Fairy Round Table Realm, Poem of Eternal Mist

Before anyone could react, a violent shockwave had already blasted them all away. A blinding purplish-black substance enveloped Diana's body like a cocoon, and then, a deafening dragon's roar echoed through the sky.

As the light faded, a terrifying dragon, twenty-three meters tall, stood amidst the ruins. An ominous aura of calamity enveloped it, its crimson eyes fixed intently on Artoria.

Cornunos roared furiously through the dragon's throat: 'Damn it! You can't be so naive as to think you've won, can you? I will not rest until this shell is completely destroyed!!! Die, Son of Prophecy!!!'

The dragon's claws slammed down with devastating force. Before its colossal body, Caster was as insignificant as an ant. Although she managed to deploy her shield in time, the overwhelming power still slammed her into the ground. Senji Muramasa and Percival were already unconscious from the earlier shockwave, and Mash's black spear was blasted into the distant ruins.

The dragon's crimson pupils shifted, noticing Mashu's attempt to retrieve her weapon. It opened its massive jaws, and scorching black mud erupted like lava, hurtling towards Mashu. The girl barely dodged the first wave of attack, but was thrown to the ground by the subsequent shockwave. Before she could even rise, the dragon's other massive claw swung down like a swatter—

'Bang!'

After a heavy impact, Mashu was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the ruins and lying in a pool of blood, barely alive.

"Mash! Everyone!!" Ritsuka's scream was filled with despair.

'Hahahaha... Ahahahaha!' Cornunos's maniacal laughter shook the air. 'It seems you've run out of options! Just crush me, Castor! Die here forever, along with your predecessors!'

A wave of helplessness overwhelmed Ritsuka. Was she simply destined to watch her comrades fall one by one? Was she utterly powerless? Gazing at Mash, still struggling in a pool of blood, her heart felt like it was being torn apart. Her magic was completely depleted; even the simplest treatment was a luxury, let alone transforming for battle. But if this continued, everyone would die here.

"Ritsuka! What are you doing? Wait! No!" Amidst Leonardo da Vinci's exclamation, Ritsuka had already made her decision.

'I'm sorry… just one second… one second is enough…' she murmured, her gaze resolute as she looked at the raging dragon. 'Cornunos… I will not allow you to ruin Artoria's pilgrimage! Drink!'

Mimicking Diana's earlier actions, Ritsuka plunged Brunhilde's magic capsule deep into her weakened body. In a flash of silver light, a massive spear materialized in her hand. The spear blade swept across, severing the giant claw that was pinning Castor down.

Upon regaining his freedom, Castor immediately rushed to Mash and helped her up.

"Senpai!!!" Mashu's voice trembled with worry.

"Don't worry about me! Quick! Grab the black gun!" Ritsuka shouted, enduring the excruciating pain from her body being overloaded.

Mashu immediately understood; now was not the time to hesitate. She picked up the black gun, only to find that its energy was depleted and it needed to be recharged before she could fire again.

The one-armed dragon roared deafeningly, its fury causing the surrounding air to tremble. Castor sensed the unusual magical flow in the air, and his expression changed drastically.

'It's about to unleash an attack called "Fairy Sin - The Foul-Smelling Fairy Kingdom"! Once completed, the entire Fairy Kingdom will be destroyed! Even His Majesty cannot stop it—now—Mash, we'll give you our last bit of strength! I will also lend you my aid!'

'I'm not down yet!'

Senjimura, leaning on his katana, stood up shakily, blood flowing down his forehead and staining his orange-red sideburns red.

Percival, enduring excruciating pain, used the Holy Lance to support his body: 'Cough... This guy's attacks are really tough...'

Ritsuka weakly raised her head, her voice barely audible: 'Mash... what are we waiting for... Command Seals...'

"Wait!" Da Vinci interrupted hastily, "Stop using Command Seals! We are all of one mind now—give all our power to Mash!"

Looking at Ritsuka, who could barely stand, everyone's eyes were filled with sorrow, but they had no other choice at this moment. Everyone simultaneously opened their arms, channeling their remaining power into streams of light that converged on Mashu. The once dull black spear began to tremble, its shaft gradually gleaming with a crimson dawn, like the first rays of sunlight before dawn.

Opposite, the enraged dragon continued to frantically gather energy, its severed forelegs regenerating at a visible speed. Countless Morse surged in from all directions like a tidal wave, attempting a final counterattack.

Mashu steadily raised her black gun, butt against her shoulder, her eyes blazing: 'The final blow! Vanish, Cornunos!!! Shoot!!!'

