Entry 49: Rani’s Idolm@ster strategy

[I can't believe the FGO event's been announced already. I'll try to get to Melt before then, if I can, but we'll see. Rest assured, though, I'm finishing this regardless.]

[Some more points have shown up in the Information Matrix – Lancer’s Stats are STR C, AGI E, END D, Mana A, Luck B, she has the skill Dragon’s Breath E, and “torture techniques” as a keyword. Meanwhile, BB has appeared on the roster, but with “Gamemaster” next to her name instead of “Servant.” Her file lists her as masterless, named BB, and of the class “Moon Cancer.” She has the keyword “high level AI.” Also, Tamamo's got another My Room dialogue available.]

Caster :: Rin's taking this... better? than I expected. Still, this must be pretty hard on her. Master, are you alright?

I'm definitely pretty down - and that might be understating it. This is close to the worst possible situation. To say nothing of my vague memories, ripping open the secrets of everyone I meet isn't a great feeling. All the more so because they're all girls. It's different from seeking those of men, and I can feel that especially when looking at Rin's extremely composed demeanor. It's less breaking through and more of a boring into the soul, and as BB said, a girl's soul is the strongest firewall there is.

Caster :: Don't make such a troubled expression! I just wanna squeeze you... in particular, right... here ♡!

…For now, stop shoving your breasts in my face, Caster. You're really bringing down the room's tension gauge.

Caster :: Well, I do understand why you're having trouble. You really do have to be careful when prying into women's secrets. To say nothing of the fact that you've got a special predisposition towards Rani.... I guess that time has finally come for me.

I have to admit, she's a little scary when the fur on her tail stands on end like that. But - I see. I value Rani just like I do Rin. That must be why this is so hard.

Caster :: Right, the time for unnecessary concerns ends now! Master, my primary objective is to return to the near side of the moon. The same goes for everyone in this building - as well as Rani, of course. And the only person who can do that is you. So let's act before we think. We can worry about the consequences after we save her.

It's just as Caster says. I've got reservations about prying into Rani's heart, but now's not the time for that. Only I can unlock the SGs we need.

[After that I find the real Taiga Fujimura AI hanging around on the first floor of the school – she’s confused about how she got here and wants to find a way out. She plans to do this by assigning me fetch quests in the Labyrinth, as was her role in Fate/Extra. First she wants a ladder. Hopefully she will give me random room decorations in return like last time (also completing all her quests unlocked the bonus boss, but I never fought the bonus boss).]

Sakura Labyrinth Floor -04: Honeytight Dresscode

We’re deep under the sea. It’s an indistinct memory, but I feel like the ambiance of this layer is close to that of the Grail War’s arena on the near side. But there’s one large difference from the arena. I can hear singing echoing through the Labyrinth like ripples in the water. The voice is so lovely, I feel like if I closed my eyes and listened closely its feelings would become clear to me. But…is this the red Lancer’s voice…?

Tamamo :: Um... Is this singing voice, perhaps, Lancer? I can't believe it! Whatever god has domain here is way too generous, giving her this beautiful a voice!

Anyway, this is the Labyrinth, controlled by BB and her cohort. I’m interested the new Sentinel, but after that SOS I’m also concerned about Gatou’s safety. “Let’s focus,” I signal to Caster with my eyes, and my terminal rings its alert.

Sakura :: Can you hear me Miss Kishinami? This is the student council room. Monitoring, scanning, both maintaining normal levels. Hm…as the layers get further down our memory usage increases, but it’s not a problem yet. We can provide back up.

Leo :: Good work, Sakura. It may be hard on you, but please maintain the council room’s subengine at all times. Hakuno. As Mr. Gatou’s rescue signal has been cut off, please try to go as far as you can. As we’re in a new layer, stay alert during battle — if you find yourself in danger, return to the stairs.

Jinako :: No need to panic about ol’ Gatou, I’m getting life signals from him. That guy’s not the sort to die if he gets killed.

