FGO Specter of Glass

Cells of Fantasies Ch3

(This part was written by the collaborator Tamamo Ame who currently has no public social media.)

Laurine's ship stopped, hitting a wooden deck that led to a large castle. Unlike Anansi's floor, it was a single building covered in purple flowers with the windows open and purple curtains flowing in the wind. It was like a Japanese paradise.

"You made it here. Impressive," a woman said, standing on the balcony. Her brown hair waved in the wind, her white dress sparkled, and her brown eyes stared them down.

"You're Kaguya, the others told us about you. What exactly is your goal?" Carmen asked.

"Isn't that a bit unusual to use my name?"

"You're kind of popular where I'm from."

Kaguya placed her hand on her chin, "you don't look like you're from Japan."

"You haven't answered the question, what is your goal in this?"

"You accomplished it, but your consciousness hasn't expanded to its maximum potential. Have you not noticed the pieces you all gathered throughout the labyrinth?"

"I tend to pick up whatever I find on the floor. I'm not sure what importance anything has until I need it." Carmen shrugged.

Yu held the map that Anansi gave them, "the path we followed draws half of a lotus."

Kaguya clapped, "bravo for your analytic skills. However... You still lack one more piece."

"Where do we find this piece?" Carmen asked.

The goddess floated down to them, "the only clue you have is within this realm of consciousness."

"Hey! You're not giving us answers here!"

"Alright. What would every Emperor of China desire to reach the divine?"

"Shi Huang Di wanted immortality."

"Very good. As a reward, I'll give you this piece of the puzzle, but only if catch up with me." Kaguya started to summon unusual raindrops with an unknown substance.

Carmen raised a barrier of glass to protect them as Kaguya summoned cherry blossom petals to land on the glass and slowly shatter it.   To counter the poison, Mitra conjured flames heavy enough to burn through the droplets. All that was left was a trail of petals where Kaguya was leading them into the castle. Yu held Carmen back, the chance of it being a trap was high. Kaguya just tried to kill them after all. Carmen shook her head, if they were going to escape the Moon Cell, they had to play the game.

Just like Anansi before, the area was a maze. Unlike his forest, it was a Japanese inn with doors leading to different places each time they were reopened. To not get separated, Chaldea stuck together, and with Akko asleep on the ship, they had to move forward without looking back.

Carmen opened a door to find Kaguya sitting on her throne, the goddess was playing with a gel ball with cherry blossom petals in it. She threw it at Chaldea as her first "piece of the puzzle." She began lamenting about Ridotto, he wasn't a close friend to her, but he was an ally. And he was killed before his part started. Chaldea was supposed to play three different casino games to get cards. Kaguya held a joker, a queen, and a king in her hand before throwing them to Chaldea as well. Then there was Anansi, who let them pass the gate after hide and seek of all things.

It was obvious to her that the other two weren't taking their jobs seriously. Ridotto was busy having fun with people and Anansi was too soft. She wasn't going to do either. Her look said it all, she was going to punish them for their trespassing of the Moon Cell. She summoned a forest of bamboo that split the party across her domain. It was time they die, alone and in a place no one would find them.