Fairy Round Table Realm, Poem of Eternal Mist

That was the untold bond between Percival and Melusin.

Percival lost his parents when he was still an infant. At that time, the fairy kingdom appeared peaceful on the surface, but undercurrents were surging. The "anti-queen" wave stirred up by the Wind Clan dragged various places into the quagmire of conflict, and the turmoil reached its peak. During a routine patrol, Melusin found this dying baby in the ruins of a battlefield.

Perhaps it was the sheer fragility of that tiny life that touched the deepest crack beneath her millennia-old, desolate icy shell. She hesitated, but ultimately reached out and pulled this abandoned infant, whose fate had never intersected with hers, away from the brink of death.

When Morgan learned of this, he did not object but tacitly approved of this extraordinary adoption. From then on, Melusin seemed to become a different person. The ruthless and efficient killing machine, during the more than ten years of raising Percival, gradually revealed a completely different side. For the first time, she touched the bond called "family," and a warm glimmer began to shine in her cold eyes.

Percival, witnessing the "sister" who gave him a second life ultimately being consumed by calamity, felt an unimaginable torment and despair. He would rather perish with her than watch her sink alone into endless madness and loneliness.

“…So that’s how it is.” Ritsuka murmured, her voice slightly hoarse. “He rushed out so hastily just now…”

Mashu nodded silently, her eyes slightly red. Although she had only known Percival for two weeks, the life-and-death experiences they had shared had already forged a deep bond between them. A heavy sadness filled the cabin, but now was not the time to wallow in mourning.

"Your Majesty! Look over there!" Caster suddenly pointed to the observation screen.

The camera zooms in, revealing the horrific devastation of Manchester. In the city's center, a massive black demonic hound covered in dark fur perches atop the flames and ruins! North of Manchester, much of the fairy kingdom appears to be engulfed in fire. Even more unsettling is the hound's relentless devouring of the abnormal lightning and subterranean fire caused by the calamity. With each bite, its body visibly swells, its already terrifying height of over five meters continuing to grow! Unlike the fiery calamities raging in the sky, this behemoth rooted to the earth seems easier to target.

“It’s Bagst…” Morgan recognized the familiar yet unfamiliar aura, his brow furrowing. “My magic hasn’t recovered yet… Your Majesty, could you and Caster go and handle this? You also expended a lot of energy earlier…”

“Leave it to me.” Liliana agreed without hesitation, looking at Caster. “Child, can you keep up? If you find it difficult, I can manage on my own.”

“I’m fine! Your Majesty the previous Queen!” Caster gripped his staff tightly, his eyes resolute.

Just then, Ritsuka exclaimed, "Mash! Look at that figure!"

In the corner of the screen, a figure fleeing in disarray flashed by in the sea of ​​fire—Belial! He was still alive, and maintaining the form he had taken from Grand Duke Woodworth! The Morse poison that Peperoncino had injected at the cost of his life seemed to have failed to take the traitor's life; he was as tenacious as a cockroach.

After confirming the target, Ritsuka immediately turned to Liliana, her voice urgent: "Former Queen! Please let Mash and me go with you! That man... Belial! I must settle things with him! He not only betrayed Chaldea, but also..."

“No!” Liliana interrupted abruptly, her gaze sharp. “The surface temperature in Manchester is hot enough to melt your flesh instantly! Going down now would be suicide!” She then turned to Morgan, pointing to another rampaging figure on the screen. “That black wolf—it’s not a natural calamity. Vivian, do you recognize it?”

“Of course.” Morgan’s voice was cold. “That’s Belial Gat. He stole the power of the Fang Clan Chief and is one of the instigators of all the chaos in the Fairy Kingdom. These two children are also victims of his schemes.” She looked at Liliana, her tone becoming earnest. “Your Majesty, please allow them to travel with you. They have every reason to avenge the sins committed by that man.”

Liliana pondered for a moment, her gaze sweeping over Ritsuka and Mash's faces, which were filled with determination, before finally letting out a soft sigh.

“This is troublesome… I hope my protective barrier can hold.” She compromised, but her tone carried a hint of barely perceptible approval. “It wouldn’t hurt to bring them along. After all, these two travelers from a foreign land overcame numerous obstacles on their own to guide Castor through his pilgrimage. This time… I’ll trust them for now.”

As Liliana's teleportation array faded, a terrifying heat wave—scorching, pungent, and seemingly capable of evaporating everything—immediately swept over them.

