The 1st Walpurgis Night

Another day, another prolonged and dreary period of waiting, waiting, and some more waiting for something to happen. Of course, our busboat was still floating on the coastal Great Lake.

Voices of discontent among the Sinners started small, but they have been growing increasingly incessant as of late.

GAH! Holy CRAP!

All of a sudden, an ear-splitting siren echoes throughout the cabins.

It's that alarm again - Warning us of a volatility in Mephistopheles. But it was much louder, much more painful than the ones we've heard before.

And this time, it wasn't the only thing that assaulted our senses.

Huhh...? We've never had flashing lights like this before, right?

What is it this time? The hell did you feed this bloody rickety bus?

Ooo!! This must be a signal that the long-awaited adventure is finally nigh!!!

I-is this... what we've been waiting for this whole time?

... No.

Vergilius frowned as though he sensed that something was off. He turned to Faust.

It was one of those rare occasions when I could sense the slightest hint of confusion from him.

Weewoo weewoo. Mephi's blaring and crying. Mephi sick?

What is this, Ms. Faust? I wasn't informed about a siren like this before.

……

First, A correction of falsehoods is in order. Mephistopheles is not 'bloody rickety'. And 'eating' is not a part of its behaviors.

It does make infrequent use of the Enkephalin supply gear installed in the engine for fuel, but that is of no negative consequence. Even if it was, whatever issues that may arise can handily be repaired after a proper total disassembly -

That was just a figure of speech! Tsk. So what's this now? Sounds like the bus is about to explode!

To label Mephistopheles as some 'bloody rickety bus' completely disregards the amount of pain and effort Faust dedicated to designing and -

Heathcliff, if you don't take it back... I don't think she's ever going to stop...

Haah, seriously...?

Yeah, Heath. Take it back... The bus might actually blow up before she explains anything!

Ugh...

... I take back what I said earlier.

I cannot comprehend what you are attempting to take back. Your rather abstract reference to this unknown concept that you supposedly mentioned 'earlier' is hardly clarifying. Anyway, allow me to list the specifications of screws used in Mephistopheles' construction that make this creation so impressive. First -

Fine! I take back what I said about the Bus! It's not bloody rickety, and it doesn't eat! I'm sorry, alright?!!!

The cabin briefly echoes with his cries, then... a brief silence.

……

I think... I saw Faust flash the briefest grin of satisfaction...

Good.

Is the clown show over? This juvenile, tedious exchange is testing my patience.

<Yeah, it's a bit different from the usual alarms... Don't think this one's for a new door.>

It is quite simple. The Night is here.

W.D.Y.M.

T.O.I.S.Y.N.C.

Talk, Or I Snap Your -

Walpurgis Night is here, it seems.

The night is not here. That is very apparent, at least in this coastal area.

The... name does not refer to the time of day in which the sun moves beyond our line of sight.

Hm.

Then it appears to me that, by that designation, you are referring to a certain phenomenon?

Yi Sang seemed to be doing a little better, now that the waves had died down somewhat.

I am, indeed. I am certain that all of you are most familiar with the fact that extracting Identities and E.G.O from mirror worlds is one of the many functions of Mephistopheles' Engine.

But its reach is rather limited. Even as it has expanded over our journey, we have yet to reach mirror worlds that are too far from our own.

Is this the Golden Boughs' doing? I noticed that it was fishing up more and more new things the longer our journey went on.

Broadly speaking, yes. You could say that. Dante and our collective experiences gradually expand our range of Extractions.

Normally, Extractions require a certain resource... but there were times when the Identity Cards appeared out of nowhere. Do you recall them, Dante?

<Uh, yeah. Some of them just randomly popped out of the engine.>

Wait. Wait. Slow down.

The hell's an Identity Card?

Oh, you still didn't know? Hm... I'm jealous of you, Heathcliff. You have a talent for ignoring anything you don't care about~

You lookin' to get your head smashed in or what?

Right, right. Knock it off, you guys. Guide Bud's giving us the evil eye.

They're, you know, the... uh, the things Manager Bud pulls out of the engine from time to time.

Those little rectangular objects with our alternate world... Wait, was it mirror worlds? Anyways, it's those things with depictions of our 'other' selves on them.

Yes! The things that look like mahjong tiles.

I thought they looked a bit like wafers.

I believe their denomination comes from their appearance as cards that contain Identities. Thus, it naturally follows that they are named... Identity Cards.

