Fairy Round Table Realm, Poem of Eternal Mist

'Why show mercy to a butcher like you?' Mordred said expressionlessly. 'I've wanted to do this for a long time. Let you taste the agony of being tortured to death!'

Just then, a strange figure burst onto the battlefield. The combination of long silver hair and scarlet eyes seemed innocent and pure, but Mordred immediately sensed the presence of a kindred spirit—one even more dangerous than Kelby.

Diana gracefully walked to Kelby's side, who lay in a pool of blood, and cast a disdainful glance at Mordred: 'Don't get too cocky, you freakish cicada demon. This woman is still useful to us; it wouldn't be appropriate to just let you take her back like this, would it?'

"If I remember correctly, you're the murderer His Majesty ordered to be wiped out." Mordred narrowed his eyes. "Kalia already executed you. Since you've chosen your own death, I don't mind killing one more scumbag."

In the instant he confronted Diana, the fairy knight Mordred's body was enveloped in swirling thunderclouds, with lightning crackling and leaping among the clouds. Faced with this imminent attack, Diana merely chuckled and shook her head, taking out two magic capsules imprinted with human figures from her bosom and lightly touching the activation button with her fingertips.

"What is that?!" Mordred demanded sharply.

'A foolish question.' Diana scoffed. 'Perfect, let me test the power of these toys Beryl gave me—'

The moment the capsule opened, Mordred keenly sensed an unfamiliar magical energy surging around Diana. Although not strong, the strange fluctuations were unlike anything she had ever seen before. To guard against any unforeseen events, she unhesitatingly released a ball of lightning accompanied by a torrential downpour; the blinding lightning tore through the air, turning everything in its path into scorched earth.

However, Diana's telepathic abilities allowed her to clearly see the trajectory of the lightning ball. She deftly sidestepped, the lightning grazing past her and exploding into ruins behind her.

"Bercer Galatea, Rider Achilles—" Diana raised the activated capsule high, "Let the second strongest in the Fairy Kingdom test your power!"

Pale blue and emerald green light burst forth from the capsule, and two illusory heroic figures appeared in mid-air. Diana absorbed the figures into her body, and her form underwent an astonishing transformation: pure white heavy armor covered her limbs, and the combination cannons at her elbows flickered with ancient runes; a golden breastplate protected her torso, and an orange ribbon at the back of her neck moved without wind; her golden hair flew wildly in the surge of magic.

"Playing tricks!" Mordred roared, and the clouds around him transformed into a hurricane that tore everything apart.

Diana neither dodged nor evaded, letting the sharp vortex strike her—but only a string of sparks flew out, leaving not even a scratch.

'Is this tickling me?' She laughed wildly as she raised the combination cannon, and five missiles shot out into the air with bizarre trajectories.

Mordred remained calm under pressure, leaping to dodge while rapidly lowering the surrounding temperature. Missiles froze in mid-air and plummeted to the ground. But in that instant, Diana teleported behind her, unleashing a powerful barrage of missiles.

"Cough!" Mordred's arms, which had been blocking, trembled violently, and he was forced to his knees by the force. "This power... how is this possible..."

'This is the power of the strongest defensive Heroic Spirit.' Diana looked down contemptuously at her struggling opponent. 'The so-called second strongest is nothing more than this.'

Don't look down on people!

Mordred suddenly unleashed a powerful burst of energy, deflecting the combined cannon fire and transforming into a whirlwind behind Diana. A beautiful over-the-shoulder throw slammed her into the wall, sending bricks flying, followed by a flash of blue light—

'Thump!'

The heavy blow struck Diana squarely in the head, smashing her into the rubble. A blue flash revealed his true form: Lancelot, the fairy knight who had removed his face armor. His youthful, girlish face contrasted strangely with his sharp dragon horns, and beneath his V-shaped eyebrows, his brown eyes burned with fighting spirit.

The fairy knight Lancelot frowned slightly, his dragon horns gleaming in the sunlight: 'Two completely different magical reactions are intertwining within her.'

"How did you get here?" Mordred glanced at her companion. "Where's the man you were fighting earlier?"

