Cosmos in the Lostbelt: Anastasia

Plot Summary

90 days after the alien invasion, everything on Earth has wiped out. It has become a complete white wasteland. A survivor, David Bluebook sets to check out on the alien's corpse the US government had brought in about two years ago.

During the Crypters meeting, Wodime states that the world is rewritten with the Lostbelts. He also detects a Spirit Origin graph from Chaldea which they will emerge in the Russia Lostbelt that is managed by Kadoc. Once the meeting ends, Ophelia and Wodime are left behind the meeting room. She doubts that Kadoc might have strained away from his post. Hence, Kadoc sends his Servant Caenis to observe the mage.

（Love the animation here)

Despite they were gone for three months from the Reality Space, the Chaldea's Shadow Border has been sailing in the Void Space for one week. In the cockpit, Goredolf demands to surface due to the lack of food resources. Holmes thinks they are safe in the Void for the moment, and the problem they are facing is how to leave the zone. He sees that there is no anchor to extract them out since everything has wiped out on the surface. The only connection they had with the surface is the Oprichniki, which there could be a possibility to reach their base once they left the Void Space. Mini Vinci decides to seize the wave which can bring them out or else they have to stuck for the next ten days. In the process, the Shadow Border collides with a force with caused damage to the side of the vehicle.

Once landed, everyone is desperate to leave without realizing that the outside world is cold. Mini Vinci analyzes that the blizzard seems normal, but the odd part is the extremely low temperature that goes more than 100 degrees below Celsius. She also shows them footage of a perimeter where the storm builds up and the aurora on the sky blocks all kinds of electromagnetic waves. They also discover on the Paper Moon which seven locations are layered differently from the other lands.

(Eyeing on the map of Malaysia)

To fix the vehicle, MC agrees to go to scout the area to find help. Mash volunteers as well although her Spirit Origin is not as strong as before. As they head East, they are surrounded by Demonic Beasts. Mash transforms and fights them, but she is too weak for these monsters. Then a wolf-man hybrid saves them and takes them back to his village. In his home, he introduces himself as a Yaga named Patxi. Patxi is surprised at their unconventional appearance and jeers them for being ignorant about the world. It turns out the world is still 2020, the only difference is Russia is surrounded by blizzards and snow and still under Ivan the Terrible's rule for 500 years.

As Patxi goes out for hunting, the Chaldea team makes some information housekeeping about this world. Holmes proposes that this world's history does not match the normal history. They also plan to make a kite to summon Servants from the Spirit Origin briefcase during a thunderstorm. In the meantime, Anastasia makes sure Ivan in asleep by asking Mozart to play a lullaby. She is then informed that the Chaldea survivors have arrived in the Lostbelt.

Mash and the MC decide to venture around the village to understand more of the situation. They soon find Konyaskaya selling overpriced meat to the locals. Her cruel method causes a protesting Yaga being executed by the Oprichniki and another one murders his friend to get the extra meat. The MC and Mash quickly report this incident to Holmes, but they are caught by Konyaskaya. Seeing that Mash is not a formidable opponent, she decides to let us go. Next, they hear a scream from a villager as the Oprichniki interrogate him for the whereabouts of the MC and Mash. One of the villagers instantly sold out Patxi for smuggling the duo. As the Oprichniki try to arrest Patxi, the Yaga openly attacks them which makes himself a traitor. He has no choice but to leave the village with the MC.

(Cruel, downright exploitative)

As a thunderstorm is approaching, Mini Vinci suggests that it is time to get ready to fly the kite. Holmes asks Patxi to leave due to the secrecy of the ritual, but his curiosity made him peek. The MC summon Avicebron the Caster, a Servant they have never encountered before. The Golem Master helps them to fend off Demonic Beasts by creating golems while guarding them in the cave.

Patxi says he heard of a rumor of a local rebel group led by a female Archer, which they take the possibility to work with them. Once they reach the village, they are treated as hostiles which the rebel army and Atalante Alter challenge them for a fight. After reasoning with them, Atalante decides to accept them and takes them to the real base through the tunnel. Seeing that the MC can be useful to the rebel army, she gives them a task to distribute their manifesto around the village. Some village accepts the invitation, but some villages were destroyed before the MC and Mash arrive.

