Chapter 11 Episode 20: The Third Choice 2

Cthugha starts narrating about himself as he talks about how his home world is the world of Old Ones. He, the Living Flame, lived on the star of Fomalhaut, which burned beyond the range of light in the void of space. It was a star that flared hotter and farther than the sun, and he was the only one capable of living there since he had a body that was like fire itself. If he had been born somewhere else, he might call his nature lonely...but he insists that you not say that.

 

Cthugha coughs as gets back on topic as he talks about how he cut of bits of himself to make some ember minions to talk to as he lived there. He is the embodiment of the flares of the shining fixed star of Fomalhaut itself, and he was born such that he sometimes explodes and blows everything away. The only talents he has are to burn things and to shine brightly. If he had stayed over there, Cthugha guesses he'd have just spent his time staring at the other stars as long as he lived, not knowing that there could be anyone who could accept him and his volatile state of being. All he knew was what it meant to live by yourself, and if he had stayed he'd probably still not know about anything else. Because of that he's thankful for whoever it was who summoned him here to Tokyo, no matter what reason it was that had them give him this opportunity.

 

Things then tune back to the present as Macan coughs a few times before demanding to know how long Pollux and Andvari plan on hiding behind him. Cthugha freaks out about blowing up again and blasting everyone away, though Macan interrupts the self pity with a short yell. Cthugha shrinks away at this, but Macan surprises him by saying he's actually not bad and laughs about liking strong guys.

 

Pollux compliments Cthugha on the way he shines and decides to give him a welcome to the guild again. Andvari offers to manage and produce things for him as he talks about how being mysterious and not showing anything to the public can sell nowadays too. That means no photoshoots with fans and meet and greets, so Andvari considers starting up a photo pack collection. Pollux says he'll be sure to tell the others like Garm and Ikutoshi what Cthugha is like the next time he sees them.

 

Cthugha asks if the guys are really calling him their friend, and he's so moved by this that he starts crying. The three are alarmed by this for a second until it's clear Cthugha isn't going to blow up again, and everyone is all smiles until Dark Shiva rolls up. Cthugha notices him and asks who he is as he gets his guard up. Shiva talks about seeing Cthugha as someone truly strong, so he wanted to spar with him. Then he gives his name as he describes himself as an ascetic monk who has discarded love and is seeking the heights of isolated strength.

 

Cthugha nerds out about this being the dramatic declaration of self scene and talks to himself about being the protagonist, then focuses to say his name before saying he'll fight to make friends and a harem. Shiva is unimpressed that Cthugha would be so strong and choose something dumb like that. He frames it as discarding isolation and choosing to step into hell the karmic suffering of reincarnation, so he decides he should do him the merciful favor tearing him to pieces until there's nothing left of him.

 

Camera then jumps over to Mahakala still floating at wherever Shiva ditched him, and he thinks aloud about how all he can do is leave things to Shiva while glaring at Cthugha. Narration talks about how Mahakala the Great Darkness' class and power is the ruling of the darkness that wraps up the underground world without a horizon. This darkness wraps up all things up to and including the sun, then melt it all down so that the salvation of demise can be brought about. This darkness doesn't seem to be able to affect Cthugha though, though the point is taken back and clarified to say it's unclear what would happen if it was made to affect Cthugha. That in turn means that Mahakala can't directly try to cover Cthugha and the others with his Great Darkness.

 

Mahakala thinks aloud about how the only thing he can do is target Cthugha's weakness, then commands his own Shadow minions to arise. Andvari is taken aback at the sudden appearance of so many mobs while Macan complains about being bored with weaklings as he wonders if someone stronger is around. Macan then notices Possessed Balor around and excitedly challenges him to a fight.

 

Elsewhere, Marduk is riding Mushussu and looking down at the chaos sprawling about in the area in horror. Dark shadows cover the land, and anybody that touches it seems to be taken wholly into the darkness. The idea distresses Marduk as he tries to insist to himself that he isn't afraid, but Shakey still focuses enough to analyze what's going on as a hero. Marduk asks what's going on with the order of the world, then he asks how you had suddenly disappeared. He's totally lost as to what he ought to do.

 

Narration starts talking about how Marduk has the role of chasing after Tiamat, the phenomenon of several dragons gathering together. It isn't a logical thing in his head, but closer to an inborn instinct. He had seen his target earlier and gave chase, but suddenly they disappeared like smoke. He doesn't know that this happened because of Cthugha/Old Ones' teleportation power. He does have memories of basic knowledge of the world, but he doesn't have any personal memories passed down.

 

Marduk talks aloud some more about how he has no idea as to what he should be doing again, but his thoughts are interrupted by his surprise in seeing some kid running along the walls of a building. Said kid turns out to be Teda, who calls out to Marduk and notes the handy timing as he asks to be let onto Mushussu too. Teda creates some sort of solid light wire that snags onto Marduk's arm, then uses it to pull himself over to land deftly onto Mushussu's back.

