Fairy Round Table Realm, Poem of Eternal Mist

Two dark red, lava-like beams of light from the depths of the giant pit pierced through the fluttering pale hair and the rising purplish-black miasma, precisely and firmly locking onto the Nautilus, which hovered high in the sky like a tiny metal insect.

There was no roaring.

There was no roaring.

There wasn't even any fluctuation that could be described as "emotion" conveyed.

Yes, it was a pure, cold gaze, originating from a higher dimension. That gaze seemed to pierce through the Nautilus's sturdy spirit alloy shell, through the protective force field, and land directly on the soul of every witness. It was neither anger nor curiosity, but more like a human looking down and accidentally catching sight of an ant crawling at their feet—a near-unconscious "confirmation" based on the difference in absolute size and level of existence.

Simply being "seen" by such a gaze seemed to freeze time within the cockpit. An indescribable chill crept up everyone's spine, instantly freezing their limbs and choking their throats. The air was as heavy as mercury, making even breathing difficult. It wasn't the fear of facing a powerful enemy, but rather the deepest, most primal sense of insignificance and trembling that comes from the instinct of an ant looking up at a celestial body about to crush it.

In that deathly, almost unbearable silence of the gaze, two trembling voices, filled with disbelief and a deep-seated, bone-chilling fear, rang out almost simultaneously, subtle yet clear:

“Ko... Cornunos…”

Morgan's fingers unconsciously gripped the armrests of the throne, his knuckles turning white.

“...Unbelievable…” Liliana’s voice followed, and even the ancient eyes of this first queen, who had experienced so much, showed a rare hint of wavering and horror.

This name, this title that represents Britain's deepest nightmare and is regarded as the embodiment of mythical calamity, has finally descended upon everyone in its most real and undeniably terrifying form.

Boundary ~Calamity of Flame- Fairy Round Table Domain, Poem of Eternal Mist

The "Cornunus," having completely broken free from its underground seal, was a living embodiment of terror, its very existence enveloping the entire world. Liliana, Morgan, and Castor—the three queens and children of prophecy most deeply bound to the fate of Britain—may not show the fear and panic of ordinary people on their faces, but their solemn silence, slightly tense body lines, and the enormous shadows reflected in the depths of their eyes all revealed the unspeakable oppression they were enduring.

The unimaginable difference in size brought with it the most visceral sense of despair. The Nautilus, once a steadfast support and the embodiment of the hopes of the Chaldeans, appeared as insignificant as a buzzing metal insect beside this "deity." Its limbs, drooping haphazardly, covered in eerie long hair and dripping with filth, could easily, with the slightest movement, create enough air currents and spatial disturbances to knock this spirit submarine down from the sky and tear it to shreds like a fly.

However, Cornunos's "attack" was not so "simple".

"Everyone, watch out! Something's coming! Look over at the crater!!" Mash's exclamation was filled with unprecedented urgency.

The land beneath Kornunus's feet, soaked in purplish-black blood and teeming with newborn Mos, suddenly churned violently! Countless "giant hands," as thick as ancient tree trunks and formed from viscous filth, twisted flesh, and writhing shadows, burst forth from the earth! They were not physical entities, but rather extensions of some concept of calamity, their surfaces flowing with blasphemous runes and constantly opening and closing eyes or mouthparts. Driven by Kornunus's silent will, they lashed out like a horde of demons breaking free from the shackles of hell, their claws outstretched and their speed utterly incongruous with their bulky forms, lunging at the Nautilus high in the sky!

"Nemo! Get out of the way! There's no time to hesitate!" Holmes' calm voice carried a hint of urgency.

"Captain! If this continues, we'll be shot down!" Ritsuka shouted almost simultaneously.

In the cockpit, Captain Nemo, still recovering from his injuries, had a pale face, but he gritted his teeth, his eyes, unusually resolute for his young age, fixed on the screen and control stick. He took a deep breath and, with a voice that was both childlike and crystal clear, commanded: "All crew! Emergency climb maneuver! Engines at full power! Now!"

"Buzz—Boom!!!"

The main thruster nozzles at the stern of the Nautilus erupted with unprecedented azure flames! The entire ship emitted a groan of strained metal as it accelerated abruptly, attempting to soar into the thinner upper atmosphere!

