Fairy Round Table Realm, Poem of Eternal Mist

Taking advantage of this gap, Caster swung his staff, and a crescent-shaped magical slash tore through the air, precisely cutting into the weak point of the water wall and steam, directly striking Machia's main body behind it!

A muffled sound came, the water wall rippled violently, and the continuous water spray came to an abrupt halt.

The steam dissipated slightly, revealing Machia tilting her head slightly, seemingly surprised. She raised her hand to wipe away a tiny scratch on her cheek—a wound inflicted by the aftershock of Caster's slash.

"Interesting...it actually managed to interrupt 'Water Gun'." Her blood-red eyes showed a slight increase in interest. "The warm-up should be almost over."

"Water Cannon"—an extremely advanced attack technique within water magic. It involves compressing and accelerating ordinary water droplets to their extreme using magic, resulting in a muzzle velocity and penetrating power comparable to the most advanced sniper rifles in human history. The smaller the water droplet, the more terrifying its speed and penetrating power; and if one could control even larger water projectiles…the destructive power would be unimaginable.

Maquia's killing intent began to rise silently and terrifyingly, like an undercurrent in the deep sea. The temperature in the square seemed to drop slightly, and a humid and dangerous atmosphere filled the air. The real battle had only just begun.

"Be careful!"

Machia gave a cold shout, her right hand forming a fist. The moisture in the air gathered and solidified at a visible speed, transforming into a long, transparent liquid whip in her palm, which subtly reflected a dangerous, cold light. The whip was not still; countless tiny vortices spun rapidly within it, emitting a low hum.

Without warning, the long whip lashed out, its trajectory unpredictable, splitting into two that crossed and strangled each other, striking Caster and Senji Muramasa respectively!

"Something's wrong!" Senji Muramasa's pupils contracted sharply. The distorted air and piercing shriek around the whip were definitely not ordinary. "Retreat!"

His reaction was astonishingly fast. Almost the instant the whip appeared, he took a step forward, wrapped his arm around Caster's waist, and pushed off with his feet, his body retreating rapidly to the side and back like a cannonball!

"laugh--!!!"

Two whip shadows narrowly missed their afterimages, not striking the ground, but instead, like the sharpest high-pressure water jets, silently cutting into a nearby abandoned stone watchtower.

Then, an ear-piercing cracking sound suddenly erupted! The solid stone tower shifted and slid along two smooth, mirror-like cuts, collapsing with a deafening roar and kicking up clouds of dust. The fracture was terrifyingly smooth, as if it had been cut by the most precise instrument in the world.

“That is…” Caster was still in shock, his eyes filled with horror as he looked at the whip.

“A ‘water blade’ solidified to its extreme, yet maintaining ultra-high-speed internal flow.” Senjimura released her, his tone grave, his eyes fixed on the whip Machia raised again. “Even a mere glancing blow is enough to slice us in two, armor and all! The second wave is coming!”

Before she finished speaking, Machia flicked her wrist, and the whip exploded! It didn't dissipate, but transformed into countless sharp water spikes and thick water columns that shot out, densely covering the space dozens of meters in front of them, like a bursting forest of metal thorns, threatening to completely pierce and tear the two apart!

"Hmph!" Faced with this unavoidable barrage, a fierce glint flashed in Senji Muramasa's eyes. He no longer tried to dodge, but instead lowered his stance and thrust his right arm forward!

"Projection, begin—!"

Azure magic circuits emerged and moved beneath his arm skin as if alive, radiating brilliant light! Crimson flames and leaping blue-white arcs of electricity surged from the circuits, intertwining, compressing, and shaping each other! In the blinding brilliance, a gigantic cleaver with a grotesque shape and a blade far longer than his height rapidly solidified! The blade was wreathed in flames and lightning, exuding an aura of unparalleled madness and destruction.

"Drink!"

With a low growl, Senji Muramasa gripped the hilt of the giant sword, which was almost as tall as him, with both hands, his muscles bulging, and swung it high into the air before slashing down fiercely at the water jungle that was attacking him!

"BOOM—!!!"

