Arima Miyako
"Sorry. I'll make this quick, so bear with it, okay?" Says my torturer. But, since I'm brave, I only wince a little as this unreliable-looking doctor draws some blood. "-Alright, that should be enough. Thanks, Miyako-chan. I'll just run this through some basic tests - it's not exactly an in-depth scan, but the device I use for Mash isn't calibrated for you, so it won't be any good."
"Who is this Mash person, anyway?" - is what I want to ask, but my mouth won't open, so I just end up staring sullenly as he places some drops on a lens under a microscope. The device glows faintly, and I'm left wondering once again how magic even works in this urban fantasy setting I've been thrust into.
"Mmm… your blood cells look healthy enough. That's a good sign; most of the demi-servant candidates were already exhibiting signs of system failure within the first twenty-four hours," he mumbles. Right, he mentioned something about others… who died, right!? He raises his head from the microscope and sighs. "-I guess an explanation is due, since you've already been dumped headfirst into it."
I blink as his gaze turns towards me. How did he-?
"You jolted a little, when I mentioned them, and I heard it…" Romani Archman says with a smile. "-or something like that. It wasn't really conscious. Maybe I just sensed your worry? You kind of get a bit of sixth sense for this, working as a trauma doctor - or maybe that's just me?"
He seems to get lost in thought for a moment, before finally continuing. "Basically, Chaldea's original director was a pretty evil guy, all things considered. Marisbury didn't hesitate to stoop to things like human experimentation, and when he learned of the possibility of a Demi-Servant - trust me, I have no idea how he even did - once he learned about that, he launched right into it. He ordered designer babies straight from the sort of shady magus labs that produce that kind of thing - twelve in total. Out of those twelve, only one girl - Mash Kyrielight - ultimately survived, and that was super touch-and-go. Even now, her body- ah, never mind. That's private medical information, so can you forget about it, please?"
Loose-lipped doctors like this actually exist? That's a crime, isn't it? But we're in Antarctica…
Anyway, I nod, and he gives a small sigh of relief. "Basically, the gist is that I'm pretty shocked your body seems so stable without any sort of medical intervention. Either Tezcatlipoca really knows what he's doing, or…" He trails off, and I want to ask him what he was going to say - but again, my mouth fails to open. "This and the basic check-up earlier are all I really need for now, so you can feel free to go catch up with Rem-chan."
I'm not really sure why I would be excited about that when I've totally blown every attempt at talking to her so far…
"Eh…ehehe. That makes it m-my turn, r-right?" Asks Van Gogh.
-But the alternative is staying here with her, who I blew it even worse with, so I rush out of the room without another word.
***
As I make my way through the stark white halls, two things start to sink in.
The first, of course, is that I'm totally lost. I know I'm basically incapable of it, but I really, really should have asked for directions! This whole place looks the same! I'm not even sure if I can find my way back to the medical bay - actually, I'm sure that I can't! How did everyone else even find their way around?
…Yeah, it's time to do what a lost child is supposed to do. "I'll stay put."
So, taking a seat opposite a large window, I begin to focus on the other thought that has been steadily sinking in.
"I'm… really in over my head, huh?"
Antarctica. I'm in Antarctica of all places, the sun that's slowly rising outside is fake, and so was the entire Tokyo that I just spent last night traversing under the threat of having my head blown off, and I'm here because the outside world was destroyed, and the only reason I lived is because Onii-chan-! Because he-!
I might be dying. That's what Romani's words meant, earlier. This whole [Demi-Servant] thing is so inhumane that it killed most of the people who were supposed to become one. And let's just put aside the fact that this is apparently the type of organization that casually purchases children from… the best spin to put on it would be surrogate mothers, but I got the sense that it was something way darker. Let's just put aside the fact that this place purchased babies in order to run highly lethal human experiments on them.
Let's just put aside how I don't even know to what degree that kind-seeming doctor was involved.
The upshot is, Onii-chan sold his eyes for this. My Onii-chan, the most precious person in my whole world, even now, blinded himself so that I could be here.
(Or rather, so that a cat could be spared…? And then his split personality - Panda-sensei, who apparently was Onii-chan all along - added on a caveat to save me as well.)
But who am I, to be involved with this? What the heck do I…!?
The sun rises just a little more. The window catches it strangely, casting the hall in red, and reality slows to a crawl as my crimson reflection smiles at me.
My hand shoots to my lips. I'm not smiling. I'm not-
The light goes back to normal, and she's gone. My normal face stares back at me - but that hair, so vivid red, is burned into my mind. A reminder, that who wears who can still change, any time I want it to.
Who am I? I am the Red Smoke Mirror. If my body breaks, I will shuck it like a corn husk.
"Su-kun needs my help to fight. Ritsu-kun has to be found. That's enough," I affirm. As long as I'm needed, I'll keep fighting. "Tezcatlipoca dodged the question, so maybe I'll ask Recorder…"
Ritsu-kun. Fujimaru Ristuka. What exactly-
I dodge before I realize it. Black strands of 'fabric' fill the space I left as the lights cut out. I land on my feet before jumping back again, glaring at that as I do so.
A shadow, lit by dark red emergency lights. A sort of shadow-puppet, of black and red cloth, with three eyes drawn upon it with burning red ink.