Afterward, they send Patxi off to report the situation to Atalante while they return to Shadow Border with the materials they collected in the golems. Mash proceeds a body-checkup by Mini Vinci, which she finds her body is better than her previous condition. However, Mash is concerned about her limits and keeps doubting herself since she does not have Galahad's powers. Mini Vinci thinks that Mash's power originates from her self-confidence in her ability. Mash thinks she should stay in the command center rather than going in the front-lines.

Once the MC and Avicebron return to the base, Atalante gives them a second task. She found out that another Servant is leading the Yaga bandits which she thinks they could be a good ally. They discover that this Thug Village is ruled by Billy and Beowulf, who have no memories of Chaldea). Once they know about the MC's origin, they tell them about an urban legend of a hooded person cutting down the Oprichniki and Yaga alike, who claimed they are from Chaldea. Beowulf offers a tamed Demonic Beast named Shanshan as a communicator and Billy volunteers to join the rebel army.

Once they returned to the base, it turns out that there is almost no food left. Atalante decides to steal their food resources from pro-Tsar city Yaga Smolensk, which is also Patxi's hometown. Despite they want to settle this without any casualties, conflict still arouses between the two sides of Yaga. Due to this confrontation, the Oprichniki arrive and kill the Yaga mercilessly. Before they could harm the MC, Avicebron arrives with his golems and stop the massacre. Patxi soon finds out his mother was killed by the villagers after he left, making him leave the rebel army.

Once they have settled the food in the base, Atalante gave the MC another mission. She wants them to help the runaways in Yaga Tula. On their way, they find some of the villages were being obliterated like what happened in Camelot. When they reach their location, Aviceborn overhears the villagers discussing about a human residing in the local Church. The team decides to rest in the church while waiting for the Servant. It does not take long for the Avenger-class Servant, Mozart Alter to arrive and battle the MC. In the middle of the battle, Kadoc interferes and jeers the MC and Mash. He then orders Anastasia to attack them, but they are lost. The MC is forced to leave the village and brings along Mozart Alter, whose real identity is Antonio Salieri. Salieri removes his Mystic Code and reveals his real form, and he resolves to be the MC's ally as Kadoc sees him being unworthy.

(Oh no, he's hot.)

Afterward, Atalante leads her people to move their base to a bigger one. However, the new base is soon attacked by the Priest Macarius. It turns out he receives the information about the rebels from Patxi. The Priest also brings along a beast, the Minotaur to destroy the base and eat people alive. Using his Noble Phantasm, he creates a Labyrinth to separate the team apart. In the maze, the MC and Billy find Patxi, who decides not to overthrow the Tsar. Patxi tells them about his capture by the Priest and the man showed him the true form of the Tsar, Ivan the Terrible, who he claims to be monstrous in appearance. The team is then attacked by the Oprichniki, but they are rescued by Musashi, who happened to be the mysterious slayer. To find the way out, Billy uses his gunshots to create echoes while Patxi pays attention to the acoustics. They soon reunite with Beowulf and the MC wishes to save Atalante and the others from the capital, Yaga Moscow.

(Musashi to the rescue)

The Chaldea team drives the Shadow border to take MC to Yaga Moscow. They discover Atalante is about to be executed. Beowulf and Billy attack the Oprichniki to attract the Minotaur and unleash his NP as a means to rescue Atalante. They also successfully defeat the Minotaur in the Labyrinth. Before he disappears, the MC calls out his birth name to remind him of his humanity. The group meets up with Avicebron, who discovers the materials of the Labyrinth is sufficient enough to create a Golem big enough to defeat the Tsar. The price is someone has to sacrifice himself to become the core. Instead of letting anyone to volunteer, the golem-maker kills himself and gives the controlling authority to the MC.