Manchester was no longer what it used to be; the entire city resembled a giant, out-of-control furnace. Everywhere they looked, there were leaping orange-red and pale flames, the distorted air creating rolling heatwaves that blurred distant objects. Even with the magical barrier Liliana had cast beforehand protecting them, the extreme heat that pierced through it still made Ritsuka and Mash gasp for breath, their skin stinging like needles, and their eyes struggling to open due to the heat and blinding light.

Just then, a heavy, chilling tremor shook the earth! The enormous demonic hound coiled in the center of the sea of ​​fire—Bagster, the Calamity of Beasts—seemed to have keenly sensed the intruders' presence. Its massive head, covered in dark fur, turned in their direction, and a chaotic red light locked onto their location. There was no roar, no intimidation, only the purest, most instinctive act of devouring—it strode forward with its pillar-like limbs, crushing the burning ruins, charging towards them like a moving black mountain!

"Go find that 'Black Wolf'!" Liliana's voice remained clear and decisive amidst the heat and roar. She pushed Ritsuka and Mash toward a relatively intact block to the side. "This thing is no match for you two. Leave it to me and Caster!"

"Your Majesty, please be careful!" Ritsuka called out as she turned around.

"You jest." Liliana's lips curled slightly, but her eyes held no amusement, only cold focus. "This level of 'calamity' is not enough to trouble me. Go, take care of your objective!"

"Yes! Please be careful!" Mashu nodded vigorously, and then rushed into the depths of the sea of ​​fire with Ritsuka. Their figures were quickly engulfed by thick smoke and flames.

Having confirmed the two had left, Liliana took a deep breath of the scorching air, her eyes suddenly becoming incredibly sharp. No longer needing to be distracted by protecting others, she could unleash wide-area annihilation magic without restraint.

“Cast!” she whispered.

"Understood!" Caster understood immediately and raised the Staff of Selection. Pure and boundless magic flowed into Liliana's body like a stream flowing into a river.

Liliana formed a hand seal in front of her chest, and ancient and complex incantations flowed from her lips. Each syllable drew upon the surrounding raging fire elementals and the deeper ley line magic, forcibly taming and transforming them.

"Forbidden Technique - [Descending Sea of ​​Poisonous Flowers]!"

Om-!

From the point beneath her feet, the scorched and cracked earth suddenly surged! Countless thick, resilient, deep purple vines covered in sharp, poisonous thorns burst forth from the ground like awakened giant pythons, ignoring the scorching flames, spreading and growing wildly forward at an astonishing speed! In the blink of an eye, a "sea of ​​flowers" composed of highly poisonous vines and giant demonic flowers blooming with eerie, colorful hues unfolded fiercely in the path of the Beast Calamity's charge!

The vines, as if possessing a life of their own, precisely wrapped around the demon hound's limbs, neck, and waist! The sudden restraint caused its charge to halt abruptly, and its massive body staggered forward due to inertia!

At the same time, the lush sea of ​​flowers beneath its feet swayed violently, releasing visible, multicolored, highly toxic spore dust! The dust, like a living mist, quickly spread and enveloped the demon hound's head and snout!

"Waaaaah—!"

The demonic hound let out a muffled, painful whimper. The poisonous powder eroded its senses and body, causing it to become dizzy and paralyzed. Its limbs lost strength rapidly, and it finally collapsed to the ground with a thud, stirring up sparks and dust everywhere.

However, the calamity proved far more tenacious than anticipated. Just a few breaths later, the ferocious light in the demon hound's chaotic eyes intensified once more! It violently shook its head, seemingly adapting to the corrosive effects of the poison, its powerful muscles bulging, its fangs biting fiercely at the thick vines that were wrapped around its forelimbs!

"Snap!" The sturdy vine broke in response!

The demonic hound, having broken free of some of its restraints, stood upright in a rage, freeing itself from the remaining vines. Wielding its massive claws, powerful enough to shatter city walls, and accompanied by a piercing shriek that seemed to tear through the hot air, it slammed down towards Liliana's head!

"Bang--!!!"

A deafening roar! The claws didn't touch Liliana at all, but instead struck solidly the translucent, starlight-filled magic shield that Caster had just deployed! The shield trembled violently, its light flickering, yet it firmly blocked the fatal blow.

Just as the Demon Hound's old power was exhausted and its new power had not yet arisen—

Liliana pressed her right hand down!

