Fairy Round Table Realm, Poem of Eternal Mist

"We might face an even more dire situation in the South American alternate dimension." Ritsuka grasped Da Vinci's hand. "I must learn to handle things independently. Besides..." She took out two red capsules, "there's this guarantee."

The images of Valkyrie and Brunhilde that appeared on the capsule shell stunned everyone.

"This was recompiled using data collected from the Norse Lostbelts," Da Vinci explained softly. "But be careful, each capsule can only unleash a quarter of the Servant's power. If used simultaneously..." She hesitated, glancing at Ritsuka's slender wrist.

Senji placed his hand on Leonardo da Vinci's shoulder: 'Even fledglings must spread their wings on their own.'

Ritsuka carefully put away the capsule and turned to Kalia: 'Could you please keep an eye on Machia?'

'I'd like to hear her whole story too.' Kalia leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, her gaze sweeping over the lonely figure inside the window.

As everyone dispersed to prepare, Ritsuka stood alone in the courtyard, her fingertips gently tracing the cold surface of the capsule. The distant echoes of pilgrimage bells seemed to intertwine with the snow and ice of Ensos, forming the threads of destiny.

Leonardo da Vinci's fingertips unconsciously traced the design, as if he could already see the horrific image of blood gushing from Ritsuka's seven orifices. The consequences of Brunhilde and Valkyrie's divine powers clashing within a human body almost made her blurt out words of dissuasion.

“It’s alright, Leonardo da Vinci,” Ritsuka’s voice rang out first, carrying a calmness beyond her years. “I’ve already brushed with death. It wasn’t until Pazuchi and the others vanished before my eyes that I truly understood the weight of life…” She grasped Leonardo’s trembling hand. “Now, I must bear that weight.”

Under the starlight, the destinies of the two teams were set. Ritsuka's group, heading to Ensos, and the main force, continuing their pilgrimage, would embark on different journeys at dawn.

When Kalia encountered the newly cleaned Machia in the corridor, he almost didn't recognize this traitor who had once been covered in blood. The water had washed away the ferocity in her eyes, revealing her originally delicate features.

"No need to dodge." Kalia softly called to the figure trying to turn around, "We were once knights fighting side by side."

Machia's fingertips dug deep into her palms: "I've dreamt of personally killing those who destroyed my people..." Years of suppressed hatred seeped through her teeth, "They used the dirtiest methods—they exploited my kindness."

'Similar to my experience?'

"Completely different!" Maquia looked up abruptly, her eyes burning with a ghostly blue flame. "You were only wounded by the poisonous arrow of jealousy, while I..." Her voice suddenly shattered, "was crushed by a meticulously planned betrayal that shattered my entire race."

(remember)

Kleich's injuries were gradually improving, but Machia's tense nerves remained unbothered. These past few days had been like dancing on a knife's edge, having to deceive her tribe while also taking meticulous care of the wounded. Frequent trips between the basement and the infirmary had left deep dark circles under her eyes.

"You've been seeming distracted lately." Tita stopped her one morning, tapping the whiteboard with her fingertip. "There are three discrepancies in the night shift patrol log."

Machia forced a smile, but her mind was filled with the warm glow of her home. The dinner her husband had prepared, the soft embrace of her son Aria—these ordinary moments of happiness were now overshadowed.

The incident occurred on the seventh evening. When Tita was taking stock of the night shift staff, she discovered that a maid had mysteriously disappeared.

'Where were you on the night Tecia last worked?' Tita's question pierced like an ice pick.

'I... went back a long time ago...' Machia clutched her skirt, hearing her own heart pounding deafeningly.

'But someone saw you frequently smuggling medical supplies into the basement!' The witness's testimony sent a chill down her spine.

The moment the iron bar smashed open the basement door lock, the trigger sounded like the Grim Reaper's soft laughter. Two kitchen knives shot out, precisely piercing the front-row maid's forehead and chest. The splattered blood traced crimson arcs in the moonlight, reflecting the ecstatic expression on Klein's face as he licked his fingertips.

"So your name is Machia~" The butterfly fairy's wings shimmered eerily in the dark room. "Your Lady Ior is... ridiculously naive."

When those vibrant wings, not belonging to the Ioruf race, unfolded in the dark room, Tita's pupils contracted sharply. A verdant magic circle instantly formed beneath her feet, and the air hummed under its immense weight.