However, those purplish-black "giant hands" arrived too quickly! Their length seemed to extend infinitely, and several of the foremost giant hands, with their five fingers outstretched, brought with them a vicious wind that tore through space, already approaching the edge of the protective force field at the tail of the Nautilus! Those filthy fingertips were only a few meters away from the gleaming metal shell! The force field emitted a hissing mournful sound and flickered violently under the erosion!

It's too late! The evasive maneuver has reached its limit, and the distance is still shrinking!

At this critical moment—

"boom!!!"

A dull thud, not loud, but exceptionally solid!

A fluffy, large, glossy, fiery red fox tail appeared out of nowhere, like the most loyal bulwark, below the stern of the Nautilus, lying perfectly between the purplish-black giant hand that was grabbing at it and the ship's hull!

A giant hand gripped the fox's tail tightly!

"laugh--!!!"

A piercing corrosive sound rang out instantly! The seemingly tough and beautiful fox tail, upon contact with the purplish-black calamity, melted, carbonized, and turned into scattered ashes and specks of light at a visible speed, as if it had been thrown into concentrated acid and ice! The intense pain seemed to be transmitted through this sight!

"Nemo! Now! Hurry!!" Ritsuka's heart was in her throat as she screamed.

"Ugh—! Full speed!!" Nemo suppressed the metallic taste in his throat and pushed the joystick to its limit!

Whoosh—Boom!!!

The engine roared to its peak! Taking advantage of the precious half-second of space that the Nautilus had gained through its self-destruction, the Nautilus suddenly surged upwards!

But the pursuit of calamity did not stop! More "giant hands" seemed to be enraged, stretching out and clawing with even more ferocity, determined to drag the escaped "flying insect" into the abyss!

"Tsk... This is never going to end." A woman's voice, tinged with languor, mockery, and hidden pain, clearly echoed in the chaotic airspace.

Immediately afterwards, one, two, three... more giant fox tails, equally magnificent yet radiating different magical attributes, unfolded one after another in the sky like a peacock spreading its tail feathers! They were not used for attack, but rather to precisely and resolutely intercept each of the pursuing purplish-black giant hands!

"Oh my, Fujimaru Ritsuka is my highest-rated 'VIP client'." Koyanskaya's voice, with its characteristic air of complete control, now trembled slightly as she tried to suppress it. "You, a remnant of the old world, an embodiment of unclean calamity... dare to touch her?"

The fox tail clashed with the hand of calamity once more! The scenes of erosion and dissolution repeated themselves! With each tail's annihilation came a muffled groan that Koyanskaya herself could barely suppress. She did not appear, but everyone could feel that the source of the power that sustained these tails and willingly endured destruction was suffering immense depletion and pain.

Through these desperate, layered interceptions, the Nautilus finally managed to climb to a sufficient height, leaving the enormous, purplish-black hands, which even if stretched out, could not be reached, below it, and completely escaping the direct attack range of Kornunos.

On the ground, behind the ruins of a collapsed palace, Koyanskaya staggered, barely managing to steady herself by grabbing onto the crumbling wall with one hand. Her once alluring face was now deathly pale, fine beads of cold sweat trickling down her forehead, and her breathing was rapid. The instantaneous annihilation of three… no, more primal tails had brought backlash and devastation far exceeding what outsiders could imagine.

She looked up, gazing at the Nautilus gradually shrinking into a tiny dot on the horizon. Her red lips moved slightly, her voice so soft that only she could hear it:

“Haa…haa…even if it’s…repaying the favor I owed you before, Fujimaru Ritsuka…it’s just losing a few tails…” She forced a weak smile. “Take care…my dear client. Now, I need to go back to Tunguska to ‘rest’ properly…I hope that this time, you can also return alive and sound, just like always.”

As soon as she finished speaking, her figure faded away silently, like ink dissolving in water, disappearing into the swirling smoke and the shadows of ruins, leaving no trace.

Inside the Nautilus's cockpit, the alarms gradually subsided, leaving only the low rumble of the engines and the heavy breathing of the crew, as if relieved of their ordeal. Ritsuka's gaze lingered on the screen behind her, on the spot where the fox tails had finally disappeared, and on the colossal shadow below, still slowly moving and radiating endless malice.

