Fairy Round Table Realm, Poem of Eternal Mist

Two muffled thuds, almost simultaneous! Muramasa's fierce thrust was caught by Melusin's left hand, which casually pinched the tip of the blade, leaving it completely still; Caster's magic cone was firmly blocked by her right palm, ice shards and starlight exploding in her palm, yet unable to advance an inch!

The next second, Melusin twisted her waist and suddenly pulled back with both arms! Muramasa and Caster immediately felt an irresistible force and their bodies lost their balance and leaned forward! Immediately afterwards, Melusin's small fists struck out like lightning, landing on their chests!

"Boom! Boom!"

The two men were sent flying like cannonballs, rolling several times on the ground before finally coming to a stop, blood spilling from their mouths, and unable to get up for a while.

Melusin flicked her wrist, as if she had done something trivial. She clasped her hands together in front of her chest, then raised them above her head, where a chilling, compressed magical light gathered between her palms, faintly forming the shape of a sword.

"That's about enough... time to clear the area."

She swung her arms forward suddenly!

"boom--------!!!"

A terrifying shockwave, wider than the plaza and even taller than Camelot's tallest tower, solidified like a colossal blade of light, carrying an aura of annihilation, swept towards the six people who had just gathered! Wherever it passed, the ground was torn apart and ripped apart, and the air shrieked in unbearable pain!

As Castor struggled to his feet, his pupils constricted in the face of this unavoidable catastrophe. He tried to build a defense, but it was too late!

"Miss Artoria! Behind you!"

At the critical moment, Mashu stood between her and the shockwave! The girl poured all her strength into the giant cross shield, her legs slamming into the ground, letting out an indomitable roar, and forcefully pushed the shield against the roaring torrent of destruction!

"BOOM!!!"

The deafening impact felt like it was tearing eardrums apart! The instant the shield made contact with the shockwave, a blinding flash of light and a violent shockwave erupted! Mashu felt as if she were using a shield to withstand a collapsing mountain! An unimaginable force transmitted through the shield, making her arm bones creak and her internal organs feel like they were about to shift! The stone slabs beneath her feet instantly turned to dust, and her legs, under the irresistible force, plowed two deep, ever-expanding furrows into the ground!

"Ugh...!" Blood seeped from Mashu's clenched teeth. Her arms trembled, and her shield groaned under the strain, its surface dimming rapidly. But a fierce flame burned in her azure eyes, and her feet, as if rooted to the ground, braced themselves against the retreating edge of the ravine, firmly protecting Caster behind her.

"Aaaaaaahh ...

Mashu unleashed a roar beyond her limits—not a painful groan, but a resolute roar that channeled all her will and power into her arms! Facing the massive sword energy shockwave that crashed down like a mountain, she did not choose to withstand it head-on. Instead, she suddenly twisted her waist, channeling all her strength, along with the kinetic energy of the shockwave itself, to the side!

The giant cross shield roared under the strain, its surface flashing wildly with light! With the girl twisting it with all her might, the destructive light blade was actually deflected, grazing the edge of the shield and flying diagonally to one side of the square!

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The deflected sword energy was like a runaway apocalyptic plow, cutting through everything in its path, from thick stone walls and exquisite sculptures to sturdy sentry towers, as if butter were being sliced ​​and shattered by a hot knife! Smoke and rubble shot into the sky, leaving behind a shocking trail of destruction hundreds of meters long.

However, Mashu didn't even have time to breathe a sigh of relief at this miraculous block.

The petite silver figure had already disappeared at the edge of my field of vision.

In the next instant, a chilling premonition of death crept up my spine!

Melusine appeared beside Mash like a ghost, so fast that her afterimage was almost nonexistent. She didn't even use her blades, but simply threw an uppercut from below, aiming at the opening in Mash's ribs exposed by her full-force shield swing!

"Oh!"

