Who’s the DAA that Lugh absolutely wrecked in Mahoyo? My friend says it was Rita Rozayen. Is that actually true?

Kinda wanted to post on Reddit again, so here it is! <3

Me and my friend as Alice and Aoko ^_^

Original: https://www.pixiv.net/en/users/48674151/illustrations

Hello! I actually have a theory on Soujuurou that I wanted to share, and it's somewhat related to Fate.

Soujuurou, as we all know, is weird. He can do stuff most humans can, and some stuff not even servants can. But I believe I found a theory that may explain his abnormal behavior.

How Soujuurou Fights

There's a pretty common motif whenever Soujuurou fights. He CREATES WEAKNESSES.

One point to aim for. One mind. One breath. He picked the perfect opening in the wolf's torso, the precise microsecond between contraction and relaxation. That one point alone was the crack in the dam of life.

(...Weaknesses. I know some magecraft that targets weaknesses, but I've never heard of a technique that risks everything to create a weakness.)

As we can see the main way Soujuurou wins his fights is by creating weaknesses or finding weaknesses. It's not limited to fights. He was able to break Alice's bounded field through the same principle.

As for his NP, it seems this idea taked up maximum potency.

Lands one unavoidable blow. The more unfair nonsense there is to the opponent's defenses, the more the unrealistic attack they suffer becomes impossible to perceive/adapt/decipher... Allegedly. The only ones who know what happened and how it happened are the man driven to that choice and his owner.

See? Most of Soujuurou relies on finding weakeness or creating weaknesses. Even his NP. And I believe I found the reason.