Suddenly, a huge golden magic circle lit up the ground beneath the demon hound! At the center of the circle, a pure white beam of light, several meters in diameter, shot into the sky without warning, like a spear of divine punishment, and slammed into the demon hound's soft belly!

"boom--!!!"

The purifying and impactful force contained in the beam of light blew its massive body away, sending it flying diagonally backward!

"Take this!" Liliana gave it no chance to breathe, raising her left hand to clench in the air.

Magical energy gathered violently in the air, and dozens of giant spikes, several meters long with tips gleaming with destructive purple light, instantly solidified. Like hunting spears obeying a command, they shot towards the demonic hound that had not yet landed, following Liliana's wave of her hand!

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft—!!"

A series of incredibly precise piercing sounds rang out! Sharp spikes pierced deep into the demon hound's limb joints, shoulder blades, and flanks, pinning it like a specimen to the still-burning, partially collapsed building ruins behind it! Dark purple blood gushed from the wounds, instantly evaporating into pungent white smoke from the intense heat.

The demonic hound let out a resentful and painful howl, struggling frantically, but unable to break free from its deadly restraints.

Liliana's face was solemn as she slowly raised her right arm. Her entire right arm seemed to transform into a vessel of light, with countless mysterious, seven-colored runes swirling around it, exuding an indescribable aura of majesty and judgment.

[The final spear of eternal judgment!]

It was not a physical throw, but a release of a concept. A beam of seven-colored light, condensed to its extreme and seemingly containing the principles of the birth and end of the universe, burst forth from Liliana's fingertips, slicing through the scorching air, ignoring spatial distance, and striking directly at the nailed Beast Calamity!

There was no explosion, no screams.

The moment the light touched the demon hound's body, it acted like the purest solvent, beginning to erase its existence from its very core. The massive black shell rapidly became transparent and ethereal within the seven-colored beam of light, like a stain being wiped away by an eraser, crumbling inch by inch from its edges, transforming into the finest black dust and wisps of purplish-black aura of calamity, ultimately dissipating completely into the flames and heat, leaving not a trace.

The Spear of Eternal Judgment—one of the twelve holy spears wielded by Liliana, specializing in "judgment" and "annihilation." It does not aim at physical destruction, but rather acts directly on the conceptual level of "existence," possessing absolute restraint and eradication power against calamities, chaos, and other "things that should not exist." However, activating this spear consumes an astonishing amount of energy; even with Liliana's seemingly bottomless magical reserves, she can only unleash it a maximum of two times at her peak.

As the beam of light dissipated, Liliana swayed slightly, her face paler, and her breathing noticeably more rapid. Clearly, the consecutive use of forbidden techniques and the Holy Lance had taken a heavy toll on her.

"The late Queen!" Caster rushed forward and helped Liliana's swaying body.

"Haa... I didn't expect that dealing with this thing would be more difficult than I anticipated..." Liliana steadied herself with Caster's help, panting, her gaze quickly sweeping in the direction Ritsuka and Mash had left. "Where are those two children? Haven't they come back yet?"

“It seems… not yet.” Caster also looked worried.

“I have to go find them.” Liliana took a deep breath and forced herself to stand up straight. “Otherwise, I won’t be able to explain to Vivian.” She looked at Caster and smiled helplessly. “For now, just support me like this, Caster. This body… needs a while to recover.”

[The Calamity of the Beast - Confirmed Defeat!]

Abyss ~ Calamity of Water - Fairy Round Table Domain, Poem of Eternal Mist

[Time Anchor: Approximately 1 hour ago, just after the birth of the Beast Calamity]

How long has it been since I staggered away from the royal city?

Pain… an endless, bone-deep pain that exploded sharply in every limb and bone with every breath and every step. Vision was blurred; all that could be seen were flickering flames and constantly falling, ominous black, wispy particles, like sticky ash, clinging to the eyelids and the edges of consciousness.

[I have to...go back...I have to...return to Manchester...Baghster, she...cough cough...]

Maquia's remaining will was like a candle flickering in the wind, repeatedly chanting this obsession, supporting her as she stumbled forward on this now unfamiliar land. However, the calamity had already penetrated deep into her spiritual core, and with each step she took, she coughed violently. Dark purple blood mixed with broken tissue spilled from the corners of her mouth, dripping onto the scorched and cracked ground, making a sizzling, corrosive sound.