A dull, heart-stopping thud! Mashu felt as if she had been hit head-on by a high-speed train, her internal organs instantly displaced, and excruciating pain overwhelmed all her senses! Her petite body, like a snapped straw, uncontrollably floated upwards slightly, her defensive posture completely collapsing.

Melusin's attacks were fluid and seamless. The instant Mashu's body was airborne, she spun around and unleashed a fierce side kick like a battle axe, striking Mashu hard in the abdomen!

"cough--!"

Mashu spat out a mouthful of blood mist and flew out like a cannonball, crashing right into Caster and Senko Muramasa, who were rushing to her aid! The three of them tumbled into a heap and fell to the ground in a sorry state.

"Mash! Are you alright!" Caster struggled to sit up and supported the girl in his arms, whose breathing was erratic.

"N-nothing...it's nothing..." Mashu tried to answer, but another mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs gushed out, staining her chest armor red. Her face was as pale as paper, clearly indicating that she was seriously injured.

With just pure fists and kicks, without any fancy magic or Noble Phantasms, Mash, with her excellent defense, was severely injured! This overwhelming and despairing disparity in power cast a heavy frost over everyone present. Even Da Vinci, who was on the edge of the battle trying to analyze and provide support, felt powerless—the data showed that the combat parameters of this "Fairy Knight Lancelot" had long exceeded the scope of conventional tactics.

However, even the seemingly invincible are never without flaws. Melusin's strength is undeniable, but her fighting style, her rhythm of action, and especially that seemingly effortless demeanor might reveal a certain inertia in her responses to coordinated attacks…

An idea that was almost insane, yet might be the only chance, collided and took shape in the minds of several key combatants almost simultaneously!

"Children!" Senji Muramasa wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes sharp as knives, and roared in a low voice, "Try that method! Let's see if she can still be so thorough!"

No further explanation is needed; the tacit understanding born in dire straits instantly ignited everyone's fighting spirit!

"oh--!!!"

His response was a unified and deep war cry.

The next moment, a burst of light erupted!

Percival took a deep breath, and the Holy Lance "Rongomminiad" in his hand erupted with an unprecedentedly brilliant golden light, the tip of the spear gathering an ultimate sharpness that seemed to pierce through the stars!

Senji Muramasa's arm muscles bulged, and his azure magic circuits blazed brightly once more. The ferocious giant blade "Shoot Down a Hundred Heads," wreathed in flames and lightning, reappeared with a devastating roar, and the aura of destruction surged wildly!

Caster slammed her staff into the ground, and icy blue magic swirled around her like a vortex. Countless ancient runes emerged and linked from the ground and the air, forming a vast and complex enhancement spell, and the light enveloped all her companions!

Fujimaru Ritsuka gripped the dazzling Excalibur tightly, pouring all the remaining magical power, along with all the magic power she had drawn from the Spirit Origin Capsule, into it without reservation. The sword hummed, its light flickering, as if it were about to transform into a torrent of light that would sever destiny at any moment!

Faced with this sudden surge of combined power, echoing each other and seemingly capable of tearing the heavens and earth apart, Melusin was not alarmed but delighted. She licked her lips, her brown eyes almost overflowing with excitement, and her half-invulnerable cheek burned with fierce fighting spirit.

“Yes! That’s it!” Her clear voice trembled with excitement. “Come on! Let me see if the last bit of strength you’ve squeezed out is enough—”

"—Shake me!"

"Now—charge!" Senji Muramasa roared, like a bugle call to launch a general offensive!

"Drink it all!!!"

A deafening roar shook the heavens and the earth! Caster took the lead, and the staff he had planted in the ground shone brightly! The ground cracked open, and a golden-blue pillar of light, more than five meters in diameter and composed entirely of highly compressed magic and runes, roared upwards towards Melusin like a giant dragon awakening!

Almost simultaneously, Percival's holy lance transformed into a golden meteor that tore through space, while Muramasa's giant blade unleashed a blazing lightning strike capable of scorching mountains and boiling seas! The three attacks were not separate, but rather, guided by the Caster spell and with the tacit cooperation of the group, they struck Melusin from three different angles almost simultaneously!

