Fairy Round Table Realm, Poem of Eternal Mist

"Three o'clock!" Sei Shonagon suddenly shouted, "His sword is reflecting the moonlight!"

Without hesitation, Percival spun and thrust, the tip of his spear striking the invisible target with pinpoint accuracy. Amidst the clang of metal, a bronze horse-headed soldier wearing dragon-patterned shoulder armor materialized, the spear tip deeply embedded in his breastplate.

"How is this possible?!" Cavendish exclaimed in shock and anger.

Sei Shonagon gently waved her folding fan: 'A lady's intuition is sharper than any magic trick.'

'It's over!' Gareth's Holy Lance charged forward, aiming straight for the opponent's throat.

Cavendish hastily raised his spear to parry, unaware that Percival had already circled behind him like a ghost. The spear slammed heavily into his waist armor with a whooshing sound, while at the same time Gareth's spear tip pierced through his breastplate.

Ugh!

Blood gushed from the shattered armor. Cavendish staggered backward, throwing smoke grenades in an attempt to escape. When the smoke cleared, all of the Queen's army had vanished with him, leaving only a devastated battlefield and a still-burning forest.

The three men looked at each other and nodded, the holy spear and the long spear shining brightly in the firelight.

However, the crisis is far from over.

Just as everyone caught their breath, a high-pitched incantation suddenly resounded throughout the Autumn Forest:

[Listen to this thunderous applause! Praise! Reveal—the golden theater, forged with a crimson ceiling and adorned with gold! The magnificent empire sung by maidens!]

'This is... a Noble Phantasm unfolding?' Sei Shonagon subconsciously raised her hand to shield her eyes from the blinding golden light.

Percival shouted a stern warning: 'Watch your surroundings!'

In an instant, a dazzling golden light engulfed the entire burning forest. The charred trees and wrecked ground twisted and distorted in the intense light, transforming into a magnificent amphitheater—a cross-shaped aisle carpeted in crimson, a central stage adorned with Roman stars, and golden pillars gleaming in the flickering firelight. Rose petals rained down, adding an incongruous touch of luxury to the bloody battlefield.

'The Golden Theater?!' Ritsuka looked around in disbelief. 'Why is His Majesty Nero's Reality Marble...?'

Da Vinci's expression turned grave: 'It's not just copying...this barrier is being distorted...'

Before the words were even finished, the scene in the theater began to change drastically. Dark red bloodstains seeped from the golden walls, rose petals turned into congealed blood clots, and a rusty, metallic stench filled the air. The once magnificent stage now resembled an execution ground, every decoration stained with the marks of death.

Bagst suddenly froze on the spot, an undisguised panic flashing in his beastly eyes—some deeply buried memories were being awakened by this bloody drama.

Just then, a series of crisp footsteps echoed from the blood-stained stairs. Diana's figure slowly appeared, Nero's scarlet gown creating an eerie contrast with her pale skin, and the green bull horns swaying above her head radiating an ominous light.

'Heh heh heh...' Her laughter echoed through the theater, 'Inhuman scum, and... stray dogs.'

"Diana!" Bagst bared his fangs, "you persistent, worm-like ghost!"

Ritsuka immediately recognized the other person's features: 'Nero's gown... Darius's horns...she has fused the powers of two Heroic Spirits!'

"You're right!" Diana opened her arms, and the bloodstains on the theater walls began to writhe. "Welcome to my Bloody Circus—now, the show begins!"

As the fingers snapped, the blood-stained ground suddenly split open, and countless twisted shadows crawled out from the cracks. Bagst immediately roared, "All hands on deck, prepare for battle!"

The Queen's soldiers swiftly formed ranks, their spears gleaming coldly in the blood-red moonlight. The Golden Theater had now transformed into a true stage for slaughter, and the curtain had only just been raised on this drama of death.

With Bagst's roar, the Queen's soldiers quickly recovered from their shock, their spears pointing in unison at the suddenly appearing enemy. Crimson magic circles spread across the ground, from which countless twisted figures crawled—these undead soldiers dragged their mutilated bodies, rotting flesh hanging from stark white bones, eerie green flames burning in their empty eye sockets. Their stench permeated the entire theater, as if the tomb of an ancient battlefield had been opened.