Lancelot's sword flashed from its elbow, its blade gleaming coldly: 'They escaped. They seemed menacing, but in reality, they only possessed rudimentary gravity manipulation skills.'

"Never mind that for now." Mordred said gravely, "Diana has fused two unknown powers, and her defense just now—"

Before he could finish speaking, Lancelot had already transformed into a blue lightning bolt and charged straight at Diana. The twin blades and the combined cannon collided with a piercing clang.

'Two against one?' Diana parried the attack, a mocking smile playing on her lips. 'Is this the style of the strongest fairy knight?'

'Why bother with morality when dealing with someone like you?'

Diana suddenly exerted her strength, shaking Lancelot off, and missiles poured out like a swarm of bees. Blue light flashed, and all the missiles were precisely sliced ​​apart in mid-air, the explosions illuminating the figures of the two clashing at high speed. Only two streaks of light remained in the air, colliding repeatedly, the sound of metal clashing echoing incessantly.

'To think he could keep up with Achilles' speed...' Diana's breathing became erratic. 'He really is a monster.'

Lancelot deftly deflected the attacks: 'Is that all? It's time to end this.'

Diana suddenly froze, her feet sinking into the mud. Mordred had somehow solidified the air around her, an invisible pressure making it impossible for her to move.

'You really think Meloscin can't do anything to you?' Mordred approached slowly. 'Haven't you noticed? You can't breathe.'

Diana's face turned pale; the pain of oxygen deprivation caused her to kneel on the ground. Mordred leaned down and chuckled softly: "I was wondering, if you were deprived of your right to breathe, would your tortoise shell still be able to protect you?"

'Ha...' Diana forced a smile, 'But my goal... has been achieved!'

She abruptly plunged the Galatea capsule into her chest, unleashing a blinding burst of blue light. The shockwave repelled Mordred, and in that instant, Diana broke free, her powerful fist, crackling with blue light, hurtling towards her—

Boom!

Blue light engulfed the entire block, and glass shards rained down. When the light faded, only devastation remained; Diana and Kelby were nowhere to be seen.

'Luring the tiger away from the mountain...' Lancelot sheathed his twin blades, his brow furrowed.

Mordred looked around: 'They've been planning this all along. But what exactly are they after?'

***

In a dark alley in Gloucester, Diana stumbled and landed. The fusion gradually dissipated, and two capsules clattered to the ground. She wiped the blood from her forehead, panting as she picked up the capsules: 'Even the strongest defense is nothing compared to those two monsters…'

Seckel emerged from the shadows, carrying the unconscious Kelby on his shoulder: 'Now that the objective has been achieved, it's time to prepare for 'that.' He gave a meaningful smile. 'Then, it will be the end for those foreign magicians.'

The two exchanged a smile and quietly disappeared into the depths of the alley.

***

Inside the royal city of Camelot, Morgan reviewed documents without looking up. Hearing footsteps, she spoke indifferently: 'Looks like there's no good news. Sylph, 'that...' Did you find anything?'

"It's confirmed that ???fake is currently hiding in Autumn Forest," Mordred reported. "He's even better at hiding than expected."

Morgan paused slightly, then lifted her veil: 'Having hidden for so long, it's time to show yourself.' She turned to Gawain, 'Baghster, burn down Autumn Forest in three days. I want to see how long this rat can hide.'

"Yes, sir."

For Autumn Forest, this is undoubtedly a catastrophe. But for a certain lurking fake, this fire may be the best opportunity to expose...?

Interlude: A Heartwarming Dinner - The Fairy Round Table Realm, The Poem of Eternal Mist

Although the portrait was somewhat blurred, the Eternal King's former majesty was still clearly discernible. Ritsuka carefully examined the face in the painting and found a striking resemblance to the Lion King she had encountered in the Sixth Singularity, yet there were also distinct differences in certain details: the Eternal King let her long golden hair cascade down like a waterfall, adding a touch of casualness compared to the Lion King's updo; the chestplate was engraved with tower patterns, quite different from the Lion King's armor designs. Most surprisingly, this queen who had ruled the Fairy Kingdom for a thousand years still retained a youthful beauty in her face, as if time had never left a mark on her.