Faced with this unavoidable combined attack, a fierce glint flashed in Melusin's eyes. She crossed her arms in front of her, and her silver-white magic instantly formed a solid hemispherical shield. At the same time, she wielded her twin blades, attempting to block or deflect the attack!

"Boom! Clang! Sizzle—!"

A deafening explosion and crashing sounds filled the air! Pillars of light pounded against the shield, and the Holy Lance and the Greatsword slashed at each other, unleashing a violent surge of energy! The ground beneath Melusin's feet cracked and sank inch by inch, the shield fluctuated violently, and even the dual blades felt unprecedented pressure! Her petite body leaned back slightly at the center of the explosion, showing signs of being "suppressed" for the first time!

It's now!

Mash, who had been lurking on the flanks and waiting for her chance, suddenly struck like the most patient hunter! Despite the excruciating pain in her internal organs, she raised her shield high above her head and, as if wielding a warhammer, smashed it down with all her might towards Melusin's exposed back, which had been exposed while she was desperately blocking the attack from the front!

A sense of danger washed over her! Melusin reacted with astonishing speed, not even having time to retract her blocking hands. Her free left leg lashed out like a scorpion's tail, striking Mash's shield precisely in the side!

"Boom!"

Mash, shield and all, was sent staggering to the side by the swift back kick, her attack missing its mark. However, instead of frustration, Mash's face revealed a weak smile, as if her plan had succeeded.

Because everyone's attacks, including her feints, were all designed to create that one sliver of opportunity—a moment when Melusin's attention was completely diverted and her defenses faltered slightly.

A real threat!

"You're focusing too much on what's in front of you, Melusin!"

Fujimaru Ritsuka's stern shout, like the pronouncement of death, rang in her ears!

Just as Melusin kicked Mashu away, Ritsuka's figure had already pounced like a ghost from behind the cover of the light of the Caster runes! In her hand, she did not hold a holy sword that shone with dazzling light, but a strangely shaped shotgun with a muzzle that gleamed with dangerous magic! The muzzle was less than half a meter away from Melusin's unguarded profile, which was turned slightly in surprise!

This is a magical costume specially made by Koyanskaya. The bullets are made of highly concentrated magical crystals, and their power is far beyond that of ordinary gunpowder weapons!

"Bang--!!!"

A deafening gunshot rang out at extremely close range! The muzzle spewed out blazing flames and thick smoke, and countless steel balls enhanced by magic, like an enraged swarm of bees, spread out in a fan shape and slammed into Melusin's left cheek!

Without armor protection, bare flesh faces a volley of magical bullets at such close range—

"Pfft! Crack!"

A sickening cracking and tearing sound rang out simultaneously! Melusin's left cheek, along with part of her cheekbone, instantly became a bloody mess under the violent impact of the steel ball! Large patches of skin were torn open and ripped away, revealing the writhing, bright red muscle tissue and pale bone fragments beneath! Blood gushed out of the horrific wound like a fountain, instantly staining her silver-blue shoulder armor and chest crimson!

"Ughh ...

For the first time, unimaginable pain erupted from Melusin's lips in a piercing scream! She reflexively released her hands from her blocking, covered her half-disfigured, blood-soaked cheek, and retreated abruptly, disengaging from the battle.

She knelt on one knee in the distance, her body trembling slightly from the excruciating pain and rage. Warm blood welled up between her fingers, dripping onto the ground and pooling into a small, glaring red puddle. Her brown eyes, which had always held a hint of mockery or excitement, were now filled with disbelief, raging fury, and… a deep-seated, bone-chilling shame of being wounded by an ant.

This shot was not fatal.

But this pain, this unexpected trauma, and the "results" of this meticulously planned joint attack have shaken the arrogance of this "strongest" fairy knight like never before, and ignited a cold and piercing flame of killing intent in her heart.

"Wow, that's really capable..."