（Behold, the Minotaur)

As the Golem begins to assemble itself, Anatasia reveals her true intention. She and Kadoc have been conspiring against the Tsar to take over his Kingdom by pretending to be his wife. Her declaration of betrayal wakes Ivan the Terrible, a gigantic mammoth hybrid who wields the power of thunder. Reluctantly, Kadoc works together with the MC to defeat the monster. Once the Golem is finally created, the MC rides on it to go against the Tsar. Yet the effort is futile due to the King's tremendous power at the same level as the Gods. On the other hand, the Priest makes Salieri to remember his forgotten memories about his first arrival in this Lostbelt. He is supposed to be the replacement of Mozart, who had been performing to Ivan the Terrible for the past two months without any break. Conflicting with his inner self, Salieri tried to play a melody to calm the Tsar but the tune does not reflect on the piece Mozart created. He heard Mozart's voice taunting him to play his piece rather than imitating the genius, which drives Salieri to play his version of Dies Irae with anger and hatred. Disturbed by the music, Ivan the Terrible becomes enraged and is about to strike the MC with his thunder. However, they are saved by Mash with her new mystic code. As she blocks the force with the Shield, Musashi takes the chance to give a blow on the Tsar's trunk before disappearing.

(Dies Irae）

Musashi's strike causes the Tsar to lose half of his power. The Tsar tells the MC about a cruel reality about the Lostbelt. To save their world, they have to kill thousands of innocent people. He then challenges the MC and Anastasia to show who is worthy of survival. As the MC wins, Ivan the Terrible admits his defeat and acknowledges the MC as the winner.

(The jaw-dropping truth)

Hearing the reality of the world, Atalante betrayed the MC. She refuses to let thousands of innocent Yaga die in vain. However, the MC could not do anything as they are conflicted by the same dilemma. Among the chaos between the Yaga and the humans, Patxi saves the MC and gave them a reason to continue fighting. With a gunshot, Billy makes Atalante rest in peace. As the Tree of Emptiness takes root, Kadoc takes it as a signal to expand their territory. He then crowns Anastasia as the new Tsaritza, and she swears to defeat us. Billy pulls the trigger and aims at Kadoc who is trying to perform magecraft, but Anastasia shields her Master, sacrificing herself. This allows the Chaldea team to capture the young mage.

(NOOOO!!!)

To trim off the Lostbelt, they need to cut down the Tree of Emptiness. Despite their efforts, none of them could bring down the gigantic plant. Out of the blue, a female alien arrives and gives a single touch on the tree, causing it to shatter into million pieces. The removal of the tree causes the storm beginning to fade and they could see the blue sky. Before leaving, the MC gives Patxi a proper burial and bids Salieri and the Yaga their goodbyes. With the help of the Yaga, Salieri moves the piano to the plaza and plays Twinkle Twinkle Little Star upon Mozart's request. Together with the citizens, regardless of young or old, they watch the stars while waiting at the end of their world.

(One touch to shatter an entire being)

After leaving the Russia Lostbelt, the Chaldea team discovers the outside world which is just pure emptiness. They also receive a message from a survivor from the Wandering Sea, who is looking for remaining humans.

(Starry Starry Night)

Storytelling & Gameplay

Cosmos in the Lostbelts? More like Feelsbelts.

The writers had elevated themselves to another level. From the Intro itself, I can feel the intensity of the story even though there is not much information has revealed. There is not much information dumping although there are more questions we need to ask. They even have better graphics and animations to make the story more vivid.

(Like this one)

(And this one)

Okay, stop fangirling and get to the main point.

From this chapter, we have learned what is a Lostbelt. A Lostbelt is similar to a Singularity but they can co-exist simultaneously at the same time instead of happening at a single point at a particular time. It is known to be an alternate path of human history that a certain event caused the evolution of humanity to be stagnant until today. However, these non-evolving branches are meant to be pruned away so the Proper Human History (PHH) can continue to grow, as Mini Vinci dubs this as the Pruning Theoretical Phenomenon.

So why these Lostbelts are taking over the PHH?

From the Chapter Intro, we knew that the Crypters (Team A) is working together with an alien entity. Each of the seven Crypters takes charge of their respective Lostbelt and they are having a competition to see which Lostbelt will be the final stand of the entire world. Their purpose is to bring back the Age of Gods where humans can coexist with deities and demonic beings. To do this, a Tree of Emptiness (ToE) is planted on each Lostbelt and so it can root on the PHH and taking over it. Mini Vinci calls this as the Felling Theoretical Phenomenon.

