NOVEL WEB Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Return
The Human Order Restoration RTA begins from clearing the tutorial!
Ah, the Black King was a tough opponent... I almost died at the end, but since I'm still alive, it wasn't a mess (steel will)!
So far, the flow is mostly following the chart, but there were some random flags popping up that didn't make much sense. Why is that…?
Did I accidentally take a weird route? Hmm, well, whatever. I'll let it slide (forgiving). I believe in ignoring things I don't understand.
That said, this is a bit troublesome. Thanks to the Black King doing something outrageous at the very end, the attention around me is ridiculous. Especially Ritsuka-chan's gaze—it looks like she's about to say, "What the hell is this…?" with her eyes.
I might end up getting hit with a Bodhisattva's fist or something…
"Fou! Fou!"
(> Fou, who had been perched on Ritsuka's shoulder, suddenly clung to your face before moving back to your shoulder as usual.)
Oh, this beast tried to ambush me on the face again. Seems like it really enjoys pulling off these surprise attacks.
Anyway, putting that aside, there were a lot of things that caught my attention in this Black King battle. There were a lot of mysterious flags, and the fact that the Servant disappeared without a fight right after we reunited is a bit concerning.
Normally, we'd fight... but I guess it's understandable to not want to take on two Beasts at once, even if one of them is a former one. That could be related to some of the flags.
Well, in the end, it did lead to a time reduction, so it's all good!
Eh, so after this, it's basically just a formality match. Lev will show up, there'll be a little movie scene, basically a bathroom break. After that, depending on the situation, there might be a little fighting, but honestly, Lev fights in human form, which is a joke. He's way weaker than the Black King. You can even totally trap him if you want. Let's give him a *Horahora Rush* right in the face.
(> Suddenly, you hear the sound of clapping from somewhere.)
Oh, here comes Lev. What nerve he has showing up like this.
"Wow, I didn't expect you all to get this far. This goes beyond what I had planned, and it's beyond what my tolerance could allow. Especially you, Hoshizaki Nozomi, not confirming your life or death was my mistake."
(> With a cheerful smile, Lev Lainur appears before you.)
Really now!? You were behind me, and yet, your vision's still garbage, huh?
"Professor Lev!?"
"Lev—!? Professor Lev is here!? Is he the one there!?"
"Hmm? Is that you, Romani? You survived too, huh? I told you to come to the control room right away, but you didn't listen to my orders. Honestly—"
(> At that point, the atmosphere around Lev Lainur began to shift into something chilling.)
(> The cheerful smile on his face morphed into one that hinted at a sadistic nature.)
"Everyone, each and every one of you, are just a bunch of undisciplined scum, it's making me sick. Why do humans always try to stray from the fate they're given?"
His true nature is revealed, huh? (Like a mole revealing itself)
"Master, step back... please, step back! That person is dangerous... that's not the Lev professor we know!"
As Nasubi-chan, now a Demi-Servant, notices Lev abnormality, it unfortunately doesn't reach the ears of Director Olga Marie, who has always relied on Lev as her emotional support. It's quite tragic...
"Lev... oh, Lev, Lev, you're alive! I'm so glad! If you were gone, I wouldn't know how to protect Chaldea moving forward!"
Yes, Director Olga Marie, disregarding Mash's attempts to stop her, runs straight toward Leff.
"Ah, Olga. It's good to see you're well. Looks like you've had a rough time too."
The sarcasm is really thick here, huh? I'm honestly amazed at how easily they can say things they don't mean.
So, while we wait for the movie to end, let's talk about how to rescue Director Olga Marie.
Once the movie finishes and you're able to move, it's around the point where the Director will call for help. At this stage, you'll need to immediately attack Lev and redirect his aggro toward you. This is crucial, because if Lev focuses on Olga Marie, any magical interference will just be blocked.
After all, he's a higher-tier being, a Demon Pillar, so that makes sense. By distracting him and getting him to focus on you, you can ensure that your magical attacks and interventions will actually work. Once you manage to rescue the Director with the Displacement Curse, you'll move on to the actual battle with Lev.
From there, it's just a formality. You'll surround him with your Servants, chip away at his health, and once you bring him down to a certain point, he'll retreat with some parting words, ending this particular singularity.
It seems like it's time for the Soul Displacement Spell I've been preparing! Just swap the Director's soul into a doll and take her back to safety—mission complete. But, of course, we need to fine-tune everything, and considering the risk of the singularity collapsing, we need to finish off Lev quickly.
Too bad you can't do a "Purgatory game" right now, huh? It'd be fitting for the situation, but alas, the circumstances won't allow it.
"For the sake of your life devoted to Chaldea, let me at least show you what has become of Chaldea now."
(> Lev used the power of the Holy Grail to connect to the control room where Chaldea, burning bright red, was located in another time and space.)
Oh, while saying that, Lev has connected to the control room where Chaldea is located using the Holy Grail. That means it's about time... huh?
Suuuuuu...
Is it just my imagination? But I can see nine familiar tails emerging from the shadows of Chaldea... Oh, it's Tamamo, peeking out from the shadow of Chaldea. She's waving at me, it seems.
What is she doing?
"It's not my fault, I didn't fail, I'm not dead...!"
(> Trying to avert her eyes from the cruel truth Lev just revealed, Olga Marie continues to deny it, as if telling herself it wasn't true.)
"You, who the hell are you!? What have you done to my Chaldea!?"
"That is not yours. Honestly, you were an annoying little girl until the very end."
(> Lev says this while looking down at Olga Marie with a cold, disdainful gaze, as if viewing an irritating fly.)
(> Then Lev extends his hand toward Olga Marie.)
"What... my body, it's floating. Something is pulling me..."