I don't understand. I don't understand who this is, where they came from, or what I'm even up against, but somehow, I know-
"You're the one who stole him, aren't you?" I ask.
The shadow remains silent, but there's not a single part of me that doubts it heard and understood me.
-!
I leap back again, on instinct, as the ground under my foot goes dark for a moment. I think I hear the sound of jaws snapping shut from it, but I might be imagining things. A moment later, before I can even land, more of those strange fabric tentacles shoot out. I'm still in the air and can't reposition, so a counterattack-!
I snatch at them, moving to catch every one of the tendrils in a single motion - and my hand passes through them, as if they weren't there.
Then, they catch me, suddenly material again as they bind my arms and legs, stretching them apart. "-Ah!?" A cry escapes my lips involuntarily.
I understand. I knew the moment I saw it. This is the type of monster that kills on first sight, in an instant. It won't drag things out. I'm about to die.
Su-kun-!
***
The Prop Room
And then, with a sudden jolt of motion, I'm in… some kind of blank white room?"
"What…? I'm, alive…!?" I mutter, examining my body. No, I don't even remember anything happening, so-
"No, you died," says another voice - my own. I whirl around and see her - a 'me' with crimson hair, wearing something like the martial artist's uniform Xipe Totec was wearing before. "I get that she used a cheap shot, but you need to start getting used to that kind of thing. We're playing in the big leagues now; trial and error isn't going to cut it."
"How am I supposed to get used to the enemy going ghost!?" I protest, and she just shrugs in response.
"Dunno." That's useless!
No, wait, in the first place- "What do you mean I'm dead!?"
"Reduced to an indescribable pile of meat," comes the voice of a young girl, and I turn, locking eyes with… Tezcatlipoca, if I remember correctly? "Welcome to the underworld, by the way. We're getting a little crowded here."
"Crowded…?" I end up repeating what she said dumbly.
"Well, I left you in an outer room to be safe at first, but it seems like killing you was enough of a warning in her mind. Congrats, you got off lightly," Tezcatlipoca says - and looking at my incredulous face, she gives a chuckle. "I'm serious, here. She knows what kind of operation I'm running; if she wanted you to stay dead, she'd have set that yellow thing loose on you, or snuck in here after you to make sure you were double dead. Since neither of those things have happened, I'd say it's safe to take you out of the side room."
Then, with a snap of her fingers, I find myself in an identical white space, save for two differences - a massive pile of books, and a large table at which a crowd of people are seated. I recognize a few - Scandinavia Peperoncino, the 'Emiya-senpai' who confronted me in the hotel lobby, the blood-stained Tengu from before - but there are four more who are a total mystery to me. A young girl with dark blue hair in a braid, two girls my own age with red and purple hair respectively, and a tall blond man in a dramatic-looking cape.
I blink a few times, but nobody speaks to me and I'm left standing awkwardly.
"Come on. This'll be stupid, but we might as well participate," Says Xipe Totec, and taking me by the hand, she drags me to the side of the table Emiya-san and Pepe-san are sitting at… ah, wait, our Pepe was a clone, right? So this is the real one? The other five are all sitting on the other side… just what kind of weird scenario is this, anyway?
"Rem turned down my invitation, so that leaves just one more," Tezcatlipoca says with a smirk. "He'll be along any moment…"
Then, without any particular fanfare, an eleventh person appears in the room.
"-Yeah, I'm here," Su-kun says, a scowl on his face, and a bundle of… clothes, I think, in his arms. "Let's start the negotiations."
"That's right!" Tezcatlipoca shouts. "Let the first Underworld Grand Bazaar… begin!"
***
What follows will, naturally, be chaos. To begin with, the room is completely overcrowded with those who have nothing that the others present are interested in. Those born of the TATARI do not possess anything authentic to sell in the first place.
Meili Portroute is only present in order to hurt Natsuki Subaru. Her desire is to expose his past sins and send him to hell. She has nothing to sell. Emiya Shirou is only present in order to help Natsuki Subaru and Arima Miyako. His only role here is to destroy those who would cause problems for his kohai. He has nothing to sell. The Oni, Tohno Akiha, likewise possesses no desires outside of wild hedonism. She has nothing she can sell, and is simply here in order to plunder 'life' from any bystander who might be able to buy his or her way out of the Underworld.
The second TATARI, Sion Eltnam Atlasia, has plenty to sell. She is, after all, the TATARI. So long as she can eliminate her rival seller, she will have free reign of this bizarre marketplace. And so, the instant Tezcatlipoca proclaims the market has begun, she attacks Zepia Eltnam Oberon without hesitation.
-But, the Night of Wallachia is more experienced.
The Tengu, Myourenji Arou has neither desires nor does his mind without any greed comprehend trade. He is present in order to kill everyone else in the room at the earliest possible time. He has no plan to sell anything in the first place. And so, the instant Tezcatlipoca proclaims the market has begun, he attacks Scandinavia Peperoncino without hesitation.
-But, Scandinavia Peperoncino understands the concept of trade.
That is to say, in the opening moment of the Grand Underworld Bazaar-
"Deal." Scandinavia Peperoncino sells his Sirius Light for one eye.
"Deal." Zepia Eltnam Oberon sells his Idea Blood for the other.
And in the single second that follows, using the [Mystic Eyes of Death Perception], they tear those with no business at the market to pieces.