"Ugh—!" Klay was gripped by an invisible force, her throat seized, and she was violently thrown into the air. Every inch of her skin felt an immense pressure, as if an unseen giant hand was about to crush her.

'How dare you bring disaster to the Pure Land…' Tita's voice was as cold as polar ice, 'Then pay for your sins with your own flesh and blood.'

The maids watched in horror as the butterfly demon struggled in the pressure cage. This was the cruelest form of 'pressure' in wind magic—the victim would first have their bones shatter under the gradually increasing atmospheric pressure, then their internal organs would be squeezed out of their seven orifices, and finally turn into a pool of indistinct flesh and blood.

But a maniacal smile twisted across Clayher's contorted face: 'It's...too late...' she coughed up blood, her voice laced with triumphant pleasure, 'Thanks to your naive maids...the Queen's army is...completely wiped out...'

As if to confirm her words, the distinctive metallic rumble of the Chaste Knights marching suddenly echoed from afar. Through the basement window, one could see bronze armor reflecting an ominous, cold light on the main road leading to the town.

Leonard charged ahead, stepping over the remains of the Queen's soldiers onto the sacred land of the Ioruf. Severed limbs and shattered horse-head masks clattered beneath his iron hooves, and blood stained the pure white snowfield into a dark red swamp.

'What a magnificent sight.' He took a deep breath of the blood-soaked air, his sword pointed directly at the town still shrouded in the morning mist. 'The long-cherished wish of the Krenmia family will be fulfilled here today.'

Renard's maniacal laughter shattered the morning's tranquility. The iron hooves of the Chastise Knights trampled over the corpses of their brethren, turning the pure white snowfield into a bloody pulp. Maquia's voice abruptly ceased, her gaze passing through the windowpane, as if she were seeing that hellish dawn once more.

-

"That's enough," Kalia said softly. "There's no need to remember anymore."

Maquia's fingertips dug deeply into her palms: 'I was the only woman not sent to a comfort camp...because I fought to the death to protect Iria...' Her voice was like a taut harp string, 'but they broke my ribs right in front of me, forced me to kneel and watch Lord Eton's head roll away...'

'Reinhard...' Kalia's armor clanged, 'He's actually remained Aurora's henchman all this time?'

"They used Iria to blackmail me." Maquia's one eye bloodshot. "At first I resisted killing, but then I gradually became addicted..." She suddenly forced a laugh that was more like a grimace. "Until one day I woke up to find myself already drowning in a sea of ​​blood."

The moonlight illuminated her trembling shoulders; the bloodstains she had been forced to bear had long since seeped into her soul. When the first drop of innocent blood splattered on her cheek, something shattered forever.

Blood Rain Noah's Great Flood - Fairy Round Table Realm, Poem of Eternal Mist

Leaving the warm fortress of the royal clan, the road north was gradually enveloped by a biting cold. Ritsuka wrapped her automatically warming formal attire tighter, watching the white mist from her breath dissipate into the air. When the dilapidated city gate came into view at the edge of her field of vision, she involuntarily held her breath.

The massive stone gates, torn open by cannon fire, bore jagged gaps, like an empty eye socket staring at the visitors. The scene inside was even more horrifying—charred beams jutted out from the ruins, and splattered, dark brown bloodstains stained the walls, the faint, shadowy human figures telling tales of the tragedy that had unfolded. Machia silently scanned the wounds, and Ritsuka noticed her knuckles were clenched white.

The eternal lighthouse in the center of the square has been swallowed up by ivy, and the magical fluctuations emanating from the vines make the air tremble. Through the gaps in the branches and leaves, a faint light can be seen flowing from the lamp.

'The sacred relic of the Mirror Clan…' Kalia suddenly stopped. 'So Ioruf is a branch of them.' A flash of realization crossed her eyes. 'Then the original sin you bear has mutated from 'abortion' to 'tacit consent.'

Ritsuka suddenly turned to Machia: 'Why did that Leonard want to exterminate the reclusive tribe?'

Before Sei Shonagon could intervene, Machia sat calmly atop the ruins. Her voice was like the surface of a frozen river: 'Reinhard used his captive tribesmen as live targets.' Her fingernails dug deep into the stone, 'as the javelin pierced the pregnant woman's abdomen, he was still betting with his men who could hit the fetus.'

