damn thing wrong with Kirschtaria's Lostbelt. Hell, things might even be better there than in Proper Human History. No fair, right? I swear, he was already the favorite to win before we even got started. No accounting for the luck of a born nobleman, huh?
Kirschtaria: ...
Ophelia: Beryl! Hold your tongue. Lord Kirschtaria conquered that city entirely on his own merits! Why else do you think he has no fewer than three Divine Spirits—
Kirschtaria: You will hold your tongue as well, Ophelia. Beryl is not incorrect.
Ophelia: But...!
Kirschtaria: It's all right. It is plain to all that I will emerge the victor. No comments about how I go about claiming my inevitable victory will change that.
Kirschtaria: Now then. Holograms or not, I did not call you all here today to go over your Lostbelts' growth. An hour ago, one of my Servants foretold the appearance of a Spirit Origin graph and a Round Circle.
Kirschtaria: The Spirit Origin graph belongs to Chaldea, while the Round Circle no doubt refers to Mash Kyrielight's shield. This means they are finally about to re-emerge from Void Space following their escape from Antarctica.
Ophelia: ...So, they're still alive. Even after three whole months spent wandering Void Space...
Peperoncino: I see. And after Koyanskaya went to all that trouble to have the Mage's Association appoint a new director who should have been easy to manipulate. Perhaps you made the wrong choice, Wodime? MY Servant could have destroyed the entire base, you know.
Kadoc: ...
Kirschtaria: No, our plan was the best option available. Chaldea's defenses may not have been airtight, but they WERE formidable nonetheless. In order for us to take control, it was necessary to convince Chaldea to let us in willingly—by disguising ourselves as staff—and then shut down Chaldeas from within. Had we done things differently, the Chaldeans would simply have Rayshifted away and stopped us. Koyanskaya's plan was well-conceived. With the benefit of hindsight, the only issue is the fact that a certain Servant did not act of their own accord. But that is hardly Kadoc's fault. After all, of the three Servants who served as the Foreign God's envoys... neither the priest nor Koyanskaya were our own.
Kadoc: ...So? Do you know where the Chaldeans are going to show up?
Kirschtaria: Lamentably, my Servant's predictions did not reach that far into the future. All I know is that they will emerge in a matter of hours.
Beryl: That's it? So what, we're just supposed to get back to our posts and each keep an eye out for—
Daybit: They'll emerge in Russia. Inside the Lostbelt.
Akuta Hinako: ...How do you know that?
Daybit: Simple logic. How else? The only thing they know about Earth as it is now is the identities of the Servants who attacked Chaldea. That's their only possible connection for emerging from Void Space. For them, the Oprichniki are both a threat and a means to determine their destination.
Kadoc: ...Hmph. So it all comes down to retribution, huh. We got them good, so now they wanna get us back. Which means they'll be gunning for me first and foremost.
Akuta Hinako: ...Perhaps. Anyway, if they ARE the kind of people to seek revenge, that will make them easier to deal with.
Beryl: Out for vengeance, huh? Man, that's rough! I doubt you'll be able to talk your way out of that one. I know! How about I help you out, Kadoc? You don't really go in for all that rough-and-tumble stuff, do you? If you want, I can play teacher for you. Show you how it's done.
Kadoc: Hard pass. Stick to your own Lostbelt. I get enough faux big brother shit from Pepe.
(WIP, continue using this video
at timestamp 14:15)