 

Marduk is confused as he asks what that power was just now. Teda meanwhile is relieved to be a bit safer than before as he says he kept shooting at the dark minions that never let up on him. Marduk tries asking Teda who he is and why he knows him, so Teda laughs about him being reborn again and says he'll tell him since this is nothing new. He then slaps Marduk on the back so hard that Marduk chokes for a second. Teda laughs this off too as he apologizes, then says letting them do as they want is pissing him off. Teda then invites Marduk to go shooting at the mobs with him for a while, so Marduk agrees, bewildered.

 

Scene shifts over to the Warmongers base, and Mephistopheles is talking about how all of the World Representatives have their own opinions in regards to the game's trophy, and the point he's getting at is that not even the true big three guilds are monoliths. Same goes for the Warmongers, who are a collection of the ones who want to continue fighting the trophy. They are the ones who want to fight them more than anyone else, and sometimes getting in each others' ways is an everyday thing. At the very least, they all want to see the one they exiled. And while he says exiled, the viewpoint is that it's more they escaped their grasp and were driven from the world, which would naturally leave regrets.

 

Bathym interrupts Mephistopheles at this point to say that he came all this way and snuck in because he wanted to ask him about that point. Mephisto doesn't give a response, so Bathym talks about being confused when he heard that Mephisto was the World Representative. He says he looked into a lot of things into the people who call themselves the World Representatives, and he talks about how the Reps are the people who have exiled the memories of the people inside you. Bathym says he picked up on that meaning the lord of Gehenna would be inside you too. The problem however is that Mephisto isn't supposed to have exiled Shaytan, so Bathym asks if Mephisto will explain this contradiction.

 

Mephistopheles admits that Bathym is correct as he refers to him as the second of Shaytan's close associates. Their master is Lucifer, the manager of Gehenna and the one known as Shaytan the Angel of Fire in Eden. Mephisto says it was he who put him to work in the position of World Representative. He denies exiling Shaytan, but he says his position is the most complicated even among the Warmongers.

 

Bathym is confused by this, so Mephistopheles says he has a connection to someone else's memories within you, who he describes as someone who slipped through his hands and ascended to heaven. Mephistopheles also makes a point of changing pronouns for a second to watashi as opposed to boku like he's been using as he calls them the 'human master' he's served like a butler while seeking their soul, and he takes off his mask and smiles. Mephisto then explains that this means he exists in Tokyo as two people, himself and someone else with the same shadow form.

 

Scene then shifts to the underground labyrinth where you and Kengo were sent due to Cthugha's teleport. Snow says his first aid should be done now, then asks if you can move now. You thank him and say his medicine works great as you say you can fight now. Snow tells you everyone else is helping Kengo get ready, though he thinks they should be done soon too. You then say you should head back up to where Cthugha is.

 

Snow asks you to wait as he says he has something he wants to tell you, and Snow starts asking if you remember the first time you met him. You nod after a moment and say it was that time you fought him before reaching the Berserkers. Snow says that back then, one of his attacks never landed on you since that cute little butler that's always with you protected you from that attack. Snow then calls to Solomon asking if he remembers, so Solomon pops up and says he does, adding that it really hurt back then. Snow apologizes, saying he was too inexperienced to stop his attack at that point.

 

You express surprise that Snow can see Solomon, though you say you had a vague inkling about this but are glad to have confirmation about that. Snow nods and says everyone else probably can't see him, but the class and power he has means he can see and touch Solomon as he proceeds to demonstrate it. Solomon goes on to really enjoy Snow's petting and says he must be a holder of the legendary Class S petting certificate. You remember that Snow did manage to touch Solomon back then before asking if Solomon blocked for you and try to ask Snow more about...something.

 

Snow explains that one of his incarnations and Solomon were in the same dimension, and he uses this point to suggest that Solomon might have somebody else's memories inside of him the way you do too. The idea shocks you, but Snow laughs and says it's nothing to be surprised or scared about. If they're the same as you, Snow suggests it ought to be comforting actually. It'd mean you aren't alone.

 

Snow starts to talk about how you have the given memories of 23 unknown Exiles. Maybe you never asked for it, and someone else is finding their own meaning in that. Maybe there are people who will say being given something you never asked for is something to be unhappy about. Snow however says it's not just you though. It goes for Solomon, Claude, and himself too. Everyone lives with being foisted with stuff by other people and appointed to arbitrary roles. Everyone lives with random people from somewhere deciding how they're made up in mind and body, what they want, and what talents they have and can do.

 

Despite all that, Snow asks you to remember one thing. Even if someone declares that your life means a certain thing in this world, he wants you to remember that 'you get to decide what that means to you.' Whether this is unhappiness or a talent, whether someone is a rival or a friend, you are the only one who gets to decide what the purpose of your life and world is. And you are the one who gets to decide how to explain things that happen outside your world.

 

You either say Snow's name or stay quiet. Snow continues by saying that if you know what that is, you'll easily be able to surpass him as he was that day. He apologizes for the long sermon, then asks you and Solomon to take care when you two go. He gives a little chuckle saying that he'll have some hot milk ready for you once the battle is over, and he bows to you in front of the hidden stairway that goes back to the surface. Shirou and Kengo turn up as Kengo says he's ready to go now as he pumps his fist up in your direction. You can either fist bump Kengo, flash a peace sign at the rest of the support team, or head straight up the stairs. A and B flash a quick cut of the relevant people if you choose those options, and in any case the episode ends.