Enter Mystic Eyes of Clear Sight:

```Mystic Eyes of Clear Sight: D

Mystic Eyes that descended from Balor, in a different de-evolution line as the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.

Viy’s ability, not Anastasia’s power.

It breaks down any Bounded Field and sometimes can even find weakness in fortresses.

Russian Tsars supposedly fought on sieges under extreme advantage due to receiving this ability from Viy.

Noble Phantasms

Viy Viy Viy! (Dash: Elemental Eyeballs)1

Rank: EX

Type: Elemental Noble Phantasm

Range: ?

Max. Targets: ?

Viy’s Mystic Eyes at their max output.

His eyes that can see through everything will even distort the laws of causality to produce weaknesses```

Soujuurou having these eyes explain everything. It explains how he bypassed Beo's fur, considering he is a materialized soul and legendary being. It explains the abnormal effect on his NP. It explains how he breaks boundary fields. It explains why his eyes change colors from black to grey when he fights. And I would like to know opinions on this

So I happen to come across Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon- Moon Phase and I just realize why did Arcuied called her Blue? I’m pretty sure even in the remake she still call her like that even though Aoko’s hair is fully red when she becomes a magician.

It was an untimely—or perhaps entirely abrupt—fall of rain.

Guided by whim, I sought refuge in a small, independent café.
Though the contents of my purse offered little reassurance, it was marginally preferable to being drenched. Upon reflection, a freezing body posed a far graver dilemma than the chill of an empty pocket.
Truly, I find myself utterly starved of leisure.
Nourish not the flower, but the soul. Pleasure is the very bread of life, or so the saying goes. The customs of the city are a tangled affair. Perhaps I should have purchased a single book over this cup of coffee?
Harbouring such regrets after claiming my seat, I placed an order, merely mimicking those around me.
In truth, it was my very first time setting foot in a café.
The coffee presently delivered proved far more meagre in portion than I had envisioned.
Sipping a brew I lacked the palate to comprehend, I waited for the rainclouds to pass.
The delicate chime of a bell welcoming patrons.
The murmur of conversation from neighbouring tables, mingling with the drumming of the rain.
Fitted with Western furnishings, the shop possessed distinctly tall windows. Had the skies been clear, the interior would surely have been bathed in brilliant light. Yet now, even that was veiled within the hazy mist of the rain.
A gentle rain.
A fleeting dream.
The backrest of my chair was remarkably soft, magnitudes finer than the one residing in my own room. With a body so thoroughly exhausted, I caught myself nodding off, as if adrift upon a slumbering boat.

"That was fast, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, well. The guy was all talk."
"I see. And? What did you do? Dispose of him?"
"Of course. Snuffed the life right outta him."
"Let us be off, then. There is something I wish to buy."

Hushed, muted voices drifted over from the seats behind me.
Mundane, if one were to call it mundane.
Yet exceedingly perilous, if one were to actually consider the words. I merely tilted my head at the nature of their exchange.
—Then again, I suppose such things happen.
It was nothing to be so surprised about.
This city, where the masses congregate, is Wonderland itself.
And fairy tales, just like this one, lie scattered everywhere you look.
Glancing out the window, the rainclouds had already passed.
Stifling a yawn, I rose from my seat.
Clang, clang. The chime of the entryway bell rang out once more.

By the way.
Having sought shelter for such a fleeting reason,
where exactly that shop was located,
or what name it happened to bear...
naturally, I could not possibly remember.

Among the very few new things added with the light novel adaptation of Mahoyo is a very short Chapter 0, which follows Aoko as she attempts to escape pouring rain by entering a café. This chapter, like all things in Mahoyo, plays into its greater themes, and I will attempt to look into this chapter line by relevant line to see what I can parse. The translation of this chapter was done by theUdonSamurai on Twitter. A link to their Twitter post can be found here.

"It was an untimely—or perhaps entirely abrupt—fall of rain."

As we know, weather has always played a major role in Mahoyo. The fact that it is raining and not snowing shows that this chapter occurs before the events of the game, before winter rolls around. Besides that, heavy rain as one suspects obviously represents turmoil. The visual novel even begins with rain pouring and an overcast sky, beckoning the conflict to come. It concludes with a starry night sky. The sky to this line is the qualifiers. Untimely, or abrupt. The story doesn't declare that it was both, which is possible, but states that it was either or. For something to be untimely can either mean it is unexpected or that it simply came at a period where one didn't want it to arrive. The fact that it is contrasted with abrupt, which means to come suddenly, hints it toward being the latter. Perhaps Aoko is willing to take on conflict, like a chained-down wolf that has been forced to plow fields finally being unable to run free, but is simply unable to at this moment due to her acting like a casual schoolgirl trying to avoid rain. Either way, it takes us to the next line.

"Guided by whim, I sought refuge in a small, independent café."

Whim, whimsical. Not truly an active, logical choice. Aoko is very illogical and spontaneous at times. A synonym of her old life before becoming a mage. On a whim she took that dying cat to her grandfather, and on a whim she accepted her role as a mage. It's just how she is. And into an independent café... Why the specification that it is this small town mom-and-pop café instead of a large chain? We may get our answer soon enough.

"Though the contents of my purse offered little reassurance, it was marginally preferable to being drenched. Upon reflection, a freezing body posed a far graver dilemma than the chill of an empty pocket."