Cornunus's complete awakening seemed to press the final button of destruction on the fairy kingdom. As far as the eye could see, ruins, like bones gnawed by a giant beast, grotesquely pierced the eerily pink sky. On the ground, a purplish-black, viscous substance writhed and spread like a living thing, devouring all remaining life and color. Mutilated corpses were carelessly discarded and piled up, like garbage, or perhaps a profane sacrifice.

The hellish scene before her caused Maquia's already churning stomach to convulse violently. This sight… how familiar it was. How similar it was to the horrific massacre of the Ioruf tribe by the Wind Clan and Knight Commander Leonard, a scene of carnage she had witnessed firsthand! And this time, what was destroyed and trampled upon was the order and kingdom that His Majesty Morgan had painstakingly built over two thousand years, at the cost of iron fist, wisdom, and even sacrifice. All of this crumbled and decayed like a sandcastle simply because of the cheap and selfish desires and hatred stirred up by the fairies…

[Haa...haa...when did my stamina become so poor?]

Breathing became increasingly difficult, my lungs feeling like broken bellows. My legs felt like they were filled with lead, each step seeming to drain my last bit of strength. My vision flickered between clear and blurry, familiar scenery becoming distorted and strange under the ravages of disaster.

Even... such a short distance... you can't walk anymore?

A self-deprecating thought flashed through my mind, accompanied by endless weariness and bitterness.

This time... I've broken my promise again... and failed to... return to his side...

The child she kept hidden deep in her heart, whose name she dared not even easily recall—Ariel. She had promised to return, no matter the cost.

I am truly a... utter failure... as a knight... as... a mother...

The strength supporting her body was rapidly dwindling. She knew she was nearing her limit; this body, utterly ravaged by calamity, would soon become a new source of disaster. She couldn't let it happen near Manchester; she couldn't let it affect the child who might still be waiting for her in anguish.

This time... I hope... my madness... won't affect you...

With the last vestiges of her consciousness, she groped her way, stumbling toward a relatively empty ancient woodland known as the "Glass Forest," far from Manchester and Camelot. There, most of the crystal-like trees had been broken in war and calamity, leaving only jagged stumps reflecting the ominous light of the sky.

Farewell... my child...

Finally, she arrived at a relatively open space filled with crystal shards. Leaning against a particularly large crystal tree stump that was broken but still stood, Machia slowly and completely released the last bit of control she had over her body.

He allowed the purplish-black calamity that erupted from within to engulf his remaining reason like a tidal wave, devouring his battered body.

At least here... if I turn into a monster, he won't get hurt, right?

Just before her consciousness sank into darkness, a subtle, almost tender, and apologetic expression appeared on the face of this woman who had been feared by countless demons and was known as the "ruthless executioner." It was the deepest and most helpless expression of an ordinary mother when she could not keep her promise.

Then, everything returned to nothingness.

-

Beside the crystal tree stump, Machia's body began to undergo a horrific transformation. Her flesh and blood collapsed and reformed like a melting wax figure, as a purplish-black calamity energy intertwined and boiled with some ancient, purer essence of water!

A few breaths later, "Machia" was no longer in the same spot.

Instead, a colossal horse, five meters tall, was formed entirely of a constantly flowing, shifting deep blue liquid! This liquid was no ordinary water, but rather "living water" imbued with violent magic and a strong aura of calamity. The horse's body was translucent, and within it, countless phantoms of weapons of various shapes—swords, spears, halberds—could be vaguely seen, like sealed vengeful spirits, rising and falling, rotating with the surging water.

It raises its head, formed by the rushing water, and lets out a silent yet soul-shaking cry (if the roar of the surging water can be considered a cry).

A gentle stomp of the hoof—

"boom--!!!"

The raging torrent of water, like a ferocious beast imprisoned for millennia, suddenly erupted from the spot where it set foot! The floodwaters soared into the sky, easily crushing the remaining crystal pillars and the ground around them, surging and rushing in all directions!

At the same time, the seas surrounding the entire British Isles seemed to respond to the birth of this water calamity, beginning to violently stir and churn! On the distant horizon, terrifying, pitch-black walls of water, connecting heaven and earth, were advancing madly toward the coastline with an aura of utter destruction!

The residents of the fairy kingdom, who had just narrowly escaped the raging flames unleashed by the beastly calamity and were still reeling from the shock, had barely caught their breath when they heard a distant, deafening roar, as if the world were collapsing. When they turned back in terror and saw the colossal, sky-covering wall of tsunami-like power, their desperate screams were instantly swallowed by the overwhelming torrent—