(> Olga Marie's body begins to float, slowly being drawn closer to the red-tinged Chaldea.)
"I told you, that's connected to Chaldea now."
(> Lev says this with a sadistic smile on his face.)
"Killing you here would be easy, but that wouldn't be entertaining. I'll grant you one last wish. Go ahead and touch your precious treasure. Consider it a mercy from me."
"Wait, what are you saying, Lev? My treasure... you mean Chaldeas? No, stop! Please! It's Chaldeas! It's a high-density data entity! It's a dimensionally different realm!"
"Oh, it's no different from a black hole. Or perhaps the sun?"
Ah, Tamamo has started moving. Could this be...?
"Well, either way, it's the embodiment of hell. If a human touches it, they'll be broken down at the molecular level. Feel free to experience infinite death while still alive."
"No... no, no! Help, someone help me! I... I don't want to die here!"
...Movie ends. You can move again. Let's go help Director Olga Marie.
(> You fired an MP5 at Lev.)
"Hmph, do you think something like this can--"
"You were saying something interesting earlier, weren't you?"
"What—AHHHHHHHH!?"
(> Lev was shocked by the sudden voice from behind and turned around.)
(> However, the moment he turned, the arm he had been using to cast magic was forcibly ripped away with overwhelming strength.)
Alright! Thanks to Tamamo attacking Lev, the hate has diverted away from Olga Marie! Go Homo-kun!
(> You had moved closer to Olga Marie by swapping positions with the bullet that Lev had deflected earlier.)
(> Then, by touching Olga Marie and using the replacement magic, you were able to transfer the magic that had been placed on her onto another object.)
(> Continuing, you used the replacement magic to swap positions with a stone that had a sigil you had given Ritsuka in advance.)
"Eh...? Did I... get saved...?"
Alright! Now, it's time for the surround and beat-up strategy on Lev…
"Heh, would you prefer to be torn to pieces by 100 or burned to ashes? Oh, or perhaps I should throw you into that Chaldea you mentioned earlier?"
"You bastard...!"
(> Tamamo crushes Lev's desperate resistance while making a cruel suggestion with the innocence of a child killing an insect.)
It's already begun! (Faggot)
It seems like Tamamo has already started crushing Lev... Lev is resisting, but it's completely pointless. It feels like everything is being crushed from above... this is...
"Hmm, I see. Since I am magnanimous, if you can't decide, perhaps I should just do everything."
Ah, this looks like a scene that will raise the stress levels. So, Homo-kun, save!
I'll cover the eyes of Ritsuka-chan, Mashu-chan, and Director Olga Marie! Romani? You cover yours!
"What, what's happening!?"
"Kyaa?!"
"What are you doing all of a sudden?!"
(> The moment Nozomi covered Ritsuka and the others' sight, Tamamo burned Lev to nothing, shattered him into a hundred pieces, and then threw the remaining remnants into Chaldea.)
"Hmm, well, after all, it's just a terminal. Something like this is nothing. Now, my master, I shall wait here for your return."
(> Tamamo said this and forcibly closed the rift in space-time that had been connected by the Holy Grail's power.)
"Still, the output is strange, isn't it?"
"Well, she's coming here by a different method from ours, so there is bound to be a difference."
Wow, Tamamo is incredibly strong... Thanks to her, we've significantly shortened the time. We still have a little leeway before the Singularity collapses, so let's hurry and move the conversation along.
(> You told Ritsuka and the others that it would be best for them to leave this Singularity as soon as possible.)
"Even if you say we're going back to Chaldea, I'm already dead, you know!? If I go back there, my consciousness will disappear!"
Oh, that's true. But—for you, I have a soul-transference spell~ (Doraemon).
(> You took a doll out of your pocket and explained it to Olga Marie.)
"If I transfer my soul into this doll, I can return to Chaldea without disappearing...? But it says that my body tissue is needed for the adjustment, and my body is already gone, right? I knew it, it's impossible..."
(> Just as Olga Marie was about to give up, she realized something.)
"That's right! When you were healing the cut on my finger, you wiped my blood with cloth! Do you still have that cloth!?"
Yes, I do! I have it, I have it!
(> You pulled out a white cloth from your pocket.)
(> Indeed, there was Olga Marie's blood on it.)
(> Seeing that, Olga Marie collapsed to the ground, perhaps out of relief.)
"With this, Director, you won't disappear, right!?"
"That's right."
'Nozomi-kun! How long will the adjustment take!?'
"Well... about 3 minutes, I'd say..."
"3 minutes, huh!? In that case, we have enough time before the Singularity collapses! We'll prepare for the Rayshift on our end. Let me know once the soul transfer is complete!"
Got it.
(> You said that and immediately began adjusting the doll.)
(> With the deadline of the Singularity's collapse approaching, you remained calm but worked quickly to adjust the doll.)
(> And as those around you held their breath and watched, you finally completed the adjustments.)
All done, quick and easy! Romani, it's all yours now! Sensational!
"Well done, Nozomi-kun! We've completed the Rayshift preparations on our end. We're about to pull you all back here!"
(> With those words, everyone's bodies began to transform into spiritual particles.)
(> As your body gradually turned into spiritual particles, Ritsuka suddenly grasped your hand.)
"Oh? What's this?"
"Nozomi, I'm going to become stronger. This time, I was always protected by you, but next time, I'll stand beside you and support you. I'll become strong enough to do that."
(> Ritsuka looked at you with eyes full of determination.)
"So, once we return to Chaldea, I'd like you to teach me about magic."
(> As your body transformed into spiritual particles, you saw Ritsuka's usual cheerful smile, the same one she always had before coming to Chaldea.)
(> And then, you and the others Rayshift to Chaldea.)