Melusine's voice came from behind her fingers, with a strange, distorted tone mixed with a writhing pain and an uncontrollable, surging rage like magma.

“I thought… you were just a bunch of empty shells…” She slowly lowered her hand from her left cheek, her palm and between her fingers slick with thick blood. Through the dripping blood, the horrific wound on her left cheek could be seen stopping bleeding and shrinking at a visible speed, new granulation tissue wriggling in the dim magical light, but the gruesome sight of torn skin and exposed muscle was still shocking. On her unaffected right side, the muscles were taut, her brown eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, fixed intently on Fujimaru Ritsuka, “I didn’t expect… you could bring me such a ‘surprise.’ Indeed… you’ve made me look at you in a new light.”

Her voice grew colder and colder, and the last few words were almost squeezed out between her teeth.

“However,” she straightened up, her left cheek still covered in blood, but her imposing manner had not diminished; instead, it had become even more dangerous due to her rage, “the game ends here. You’ve done enough to make me feel ‘pain’ now. I have no interest in… playing with you any longer.”

Upon hearing this, Castor's heart tightened, and he took half a step forward: "You mean..."

Melusine didn't answer. She merely glanced coldly at Castor, then raised her undamaged right hand. A vibrant, emerald-green magical light gathered in her palm, forming a soft sphere of light. She gently pressed the sphere of light against her mangled left cheek.

zizi...

With a subtle sound, the emerald light touched the area where the torn flesh was smoothed out as if by an invisible hand. Severed blood vessels were mended, and torn muscle fibers regenerated and healed rapidly. In just a few breaths, the terrible wound had vanished, the skin returned to its smooth state, without even a scar, as if it had never been injured. Only the dark red bloodstains remaining on the cheek and armor testified to the terrifying blow that had just occurred.

After the treatment was complete, Melusin shook her hand, dispelling the remaining magical shards. She no longer looked at the Chaldea members who stood ready for battle, and with a crisp "click," she sheathed her twin blades in her sleeve. Then, she turned aside, silently clearing the path to the final throne.

The meaning couldn't be clearer—she accepted the result of this "test," or at least temporarily lost interest in continuing the entanglement.

There was no farewell, no explanation. Melusin lightly touched the ground with her feet, her petite body leaping gracefully into the air, preparing to jump onto a higher, dilapidated rooftop, and then flap her wings to leave this area that was about to become the final battlefield.

however--

Just as she leaped into the air and was about to touch the eaves!

From the side, a powerful hand covered in bronze armor suddenly shot out like an iron clamp and grabbed her slender ankle with perfect precision!

"What?!" Melusin was shocked, completely unprepared for an attack coming from this direction!

The owner of that hand showed no mercy, unleashing terrifying power the moment he grabbed her ankle, slamming her petite body down onto the hard ground below like a hammer!

"BOOM—!!!"

A deafening roar, heavier and more muffled than any previous impact, exploded out! Melusin crashed into the ground like a meteorite, sending dust and debris soaring into the sky and creating a clear crater! The force of the impact was so great that the Chaldea members nearby felt a slight tremor beneath their feet.

"Cough cough...!"

Melusine struggled to her feet, coughing up a few mouthfuls of dusty breath. She shook her dazed head, wiping the dirt and gravel from her face, her brown eyes filled with shock, anger, and confusion as she looked toward the source of the attack.

As the smoke and dust slowly dissipated, two figures stood side by side, blocking her path and the direction she was heading.

The fairy knight Mordred-Silph, with her emerald eyes burning with a chilling rage, and surrounded by a tangible, restless aura.

The fairy knight Gareth-Kalia, his icy blue eyes filled with a deep chill and determination, the ice puck in his hand spinning silently, radiating a frigid temperature.

Their gazes were like poisoned daggers, fixed firmly on Melusin. The undisguised hostility and murderous intent were far purer and more profound than when they faced Chaldea.

Melusine slowly stood up, brushed the dust off her armor, and the shock and anger on her face were gradually replaced by an expression mixed with impatience and mockery.