A crimson beam of light tore through the sky, piercing the giant dragon's skull like a sword of judgment. The dragon roared, unleashing dark shockwaves in an attempt to defend itself, but before the black spear infused with the collective will of everyone, all resistance was futile. The beam penetrated its skull without hindrance, detonating violently within its body—

'Impossible! Impossible! How could I... Aaaaaaahh ...

Diana's final screams mingled with the dragon's roar, filled with resentment and despair. The massive dragon's body expanded rapidly like an overinflated balloon, then shattered into pieces with a deafening roar. The purplish-black fragments fell like rain, turning to ash in the sunlight.

The raging lightning subsided quietly, and the churning black mud gradually receded. Brilliant sunlight pierced through the clouds, showering the ravaged earth like a triumphant hymn.

The greatest evil in the world has been defeated here.

Meanwhile, on a high ground four kilometers away from the fortress.

Gazing at the scattered, ferocious beasts in the distance, the fairy knight Tristan showed no surprise, as if it were all to be so. Just as she turned to leave, a strange, spherical object in the grass caught her eye.

It was a bouncy ball, like a child's toy, only the size of a palm, yet exquisitely crafted with a blend of jet black, scarlet, and dark purple. Its smooth surface shimmered eerily in the setting sun, resembling a meticulously sculpted work of dark art.

Yao Cui bent down to pick up the small ball, feeling its cool touch on her fingertips. 'Well, I'll keep it.' She casually toyed with her trophy. 'Diana's dead anyway, might as well keep this as a souvenir—'

Heading Towards the Royal City - Fairy Round Table Realm, Poem of Eternal Mist

In a secluded corner of the Fairy Kingdom's third power, a dark meeting is taking place in a completely dark, sealed room.

A suppressed anxiety broke the silence in the darkness, fingers tapping unconsciously on the table: 'That useless Diana has utterly failed; she couldn't even unleash Kornunos's final, deadly move. Now that Morrigan has sided with the Queen, our plan is completely exposed—are we just going to sit here and wait to die?'

A second voice responded calmly, with an unsettling sense of pleasure in its tone: 'The final act requires all the actors to be in place. You just need to make sure Aurora and Nocnarria exit at the right time; this meticulously crafted drama cannot tolerate such distractions.' The voice paused, a hint of amusement in its tone, 'I'm confident I can execute this perfectly, aren't I?'

"Of course," the first voice suddenly became excited, "so what's next? Is it to recall that exiled woman?"

"Exactly." The second voice chuckled. "She's the key character in this play. Only then will the fairies' tragedy be even more...spectacular." A wicked anticipation lingered in the voice. "Exciting, isn't it?"

"Ah, I can't wait!" the first voice trembled with excitement. "It's time to pull Vivian down from her throne. How about this—let Vivian and that little princess savor a truly unforgettable 'comedy'?"

"The specific performance details are up to you," the second voice said with satisfaction. "After all, the collaboration between 'me' and 'me' has always been seamless—"

As my vision gradually adjusted to the darkness, I could vaguely make out two eerie silhouettes. The man on the left wore a well-tailored suit, and the chain of his single-lensed glasses gleamed coldly in the dim light. His every move exuded an unnatural elegance. The figure on the right, however, had transparent, fly-like wings, and its sharp claws unconsciously scraped the table as it spoke, producing an unsettling sound.

Beneath this facade of glamour and ugliness lies a deeper corruption. To them, this jointly plotted 'grand undertaking' is nothing more than a fall into an endless abyss. If they could maintain this pretense, perhaps they could have witnessed a peaceful future for the fairy kingdom. However, all their joy is built on the suffering of others; Cornunos's compassion has long been devoured by the hatred of the Naraku worms.

The island's will is twisted into filthy desires, giving birth to the stingy merchants of bustling markets and the putrid insects of the black swamps, along with the magnificent fairy king of the Autumn Forest—all are essentially the same being. For some necessity, they choose to coexist as the same individual in different periods. Peel back the glamorous exterior, and all that is revealed is an ever-falling abyss.

Memories swept in like a storm, each step precisely on the predetermined path. This was exactly what the calamity had longed for—the final act of Britain!

The Fairy Kingdom's resistance fortress, after being relentlessly attacked by the Fang Clan and the most ferocious beasts, was shattered. The surviving soldiers suffered heavy casualties, and even more worryingly, key generals such as Senji Muramasa, Caster, and Percival were all seriously wounded. Recovery would take time, but Morgan had already made it clear: the day the pilgrimage was completed would be the day the decisive battle in Camelot began. At this moment, personal feelings had to give way to a greater responsibility.

