Entry 52: Chasing the ideal

[We go down into the new torture room, which is not much of a room.]

Rani and Lancer are here! According to Rin, when I talk to Rani I need to say “no” to her the whole time…

Tamamo :: Before we talk, this won't be much of a conversation unless someone does something about that red one. With our current power level, we might not be able to do much, though.

Lancer :: Ooh they’re here, a great way to kill some time. Come on Rani, let’s start. It’s time to show off my real musical skills!

She’s coming…! Lancer’s smile is different from when she was with Rin, it’s the smile of who who truly enjoys slaughter from the bottom of her heart. Even before she was clearly a cruel Servant, but now she overflows with a bloodlust sharp enough to cut you if you touched it.

Rani :: I can’t permit you to do that. Please put away your mic…your spear, Lancer.

Lancer :: Leave it to me, taking off with my first number — wait, what!? Hold on, another postponement!?

Rani :: It is necessary to take responsibility for one’s statements. We will not fight on this layer.  Since that is what I declared, we will not fight here. Please follow the rules, Lancer. To always keep to one’s schedule is a requirement for a top idol.

Lancer :: …so these are the obligations of the service industry? Fine, I’ll sign off on it. It is the destiny of the flower blossoms to be unable to move freely. I’ll clear up my frustrations with the pigs in the torture chamber.

Rani :: …now then. As you can see, we’re not doing anything. Killing me will not open the shield. Essentially, this is a stalemate. Rin Tohsaka self-destructed, but I’m different from her. I’m a homunculus. A manufactured life. No embarrassing secrets were placed in my heart.

…is that so? The memories are fuzzy, but Rani in the Holy Grail War had a heart. She fought, made decisions, and laughed by her own will. And —

Julius :: …that’s wrong, isn’t it. It’s because she has a heart that BB chose her as a Sentinel in the first place. So that homunculus has a heart. …all living things do, though it may be hard to see and understand. Kishinami. Ask her why she made the Labyrinth like this. If Rani VIII behaves logically, she should be compelled to answer.

Julius is right. Rani said she hates pointlessness. Therefore she must have some reason for this Labyrinth’s “corrective program.”

Rani :: The reason…? It goes without saying. You were not yet qualified to meet with me. Humans have many extraneous qualities. Things that are of no benefit to them. I am administering proper education. This Labyrinth utilizes my heart. Therefore, those who enter it must also attain a nature that lacks pointlessness, according to my wish.

Tamamo :: Hmmm. She's brought out the Rani-style "correct lifestyle" she espouses so much. But she can't match up with me.

Rani :: Yes, you have a problem with that? I have always thought that Hakuno was wasting her talents. Therefore I will give her discipline. It’s all for her sake. I you could call me a mother…well, an underclassman, obsessing over her education, I wouldn’t bother me.

Pain faintly runs up my left arm. Do I need to respond to what Rani just said?

> Thanks, sister in education!
[>] I never asked for this!

Rani :: …there’s no way you didn’t. Why else would you, one grade above me, have come to me for help?

> You helped me out.
[>] You were no help!

Rani :: …so I wasn’t helpful? But you must have considered it. That it would be good to do so.

> I considered it.
[>] Of course I didn’t!

Rani :: …that’s not – possible. Based on objective statistics, I improved you life style, Hakuno. Showed you how to a superior human being. You cannot deny that. You felt better, didn’t you?

> I did feel better.
[>] I didn’t feel good at all!

Rani :: …impossible. My program is perfect. And it is entirely aimed at making you a superior human being. I do not take violent actions. I am only here to provide superior management. So why, how can you deny that?

Rin :: Obviously because you made a mistake. Hakunon, tell her. Rani’s inconsistency, the opening to her heart.

I’ve already come this far, there’s nothing to fear. Rani’s inconsistency. Her secret desire. It’s —

[>] This is nothing but Rani’s idealized image

Rani :: …!

Right. All these requirements are nothing but the ideals Rani wishes were reality.

1. Do not take meaningless actions.
2. Never stray from perfection.
3. Do not make a single mistake.

These three are Rani’s ideals.

4. Actions without clear purpose are acceptable.
5. You may fail occasionally.
6.  A mistake or two is acceptable.

These three are Rani’s compromises.

7. Those who would be prey are more desirable than those who would be predators.
8. Cold colors must be preferred to warm colors.
9. Girls with glasses are supreme.

These three are Rani’s desires. This Labyrinth contains the words of her heart which she would never normally have given voice to. Namely —

[And we have glowing!]