(Tree of Emptiness)

There are three methods of removing the Lostbelt from the PHH: defeating the Lostbelt Ruler, defeating the Lostbelt Master and Servant, and chopping off the ToE. However, there is a catch: For one to survive, the other needs to perish. As we have seen from the Prologue, the Earth is wiped out into nothingness before taking over by the Lostbelts. This is no longer a game of good versus evil, it is a survival competition between one group of people against another group of people. Chaldea is no longer playing the protector of humanity, but it becomes an agent to destroy a world of innocent people as a means to preserve their own.

I'm going to stop making you all feel guilty and pouring some history lessons about the Yaga Society. It all happened about 450 years ago when a meteor hit on the planet, wiping most of the Earth's species. The aftermath of this incident caused Earth to go into another ice age, which the harsh weather caused 90% of the human population unable to survive except for the Russians, who are prone to cold weather. Yet they were still unprepared to survive in this cold environment and the emerge of Demonic Beasts has become a threat to them. Hence, their leader Ivan the Terrible worked together with a mage to merge the humans with the Demonic Beast to become a wolf-human hybrid so they can adapt to the temperature of below 100 degrees Celsius. The name Yaga was inspired by the Slavic folklore Baba Yaga the cannibalistic witch, reflecting the early days of their kind who would consume their kin.

(Name Origin for Yaga)

Due to their huge appetite and being unable to survive without food within three days, their life depends on hunting and eating. The core of their society is based on their strength, everything they do is to stay alive in this severe environment. Any sign of weakness is looked down upon, that is why the older or sick Yagas are often left to die instead of being taken care of. They are also quite individualistic; they could easily sell off their neighbors or killing another to protect their own life. If we compare the Yaga society to us humans during this COVID-19 pandemic, there is not much of a difference at all.

Gameplay-wise, most farming modes are pretty easy if you have good AOE Servants. The tricky part is some Chapters the choices you made will lead you to fight certain enemies. Besides, this is the first time we get to play a pseudo-Player-Versus-Player (PVP) mode against the Crypters. It can be slightly challenging but if you have good Servants then you will be fine. Also, pay attention to the names of the enemies which are converted into Russian. The Basilisk is named as Krichat (Кричать) which means 'Scream', the Hydra becomes D'yavol Tron (Дьявол Трон) which means 'Devil's Throne'.

Characters

Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova

The famous tragic Grand Duchess of the Russian's Romanov Empire. Although she does not have any remarkable achievements in life, she managed to become a Servant through the power of Viy, a spirit that is kept by her family for generations. Her ice powers reflecting her cold demeanor, due to her loss of trust in people. Her death is caused up the uprising of the Russian citizens of that time and the torment she and her family received from the executors. She even told Kadoc that she has no attachment to the proper Human History, and her heart remains as a Lostbelt Servant. Despite that, Anastasia has a playful side, which is only shown to the people she trusts, like Kadoc.

(Awww...)

The characterization of Anastasia is a complete foil to Marie Antoinette's. Both of them are the last members of their country's monarch and the key characters in their respective countries' Revolution History. The French Queen Marie Antoinette takes a more optimistic view of her death which she believes is beneficial to her people, that is why she forgives them. On the other hand, the imprisonment and execution of the Romanov family caused a negative psychological impact on the Grand Duchess. She distrusts people and only opens up to a few she could depend on.

Her NP, Viy is a mystical being firstly introduced by the Russian writer Nikolai Gogol. Viy is a creature with Mystic Eyes that exposes secrets, discovers any weak points in a fortress and dyes enemies in their blood. It is known as the Romanov's Easter Egg for centuries, a secret weapon that no ordinary people could master. Despite it is the Romanov's familiar, it could not save the family from their tragic fate. The creature managed to make a contract with Anastasia on the brink of her death. This connection grants Anastasia the qualifications to become a Caster-class Servant.

Kadoc Zemlupus

The Fallen Hero who is originally the savior of humanity. He is given a second chance to be a hero to save a group of people from extinction. He constantly overworks himself to his limits as a means to prove his worth. He also keeps giving snarky remarks to the people around him.