While Leonard's iron hooves were still ravaging the lands of Ioruf, Aurora, far away in Salisbury, stood on her terrace, proclaiming to the gathered crowd: "Our Knight Commander is eradicating the sinful race that has defiled the Fairy Kingdom!" Her face radiated a holy glow, as if she were announcing a sacred conquest.

Meanwhile, Morgan in Camelot suddenly felt a pang of fear. As she saw the horrific scene of Ensos reflected in the crystal ball, the imperial brush snapped in two between her fingers.

'Aurora—!'

The enraged queen tore through space and appeared directly inside the Wind Clan Chief's palace. Before Corra could stop her, she was blasted away by the magic erupting from Morgan. Aurora, before she could even react, was grabbed by the neck by Morgan and slammed against the wall.

'How dare you…' Morgan's voice trembled with rage, 'That was the last sanctuary of the fairy kingdom!'

Aurora chuckled softly, "Only now do you come to interrogate me? The order to attack bears the seal of the royal city." She deliberately drawled, "It was personally approved by your most trusted secretary..."

Morgan's last shred of reason crumbled completely. She slammed Aurora to the ground, the sound of bones cracking clearly audible. As Aurora tried to get up, her jeweled high heels slammed into her delicate face.

'This kick is for the children who died unjustly in Ioruf!'

Aurora collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood. Morgan grabbed her long hair and lifted her up again: 'You think you can trample on life by manipulating power?' Another heavy blow landed on her abdomen. 'This kick is for the tainted eternal lamp!'

As Corra struggled to intervene, Morgan grabbed her face and said, 'A mere lackey dares to interfere?' He then threw her out of the hall, and the barrier closed layer by layer amidst screams.

Turning to look at Aurora curled up on the ground, Morgan stomped on her hand, which was trying to form a hand seal: 'Remember, as long as I am Queen, it is not for you parasites to decide whose life or death.'

As he left, his silver hair danced wildly in the surge of magic, and his usually gentle blue eyes blazed with fury. The guards outside the door knelt down, none daring to look directly at this ruler who had completely torn away his mask of gentleness.

'Damn it! It's too late!' Morgan stared at the faint crimson hue in the northern sky, his nails digging deep into his palms. 'Aurora... I will make you taste the most painful humiliation in the world!'

A flash of silver light, and the Queen's figure vanished from the teleportation array. Inside the palace, Aurora struggled to sit up, wiping the blood from her lips and letting out a soft laugh. Corra limped closer, a clear fist mark still visible on his face.

'That she-fox…' she spat out a mouthful of blood, 'how dare she…'

“It’s alright.” Aurora stroked her swollen cheek, a morbid smug gleam in her eyes. “Everything is going according to plan. I specifically instructed Leonard to leave one alive…” She suddenly chuckled, “like that blonde woman with the child…what a perfect seed of revenge.”

(Let the vines of hatred entwine around her... just as they entwine around me back then...)

The seeds of this conspiracy were sown as early as the coup d'état of the Wind Clan. In the year 1020 of the Queen's Calendar, Aurora took advantage of Morgan's trip to the Inner Sea and used a carefully crafted lie to bewitch the secretary left behind.

"His Majesty specifically instructed before his departure..." Aurora said to the young secretary, her eyes brimming with tears, holding the forged document, "that once it's stamped, the Wind Clan will gain autonomy..."

(How naive people are... just like our ancestors who once believed in the promise of the Eternal King.)

The moment the seal touched the parchment, Aurora nearly burst into ecstasy. Looking at the unsuspecting secretary, she saw in him the image of her ancient Crommian ancestors, deceived by the royal family centuries ago.

Morgan's fury upon his return was entirely expected. The executed secretary died with bewildered eyes, while Aurora celebrated with a toast atop the Salisbury Tower.

(Look, Morgan... this is a power you will never understand. The seeds of hatred will eventually grow into a giant tree that overthrows the throne.)

-

Kalia's glance made Machia's heart tighten. This information had to be relayed to her companions who were heading to the Wind Clan immediately, but warning them now would only alert them. Ritsuka clenched her slightly trembling fingers, forcing herself to remain calm.

(Any rash action now will only ruin the pilgrimage plan...)

