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>>3991146

Nothing you’re armed with can measure up to a Servant. Remaining in the room isn’t an option, and trying to get past him is certain to end in your death. The only option, then, is to find another exit. Surely, the master of the house installed some other way to leave!

You glance first to the left, then the right. It’s hard to see, but at the back of the chamber, in the shadows, is a door identical to the entrance. Options limited, you begin an arduous retreat across the workshop. From table to table you jump, unable to touch the floor for fear of a root snagging you. Each time you land, you’re forced to parry attacks from one or more of Marshall’s plants, your swords ripping through leaves and severing branches. The violent dance fills the air with shredded petals, compounding the reduced visibility from the mist.

The Servant, for his part, is content to watch you, walking through the tables at a leisurely pace. He’s clearly not concerned that you’ll escape. But you’re almost there. At last, you dare to venture back onto the floor to reach the portal, grab the handle, and-

The door disappears. No, there was never a door in the first place! Vines, roots, and branches have already coiled halfway up your arm from the shattered stone wall. Try as you might, you can’t pull free.

“I like to do these things up close and personal,” the Servant states casually. “Atypical of a Caster, sure, but far more my style.”

Hacking away the plants on your arm proves fruitless. You hurl the Black Keys in your free hand towards Caster, desperate to buy some time, but he sidesteps your attack with ease. Rapidly running out of ways to fight back, you grasp at his axe as he approaches and try to wrestle it away. He simply grips your head with his other hand.

“Let’s see what she’s been up to, shall we?”

Something starts probing your mind, feeling out what’s there, what isn’t, fishing into the gaps, searching for what’s behind that seal-

Destruction of property, entrapment, domestic violence, civil war, ethnic cleansing

Your mind floods with seething hate. Your attacker stumbles backwards, his hand burned.

“Is this the other Caster’s doing, or were you already this unstable!?” he shouts.

You can’t hear him. The heat of the curse scorches your mind.

DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE

It hurts

It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts

And then it doesn’t.

You’re somewhere else.

It’s the forest. You haven’t seen it for a while, but it’s looking terrible. The trees, previously green with life, now stand barren. At your feet, the forest floor is covered in fallen, yellow conifer needles, drained of life. Your senses in this place are sharper than ever, on the level of genuine physical presence. And, this time, you’re clearly not alone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1sZ2q1ZFUY

Before you stands a boy. He wears a long, bright red cloth around his waist, and a matching item around his head. Black bandages wrap his hands and feet. Aside from that, he’s totally naked, revealing dark skin and any number of black tattoos on his skin. He looks familiar. He looks like… you.

“Yo. Took you long enough.”

You recognize that voice.

“You’re wondering who I am,” he says, preempting your question. “In a way, I’m the man behind the curtain. To really explain it, though, let me tell you a story about someone named Jesus.”

Too astonished to speak, you merely listen.

“Two thousand years ago, Jesus ran around sandland performing miracles,” the tattooed one begins. “A lot of people didn’t like that, so they nailed him to a tree and waited for him to kick the bucket. But Jesus was such a swell guy that he chose to die to forgive their sins. In other words, he took all the world’s evil upon himself and died with it. That’s where the trouble starts. Someone poked a hole in him, and the curses he carried leaked onto a certain spear. There are a lot of complexities involved, but basically, the weapon carries pure evil. That’s me. That’s you. That’s been you ever since your mom put that stick in you.

A chill shoots down your spine. The spear that pierced the side of Jesus, the Lance of Longinus, is inside you? And this is its true nature? To think that your own mother would...

...a mother? Do you even have one? Nobody comes to mind.

Suddenly, someone drapes an arm over your shoulder, like you’re old buddies. He, too, looks like you. Much more so than the other person here; the main difference between you is that his hair and eyes are a brilliant crimson.