The deafening roar of the giant blade slamming into the ground was like a meteor falling to earth! A violent shockwave, mixed with flames and lightning, erupted forward in a fan shape! A deep, scorched trench was carved into the ground, colliding violently with the countless jets of water that came rushing towards it!

The clash between water and fire unleashed a series of explosions and towering steam! Most of the water jets were instantly vaporized and dispersed by this brutal attack!

"Shoot down a hundred heads - Mountain Collapse!"

With a low roar, Senjimura dragged the giant sword stuck in the ground and charged forward! The blade scraped violently against the ground, sending countless sparks and pebbles flying, leaving even deeper and more terrifying scratches, as it slashed towards Maquia, who was shrouded in steam, with unstoppable momentum!

"Innocent!"

Maquia's cool voice pierced through the steam. Facing this blade that seemed capable of cleaving mountains, she neither dodged nor evaded, but instead took a step forward, raising her right arm—

hum!

A dazzling golden light suddenly shone from her right arm! The light was pure and holy, instantly dispelling the surrounding steam and condensing into a tangible, semi-transparent golden arm armor phantom, which steadily held the falling giant blade!

"clang--!!!"

The deafening clang of metal clashing shot straight into the sky, and a visible shockwave suddenly spread out! Qianzicun felt an incredibly solid force, as if he had struck a mountain, coming from the blade. His hand throbbed with pain, and his forward momentum came to an abrupt halt!

"Tightly gripping the silver right wrist that no one knows about."

This seemingly fantastical weapon, born from the name of "Fairy Knight Bedivere," is at its core connected to a deeper reality—a fragment of past glory belonging to the "Silver Arm," sharing the same origin as that loyal knight in pan-human history. It is not Maquia's current manifestation of power as a water fairy, but rather an echo of a "false past" she has deliberately sealed away, considering it something to be discarded. The defense it provides is sturdy and sacred, yet lacks offensive power, clashing with her current killing intent.

The violent blade energy, unable to break through the defenses, poured out from both sides of the golden arm armor, carving out huge, crisscrossing trenches in the city walls and ground behind Machia, filling the air with dust.

However, at this moment of stalemate, a sudden change occurred!

Strands and strands of viscous, blood-red substance silently seeped from the shadows beneath Machia's feet, spreading rapidly in all directions like a living fungus, especially surging toward the very feet of Senko Village, which was right next to them!

"Mr. Muramasa! Get back!" Caster's shrill cry rang out, filled with unprecedented panic. "That red thing... it can dissolve everything! If you touch it, you're done for!"

Senji Muramasa was startled, catching a glimpse of the eerie red spreading out of the corner of his eye. In that life-or-death moment, he unleashed all his strength, forcefully pulling back his giant sword, and slamming his feet into the ground, propelling himself backward!

"Shoot-"

One corner of his cloak was a beat too slow during the retreat, and was gently brushed by a streak of red substance that spread the fastest.

There was no sound, no light. The tough fabric, along with the cloak buckles, melted and vaporized instantly before their eyes, like ice and snow thrown into strong acid, leaving not a trace! The tip of the giant sword, also stained with the red substance, emitted a teeth-grinding "sizzle," its surface quickly becoming pitted and losing its luster!

A cold glint flashed in Maquia's eyes. Her right hand maintained the blocking posture of the golden arm armor, while her left hand quietly rose and aimed at Senji Muramasa, who had just landed and was still unsteady on his feet.

More red matter, like living tentacles, erupted from the ground around her and shot towards Qianzi Village! Its speed and angle were so precise that it practically sealed off all escape routes!

Muramasa Senji's pupils contracted; his old power was exhausted, and new power had not yet arisen. The deadly red was about to engulf him—

"The stars of your hope surround you—!"

Caster's clear and resolute chanting, like a morning bell breaking through the dark clouds, resounded throughout the battlefield.

A dazzling radiance, as if gathering all the colors of spring flowers, bloomed before her! Countless phantoms of starlight and petals swirled and danced around her, forming a huge, brilliant, and dreamlike ring of light that blocked the approaching red substance from between Senko Village and the incoming red substance!

"Sizzle sizzle...!"