Just as she was suppressing her impulse, pink petals suddenly fell like snowflakes. That chilling voice rang out above her:

'Little Ritsuka probably thinks her older sister will miss this good show, right? That's so sad~'

On the rooftop, Merlin swung his pale legs, behind him appearing the imposing array of Leonard and the Knights of the Righteousness. Sekel slowly stepped out from the ranks, his leather gloves tapping lightly against each other.

"Thanks to your guidance, the true Eternal Lamp will finally be returned to its rightful owner." He deliberately turned to Machia, "Aren't you happy to see old friends? We went to great lengths to find these remnants."

A crimson light ignited in Machia's single eye, and Kalia immediately pressed down on her trembling shoulders. In the instant their eyes met, Ritsuka was swept away from the ground by a vortex of petals.

'This time I won't let you escape~' Merlin tapped his staff lightly, and space distorted and collapsed around Ritsuka.

'Master!' Sei Shonagon exclaimed as two figures rushed toward Ritsuka, who was gradually becoming transparent, but only managed to grab a few withered petals.

When Ritsuka opened her eyes again, she found herself in an endless sea of ​​pink flowers. A gentle breeze and rich fragrance concealed a deadly threat, and Merlin's staff was gathering an ominous purple light.

'Let's see how long you can last~' The witch chuckled, and light bullets rained down like a storm.

Ritsuka rolled into the flowerbed, where she had just stood, now a cratered hole. The blast wave tore her hairband off, and amidst the ringing in her ears, she seemed to hear Karna's teachings again: 'When dodging, pay attention to the trajectory of the bullets...'

'You've got some skills, huh?' Merlin tilted his head, watching the orange-haired girl weaving through the barrage of comments. Suddenly, his staff emitted a strange light. 'How about this?'

Just as Ritsuka was struggling to get up, Merlin chuckled and snapped his fingers. A dazzling torrent of magical energy suddenly erupted from the ground beneath Ritsuka's feet, propelling her high into the air. Three purplish-black magic bullets then hurtled towards her, striking her precisely in the abdomen and chest.

"Cough—!" Ritsuka fell like a kite with a broken string, leaving a long trail in the flower bushes. The burns on her back sent piercing pain through her; she felt as if all her ribs had shattered.

'Is that all?' Merlin shook her head in disappointment, her fingertips gracefully tracing an arc, and two longswords woven from golden runes materialized in the air. 'Let your sister see just how spectacular your final struggle can be~'

(Is this the end...? I'm not...)

Ritsuka instinctively covered her head and curled up. At that critical moment, a dazzling light suddenly burst from her pocket. Two Servant capsules flew out on their own, projecting clear illusions of Brunhilde and Slud in the air. The Valkyries swung their divine weapons to block the lightsabers, and sparks rained down.

"Master," the illusion of Brunhilde turned to look at him, its eyes filled with determination, "please allow us to fight alongside you once more."

Without hesitation, Ritsuka stretched out her hand and shouted, "Activate! Great power of the Norse Valkyries! Unite the sisters' strength and sweep away the enemies that stand in our way! Soar! Freedom! Ultimate Valkyrie!"

A dazzling blue armor instantly enveloped her entire body, her white skirt and golden wings fluttering in the wind. Merlin clapped his hands excitedly: 'That's more like it!'

(Our strength is rapidly depleting... We must finish this quickly!)

Ritsuka clasped her hands together in front of her chest, and a spear of light wrapped in runes slowly appeared. She suddenly pushed off the ground, and her figure instantly transformed into seven afterimages, launching thrusts from different directions.

'What...?' Merlin's hastily deployed thirty-six layers of barriers shattered one after another beneath the spear tip. Ritsuka sometimes attacked with whirlwind-like close-range strikes, and sometimes created distance to summon Valkyrie illusions for a pincer attack. Just as Merlin attempted to chant a large incantation, Ritsuka suddenly appeared directly above her, her spear slashing down with the force torn through space—

Blood, like a torrential downpour, stained the entire sea of ​​flowers red.

Ritsuka knelt on one knee, breathing heavily. Blood dripped continuously from the corner of her mouth, spreading a glaring red on the pure white petals. Her vision began to turn bloodshot, and her entire body seemed to groan in agony from the unbearable strain.

(Is this... the price of pushing your limits...?)