So we're using those rectangular toys to transform into our alternate selves?

I never used 'em before.

<That's because I'm the one using them.>

On the device issued to Dante are indentations through which Identity Cards and E.G.O can be inserted. They are reflected when we participate in a battle.

Oh, so that's what they were fidgeting with before every fight...

I could tell from his flabbergasted expression that none of it had ever even occurred to Heathcliff.

…….

On the other hand, Don Quixote wore... a somewhat forlorn expression.

<What's wrong, Don Quixote?>

Well, I...

Is this not about time when Ishmael would intrude upon this conversation and denounce Heathcliff with biting words such as 'You still didn't know? That's just like you'? This emptiness weighs heavily upon mine heart...

Ohh~ You're right. Something was missing from this whole convo. I knew it.

You right daft bastards...

Enough.

We're not getting the information we need. Ms. Faust, Please explain the present situation. What are these green lights?

Understood. If we take into account the case of Identity Cards Dante received without spending any Lunacy, we can draw a conclusion that the Mephistopheles' Extraction has an element of unpredictability tied to its uncertainty.

The hell is she blathering about now...?

Yet this item is of your design. To say that it has an element of unpredictability would indicate that...

Correct. Enkephalin fuels the Engine, yes. However, Extractions and reconstructions utilize chaos... Well, in easier terms, you could say that it uses the concept of possibilities itself as fuel.

Our Extraction range grows when we are able to clearly observe specific possibilities in the infinitely branching mirror worlds. During this period, however... the borders between the mirror realities are entirely shattered.

Using the present as our anchoring point, it could be said that our current Extraction range is approximately three years to the past or the future. During Walpurgis Night, however, that range grows to about 10 years or even more.

I-in that case! Thou meanest to say that Identities of prominent Fixers from times past may grace us with...?!

Theoretically speaking, yes. But each Walpurgis Night has its own peculiarities. It will not let us reach into all potential possibilities.

Th-th-th-th-th-then does that mean that we may also be availed our alternate selves as the legendary Fixer, the archmagnificence, the one and only...

R-RED MIST...?!

... That is extremely unlikely. But I will not completely dismiss the possibility.

The extended range, I suppose, could be defined by worlds affected by entities that were indispensable to the formation of this current state of the world. An example of that would be the Lobotomy Corporation Headquarters prior to 'White Nights and Dark Days' incident.

In some ways... your words sometimes find a roundabout way to the truth, Don Quixote.

……

I didn't know who this Red Mist was, nor did I know what White Nights and Dark Days was...

But I could hazard a guess that they both must've been pretty significant, considering that Vergilius' face grew visibly tense as soon as they were mentioned. The Sinners were unsettled, too.

We can conclude that this siren is no cause for any immediate concern, then.

No, it isn't. Consider it... a festival that arrives once in a while. For now.

Festival. Festive times. Charon is festive too.

I don't know if I got all that, but... this isn't what we've been waiting for, is it?

No. We will continue to wait.

Tsk.

The Sinners sighed and groaned with disappointment as the newfound anticipation fizzled.

Well, something did happen... but it wasn't something that would get us moving. I can see what a disappointment this might be to them.

So... how do we stop that green light from flashing?

It will turn itself off when Dante extracts something from the engine. Do not worry.

Right, back to business, all. Dante, extract something and turn that alarm off.

W.A.D. We'll just be running more Dungeons through the Backdoor with whatever new thing they pull anyway.

Still, this leisureliness is a very rare opportunity, isn't it~?

Blessed be the patient ones, or so it is said.

Every Sinner says their piece before returning to their seats.

Some of them walk out of the cabin to gaze at the Lake. It's something they must be growing a tad tired of doing at this point. ... Maybe they're just going out for a long sigh.

... And Outis walked up to me.

Are you not worried, Executive Manager?

<Huh?>

About what that mad scientist said. "For now"... There has to be more to that statement. Should I investigate this matter further?

Outis was right... While Faust did tell us to consider this nothing more than a festival that arrives once in a while... she definitely knew more than she was letting on.

But if Faust speaks of something in her characteristically cryptic manner... it means that she'll never tell us until she wants to.

<Well, it does bother me a little... But right now, we don't have a lot of options. Let's just put a pin in it for now.>

Outis nodded affirmatively, bowed, and returned to her seat.

Well... let's get extracting like Faust said.