[We descend to a platform with a shield on the other side of it, where we find Rani and Lancer. As we approach, walls rise around the platform like those in the torture chamber back on Floor -01.]

Here they are…! I don’t think I’m seeing things. It’s Rani, now a Sentinel of the Labyrinth like Rin was, and the red Lancer who was Rin’s Servant. But — what is this room? The torture chamber for captures Masters and NPCs should have disappeared as one of Rin’s policies, but —

Rani :: 64 escaped Masters and 23 discarded NPCs have been successfully salvaged from chronological coordinates 2020 07 22. They will be delivered to the torture chamber as new patrons.

Lancer :: Lovely. A new supply of pigs. Nicely done, Rani. You may be a mood-killer, but you’re an excellent worker.

Rani :: Of course. I accomplish the jobs I undertake. That is the purpose of my existence, and my pleasure. However, Lancer.

Lancer :: Oh, I know. We have guests we didn’t kidnap, yes? Good evening, little squirrel Master. It’s nice to see you again. It’s true! I wouldn’t flatter you, you know.

Tamamo :: This is the worst. A total disaster. Could you not show my pure and innocent master this kind of scene?

[She uses the English word for "calamity" here.]

Lancer :: What a nice response. Cheeky and rude, yet charming. You’re the prey I’ve been longing for, you’re lucky your audacity was made for smacking. I cut corners, so the last round was my loss. Caster. That humiliation will be paid back to you and your Master three, no, sixfold.

Caster :: Wouldn't two be fine? Seems a bit excessive to repay us six times. Wouldn't that cause trouble for your household finances?

Lancer :: Worrying about that kind of stuff evokes the distinct scent of old age! If you're going to do something, go all out. You remember what it's like to be young, old-lady fox?

Caster :: --Okay. Lizard barbecue. Now.

Lancer :: Heehee…looks like you still can’t figure out the fragility of your position or the power balance of my present station. Behold my new torture chamber! Even in life I never had so much blood on hand! Ahh…how amazing it is! A font of beauty that never drys up no matter how much I draw! This is the Eden of beauty treaments I always longed for! Last round…when Rin was my attendant, I couldn’t display my true powers. But it’s different this time. Thanks to Rani’s flawless provision of mana, I have become by true self!

Lancer speaks triumphantly…it’s true that the pressure she gives off has increased since last time. But the problem isn’t that Lancer’s gotten stronger. It’s the fact that Rani opened a new torture chamber. My memories are vague, but Rani’s not the kind of girl to do something so inhuman. She’s a homunculus…a man-made being built back on Earth. A counterfeit, like her virtual counterparts the AIs. Though she is a constructed being, she lived as an individual “person.” There’s no way someone like her, with such rational conduct and so little selfishness, would ever make a torture chamber like this!

Sakura :: Miss Kishinami, please call out to Miss Rani! She must be under BB’s control!

There’s no doubting that. I call out to Rani —

> You’re back to yourself, Rani!
[>] Sorry to make you wait, Rani!
> Is it true you’re not wearing anything under there, Rani!?

Rani :: I don’t know what you’re talking about, but there’s no need for you to apologize, Hakuno. I’m not angry. I am a Sentinel entrusted with the keeping of this Labyrinth. That matter should have been publicly explained and settled already. You and I are enemies. But knowing that, you still entered the Labyrinth? Did you understand the discussion?

[I’m not sure it comes across in the photo, but Rani’s eyes have gone pretty strange looking in her portrait.]

Rani’s words bore into my chest. …The discord I'm feeling comes from the fact that though I've already been through Rin's labyrinth, I don’t think it will go so smoothly this time. It’s just, apart from that, Rani’s tone makes my chest ache. She hasn’t changed at all. Although I’ve forgotten most things, I feel like she was a hard-won friend, and it's difficult to reunite with her in this state.