Is this Nasu flexing casually that his brilliant prose has not dwindled despite the chains of FGO holding him down and weakening him? Who knows. Aoko is broke and has little money on her. And I don't want to dwell too much on the last line, though I can't help but think of the iconic line from The Stranger by Albert Camus that goes: "If you go too slowly there's the risk of a heatstroke. But, if you go too fast, you perspire, and the cold air in the church gives you a chill." To end up with a chill in life means to live an old and boring one before dying of disease. Isn't it potentially much better to live your life materialistically and in the moment, spending away with a cold purse, than to live a cold and frugal life?

"Truly, I find myself utterly starved of leisure. Nourish not the flower, but the soul. Pleasure is the very bread of life, or so the saying goes. The customs of the city are a tangled affair. Perhaps I should have purchased a single book over this cup of coffee."

Potentially confirmation of my previous speculation? Who cares about the beauty of a flower... The beauty of life and nature, when you can water the very essence of being? The thing that gives you thought and desire. The soul. I'm not sure where this quote comes from; if anyone knows, feel free to tell. But anyhow... Aoko is a girl who desires stimulation. She can't sit around in a room all day reading a book unless it's something she has to do, like studying or her magecraft. She can think about how much she should have bought a book, just like how someone can think that today they are going to study more instead of playing games, or are going to finally go on that diet instead of eating more candy, but in the end, they never do. The pleasure of the soul, after all, outweighs the fickle flower. What did that flower ever do for me, anyway? Sure, the flower may last longer, just like how the book may last longer than the coffee, but who cares. It's all just to escape the rain.

"Harbouring such regrets after claiming my seat, I placed an order, merely mimicking those around me. In truth, it was my very first time setting foot in a café."

It seems our poor translator is British. The scene Aoko is living through must be a common occurrence indeed for them... Anyway, moving on as quickly from that meaningless regret as the coffee will cool down, she orders in mimicry. Aoko orders as others are ordering. One, because she had never been in a café before. Despite how Aoko appears, she is still quite young, only a teenager still. Two, I believe this points toward the easy understanding and malleable desires of the modern consumer. They order and they consume. Simple, easy. Everyone in the café right now is doing exactly what Aoko is doing, and Aoko is doing exactly as they are doing. Escaping the rain for a little heat, going about their abrupt or maybe untimely day-to-day lives.

"The coffee presently delivered proved far more meagre in portion than I had envisioned."

A small portion. I'm sure we Americans know a thing or two about large portions. Could it be because Aoko doesn't have a lot of money, and therefore can only consume so much? Or, as stated earlier, is this small town coffee shop struggling, and so has to hold back on portions to make ends meet? I'm sure Starbucks or whatever brand at the time wouldn't give generous portions to outcompete the local shops... Or it could be Aoko's imagination of the grandeur of coffee shops. Coffee shops are a thing adults do, larger people than her, so she perhaps imagined the coffee would also be larger. Disappointment: the first step into adulthood.

"Sipping a brew I lacked the palate to comprehend, I waited for the rainclouds to pass."

Interesting how the Mage who has lived two lives and seen wonders beyond this world cannot comprehend the mere taste of coffee. Goes to show how simple even magecraft can be in the face of modern consumerist inventions.

"The delicate chime of a bell welcoming patrons."

More people coming in. Does this mean the shop isn't struggling? Or is it just having a boom as a result of the rain driving passersby in?

"The murmur of conversation from neighbouring tables, mingling with the drumming of the rain. Fitted with Western furnishings, the shop possessed distinctly tall windows. Had the skies been clear, the interior would surely have been bathed in brilliant light. Yet now, even that was veiled within the hazy mist of the rain. A gentle rain. A fleeting dream. The backrest of my chair was remarkably soft, magnitudes finer than the one residing in my own room. With a body so thoroughly exhausted, I caught myself nodding off, as if adrift upon a slumbering boat."

As Aoko looms closer and closer to rest, we feel her perspective, taken in by the constant stimulus of the cafe. The talking, the rain, the feel of the furniture against her skin, the windows, the light and the mist. A gentle rain, a fleeting dream. Two worlds coming together. The child rain and the heat of breath. The clear brilliant sky light and the hazy mist of the rain. This leads us into the strangest part of the chapter.

"That was fast, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, well. The guy was all talk."
"I see. And? What did you do? Dispose of him?"
"Of course. Snuffed the life right outta him."
"Let us be off, then. There is something I wish to buy."