“H̶e̴y̵,̷ ̴r̸e̸l̸a̸x̸,” the newcomer says with a malicious, toothy grin. “Y̴o̸u̵ ̴a̴n̷d̵ ̵I̶ ̴m̷i̷g̵h̴t̴ ̴n̴o̷t̵ ̶r̷e̷m̶e̷m̵b̸e̵r̵,̵ ̴b̷u̵t̷ ̶h̴e̸ ̶d̵o̷e̴s̵.̵ ̴H̷e̴ ̶r̸e̴m̵e̶m̶b̷e̷r̴s̶ ̶e̴v̶e̷r̴y̴t̵h̸i̷n̸g̸.̶”

“And don’t think you can run away somewhere, either,” the evil interjects. “You let us in ages ago. There’s no going back now. Now think carefully, ‘cuz this next part is important. It will say a lot about who you are and what you can do. So: what exactly is Jesus to you?”

>>“A shield.”
>>“A scapegoat.”
>>“A sufferer.”
Write-ins are disabled for this vote.

>>4022388
>>>“A sufferer.”
HAHA!
My Longingus theory was correct!
We're uh
Oh no.

>>4022392
>>“A scapegoat.”

>>4022392
>“A shield.”
This sounds like the most Deus Vult option.

>>4022392
Why do I feel like "a saviour" was a potential option?

>>4022392
>“A shield.”

>>4022392
>>“A sufferer.”
There is no Good End for us, now.

>>4022392
>>>“A sufferer.”
welp
This is it.
We were the big evil all along.

Mom confirmed the biggest brainlet.
Ah well.
Time to convert some Servants I guess.
Least we can get Tomoe back.

and she thought she had issues.

>>4022392
>>“A sufferer.”
This is what happens when you don't fucking tell us what the hell the talking forest in our head is Mom.

>Suddenly, someone drapes an arm over your shoulder, like you’re old buddies. He, too, looks like you. Much more so than the other person here; the main difference between you is that his hair and eyes are a brilliant crimson.
>his hair and eyes are a brilliant crimson.
Wait wait wait, are we actually a fucking Oni?

>>4022392
>>“A sufferer.”

>Angra actually shows up
I'm always glad when one of the best characters in Fate gets more screentime. Surprised Treebro is actually humanoid, so we dyed our hair and put in some contacts when we drank up Angra in the basement?

>>4022392
You know what/ I'm gonna change my vote here>>4022457
to>>“A shield.”
Got a good feeling.

Another thing to address which may indicate how completely fucked we are.

>It’s the forest. You haven’t seen it for a while, but it’s looking terrible. The trees, previously green with life, now stand barren. At your feet, the forest floor is covered in fallen, yellow conifer needles, drained of life.
So Angra is more powerful than Treebro it seems

>>4022392
>>“A sufferer.”

Holy shit I am fucking hype for this whackadoodle borderline blasphemous chicanery. Lets fucking go.

>>4022392
>>“A shield.”

>>4022392
>...a mother? Do you even have one? Nobody comes to mind.
Seriously wondering what's going on with Edgar's mind here. Is there some Servant whose Noble Phantasm erases all memory of a person it kills, meaning the Einzberns and mom have bit the dust?

>>4022392
>>“A sufferer.”

>>4023209
I'm wondering if the time skips that have been happening have been mass memory alterations.

>>4022537
>are we actually a fucking Oni
more like edgar's repressed delinquent side
>>4022645
>So Angra is more powerful than Treebro it seems
More like Angra let Treebro out to play, since he's right next to us.

Jesus Christ, I'm sad I missed this weekend. I never imagined that things would go ass over teakettle so fast.
>>4022392
>It will say a lot about who you are and what you can do.
>>>"A shield."
gib Lord Camelot power-up pls

>>4022392
>>“A sufferer.”

Sorry, but there won't be an update tonight. My schedule will be pretty hectic the next few weeks, so this will probably happen a lot.

>>4023303
>gib Lord Camelot power-up pls
What would the Christ equivalent of Lord Camelot be?

>>4026186
Load Jerusalem

Jesus spent his whole life trying to help people and reform their thinking. In the end, those same beneficiaries rewarded him with a long and agonizing public execution. To have everything you’ve spent your life building up thrown away at the last second, to have all the hatred you tried to stamp out come back and devour you - for someone like Jesus, that must have been the most painful experience imaginable.

“A sufferer,” you reply.