If the MC is the optimist, he would be the opposite. Although both of them are chosen by their own merits without any well-known magus family background, his inferiority complex makes him feel jealous of the other members of Team A and Mash as well as underestimate his abilities as a master in underground schemes and planning.

I love how everyone is constantly shipping him and Anastasia. Now I am just obsessed with this pairing as they complement each other perfectly. Anastasia brights up his spirit while Kadoc supports her decisions.

(Whispers: i ship it)

Patxi

If this Lostbelt is completely narrated by Patxi's POV, it would be a story about a heretic who questions about the faulty of his society. He then meets a group of beings who claim to originate from a world without storms and constant hunger. As much as he looks down upon these physically weak beings, but he is also curious about their odd nature and what makes them continue to thrive. By helping these people, he is ready to be shunned by his neighbors. This allows him to openly joins the rebel army and oppose the authority figure.

The obstacle to Patxi's journey is the death of his dementia mother and his eventual arrest by the Oprichniki. The Priest would become the eye-opener for him to know about the reality of the world, in which the land is ruled by an immortal monstrous creature. This truth has broken his morale to fight but leads him to set another goal: to see the human mage falls into despair under the determined façade. Like any Yaga, he sells out the information of the rebel base to protect himself. It is a mistake he makes but it also gives him the chance to confront the human and expects them to give up fighting the Tsar.

In the end, Patxi reaches his goal to see the human breaking down, but not under the threat of Ivan the Terrible. Instead, the human is conflicted by the choice given: destroying his world to save theirs or allowing his world to continue while theirs is completely obliterated. Patxi realized that his world is beyond saving while the human lives a better world than his, he makes his decision to sacrifice himself and encourages the human to continue fighting. What he did not know is the human takes his words to their heart and remembers him as the Heretical Yaga.

(Memorial CE)

Ivan the Terrible

The tyrannical Russian Tsar who ruled with fear and terror. Imagine being ruled by this man for 500 years where you have to monitored by his special ops daily. This is what the Yaga people have to endure every day for 5 generations.

Ivan the Terrible spends most of his time sleeping, being constantly reminded that his nation is governed properly and his crown is secured. Any sign of threat will be removed by the Oprichniki, while they spread the Glory of Tsar across the country. His army is only active when the Tsar is in his deep sleep, and they will fade away once their ruler is fully awakened. This Army-based NP is somewhat similar to Iskandar's NP. The only difference is Ivan's Oprichniki are faceless and they blindly serve the Tsar while Iskandar's army is known as his brothers-in-arms and each of them has a distinctive identity.

As the first Yaga of this world, he gains immortality and the power equivalent to the gods. However, the longer he stays in this world, the more static the world has become. In the eyes of Anastasia and Kadoc, the Tsar is a symbol of the unprogressive old society that caused this world is fated to be pruned. They believed that replacing the Grand Duchess as the new Tsar will flourish the nation and expand the territory. Exploiting the Tsar's sleeping habits and earning his trust, they plan a scheme to overthrow him in behind without notice by the Oprichniki.

Solomon ibn Gabirol/ Avicebron

You all once hated this despicable Caster from Fate/Apocrypha (FA) who kills his own Master to become the core for his golem Adam. After playing this Lostbelt chapter, everyone will praise him as a 'bro'.

Avicebron is a Jewish Golem Master who wishes to create a Primordial Man who can guide the suffering people of his time and build a new Eden. He is also an intellectual and philosophical man, as Mini Vinci and Holmes acknowledges him on first sight. In one scene he explains the nature of the uprising. When people become more aggressive; it will lead to a massacre as ethical issues and reasonings are forgotten. The reason he started making golems is to stop the violence and bring peace.

Avicebron still remembers the events in FA even though it is not detailed. He confesses that he deeply regrets the evil deeds he had done as a Servant, which he redeems himself by sacrificing his own life rather than anyone else even though they would have a bigger opportunity to defeat Ivan the Terrible under the control of his largest creation, Golem Keter Malkuth.

Antonio Salieri

Initially, Salieri is summoned as a counter-Servant to oppose Mozart. However, seeing Mozart's fatigue state of being the Tsar's court musician for two months, he could not help himself to kill the man. Before Mozart vanishes, he places a curse upon the Avenger to become his replacement by wiping his memory. He only regains his identity after the encounter with the MC.