"Maintain formation!" Bagst's greatsword swept across, cleaving the front-line skeletons to pieces. "Don't be intimidated by these walking corpses!"

Ritsuka suppressed the urge to vomit, her gaze sweeping over the dark, swarming army of undead. She took a deep breath, her voice cutting through the battlefield's clamor:

"Gentlemen! Retreating now means admitting defeat! Muramasa, Da Vinci, Sei Shonagon, Gareth, wipe out the undead army! Mr. Percival, use the Holy Lance to break this barrier! Artoria, assist me from the side!"

Percival gripped the gleaming holy lance, its tip radiating a divine light: 'In the name of the Holy Lance, your atrocities will not succeed!'

Diana, standing on high above, laughed maniacally: 'Try it, you poor wretches!'

The Holy Lance Longinus—this legendary divine weapon capable of piercing through all things—is now emanating a chilling aura. Although King Arthur sealed away some of its power, it remains the greatest hope in the face of this distorted barrier.

On the other side of the battlefield, Muramasa Senji's katana transformed into a crimson whirlwind, shattering skeletons in its wake. Leonardo da Vinci's magical contraptions constructed a net of light in the air, Sei Shonagon's screen barrier held back the torrent of the undead, and Gareth's holy lance cleared a space with each thrust. Yet the undead army continued its relentless advance, broken bone claws still crawling, and shattered skulls still howling.

"This will never end!" Senji Muramasa cleaved three skeletons in two with his sword. "We must break the barrier as soon as possible!"

Percival had raised the Holy Lance, and Artoria's magic flowed into it like a trickle. The Holy Lance began to resonate, and golden ripples spread across the blood-soaked theater.

Gareth's spear pierced the chest of yet another skeleton, sending shards of bone flying. She gasped for breath as her shield slammed down on three skeletal soldiers lunging at her from the side, the clang of bone against metal sending shivers down her spine.

'These monstrous things... we can't possibly kill them all!' She wiped the putrid liquid splattered on her face. 'If we keep using this up, our magic will be completely depleted!'

Da Vinci controlled the floating turrets, firing light bullets that created vacuums amidst the horde of undead, only to be instantly filled by new skeletons. 'I must buy time...' she gritted her teeth, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

Sei Shonagon's screen barrier began to flicker, her face as pale as paper: 'I... can't hold on much longer...' Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly coughed violently, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

Crisis always arrives silently at the most vulnerable moments. When attention is diverted by an endless enemy force, death will reach out its claws from the shadows—

'Pfft!'

The burning crimson blade pierced through the wave of undead, precisely sinking into Sei Shonagon's abdomen. Blood instantly stained her pristine white kimono, and the excruciating pain caused her pupils to contract sharply.

Diana emerged from the sea of ​​skeletons, grinning as she twirled her sword hilt: 'Last time Kelby couldn't finish you off, this time—'

'Don't even think about it!'

Senji Muramasa's katana hurtled through the air, and Diana hastily raised her sword to parry. The two blades clashed, sparking blinding flashes, and the immense impact caused her to stagger backward.

"Cough..." Sei Shonagon knelt on the ground, and Ritsuka quickly stepped forward to support her. "Hang in there! I'll treat her right away!"

Senji Muramasa's sword strikes were like a storm, forcing Diana to retreat repeatedly: 'She's incredibly resilient! She even recovered from injuries like that last time!'

'Hmph...' Diana barely managed to parry the attack, 'I knew I couldn't defeat you without that form...'

She suddenly steadied herself, and the meteorite iron saddle condensed into a terrifying red light. A crimson sword aura roared out, and Senji Muramasa raised his sword to block it, but was so shocked that his hand was split open. To make matters worse, his old wound on his abdomen suddenly reopened, and blood quickly soaked through his clothes.

'Damn it...' Senjimura knelt on one knee, and Oberon hurriedly stepped forward to help him up.

'Healing spell—uh!' Oberon's incantation was interrupted by a sudden surge of magical pressure.