“Man, that’s a pretty messed up way to look at your ‘lord and savior’. Are you sure you’re a Christian?”

You could do without the sass.

“Why do you ask?”

“Ah, well. You’re in deep shit, and I’m going to get you out. Just gotta set your power free.”

The evil takes a step forward.

“H̶o̶l̶d̷ ̵i̶t̵,̴ ̸p̷a̵l̶,̴” the red boy says, raising his hand to halt the approach, “m̵e̶m̸o̴r̷y̴ ̷f̸i̴r̵s̸t̴.̷ ̵T̶h̴a̴t̷'̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̸ ̴d̵e̷a̷l̵.̶”

“Come on, don’t be so anal about it.”

“D̸o̸ ̶y̵o̴u̴ ̵w̸a̷n̵t̸ ̶o̷u̷t̵ ̶o̶r̸ ̸n̶o̵?̷ ̶I̴t̴'̷s̸ ̴t̸h̷e̵ ̵d̴e̵a̷l̷,̸ ̶s̶o̶ ̵d̶e̵a̷l̸ ̴w̸i̸t̶h̴ ̷i̷t̷.̷”

Memories come flooding back. Saber, Charlotte, Ilonasviel, Mom, everything that had been suppressed - even a few things from childhood. Whatever had been done to your mind has been reversed. Then, with a snap, the red boy sends his tattooed counterpart flying into the woods.

“D̸o̷n̴'̴t̴ ̸l̴o̴o̶k̶ ̷s̶o̴ ̶s̶u̴r̷p̸r̶i̴s̸e̴d̸,̷” he snickers. “T̶h̷i̴s̴ ̸i̶s̶ ̷o̷u̷r̴ ̵m̴i̸n̵d̵,̸ ̵y̸o̸u̸ ̶k̸n̴o̵w̸?̵ ̸T̷h̸i̵n̴k̷ ̶o̷f̷ ̷i̵t̷ ̴l̸i̸k̴e̵ ̶a̸ ̷l̵u̷c̷i̴d̵ ̴d̸r̷e̶a̷m̴.̶ ̶H̴e̷ ̷c̵a̵n̸'̶t̵ ̴a̶c̸t̶u̶a̷l̵l̷y̵ ̵d̴o̴ ̸a̵n̸y̸t̵h̶i̴n̴g̶ ̸w̵e̷ ̵d̷o̶n̴'̴t̴ ̴a̵l̴l̵o̶w̷.̷”̸

“‘We?’ So the two of us are in control, but not him? Is he some kind of guest?”

“S̴o̷m̷e̸t̷h̴i̶n̷g̷ ̵l̵i̶k̶e̶ ̷t̶h̷a̵t̶.̸ ̶R̴e̴a̵l̷l̷y̶,̷ ̶y̷o̴u̸'̸r̷e̷ ̵i̷n̵ ̶c̸h̶a̵r̷g̸e̴ ̸h̷e̵r̸e̴.̸ ̵T̷h̴i̵s̸ ̵i̸s̵ ̴y̶o̷u̵r̴ ̴d̸r̵e̵a̸m̴l̷a̶n̸d̶.̷ ̵I̷'̴m̶.̵.̴.̸ ̴w̶e̸l̷l̴,̴ ̶y̸o̷u̸r̷ ̶s̷u̶b̸c̷o̸n̷s̵c̵i̶o̶u̵s̶ ̴o̴r̷ ̶s̴o̸m̵e̷t̵h̷i̸n̸g̷.̷ ̵Y̶o̷u̷ ̴k̴n̷o̶w̶,̸ ̴t̸h̵e̸ ̵l̶a̷t̸e̴n̵t̴ ̴p̴a̵r̶t̴.̷”

“Okay…” Having a direct conversation with a different part of your own mind is a confusing concept, to say the least. “So why did you do that, exactly?”

