Old Ones is the world where the planets of the universe are controlled by those known as the ex-rulers. In that world, the planet of abundant water known as Earth was once the home of a quiet, wise king. This king's name was Nodens, a man of white hair and ash grey facial hair with the shining silver arm that can grasp lightning. But this king eventually lost his throne, and it is said he was driven to the Dream Land where he came to employ the night gaunts that lived in the abyss who have skin like rubber and carry out abductions and movements.
The one who came to replace Nodens as ruler of the planet was driven into the deep sea. One theory says this being was driven away and sealed, and this being was Cu Littlelittle(???), otherwise known as Cthulhu. Cthulhu is said to have the power to cut away the space between dreams and reality and use telepathy (re: psychic waves) while sleeping. Nodens may have been the one to cede his throne as ruler of Earth to Cthulhu, but there was also another. He was someone extraordinarily close to him, yet someone who lived in a different world from Old Ones. That would be the calm and wise king from the world of fairies Tir na Nog, the one eternally closest to Nodens and yet another person who possesses a shining silver arm.
Back to the present, your ship shakes from an impact, causing your vision to go blurry for a moment. The opaque wall before you crumbles in response. R-19 reports that the wall is down and says the mission is moving onto Phase 3. Bertro urges you to get going as the rest of them will be covering for you. You report that you're going on ahead and ask them to hold on as you'll be back as soon as you can. The castle turns out to be bigger than it looked from the outside, and countless night gaunts are amassing inside. Surprisingly though, the faceless minions do nothing more than quietly observe you. Solomon takes note of this, and while he doesn't know why they aren't attacking he still tells you to stay on guard. Solomon also picks up on a large open space up ahead, where he's picking up a signal for a single being that isn't the night gaunts.
You make your way into the center of the castle, where one man is standing there and looking up towards you. He looks dignified and composed, and he spreads his arms out to you. Nuada welcomes you as he refers to you as the one to inherit his dream (re: throne), calling you Samildánach the one skilled in many arts and Lugh. You recognize him as someone you saw in your dream, but you get the feeling that something is different. Cthugha radios in to tell you that he looks exactly like the Nodens he knows, but he's acting completely different. His presence and speaking pattern are mostly the same as well, yet something is off about those too, and Cthugha demands to know who he is.
Nuada is indifferent as he replies, giving his name and calling himself the former king who once ruled Erin but lost his throne. He is the king of the fairy land of Tir na Nog, someone who once fought Balor and possessor of the shining silver arm. Breke is shocked by this and asks Cthugha what's going on, but Cthugha says he doesn't recognize him or the names Nuada and Erin. Bertro radios in to call off the mission and tells everyone to make an emergency retreat. Solomon prompts you to leave since command has ordered a retreat, but you plead for a bit more time. You try to ask Nuada where Nodens is, and you comment that it feels like you're being welcomed.
Bertro flat out tells you no to attempting to negotiate with an unknown entity, and Nodens starts talking through Nuada to laugh about how everyone always panics whenever things don't go to plan. You came all this way, you might as well look cool for him! For a second, nobody can figure out who's saying that. Nodens then switches over with Nuada, giving you a welcome for finally reaching him after all those hardships you must've gone through. Cthugha asks who he is, so Nodens gives his name and says he's the Lord of the Abyss and lord of the Agate Castle before cackling.
You are taken aback by this change in demeanor, but Nodens says you can just stop thinking, saying the moment you came here was the moment things have ended. He comments that the one problem here was how to get you over there since they couldn't leave the Dream Land. The only way they could figure out how to arrange for that was to push humanity to the brink, send Cthugha over to your side, then have you guys learn about the Agate Castle, and he says it was a huge pain in the ass to get that done.
Breke and Cthugha have no idea what Nodens is on about, but they figure everything will be fine if Nodens is taken out. Nodens cackles again and says he already told you guys you can't win anymore, then calls out the invocation chant. Nodens's class is Ruler and his concept is Grasping. Nodens uses his ability to seize and take away light, then uses his NP to force a shutdown of Breke's and Cthugha's ships' energy systems. You call out over the radio to them in alarm and ask what happened, but all that answers you is the sound of explosions as their ships disappear from the radar.
Nodens explains that their (which he uses in the plural sense) power is Grasping, and by order of the king light cannot defy him. Nothing can oppose him whether it be man or machine. And to go back to an earlier question you guys asked of him, he doesn't have multiple personalities or anything. You guys were talking to Nuada earlier, who is a Lord Nodens from another world. You think to yourself that it's odd how Nodens used an honorific title there, and Nodens says that's enough side chatter as he asks if you get that you can't oppose him now.