Koyanskaya...

That profit-driven, ambiguous, and always-providing "just right" but often troublesome arms dealer and intelligence broker... this time, she saved the lives of everyone on the Nautilus in such a direct and brutal way. If she hadn't sacrificed part of her own power to stop it, that attack would have been enough to completely destroy the ark carrying their last hope.

Perhaps it's to make amends for the previous mistake of selling "inferior products"? Or perhaps, as she said, it's simply an investment in and "maintenance" of her "top-tier clients"?

Regardless, this life-saving grace is both profound and real.

Ritsuka slowly withdrew her gaze, looking out at the endless void and the land below gradually being eroded by purplish-black, and murmured to herself, as if paying homage to her departed "ally" from afar:

"Koyanskaya... Anyway, thank you so much this time."

"Roar--!!!"

A dragon's roar, filled with resentment and a destructive will, shattered the relative tranquility of the high sky without warning! Just as the Nautilus had stabilized at an altitude of a thousand meters, and before everyone had fully recovered from the shock brought by Kornunos and the aftershocks of Koyanskaya's departure, a new threat was already imminent!

The clouds in the distance were violently torn apart, revealing a colossal dragon with dark scales and eyes burning with mad fury, like an evil spirit breaking free from a painting of hell! It had clearly already locked onto the "metal insect," and upon spotting its target, it let out a deafening roar, its wings flapping wildly, and with a piercing shriek that tore through the air, it charged straight toward the Nautilus like a cannonball!

"Don't even think about it!" Liliana reacted with lightning speed. Ancient and obscure incantations flowed rapidly from her mouth, unleashing a powerful burst of magic!

Om-!

A thick, crystal-clear quartz shield, shimmering with rainbow-like luster, rapidly unfolds and solidifies from the inside out, enveloping the entire ship, with the Nautilus at its core!

The next second, the dragon had already arrived!

"Bang—!!!!"

A terrifying roar, comparable to a meteorite impact! The entire Nautilus trembled violently, like a toy being violently shaken in the hand of a giant! Blinding light and dense arcs of energy erupted from the point where the shield collided with the dragon's head, and spiderweb-like cracks instantly spread across the surface of the quartz shield! The ship's alarms sounded shrilly again, and some unsecured items were thrown around.

"Ugh!" Liliana groaned, her arm maintaining the shield trembling slightly, her face paling even more. "No! Vivian, that thing... it's a 'Fairy Knight,' isn't it? My shield can't withstand this kind of purely physical, savage impact for long! I have to take the initiative and take it down!"

Morgan immediately understood the gravity of the situation. She nodded sharply, then turned to Caster beside her, speaking rapidly but clearly: "Understood, Your Majesty! Caster, join me and Your Majesty in fighting the enemy! Your strength might be able to effectively restrain it and create an opportunity for Your Majesty! The rest of you, stay aboard the ship and do not act on your own!"

“Yes!” Caster gripped the Staff of Choice tightly, his eyes resolute.

Without another word, Liliana waved her hand, and a teleportation magic circle, shimmering with intricate patterns, lit up beneath the three of them. In a flash, their figures vanished from the cramped cockpit and instantly appeared on the Nautilus's spacious top deck, exposed to the fierce winds and dangers!

On the deck, a howling wind carried the stench of the dragon and the smell of sulfur. The calamified Melusin, the dragon that had just completed a ferocious ramming attack and was circling, preparing for a second assault, keenly sensed the emergence of a new, powerful source of magic. Its massive head twisted, its lava-like vertical pupils locking onto the three figures that had suddenly appeared on the deck, especially the one emanating an aura of "paradise" that instinctively filled it with disgust and anger.

The attack priority shifted instantly.

Inside the bridge, Percival silently watched the scene on the external monitor screen, gazing at the familiar dragon and the three queens and the prophesied child standing against the wind on the deck. The veins on the back of his hand, gripping the gun handle tightly, bulged slightly, his lips were pressed into a straight line, and complex emotions surged in his golden eyes, yet he remained silent.