Looking at Castor, covered in wounds, lying on his sickbed, everyone felt heavy-hearted. The monstrous beast had stopped the pilgrimage at all costs, nearly taking the life of this prophesied child. Now, time was of the essence, and the situation was extremely precarious.

Just as despair was spreading, a long-lost voice came through the communicator:

'Ritsuka! Mashu! Da Vinci! Can you hear me?'

This familiar greeting was like a ray of dawn in the darkness. Ritsuka immediately rushed to the communicator, her voice trembling with excitement:

'Sherlock Holmes! Is that you? Great! It's been almost a month, and I'm so glad to hear your voices again!'

"A month?" Director Goldruff's voice broke in. "Only a week has passed in the outside world. Do you know how much effort we've put into rebuilding communications this past week?"

When Ritsuka activated the holographic projection, she saw Captain Nemo sitting in a wheelchair, his body wrapped in bandages. Clearly, the Nautilus had also undergone a major ordeal. After listening to the director and Munir recount Diana's attack on the submarine, Ritsuka realized that the woman they had defeated had already secretly attacked their rear base.

'I didn't expect…' Mashu clenched her fist. 'Diana had her eye on the Nautilus so early on. This must have been orchestrated by Beryl! Besides him, which other fairy knew about the submarine's existence?'

"We'll discuss the details later," Ritsuka said resolutely. "We absolutely cannot give up halfway now. The magnetic field interference from the Fairy Kingdom still exists. Director, we'll contact you again after we defeat the Lostbelt King! We will make Belial pay for his crimes in blood!"

Although Ritsuka didn't mention anything about what happened during that time, Holmes could tell from her transformed expression that the girl had undergone unimaginable growth over the past month. He and the director tacitly chose to respect this silence.

The communication had barely ended when Oberon appeared in the doorway. Looking around at the room full of wounded soldiers, he sighed softly, "Looks like everyone's badly injured. But I found an informant in Manchester, living next door to Bagster. He has a way to get us back on our feet."

Senjimura struggled to sit up, his brow furrowed: 'Manchester? That'll take several more days... Artoria, can you still walk?'

"I can barely hold on..." Caster forced himself to stand, his gaze sharp as he looked at Oberon. "I hope you're not just making this up; it would be best if such a person truly existed."

Looking at Caster, who still exuded a dangerous aura even when wounded, Oberon couldn't help but gasp. But he quickly regained his composure, having long been accustomed to such confrontations. Before departing, the group agreed: Gareth and Sei Shonagon would stay at the fortress to provide support, while the rest would accompany Oberon to Manchester to meet their informant and visit Bagst, whom they hadn't contacted in a long time. However, no one could predict how the fairy knight would react.

After traversing Manchester's bustling markets and vibrant streets, the group finally arrived at a tranquil, affluent neighborhood. When the 'informant' came into view, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash simultaneously widened their eyes—the person before them was none other than Peperoncino, the Master of Lostbelt 4. But unlike before, he was now Manchester's premier stylist and a rising star in the Fairy Kingdom's business world.

Leonardo da Vinci could not hide his astonishment: 'How did this happen? How did you become a business tycoon?'

"Ah~ Miss Da Vinci," Pepe gracefully picked up her teacup, "Success always comes step by step. Who can become fat in one bite? Actually, I was already here during Ashiya Doman's rebellion~"

Ashiya Doman? Based on the timeline, Kirshtalia was already on the verge of death when Chaos descended upon Olympus, and Belial escaped in the chaos. Perhaps Pepe came to Britain on Kirshtalia's orders. However, the subsequent events in Heian-kyo consumed a great deal of everyone's time, meaning Pepe should have arrived in the Fairy Kingdom two months prior. His ability to rise to the ranks of business elites in such a short time is truly astonishing.

Leonardo da Vinci scrutinized Pepe Roncino, his eyes filled with cautious inquiry: 'Pepe, can you tell us? Why do you want to help us? I don't think your contact with Oberon was accidental.'

Pepe sighed softly and took out a yellowed group photo from his pocket—a group photo of the seven members of Group A, except for Belial's part, which had been roughly torn out. His fingertips gently brushed over the images of Kirshtalia and Ophelia, his voice low and restrained:

"Actually... the reason is simple." His gaze lingered on the photograph. "I will avenge Kirshtalia. Belial, for his own selfish desires, destroyed all our hard work... he is the culprit." Pepe raised her eyes, her expression hardening. "Your journey is nearing its end. Kirshtalia has been worried about your safety on your way to the Seventh Lostbelt, because Debit has lost contact with you since you arrived at the Fifth Lostbelt."

He gently set down the photograph and continued, "Our Group A also has its own mission—to witness your journey through the seven Lostbelts. Now, I just need to finish the final touches." His tone suddenly became concerned, "By the way, Kadoc… is he still alive?"