Da Vinci was intently deciphering the magical runes on the back of the portrait, while Ritsuka's gaze darted back and forth between Artoria and the portrait. She couldn't help but blurt out, "How can they look so alike? I had the same feeling when I saw Morgan in Camelot... Artoria, could you be sisters?"

"Ritsuka!" Artoria puffed out her cheeks. "No matter how much you joke, you can't compare me to those two big shots! I'm just a nobody..."

"Ritsuka just thinks they look similar," Senko-mura said, trying to smooth things over. "Anything can happen in this world. But Artoria, are you really completely unrelated to this 'Eternal King' and the queen of the royal city?"

"It's not entirely unrelated..." Artoria's voice trailed off, and she unconsciously turned her face away. Just moments ago she had been pouting, but now she seemed weighed down by some heavy burden, her whole being shrouded in a faint melancholy. Senkomura, watching her hesitant expression, considerately refrained from pressing her for an answer.

As dusk settled outside the window, the pink sky transitioned into a warm orange-red, marking the end of the day in the Fairy Kingdom.

"Ah... that's all for today's analysis." Leonardo da Vinci stretched his stiff shoulders. "I'm exhausted."

"Get some rest, Leonardo da Vinci," Senji said with concern. "Today's progress has been quite remarkable. Oberon? You're still sleeping, kid!"

"Ah...did I fall asleep?" Oberon, kicked awake, hurriedly sat up, frantically wiping his mouth and straightening his disheveled clothes. "It's already this late?"

Artoria gazed at the setting sun outside the window: 'Oberon, I remember you have a little cabin here? Looks like I'll have to stay here tonight.'

"Of course, no problem!" Oberon stood up briskly and led the way. "Miss Da Vinci has had a long day too, please follow me—"

Led by Oberon, the group traversed the vibrant maple forest and arrived at a clearing deep within the Autumn Forest. A low wooden house stood quietly, surrounded by scattered deadwood and weeds, clearly neglected for a long time. The reddish-brown roof, nestled amidst the fiery red leaves, seemed to blend naturally into the landscape, extremely difficult to spot without deliberate searching.

'Squeak—'

Oberon pushed open the groaning wooden door, revealing the interior: a rudimentary three-bedroom, one-living-room layout, with only a faded old sofa and crude wood and stone furniture. Yellowed newspapers and household garbage were scattered on the coffee table, and cobwebs swayed between the beams. The most shocking sight was the kitchen—the sink was piled high with dishes, stained and grime.

"Oberon," Senjimura couldn't help but rub his forehead, "how could a grown man like you let your place become such a mess? How long has it been since this pigsty was cleaned?"

The fairy knight Gareth chuckled, covering his mouth: 'You always seem so impeccably dressed, I never imagined you'd be so slovenly in private. Appearances can be deceiving.'

Oberon chuckled and scratched his head: "Well... I was planning to clean properly, but lately... oh dear!"

Before he could finish speaking, Artoria's staff slammed down on his head. She grabbed his collar, furious: "Slacking off is slacking off! What excuses are you making! Didn't I clean for you last time? And what did you do? You sneaked out to slack off! Just thinking about it makes me angry!"

Oberon, whose secret had been exposed, shrank back in embarrassment, which drew laughter from everyone.

Just then, a series of rumbling sounds came from everyone's stomachs. They realized that they hadn't eaten all day since leaving the hotel that morning. Looking at the girls' embarrassed expressions, Senjamura turned to Oberon: 'Do you have any ingredients here? I'd like to borrow your kitchen—even though this place is as filthy as a garbage dump.'

"There's some food, though." Oberon's eyes lit up. "I didn't know you could cook!"

Ritsuka proudly interjected, "Grandpa's cooking is superb! You can never go wrong with him."

'How exciting...' Oberon began, but before he could finish, Artoria smacked him again: 'Go clean this place up! You're not living here alone anymore! When are you going to learn to be responsible?'

The fairy knight Gareth shook his head helplessly: "I hope nothing goes wrong. Mr. Muramasa, let me help you."