Suddenly, the entire golden theater blazed with light, and the crimson floor seemed to come alive, undulating. An invisible, overwhelming pressure descended like a mountain, crushing everyone to the ground. The bloodstains on the pillars began to flow, coalescing into eerie runes.

'This is... Nero's Noble Phantasm suppression!' Ritsuka looked up with difficulty and saw that the Meteorite Scepter in Diana's hand was aimed at Senji Muramasa.

Diana's maniacal laughter echoed through the theater as the meteorite scepter, wreathed in a destructive red light, slashed down: 'It's over!'

At this critical moment, Artoria's Staff of Choice burst forth with dazzling starlight:

This is the land of hope, the ruins of paradise, a harbinger of the coming dawn. No one needs to call you; you too will gather the stars—for whom does destiny exist—embrace your star of hope!

A soft, pinkish-gold light washed over the theater like a tide, and the mental landscape revealed by the Staff of Choice instantly dispelled the bloody barrier. The previously heavy magical pressure melted away in this healing light, and just as the burning blade was about to touch Senji Muramasa—

'clang--!'

The holy lance clashed violently with the demonic sword, and Percival's figure entered the fray like a silver lightning bolt. The lance of Longinus trembled with holy ripples, firmly holding the meteorite saddle in mid-air. Sparks flew like fireflies, illuminating his resolute face.

'How is that possible?!' Diana's sinister smile froze on her face.

Percival flicked his spear, using the momentum to retreat: 'I've caught up! Miss Artoria!'

'Now!'

Artoria tapped her staff lightly, and three azure magic circles instantly unfolded around Diana. Magical chains, like serpents emerging from their holes, coiled around her limbs. But suddenly, an eerie twilight glow emanated from Diana's body, like the last rays of a dying sun.

Ritsuka's pupils constricted sharply as a scene from the depths of her memory flashed before her: 'Percival! She's activating [Even When the Sunset Comes Three Times]! Stop her!'

Percival immediately understood, leaping onto the suddenly appearing pure white warhorse. The Holy Lance began to resonate, its tip coalescing into a vortex of light that tore through space.

【The Holy Lance Longinus! Descend! Countdown—the Radiant Lance of Destiny! Ooooooooooo!!】

The warhorses reared up with a neigh, and the holy lance transformed into a pillar of light piercing the heavens and earth. The twilight barrier surrounding Diana began to crack, and the chains clanged in the intense light. The entire Golden Theater groaned under this divine impact, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on its blood-red dome.

In an instant, the holy lance in Percival's hand erupted with divine light, a torrent of golden and red energy swirling around its shaft. Accompanied by the thunderous roar of a warhorse, Longinus pierced Diana, who was bound by chains, like a meteor. A golden shockwave spread outwards, illuminating the bloody theater as if it were daytime.

Just as the holy light engulfed Diana, Percival keenly noticed a gaping hole appearing at the edge of the theater—it was not caused by the Holy Lance, but rather by a spatial rift forcibly torn open by the sharp teeth of some kind of behemoth.

'No...it's impossible...' Diana screamed in the light, 'How could I...lose to you...' Her figure gradually blurred in the bright light, and finally turned into a dark shadow and disappeared into the crack.

With Diana's disappearance, the bloody theater began to crumble. When everyone came to their senses, they were back in the ravaged Autumn Forest. Percival and Oberon silently gazed at the scorched earth, an indescribable heaviness filling the air.

-

News of the Queen's burning of Autumn Forest spread like wildfire throughout the Fairy Kingdom. Fueled by various factions, rumors and exaggerated reports proliferated.

'Have you heard? The Queen herself destroyed Autumn Forest!'

'That secluded place, perpetually shrouded in autumn colors...what is she trying to do?'

'It's time to make this tyrant pay the price...'

The atmosphere in Camelot grew increasingly strange. Although the city functioned as usual, the nobles' gazes toward the palace were filled with suspicion and hostility. Even during Morgan's daily tours, the hostility hidden beneath the surface of respect was clearly discernible.