Recalling Pepe's meticulous care during their time in the Fourth Lostbelt, Ritsuka nodded firmly: "He's alright, he's still in his hibernation pod on the Nautilus."

“That’s good.” Pepe breathed a sigh of relief. “Hopefully, Debit won’t want to know the current situation… Let’s talk about these things later.” He turned to Oberon. “I understand what you meant by ‘the greatest evil in the world.’ That’s what Belial and his Third Force created, isn’t it?”

'It's Beryl again?' Mashu couldn't help but ask, 'What exactly does that man want?'

“It’s simple,” Pepe’s voice was cold. “He’s wreaking havoc on the Fairy Kingdom purely to satisfy his own selfish desires. Although I haven’t had direct contact with him during my two months here, he’s been plotting something with several clan chiefs and Merlin from another world.” He looked at the group seriously. “However, you’d better be prepared. Those chiefs are all two-faced bastards. Since Belial can be so kind to them, they’ll definitely not treat you well.”

Ritsuka unconsciously swallowed: 'Hmm... the truth will definitely come out eventually...'

Pepe walked to the table and unfolded a detailed map of the Fairy Kingdom. Since Oberon had already explained the progress of the pilgrimage, there was no need for further explanation. The map contained photos of Merlin and Beryl, as well as the image of the deceased Diana.

"Now that the pilgrimage is complete, your next task is to have the last fairy knight's true name determined." Pepe handed over a photograph, "This is the little princess."

Caster took the photo, his pupils contracting slightly: 'It's her... the Fairy Knight Tristan...'

Pepe nodded in confirmation: 'This little princess is a pampered child in the palace, and also someone who has made a pact with Belial. To reveal her true name, you must first defeat Belial.' His fingertip landed on a spot on the map. 'Two days later, Gloucester will be hosting a ball. You can take this opportunity to act; after all, the little princess loves such occasions. Wouldn't it be perfect to create a little 'excitement'?'

Pepe's gaze lingered on Merlin's photograph, his brow furrowing involuntarily. Even he found this madwoman a challenge.

"Next up is her." Peipei's voice carried an unusual seriousness. "With her immortality and relentless persistence, she won't back down easily unless absolutely necessary. With our current strength, we're simply no match for her... This is troublesome..."

Ritsuka couldn't help but interject: 'Then what about before...?'

“Beheading won’t work,” Pepe interrupted, shaking her head. “You’ve seen it for yourself; even after being beheaded, she can reappear unscathed. We must find a truly lethal method, but such a thing doesn’t exist in the Fairy Kingdom.” He tapped his fingertips lightly on the table. “However, I already have a plan for attacking the royal city. Isn’t Percival’s army nearly wiped out? I can provide troop support.”

'This is a great help!' Percival said gratefully.

“A piece of cake.” Pepe waved his hand, precisely placing several chess pieces on the Camelot map. “The royal city needs a three-pronged attack, and we must simultaneously contend with six fairy knights. Our forces cannot be too concentrated, nor too dispersed, otherwise any side could be breached.” He paused, a meaningful smile appearing on his face. “However, even facing two fairy knights on one side might not be impossible. Perhaps… they will make unexpected choices based on the situation.”

As the pieces moved, a meticulous attack plan gradually took shape, with even the retreat route planned in an orderly manner.

-

Meanwhile, deep within the territory of the royal clan.

Nocnarria observed everyone's movements through the monitoring crystal and nodded in satisfaction. Aurora and Corra beside her immediately echoed her.

'Finally, this moment has arrived—' Nocnarria's lips curled into a cold smile, 'Let's give these guys one last treat.'

"Don't rush," Aurora gracefully handed over her crystal ball, "There's only one final step before the Queen's downfall. Don't forget these two people—"

The crystal ball clearly reflected the figures of Gareth and Sei Shonagon, who remained at the fortress. As the last hope of the Mirror Clan, they were now as isolated and helpless as lambs fallen into a pack of wolves.

'Kill them.' Aurora's voice was soft yet cold. 'Remember, don't kill them instantly. Let them die slowly in agony, so that Castor can witness it.' Her fingertips traced the surface of the crystal ball. 'As for when to do it, that's up to you.'

The camera slowly zooms out, revealing a fully armed Meluxin standing quietly to one side. Her petite frame cannot conceal the boiling killing intent in her eyes. She slowly wipes the undried blood from the blade, lifts her blindfold, and reveals a pair of deep brown eyes.

"No problem, Lady Aurora."

Gloucester Ball - Fairy Round Table Realm, Poem of Eternal Mist