Research, research, research.
When would days like these come to an end? Probably when the system is completely analyzed.
Traversing worlds is not necessarily a wonderful thing. Because you don't know which world you'll go to. If it's a beautiful world, then it's fine. But what if you end up in a miserable world, like the Warhammer 40K universe? How agonizing would that be?
The fear of an unknown future is Li Mo's primary motivation. And his secondary motivation is those promises. If you tally them up, the burdens he carries are not few. Regarding Makoto, regarding Hanachirusato, regarding Koyanskaya.
Each burden becomes a task. All need to be completed. But... the reason they are called goals is precisely because they cannot be completed in a short time.
Looking at it now, one of the long-term goals has been reduced. Appearing in the FGO world line means he no longer needs to master something like a Second Magic, because he can directly meet Koyanskaya.
— However, there's also a problem.
Is the Koyanskaya in this world line the same Koyanskaya he knows? One must understand, the world of Type-Moon is filled with infinite multiverses. Even for the FGO world line where Fujimaru Ritsuka is, he can confirm there are at least two versions.
The first is the world line he is currently in, dealing with Goetia. The other is the one where the final enemy is the Beast of Sodom.
Yes, the mobile game world has appeared, so wouldn't the arcade version's world line also appear?
"I actually forgot about this. I'm really remiss," Li Mo thought to himself.
He extended his left hand, and crimson Command Spells appeared upon it.
— These were the Command Spells left over from participating in the Holy Grail War long, long ago.
Come to think of it, after leaving Fuyuki City, he went to Demon Slayer, then to A Certain Magical Index, and then to Teyvat. Through these three intermittent experiences, he had truly forgotten he had these things inside him.
Command Spells are necessary for Masters to control Servants. One must understand, a Servant's combat power is often far greater than a magus's. Without Command Spells, if a Master cannot satisfy their Servant, they would be easily killed by them.
For Li Mo, who roamed across worlds, Command Spells were a useless appendage. Something that was tasteless to eat yet a pity to discard. Soon after leaving Fuyuki, he forgot their existence, and later casually hid them within his body.
Command Spells, in the end, are a product of magecraft. They are also a form of "mystery." Since they are mystery, and within his own body, hiding them was far too easy.
Come to think of it, if a soul tried to enter his body to possess him, it would definitely be in for a world of hurt. Within Li Mo's body, a "cosmic view" distinct from the outside world had formed.
Now, Li Mo retrieved the Command Spells from a certain corner inside him. He had genuinely not remembered he still had Command Spells. It was only when analyzing the entire situation that he thought of them.
The ultimate goal in the Scandinavian Lostbelt was, without a doubt, to kill Surtr. That final King of Giants, having devoured Fenrir, became the true End. Li Mo wanted to defeat him using "Divinization - Odin," but there was also the possibility of being defeated himself. To increase the chances of his own side's victory, Li Mo reviewed how Surtr was defeated in the original world line.
There were two key points. One was Napoleon's all-or-nothing strike. The other was the effect created by Ophelia's Mystic Eyes combined with a Command Spell.
Using the Command Spell as a catalyst for a brainstorming session, his thoughts immediately jumped back to the time in Fuyuki City. The concept of Command Spells returned to Li Mo's mind.
Thus, he retrieved the Command Spells.
The Command Spells themselves held little meaning for him now. He had not summoned any Servants in the Scandinavian Lostbelt, but... the Command Spells carried the "bond" between him and Koyanskaya.
Through this "bond," he could determine if Koyanskaya was the one he knew.
— In fact, during his first meeting with Koyanskaya, he had already confirmed that she was indeed the Koyanskaya he knew.
It's just that the Koyanskaya in his memory was her future self.
Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others' journey was still in Russia. The journey from Tunguska to Tunguska was still a long way off. They only went to Tunguska after pruning the Fantasy Tree in Britain.
"It seems even now, I'm not clear if Fujimaru Ritsuka is male or female."
"I seem to have heard something interesting."
A second voice appeared. In Li Mo's workshop, there shouldn't have been a second voice. Moreover, it was a woman's voice.
Li Mo naturally recognized whose voice it was. He spoke, "Koyanskaya, you entered without knocking. Are you trying to poison me?"
"Poison? Toxins wouldn't have any effect on you, would they?"
"How could that be? I'm just a weak, pitiful, and helpless human magus. How could I have a high-level ability like poison immunity?" Li Mo said with a smile.
Koyanskaya's uninvited arrival was somewhat unexpected for Li Mo.
He knew she possessed high-level "Independent Manifestation," allowing her to travel between Lostbelts. But could Koyanskaya enter his workshop so silently?
He had still underestimated her.
After all, she was a developing "Beast." He couldn't look down on her too much.
"But, esteemed guest, are you really human?" Koyanskaya raised a doubt, her shallow smile hiding unknown thoughts.
Li Mo replied, "I am genuinely human. Miss Koyanskaya, who commissioned you to come probe me? Let me think... Is it Peperoncino?"
"Why would you say it's him?"
"Because he's the only one who would care about the other Crypters, isn't he? Of course, Kirschtaria would too. But... Kirschtaria trusts his companions very much."
Among the members of Team A, aside from Beryl Gut, none of them are really bad people. They are merely walking a different path from Fujimaru Ritsuka.
"Oh? So you really did deceive little Ophelia. You don't even know Fujimaru Ritsuka's gender. Did you really 'see' it?"
"There are so many worlds. There are female Fujimaru Ritsukas, and there are male ones. If female, then she looks very similar to Muramasa. If male, then he looks similar to Ishtar," Li Mo said.
The two went back and forth, both tacitly ignoring certain questions. For example, how Koyanskaya entered here, or Li Mo's observation of world lines.
Koyanskaya was all business, acting according to others' commissions. Li Mo understood perfectly; she was that kind of person, valuing transactions with others. He intended to use this point in the future as well.
One of her main purposes in coming here was to deliver materials to Li Mo. Ever since she arrived in the Scandinavian Lostbelt, his transactions with her had not stopped.
Soon, Koyanskaya was about to leave. She said, "I might be staying in the Scandinavian Lostbelt for a while. If you need anything, you can come find me! Bye~"
The woman flashed a professional smile, blew a flying kiss at Li Mo, and then vanished.
"Was I discovered?" Li Mo smiled.