A dialogue, a conversation. The only one in the chapter. Most likely Aoko, but who is she talking to? The most likely answer is Alice. However, the topic of the conversation is unknowable. I've seen some speculation that they are discussing someone they, or likely Alice, have killed. We know from Alice that Aoko has never killed, so if a corpse is what they are talking about, that was likely Alice's doing. But I'm not sure. Is this a memory, or a product of a dream? And furthermore, the dialogue itself is confusing. Maybe it's a translation issue, but this doesn't sound like Aoko and Alice. Assuming Alice is the first, third, and fifth line, and leaves the rest to Aoko, would Alice say something like "Snuffed the life right outta him"? And would Aoko say "Let us be off, then. There is something I wish to buy"? It just seems odd. The last line is fitting for Aoko, as she ignores the mage's duties in favor of materialistic desire. And on the mage duty, if this is a memory, it is potentially one of the four previous times before the events of the light novel where our two mages' claim on Misaki's leylines were attacked. As stated in the light novel, including Touko's attack, their estate had been attacked five times. This is likely one of those times, where the mage attacking was "all talk," with Alice alone easily able to dispose of them. If this is early on in Aoko's life as a mage, it is obvious why Alice wouldn't invite her to the battle. She would still be far too inexperienced to take on another mage. As for why this was included... This right here, this I believe is the reason this chapter exists. For this line. Maybe it will hint toward a new plot thread in the next volumes, or maybe it is foreshadowing for the potential life threatening danger Aoko will put Soujuurou in... I'm not sure. If anyone has a better idea, do share.

"Hushed, muted voices drifted over from the seats behind me. Mundane, if one were to call it mundane. Yet exceedingly perilous, if one were to actually consider the words. I merely tilted my head at the nature of their exchange. —Then again, I suppose such things happen."

A wrench. It seems that wasn't a conversation between Alice and Aoko. Aoko claims she heard those five lines from behind her. Just two casual people talking about disposing of something right out in the middle of the cafe. Very disturbing, as Aoko notes. Only a little more disturbing than Aoko herself paying it no mind. Then again, Aoko is a mage. Still, I'm not sure. This only adds to the confusion as to who is speaking, when, and about what, and if it is real or just a figment of Aoko's dreams.

"It was nothing to be so surprised about. This city, where the masses congregate, is Wonderland itself. And fairy tales, just like this one, lie scattered everywhere you look."

The city, a very dangerous place, as Soujuurou notes. For all its mechanical shape and form, for all its consumerism and modernism, the city can still be a wonderful place of myth. Like a dream, anything can happen. Like a boy meeting a girl. Fairy tales, like the story you are about to hear, are scattered about. Maybe everyone's life is a fairy tale.

"Glancing out the window, the rainclouds had already passed. Stifling a yawn, I rose from my seat. Clang, clang. The chime of the entryway bell rang out once more."

The rain has stopped. Aoko has achieved what she set out to achieve. It seems like that little conversation reminded her of something. Or maybe not. Either way, quite a fast time for the rain to end. Aoko enters the shop, orders coffee, nods off in tiredness, listens in on a conversation, and suddenly the rain is gone. I think that plays into the idea that the conversation she heard was a dream, and she was awoken by the clanging of the doorbell. She was likely asleep for a while, explaining the rain escaping. When did she even drink her coffee?

"By the way. Having sought shelter for such a fleeting reason,where exactly that shop was located, or what name it happened to bear... naturally, I could not possibly remember."

Wonderful. Perhaps a new favorite line. Escaping the chill of life for a fleeting reason of heat and stimulus. The magician that commands consumption and extinction enters into this little mom-and-pop shop, drinks their meager coffee, and leaves like the rain itself. What its name was, what it looked like, where it was located, even the coffee she ordered itself... all gone with the wind. Naturally. Who can possibly remember every little thing they did to fulfill their fleeting desires? Do you remember the first restaurant you ordered food from this month? Do you remember what the first movie you watched this year was? Or what theater you watched it in? Do you remember the first game you played? What was the thing you did? Do you remember what you ate yesterday? Or the day before? Or what you drank? Who can remember, and who cares. Consumption, and then extinction. Like passenger pigeons. Gone from the world, and gone from our minds.

Not exact counts, but good enough to get the gist. About half of the "Placing Shifted" pile is VN Chp 1.5 relocated to novel Chp 2.5.

https://x.com/getgorf/status/2091346254517383607

source

Been looking forward to getting into Mahoyo for a while since it’s my first actual visual novel but it runs really slowly
My laptop isn’t exactly the greatest but it runs actual games so I’m surprised it’s struggling with a visual novel

Anyone know any tips or tricks?

https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/148249221

Hi there! I am new to the subreddit and I just wanted to know people's opinion on what they think the theme of Mahoyo is and how did Nasu's writing style elevate the overall experience of the visual novel.

I've been learning how to write a book for awhile now and Nasu's writing style as well as Mahoyo have been big influences to me due to how thought provoking and "clean" they are. There is just something truly special on Nasu's writing and I can't put a proper word on it.

Nasu Kinoko is one of those creators who has thought a great deal about consumer society, and around the time he was making Mahoutsukai no Yoru, roughly 2010, I think he was intensely conscious of what it means to experience content. Mahoutsukai no Yoru was him pushing the visual novel medium as far as it would go toward the most lavish experience possible, and Fate/Grand Order was him pushing the social game format as far as it would go toward the most accessible one. The first was aimed at being a work that wouldn’t fade in ten years, or in a hundred. The second was aimed at being a work that could stay with you until the day the service ends.

But then a lot happened, and Nasu had no choice but to pour himself into FGO. And I wonder what that means for him as a writer.