“I̵ ̸s̵a̷y̷ ̴w̴e̶ ̴k̴e̵e̴p̴ ̵t̸h̴a̵t̷ ̴t̷h̷i̶n̵g̵ ̷w̷h̶e̶r̴e̶ ̶i̶t̸ ̷b̶e̸l̵o̵n̴g̸s̸.̵ ̵T̴h̵e̶ ̸l̷a̶n̸c̶e̴ ̷i̸s̸ ̵o̴u̶r̸s̶;̶ ̴w̵e̶ ̴d̶o̸n̴'̷t̵ ̶n̵e̵e̶d̷ ̶t̵h̶a̴t̴ ̴f̸r̸e̴a̸k̸ ̴t̴o̶ ̵u̴s̵e̴ ̷i̵t̷.̴ ̸̶H̴e̷'̴s̸ ̷p̶l̸a̶i̸n̴ ̸e̶v̶i̷l̶.̶ ̴I̷t̸'̵s̵ ̷b̶e̵s̵t̶ ̸f̶o̶r̷ ̷e̷v̶e̴r̶y̵o̷n̷e̸ ̶i̷f̶ ̵h̶e̶ ̸s̵t̴a̶y̴s̷ ̴l̸o̴c̷k̷e̷d̸ ̶u̴p̷.̷ ̶W̸e̵'̵l̸l̷ ̸b̷e̵ ̷p̷l̴e̷n̶t̵y̷ ̷p̷o̶w̷e̷r̷f̴u̶l̶ ̶w̴i̸t̴h̴o̶u̷t̸ ̵h̵i̷m̷.̷”

The red boy makes a good point. But what he says implies that the tattooed boy may be the key to even greater strength.

>>Cut the tattooed boy out.
>>Keep the tattooed boy in.
Write-ins are disabled for this vote.

>>4027178
>>Keep the tattooed boy in.

Integer, for clarification, this is the option that lets the evil aid us? It may seem obvious but I dont want anyone operating off of misconceptions.

>>4027178
>>Keep the tattooed boy in.
The ride's just getting started

>>4027178
>>>Keep the tattooed boy in.
Let's go full Nobu.

>>4027178
>>Cut the tattooed boy out
Sorry Mango.
Not this time.

>>4027178
>>Keep the tattooed boy in.
We're strong now, but are we Servant devouring strong?

>>4027240
I imagine the vote is "Use Dead Apostle magic to contain Angra or Use Dead Apostle magic along with Angra" seeing as the deal Treebro struck involves Angra getting to leave

>>4027263
I see that, just wanted to clarify on the wording. Its more me being overcautious than anything, im 95% sure I know what was meant.

>>4027240
>this is the option that lets the evil aid us?
Yes, keeping the tattooed boy in is the option to keep the evil around.

>>4027286
Thought so, thanks.

>>4027286
>Anon spends most of the quest making retarded decisions
>Get beaten, killed and captured multiple times
>Lose Saber
>Integer confirms we've missed really important plot information with our votes
>Fall into a deep despair
>We're stuck in a Bad End
>Suddenly Angra shows up
>Unlocks our Dead Apostle abilities
>We can keep him around
>Realise we've stumbled upon the Good End that nameless nugget deserves after all the shit he's dealt with
Totally worth it

>>4027301
Ive felt for a while we are on one of those bad end paths that takes a few hours to come to fruition in the original VN. Might as well go all in and make it a memorable one.

>>4027178
>Cut the tattooed boy out.

"All the World's Evil? Sounds perfectly trustworthy to me!"
No.

>>4027178
>>>Cut the tattooed boy out.
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

GET THE FUCK OUT, SATAN

>>4027178
>Cut the tattooed boy out.
No thanks, Samuel. Just because we can't get a Good End doesn't mean nobody else deserves one.

>>4027178
>>Keep the tattooed boy in.
We will be like Jesus, and carry all the evil on our back.

>ignoring treebro's advice
It'll work this time, I'm sure of it!

>>4028622
Nigger you clearly don't understand the nature of Salvation. Jesus didn't "carry all the evil on [his] back", Jesus (both full God and full Man) through his crucifixion washed us clean of the effects of sin (namely, eternal spiritual separation from God). He baptised us with his blood and made us clean to enter Heaven in spite of our sin, not because he removes it from us. "I come not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it" and all that.