On the deck

A fierce wind howled, whipping Morgan's long golden hair and dark dress. She looked up, gazing at the monstrous dragon in the sky, now unrecognizable and filled only with rage and destruction. A faint, indescribable, complex emotion flickered deep in her purple eyes, only to be replaced by a cold, resolute determination.

“Melusin… As expected, it has come to this.” Her voice was still clear in the wind, with a hint of a sigh, but more so with an unwavering chilling determination. “This time, whether it was betrayal or not is no longer important… Now, I must end you here.”

A dark blue staff appeared in her hand, its top gem emitting a deep, mysterious light, and powerful magic began to gather.

The dragon in the sky seemed utterly enraged by Morgan's words and the magic she had unleashed, or perhaps it was already filled with hatred for everyone associated with the "Queen" and "Paradise" because of Aurora's death. It no longer attempted to ram the spaceship, but instead focused all its killing intent on Morgan!

"Roar--!"

Dragon Wings Roar! Not for flight, but to churn the atmosphere! Countless visible, razor-sharp wind blades, like a net of death, slashed down on Morgan on the deck with a piercing shriek!

Morgan's expression remained unchanged as he lightly tapped his staff on the ground.

"Clang!"

A hemispherical, dark blue-black defensive barrier instantly opened, enveloping her and Castor behind her. Wind blades struck the barrier, unleashing a dense clang of metal against metal and scattering turbulent energy currents. Ripples spread across the barrier's surface, yet it firmly held its defensive line.

At the same time, Morgan's free left hand pressed lightly towards the sky.

In the air, four enormous, dark purple magic spikes with gleaming cold light suddenly materialized out of thin air, and with a heavy whooshing sound, they slammed down from four different angles toward the dragon's spine, wing joints and other vital points!

The dragon reacted incredibly fast! Its massive body displayed astonishing agility, its thick tail swept across like a steel whip, and its sharp claws shot out like lightning!

"Bang! Bang! Crack!"

The dragon's tail shattered two spikes, and its claws smashed one! But the fourth spike still grazed the edge of its wing, taking away a piece of scales and flesh!

The dragon, in pain, roared angrily. Its body, due to the actions of attacking and retaliating, inevitably lowered its flight altitude, and its massive shadow gradually enveloped part of the deck.

And this is exactly the opportunity that Liliana has been waiting for!

"Now!" she shouted, and her shadow beneath her feet suddenly wriggled and stretched as if it were alive, transforming into a thin but incredibly strong black line that, with unbelievable speed, precisely "pinned" into the shadow cast by the dragon on the deck!

[Shadow Binding Technique]!

"Roar?!!" The dragon's form suddenly froze! It wasn't a physical grasp, but a powerful confinement acting on its very existence, activated through the medium of shadow! It felt as if invisible shackles had instantly locked every joint of its body, making it extremely difficult to exert force in every muscle. Its massive body struggled and twisted violently in the air, trying to break free from this strange restraint, but once the connection with the shadow was established, Liliana's ancient and exquisite magic was like a leech, firmly controlling the initiative!

"Now! Ash! Caster!" Liliana shouted, maintaining the spell, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

No need for further explanation! Morgan and Castor were already prepared!

Morgan raised her staff once more, and an even larger, dark purple spike, radiating an aura of destruction, rapidly formed in the air! Meanwhile, Caster unleashed her full magical power, and several halos, shimmering with pure starlight and with incredibly sharp edges, appeared and spun around her, poised to strike!

The magic of the two intertwined and resonated above the deck, activating a certain quality of "Paradise" that naturally suppressed and attracted the dragon, who was a "calamity"!

"Drink--!!!"

Accompanied by two clear and melodious shouts, the huge spikes and dazzling halos, like soldiers obeying orders, shot out from different directions toward the giant dragon, which was tightly bound by shadows and whose movements were sluggish!

"Pfft—!!!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The spikes mercilessly pierced the dragon's relatively vulnerable abdomen and wing membranes, firmly pinning its massive body to the ground! The halo that followed was like the sharpest cutting wheel, slashing fiercely at the dragon's neck, back, and joints, unleashing a deafening roar and splattering scales and flesh!

"Awooo—!!!"