"Thank you for your trouble." Senko Muramasa smiled and nodded. "I almost forgot you're the head maid."

"In private, I'm just an ordinary knight." Gareth winked playfully. "Only in His Majesty's presence am I the head maid."

The two went into the kitchen and began washing the mountain of dishes. While washing dishes, Senko took the opportunity to check Oberon's supplies—as expected, the recluse's provisions were quite limited: apart from vegetables scattered on the floor and a few seasonings on the shelf, there wasn't a trace of meat. Worse still, most of the vegetables were rotten and moldy, black sap seeping into the wooden floor, attracting swarms of cockroaches and flies.

'This is really tough...' Senjimura murmured, covering his nose as he picked through the still-edible vegetables. 'Does Oberon never care about these things?'

"Logically, he couldn't possibly eat this much by himself," Gareth sighed. "And if it's not stored properly after being purchased, it's bound to go to waste."

After a careful search, they managed to salvage some potatoes, carrots, celery, tomatoes, mushrooms, and a few kinds of wild vegetables they couldn't identify. These vegetables were enough to sustain the girls for at most one day; a purely vegetarian diet lacking protein and fat would hardly fill their stomachs. But they had no other choice at the moment.

Qianzicun stretched his wrists and began skillfully preparing the ingredients. Washing, slicing, and shredding—his movements were fluid and effortless.

"I never knew you were such a skilled cook," Gareth exclaimed. "Do you often cook for yourself?"

Senji Muramasa, his hands still busy, calmly replied, "I'm used to living alone. Sometimes I take care of that girl, Anu. Although my income as a swordsmith was meager, being able to treat a young person to a simple meal was a joy. That's when I started studying cooking." A slight smile appeared on his lips, "That girl (referring to Miyamoto Musashi) often comes over for meals too."

'Could it be that you...' Gareth hesitated before speaking.

"Yes, he never married," Senji Muramasa said calmly. "He dedicated his life to forging the ultimate blade. Though he once longed for family life..." He shook his head. "Those are all things of the past."

Gareth nodded knowingly: "From what I've observed over this period, you truly treat Ritsuka and Artoria like your own children."

"That Ritsuka is always a worry," Senko Muramasa said gently. "She's clumsy and impulsive; if I don't keep a close eye on her, she might get into some danger again. As for that child..." He glanced at Artoria's figure outside the window, "I feel like I've seen her before. This body has a strong connection to her; perhaps in a time and space unknown to me, the two young people shared a special bond."

"I see..." Gareth mused. "No wonder he was so concerned about that foreign magician and Castor—"

As the two chatted and laughed, a pot of steaming vegetable soup was ready. Bright red tomatoes, orange carrots, tender white potatoes, emerald green celery, and brown mushrooms intertwined in the soup, creating a vibrant array of colors. Although there was no meat, the unique spices of the Fairy Kingdom gave this vegetarian soup an enticing aroma.

As Senji Muramasa wiped his hands, his gaze swept across the cupboard, and he was surprised to find it filled with high-quality white bread. In this fairy kingdom, resembling medieval Europe, soft white bread was reserved for the nobility; commoners could only afford coarse black bread. Looking at these delicate staples, and recalling Oberon's usual manners, Senji Muramasa couldn't help but feel puzzled.

'The bread is still very fresh; it looks like it was bought recently.' He carefully broke off a piece, and the aroma was wonderful.

Gareth gently set down the spoon: 'Everyone must be starving; let them have a taste.'

Outside, the girls had tidied up the once messy living room until it was spotless. The neat and tidy furnishings were a delight to behold.

"Children, dinner is ready." Senjimura carried a pot of soup out of the kitchen. "I've prepared my specialty."

"Great!" Everyone cheered and sat around.

The vibrant, colorful soup instantly captivated everyone's taste buds. The natural sweetness of the vegetables and the exquisite blend of spices blossomed on the palate, making it utterly irresistible. Paired with soft white bread, everyone raved about it.

"It's so delicious!" Ritsuka exclaimed, holding her bowl. "It's such a treat to have such authentic, rich soup in the Fairy Kingdom!"