Rani :: Ah…u, ugh…! N-no…my heart, it’s…

Tamamo :: Allriiight! Flower garden of secrets, grand opening! Master, GO, GO!

[SG capture go! The sequence is no different from with Rin. Shielding, body fading out and all. Also Rani’s eyes go dead again for moment, though.]

Rani :: Don’t…please, don’t look…I’m so…selfish, I…Ah…this is having one’s heart seen…my body heat goes up…it seems, I’m vanishing…

Hiding her face with both hands, Rani shatters like a glass ornament. …I wonder if that Rani was a “quarter” separated from the real Rani, like with Rin. I’m sorry we had to expose her secret, but with this we’ve invalidated the shield. Now we should just need to keep going forward, but…

Lancer :: …hmm. I thought you were odd back with Rin, but you really are an interesting one, aren’t you? Now this floor’s Rani’s gone, it’s fine to break that “no fighting here rule,” but…with a little more polish, I think you could make lovely pet rabbit…all right, I’ll give you a chance. I’ll just go home this time. I’ll go as far as to leave you here, see, and you know how I love tormenting the weak. Come on, let the force of my generosity and beauty bring you to tears. You could throw psyllium or something too if you like.

…It’s hard to believe, but we’re saved. I don’t know if she’s observing her contract with Rani, but it looks like Lancer won’t fight us on this floor. Perhaps she’s also being made to fight against her will by BB…?

Lancer :: Against my will? Of course not. I mean, I’m the one who made the offer to BB, you know? I chose the far side of the moon because I like it. Um, my real Master…the wizard who summoned and contracted me? I had no interest in that girl. So I stabbed her from behind and killed her. Maybe you could call it musical differences?

Tamamo :: I can't overlook what you just said. Can you explain in more detail?

Lancer :: Oh, you want to know? Hee…the document is usually star level, but it’s fine, I’ll tell you. My previous Master was a clown. I don’t why, but she dressed as a clown. BB was interested in her, and brought her here alive…but the clown refused BB’s invitation. She said “you love isn’t tasty,” something like that. And then something about how she’d starve to death like this? And that would mean I’d have to go too, see. So, there really wasn’t anything for it but to kill her, you know? That’s why I stabbed her. And then I said it, loudly. “This woman is unfit to be my manager. But BB, what you say is beautiful. Eternal life, those words are as sweet as the mock strawberry. Give up on this starving cat and rely on me. I will fight for you.” And so we established a contract. I was pretty easy transfer for an idol, but, well, nothing I could do, you see? If I hadn’t done it I would have vanished. And the loss of this beauty would be a loss to the whole world, don’t you think?

[Okay, Lancer’s previous Master was in the 4th round of Fate/Extra, Rin route, and her Servant at the time was Vlad Tepes. She looked kind of like an emaciated female Ronald McDonald, and was some kind of bugfuck crazy cannibal. I would like to take this moment to thank Lancer for stabbing her to death.]

…and that’s the only reason she betrayed her Master? Because her Master chose to defy BB, when she was brought to the far side of the moon?

Tamamo :: —–.

Lancer :: The only reason? The only reason, you say? It’s the most important reason there is! I will be eternally beautiful! I will never age! As long as I am more beautiful than any other, that is all that matters!

Lancer screams out her desire as if intoxicated. I can feel Caster's anger. However — Lancer, who thinks it natural to make a surprise attack on her own Master, is fundamentally different from other Servants. There has never before been a Servant so devoted to her own desires. Servants have their own ideas, but they all have the same intentions as their Masters. But this Servant is different. This girl cannot love anything but herself…!

Lancer :: You can say what you like. It’s just something a little squirrel like you can’t understand yet. I will live eternally. Beautiful, beloved, unsurpassed! You Masters and your Grail War are nothing but scenery to me. Just like a lemon with the juice squeezed out. BB is an ugly, stupid bug woman who does nothing but augment her memory, but…She’s infinitely superior as a manager, see? Soon she’ll grant me the ideal body. Until then, tremble and sleep. For very soon the world will be my personal stage!

So Lancer loudly proclaims, and leaves. I’d very much like to stop her, but if we find her now we won’t win. …anyway, the path to a new layer has opened. Now I should activate the checkpoint and return to the old school building…

[We return. And we’ve now got Rani’s Secret Garden. Its first entry is called “Desire for Control.”]

 

Modified from the translation at https://tsukinoura.wordpress.com/2013/08/06/entry-52-chasing-the-ideal/. Please support the original translator.