You tell Nodens that you don't get what's going on at all or just send him a look saying as much, so Nodens laughs and says he'll just have to make you understand then. Nodens then commands the night gaunts to release the light that's been sealed in the abyss. Go mad at the agonizing past regrets and losses from the bleak memories of the past, he says. Let the reminiscence come to thee past time, space, and the sleeping gate! Part of the castle breaks up into its component night gaunts that rushes you during Nodens' dramatic command, and you react in shock as visions start pouring into you.
A vision of Ryouta at Shinjuku Academy calling to you comes to you. It's a place you shouldn't know and a person you don't know, supposedly. A vision of Kengo in the classroom comes to you as he calls you partner. You don't know him, yet he calls to you like he's known you for a long time. A vision of Shirou at the school dorm comes to you as he calls your name. You shouldn't know who any of these people are...yet you do. These are experiences you've never had, yet you know what these memories are. Visions of Touji and R-19 come as well, and wild confusion from this contradiction bewilders you. Then comes memories of the Berserkers, the Missionaries, the Tycoons, and the Genociders come in. Something else surges from within you, from these past memories that happened but you haven't experienced. There is an unfolding war of 24 worlds happening in a walled city, and the memories of the people of these worlds converging in that world and your true self come to you like a roiling wave. Pain and pleasure pour in relentlessly to torture you.
Nodens laughs and asks if you're still alive or if you've gone insane. But either way he calls you his trophy. So what if you lost a bit of your mind? You look better that way! Nodens is then surprised and impressed that you seem okay. You say you remember that you were in Tokyo before, so you ask him what all this outer space business is. Nodens decides to tell you as he asks if you know about the many worlds theory about parallel worlds embodying multiple possibilities. This whole thing is one of those worlds where the battle has shifted into a space war, where you happened to meet a night gaunt that first night in the park, which then led the world down to a different path.
All of your guildmates, your teachers, and your enemies? None of them could come to this world, and none of them could defend against Nodens' attack. The reason for that? None of their worlds have a concept of outer space or space battles. Every other world has a concept of the sky, but they were unable to recognize this new world, so Nodens laughs about how they couldn't keep up with the world that lost they look down upon so much. That's what they get for not being able to conceptualize an invasion from outer space!
You point out that things still aren't over since everyone on the main ship wasn't destroyed either, and you're about to say why that is when Nodens repeats his earlier point that you need to know about the idea of a battle in space in order to resist against him. The biggest exception would be anyone from the future world of Utopia since they have that concept in their heads already. While they couldn't avoid his conceptual attack, they still managed to land a good counterattack on him since they brought in people with the role of a space defense force that repels space invaders.
Nodens is surprised to see that you're still willing to go against him, but he approves since that's why he detests you and Nyarlathotep so much. You came for his throne, so it's obvious he'd want revenge right? Nodens then orders Nyarlathotep and Tsathoggua to get rid of your guys' main ship since he'll be busy toying with you, you usurper. You throw yourself at him in an attempt to force him to stop, since if he goes down he can't keep doing what he's doing. Nodens is amused at you charging him and tells you to come at him as the episode section battle begins. More happens afterwards.
The story picks up with Nodens flying in the sky with giant dark wings attached to his back, misshapen appendages formed by a fusion of countless night gaunts. A great number of shadowy spears fly out at you, but you do your best to avoid the barrage and look for an opening to cut Nodens down. It isn't going well for you though, and Nodens laughs madly at your vain efforts. He taunts you about dancing for him or go boom for him. He likes his RPGs, fighters, and simulation games, but damn are shooting games the best. The thrills of grazing bullets, the tension of being on your last life, and then the dejection of getting a game over!
You are frustrated at being unable to get closer to Nodens and wonder why he's making so many game references, though you do get the feeling you remember this about someone else. Solomon calls out some emergency evasion and suggests you back away from Nodens. Nodens cackles some more about liking how you're struggling so futilely, but you argue back that there's still a chance as you keep at it. Nodens tells you he said you're wasting your time because there's a traitor among you. You either reject the idea or ask if he meant Cthugha. B gets an extra line where Nodens laughs at the idea of someone as dumb as Cthugha being able to act as a traitor.
Nodens prompts the traitor to change sides already, though he's perplexed for a moment when Solomon doesn't do anything. He then remembers that's how the contract was set up here, meaning Solomon being a ship control AI in this world means he has to be ordered to actually do something. Nodens proceeds to do just that, pulling rank as the administrator to force a shutdown command. Solomon is shocked by the command usage but reluctantly complies, shutting your ship down and himself with it. The ship's HUD blink off in a second, and Solomon's projection blips out after. The ship starts falling, and the section ends as you realize you were set up to never have a chance to begin with.
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