>>4028627
>Jesus was such a swell guy that he chose to die to forgive their sins. In other words, he took all the world’s evil upon himself and died with it.
Are you calling Angra Mainyu a liar, you double nigger?

>>4028627
>Angra is All the World's Evil
>Gaia isn't good or evil, it just is
>TYPE's and Dead Apostle's are pretty much the same as well
>The Evil comes from Humanity
>Anons want to reject our Humanity completely
Angra's the most human boi of us all

>>4028632
>Are you calling Angra Mainyu a liar
Yes.

>>4028660
fag

>>4027178
>>Cut the tattooed boy out.

And we're tied. This is an important vote, so just like last time, I'll leave discussion open until tomorrow. If no decision is reached by then, I'll roll.

>>4028616
Angra isn't Satan nor is he himself All the World's Evil, not exactly. He was just subjected to it and forced to carry the experience All the World's Evil within himself. He's basically one of those Japanese grudge ghosts but with the biggest grudge it's possible to have.

>>4029276
Well, that's fantastic, because this isn't specifically Angry Manjew.
This is Angry RomanSpearjew.

It's All the World's Evils, but it's not guaranteed to be Manjew.

>>4029288
Then it's just Jesus but he's a little tired of humanity's shit. You won't reject Jesus will you?

>>4029329
>Then it's just Jesus but he's a little tired of humanity's shit. You won't reject Jesus will you?
That's a ridiculous assertion, and I refuse to believe that you actually subscribe to that line of reasoning. This is clearly a malicious foreign entity whom we should reject.

>>4029384
Pretty sure Angra warned us about the ambush at the Manor, remember the red text is Angra and the fucked up text is our Dead Apostle half.

>>4029391
Just because it warned us, doesn't mean it's on our side. I'm also of the mind that we want as few things that aren't the Conscious (clear text) Edgar in our head as possible. If Corrupt Text (treeman) is
here to stay, then it's in our best interest to keep it to just that, because otherwise who's to stop them from beating us two to one?

>>4029391
>>4029405
We still don't have confirmation what treebro is and with our track record I'd be amazed if it's actually DA related.
>>4029384
It's literally Jesus juice empowering us.

Whats a few curses to a Holy Man?!? Come on, we need the power, and even if it goes badly, at least it will be interesting.

What would Kirei do?

>>4029671
Die?

>>4029673
Exactly, and then he'd get up again thanks to Angra giving him a new heart. Given our luck we'd benefit from that ability.

>>4027178
>Keep the tattooed boy in.
Guess I'll break the tie then.

Sorry, everyone, but I just can't afford to make this quest into a priority right now. It's probably really frustrating for this to happen so close to the end, and for that I apologize. However, there are again other things that I want and need to do. I don't intend to drop the quest entirely since we're so near the finish line, but I can't say for sure when I'll have the time to finish it (perhaps not until summer rolls around). I may post a rogue thread here or there if I think I can squeeze in some number of updates at any point. In the event of an inbound thread, I'll post an announcement on twitter. Here's the link for those who care for it:
https://twitter.com/qminteger

Since there won't be another update for some time, I'll leave discussion and voting open until the thread archives. Again, sorry about this, and sorry that I can't provide a clear window for the return of the quest this time around, but I have to prioritize my life.

>>4031159
It's fine Integer, real life is more important than quests and shitposting. I've got full faith you'll return and be one of the first QM's to actually finish a Fate quest.

>>4031159
I bet Satan did this.

Be well dude, I believe you when you say youll finish it eventually. You actually came back from a two month break before and thats fucking unheard of around here.

>>4031159
>Choosing Satan is so bad Integer would rather quit than keep writing.
If this isn't a sign, I don't know what is. But seriously, put yourself first. I'm sure you'll be back when you can be, you've shown you're word is good on this.

>>4027178
>>>Cut the tattooed boy out.
I honestly don't know which to pick, so just flipped a coin. Sorry Angry Mango!

Not sure what you're going to just do a recap when you get back Integer but if not the thread'll need archived before it drops off the board.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

Page 9 and we're still tied. Rolling to decide the vote before the thread drops.
1) Keep the tattooed boy in.
2) Cut the tattooed boy out.