Rani :: It appears you haven’t come to fight. Then go home. I have things I need to do. I am a Sentinel of the Sakura Labyrinth, but it is also my duty to nurture Lancer.

Leo :: To nurture Lancer…? Rani. Are you actually illegally modifying that Servant?

Rani :: No. Lancer will become a top-class Idol, to which end I will act as her producer. These are the terms of our contract. Therefore I retrieve data from the past that took place on the near side of the moon. I am temporarily maintaining the Masters who were erased after losing, and salvaging those resources.

Sakura :: Then…the people in there aren’t people who were captured by BB!? They’re people who were really alive…!?

Rani :: Do you consider it inhumane? They were all deleted by the Moon Cell seconds later – destined failures. I am simply temporarily bringing them into imaginary number space, and harvesting the elements in their quasi-spiritual forms corresponding to their blood. There is no effect on their lives. They were originally to be erased. If it pleases Lancer, we can keep them here in this prison, and they can live an eternity in that instant. I repeat the question, then. Is there some problem with my actions?

…pinned down by Rani’s cold gaze, no words come to me. The losers in the Holy Grail War were all to be erased by the Moon Cell. She’d bringing those defeated Masters here from the moment before they were erased, and making them sacrifices to Lancer. She asks me if it’s inhumane, and I’m certain it is.

However — I have to wonder what the Masters brought into this torture chamber actually think. To make a comparison, they’re like criminals sent to the guillotine. The guillotine will mercilessly fall, and they will die an instant later. But then, that instant was extended into eternity. The body bound at the guillotine has no freedom, but even bound, if that instant continues eternally — I wonder if they would denounce that as an act of the devil?

Jinako :: That sort of human rights issue happens in other places! I hear it’s a thing in Leo’s Western European plutocracy!

Leo :: No, it’s not so bad as that. We have freedom of work and study, and our welfare program works perfectly.

Jinako :: You sure are rich, putting on a smile while saying stuff like that! Anyway, what about the old guy! Where’s ol’ Gatou!? Did they already throw him into the torture chamber!?

Lancer :: Gatou? Oh, that big man from before. I have no need for boars like that, nothing but muscle even in their blood. Rani dealt with him, but what happened?

Rani :: I felt no need to dispose of him, nor to educate him. He was a “Prince Power minus” contaminant. It was troublesome, so I quarantined him in a corner of the Labyrinth. Perhaps if we leave him there like that for ten years he will change into a more pleasing form.

Lancer :: Ah yes, you take pride in that prince scoring system. You’re just ignoring the Masters with no potential? …Hmm. So, what about this little squirrel?

Rani :: Right. According to the measuring function on these glasses…Protagonist Power no higher than 5…

[She has a scouter? This would have been useful in Extra. ...maybe.]

Lancer :: Trash, then. So, why don’t you clean up this garbage?

Rani :: …however, she has the potential to shine with polish. No, I will make her shine. I cannot allow that potential to go unrealized.

Rani’s glasses glitter. An intensely unpleasant premonition runs through me — I feel a faint reaction from my left hand, where the Five Thought-Stopping Meditations is stored.

Rani :: I’ve made up my mind. I will proceed with Plan D. Lancer, let us go back temporarily. I will be remodeling this layer in accordance with my own preferences.

Lancer :: Roger, I’ll accompany you, producer. In return, have that exclusive stage and the thousand fan club slaves you promised me read soon, okay?

[They disappear.]

Tamamo:: Hold up, Indian glasses girl! "Protagonist Power no higher than 5"... There's clearly something wrong with your glasses!

…Rani and Lancer have transferred away somewhere. As Rani is the master of this Labyrinth, we have no way to follow her. At least we’ve confirmed that Gatou is alive, so let’s go back to the old school building.

Modified from the translation at https://tsukinoura.wordpress.com/2013/07/30/entry-49-ranis-idolmster-strategy/. Please support the original translator.