The red substance violently struck the light wall, producing a loud erosion sound. Violent ripples spread across the surface of the light wall, and starlight and petals were constantly annihilated and regenerated, stubbornly resisting the terrible dissolving power.

Senjimura was able to catch his breath and immediately joined up with Caster. The two stood side by side, looking solemnly at the enemy on the other side of the light barrier, shrouded in golden and blood-red light, whose aura was becoming increasingly dangerous and unpredictable.

The starlight shield constructed by Caster trembled violently under the continuous erosion of the crimson substance, its light flickering erratically, but it bought Senji Muramasa a precious moment.

"Projection - multiple!"

With a low shout, magical ripples appeared in the air around Senji Muramasa. One, two, three... a total of seven samurai swords, each with a different style but equally cold and sharp light, appeared out of thin air, like living fish, hovering and rotating around him, their tips all pointing at the surging blood outside the shield and the blurry figure of Machia behind him.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Caster's forehead; maintaining his Noble Phantasm against the eerie dissolving power was taking a heavy toll. Just moments before the ring of light dimmed and was about to shatter—

"Now!"

A sharp light flashed in Senji Muramasa's eyes! The seven katanas surrounding him simultaneously lit up with dazzling crimson patterns, and the magic power compressed to its limit inside emitted a hum that could not bear the strain.

The shield shattered.

The crimson substance surged forth like a burst dam.

At the same moment, the seven katanas transformed into seven crimson meteors that tore through the air. Instead of shooting towards Maquia herself, they precisely embedded themselves in the ground around her in seven different locations, completely blocking all possible angles for her to dodge!

"burst!"

Senji clenched his fist and uttered a cold word.

boom----------!!!!

Based on the seven katana swords, an unimaginable blinding white light first engulfed all vision. Immediately following was a terrifying roar far exceeding the limits of auditory endurance! The earth trembled and bulged like a giant drum! A massive hemispherical explosion field, a mixture of flames, lightning, and pure shockwaves, suddenly expanded, completely engulfing the area where Maquia was located!

This was no ordinary flame; it was a destructive energy released instantaneously after being highly compressed by magic! The blinding light even forced Castor and Senji Muramasa to temporarily close their eyes or turn their heads away. The scorching heatwave crashed outwards like a tsunami, hurling and tearing apart the remaining rubble, stones, and even the broken pieces of wood and spears further away!

From the epicenter of the explosion, a miniature mushroom cloud, a mixture of black smoke and fire, slowly rose.

The light and the loud noise gradually subsided, leaving only a charred, massive crater on the ground, traces of melting, and the heavy smell of burnt gas and ozone in the air.

At the edge of the giant pit, a figure knelt on one knee.

It's Machia.

Her armor was covered in scratches and charred marks, and her exposed skin showed multiple burns and fine cuts. Her silver hair was disheveled and stained with dust and ash. She lowered her head, her shoulders and back rising and falling slightly, as if she were calming her breathing and enduring the main impact of the explosion.

After a moment, she supported herself on her knees and slowly stood up. Her movements were somewhat sluggish, but still steady.

She didn't look back at the two people outside the pit, nor did she assume a fighting stance again. She simply raised her hand and casually wiped away a trace of blood seeping from the corner of her mouth with the back of her still intact left hand.

Then, she stepped aside, clearing the now empty road leading to the inner city of the west gate.

"...That's fine."

Her voice came through, less murderous than before, and filled with an indescribable weariness and complexity.

“Go, Caster.” She tilted her head slightly, her gaze seemingly sweeping behind her before finally settling on the deepest part of the royal city, where towering towers stood. “Her Majesty… is already waiting for you. She has been waiting… for a long time.”

After speaking, she said no more. Maquia's body began to blur and become transparent, like a reflection in water scattered by a pebble. Her form rapidly liquefied, turning into a clear yet swift stream of water that meandered silently along the scorched crevices in the ground, disappearing in the shadows of the ruins and around the corner of a distant alley in the blink of an eye, leaving no trace.

All that remained was a scene of utter devastation, the still-smoking, charred crater, and a silent, final road leading to the heart of the royal city.