Morgan, however, ignored these opinions. What truly troubled her was Bagst's disappearance—this usually decisive fairy knight had vanished without a trace after the Autumn Forest incident. In the Throne Hall, the Queen put down a memorial she was halfway through reviewing, her fingertips unconsciously tapping the armrest. Dusk deepened outside the window, mirroring the turmoil of doubt in her eyes.

Morgan tapped her fingertips lightly on the armrest of the throne, her voice, veiled, carrying a chill: 'Sylph—'

"Your subordinate is here." The fairy knight Mordred appeared like a ghost, his armor striking the ground with a crisp sound.

Morgan lifted a corner of her veil, revealing a cold profile: 'Bagust has been missing for too long. She'll only go to one place besides the capital.'

"Manchester." The fairy knight Mordred nodded in understanding. "Yes, sir."

She leaped from the windowsill, the wind whipping her cloak like a soaring eagle. Morgan bent down to pick up the documents knocked away by the gust, gazing at the cloudless pink sky and whispering, 'Castor, don't forget the mission of the fairies of Paradise. If you remain stubbornly unrepentant…'

As the Autumn Forest incident continued to escalate, the Fairy Kingdom descended into unprecedented turmoil. Resistance forces seized the opportunity to grow stronger, and demonstrations erupted throughout the land. Portraits of the Queen marked with a red 'X' were ubiquitous, and nobles who supported Morgan were repeatedly attacked. The once harmonious streets were now filled with acts of vandalism, looting, and arson, and the charred Autumn Forest became the most glaring symbol of the resistance movement.

-

Inside the rebel fortress, morning light streamed through the stone windows, illuminating the weary faces of the men. Percival placed the broken magic capsule on the table: 'Diana escaped, but left this behind.'

'A third-party force...' Ritsuka carefully examined the documents she obtained from Bagst. 'The Bell of the Six Clans... I see.'

Percival added in a deep voice, "The current head of the Mephistopheles family, Sekel, is at the heart of this power. The fairy knight Bedivere and Diana both obey him."

Leonardo da Vinci's expression turned grave: 'A spatial magician...this truly exceeds our expectations.'

Ritsuka stood up, her gaze sweeping over everyone present: 'The current situation is clear. Our ultimate goal is to prevent the collapse of Britain, and to that end, we must challenge His Majesty Morgan. But before that—' she pointed to the third-party strongholds marked on the map, 'these lurking enemies are the greatest threat right now.'

Senjimura leaned against the wall, chuckling softly, blood seeping from the bandages on her abdomen: 'The little girl's grown up. Back on Olympus, she was just a child who needed protection, but now she's capable of standing on her own.'

"Grandpa!" Ritsuka's cheeks flushed, "You're so badly injured, yet you're still joking..."

"This is gratifying," the old swordsman said gently, gazing at her. "The flower in the greenhouse has finally learned to withstand the wind and rain."

Ritsuka clenched her fist, her eyes shining with unwavering determination: 'Mashu, Da Vinci, and I have even braved the Underworld. Now, we have nothing to fear.'

The tragedy of her first arrival in Britain still haunts Ritsuka's dreams. The fairy knight Bedivere suddenly appearing in the sea, the horrific abuse of Mash and Da Vinci, and her powerlessness to stop it like a lamb to the slaughter. The moment the cold blade pierced her chest, the chill of death seeped into her very bones—an experience unlike anything she had ever had before.

During her journey through Lostbelts, she witnessed too many sacrifices: Pazuchi's body shielding her from a hail of bullets, the Valkyries' resolute willingness to die together, Xiang Yu's unyielding pride in battle, and the Gods of Destruction's descent into annihilation. But those were ultimately the end for others; it wasn't until a blade pierced her own chest that she truly tasted death. Some insights are destined to be gained through blood and flesh.

-

On the ruins outside the fortress, Artoria sat alone. The mystery of the Bell of the Six Clans lingered in her mind—why would the Bell of Atonement, which had existed since the beginning of the Eternal Era, reappear in this way at this time? The information left behind by Bagst was too coincidental, as if an invisible hand was pushing her to embark on the pilgrimage.

'Since you know the truth, why hesitate?'