Salieri and Mozart are the complete opposite. One of them is the Angel of Music, the other is the Demon of Vengeance; one of them lives a life with praises and glory, the other lives a life full of mistrust and accusations; one of them is a genius with natural talent., the other is a hardworking ordinary man who wishes to excel. In life, Salieri did not achieve any significant. The only thing he is remembered by the public is the death of Mozart which he was assumed as the killer who harbored jealousy upon the genius's unique talent. These rumors shaped him into an Avenger-class Servant, aiming to murder Mozart. Despite how much Salieri claims to dislike Mozart, he still carries out the latter's last wishes and play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to the Yaga people.

One of the epic scenes in this Lostbelt chapter is Salieri's version of Dies Irae. That shift from the soft melody to the fast tempo is smooth af. Unlike the original version, this cover shows more of the rage and anger with a little mix of the Fate/Grand Order theme. After playing Chapter 21, I replayed this soundtrack non-stop on YouTube.

Did Salieri kill Mozart in real life? Did Salieri hate Mozart to the point it becomes his drive to murder the other? Did Salieri love Mozart and admire his talents? These are the questions only Salieri himself could answer, but it doesn't matter anymore.

Atalante Alter

The rebel leader of the Yaga society creates a haven for women, children and the elderly from this harsh environment. She brings up the humane side of the Yaga which they take care of the weaker beings instead of perish them like others would. Compared to her FA counterpart, she is less feral and shows more of her leadership and cute expressions.

By this time, everyone has realized that Atalante's fatal flaw is sympathy. Although she is summoned to fix this abnormality, she has become too attached to the Yaga citizens. This caused her to go against the MC after knowing the people will be killed once the Lostbelt is eradicated from existence. Her pity makes her an enemy of the PHH even though what she stands for morally right.

(Press F)

Kotomine Kirei/Priest/ Metropolitan Macarius/ Rasputin

Remember the Priest who kills Da Vinci? Turns out that he is a zombie.

This clergyman was already dead in 2004 (The same year when the 5th Fuyuki Holy Grail War happened). He returns to this world as a pseudo-Servant. Just like his host, this man is full of mystery and schemes. He firstly introduces himself as Metropolitan Macarius, one of Ivan the Terrible advisor and a notable Russian cleric. After the fall of the Tsar, he reveals his real identity as Rasputin, a holy man who has a close affiliation with the Romanov family.

The Priest is mostly neutral instances, but his actions seem to serve his pleasures. He might be playing a bigger role in future chapters.

Extra:

Two characters are officially listed in my 'Death Note'. One of them is Konyaskaya, a sadistic woman who torments the weak by exploiting the weakness and nature of the Yaga people. She sells them overpriced goods and belittling them in the name of the Tsar. Another character is Caenis, a prideful and loudmouth person who looks down on humans, including his/her Master Wodime. For those who do not know who he/she is, Caenis was once a woman who was sexually assaulted by Poseidon and turned into a man after the incident. This Servant is also a huge hypocrite when he/she swears to humiliate Anastasia if she and Kadoc get married although he/she is a rape victim.

(Waiting for him/her to get wrecked)

Crypters/ Team A

The last time when our understanding of this group of people is through the description of Da Vinci. After knowing them in person from the Crypters Meeting scene, we have a basic idea of their character. Here are the basic descriptions:

Kirschtaria is the charismatic leader who has huge expectations on the Lostbelts. Ophelia plays as his lieutenant who probably has a deep admiration. Daryl is the dark and brooding man who is observant and analytical. Pepe is the happy-go-lucky big brother who supports his allies. Hinako is the non-competitive person in the group. Beryl (another character in my death note) has a playful personality but he can be downright disgusting character.

Their task is to maintain the Lostbelts and their Servants; at the same time, they have a friendly competition between each other that whose Lostbelt would survive the longest. I feel like, despite their shared goals, each of them has their agenda. We would probably meet the other members in the upcoming chapters and see what surprises they bring to us.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10 Saint Quartz

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Author's Note:

That's a pretty long one. Kinda surprised how I managed to finish this review within 1 week.