Senja Village slowly exhaled a scorching breath, and the magical light surrounding it gradually subsided. Caster gripped his staff tightly, his icy blue eyes fixed on the direction where Machia had disappeared, then looked at the silhouette of the majestic palace at the end of the road, and remained silent for a moment.

"Let's go," she said softly, her voice heavy with determination.

Without delay, the two stepped across the still-warm battlefield, their figures disappearing into the shadows of the west gate, and hurried toward the final stage.

Royal City Showdown – Fairy Knight Gareth – Fairy Round Table Realm, Poem of Eternal Mist

At the north gate of Camelot, the once densely packed defensive lines had been torn apart. The queen's soldiers, clad in bronze horse-head helmets and capable of summoning lightning, were reduced to shattered armor and stray bolts of lightning by the coordinated assault of Fujimaru Ritsuka, Mash, and Da Vinci. The main road leading to the inner city gradually emerged amidst the smoke and the lingering glow of magic.

Just as everyone was about to break through the last line of defense, a familiar aura, carrying a chilling coldness, suddenly descended.

"Click, click..."

The crisp, dense sound of ice crystals condensing grew louder as it approached, the temperature in the air plummeted, and breath turned to frost. A figure landed steadily in the middle of the road amidst the drifting ice shards, blocking the way.

Her golden hair fluttered slightly in the frigid air, and her icy blue eyes were like the deep polar sea, clear yet unfathomable. The fairy knight Gareth-Kalia didn't hold her occasionally used staff; instead, she merely held it loosely, a constantly spinning ice ball radiating a chilling aura hovering and growing above her palm.

Looking at these girls who had once fought alongside her, and could even be called friends, Kalia felt a sharp, suffocating pain in her heart, as if pierced by invisible icicles. Ritsuka was the Master of the Pan-Human History, while she was a Fairy Knight of this Lostbelt—fundamentally, they were opposing factions. No matter how many warm memories they shared, how many moments of life and death they had faced together, when their respective "greater good" and "missions" were weighed on the scales, those bonds seemed incredibly fragile. Ironically, at this moment, she clearly sensed the same sorrow and struggle reflected in Ritsuka's eyes.

“…Kalia.” Ritsuka stopped, her voice hoarse, her hand gripping the simple formal attire tightening slightly. “In the end…it still has to be like this? I…”

“Me too.” Kalia interrupted her, his voice colder than the surrounding air, as if convincing himself, or cutting off the last vestiges of hesitation. “But some things… must be done. His Majesty’s will cannot be disobeyed. If you still harbor even a sliver of naive illusions, then you will never truly be able to cross the gates of this fairy kingdom.”

Ritsuka lowered her head, her bangs obscuring part of her expression, but the slight tremor in her shoulders didn't escape Kalia's notice. She immediately understood—Ritsuka wanted to say something about Gareth and Sei Shonagon's deaths. Grief and anger surged like a tide, almost overwhelming Kalia's own reason. But now… was not the time.

“Those things…” Kalia’s voice suddenly rose, carrying a resolute tone, “Let’s talk about them after everything is over! Now, put away all hesitation and sorrow! If you don’t want their deaths to be meaningless—!”

As if in response to her words, or as if she had made a firm decision, Ritsuka was suddenly engulfed in blazing black and red flames! The flames were not a warm orange-red, but a dark hue mixed with rebellion and karma, within which faintly emerged the phantoms of a saint draped in a banner and a wildly unrestrained demon king. When the light faded, Ritsuka's attire had changed, and in her hand she held a strange firearm that combined technology and mystery.

On the other side, Kalia took a deep breath, and icy blue magic erupted from her petite body like a storm! The concentration of cold air around her instantly soared, and thick white frost began to condense on the ground, ruins, and even the air. Countless tiny ice crystals swirled and gathered around her, making a teeth-grinding friction sound.

"Come on!" Kalia's icy gaze locked onto Ritsuka, all complex emotions suppressed, leaving only the warrior's resolute spirit. "Use all your strength—defeat me!"

“As you wish!” Ritsuka’s eyes narrowed, and she no longer hesitated. She raised her arm, and rows of ancient but dangerous muzzle-loading muskets quickly materialized in the air in front of her, their muzzles all aimed at Kalia.

"volley!"