Fairy Round Table Realm, Poem of Eternal Mist

[The Calamity of Water - Confirmed!]

-

The curtain of thick smoke and heatwave parted slightly, revealing a corner of the burning ruins of Manchester. A tall, dark figure with a wolf's head and a human body leaned against a half-collapsed, charred wall, his chest heaving violently as he gasped for breath like a broken bellows.

It was Belial Gath. He still retained the appearance of the "Grand Duke of Heat," Woodworth, which he had forcibly seized, but at this moment, this powerful body resembled a malfunctioning hologram, constantly flickering, twisting, and twitching, with even purplish-black, vein-like pulsating lines appearing on its surface. The corrosive effects of the Morth poison and the burden of forcibly using power beyond his limits were simultaneously disintegrating his existence from the inside out.

Just as his consciousness was fading due to the excruciating pain and weakness, he suddenly noticed that the intense heat of the surrounding flames seemed to have subsided. Immediately afterward, an extremely familiar yet instantly alarming scent pierced through the acrid smell and smoke, entering his nostrils—it was the scent that had lingered countless times in the Chaldea corridor, in the simulation training ground, and even during his unbearable period of incubation in the "Poison Cave."

“Mash… Fujimaru Ritsuka…” Belial barely managed to lift his head, grinning with his fangs, letting out a hoarse and malicious chuckle, “It’s you two, isn’t it? Heh… I never thought I’d have the honor of dragging two of you ‘old friends’ down with me on my way to hell… This road to the underworld isn’t so lonely after all!”

Flames flickered, and two figures broke through the last curtain of fire, appearing before him. Mash held a giant shield, her gaze calm yet sharp; Ritsuka gripped a uniquely shaped spear that exuded a faint aura of sorrow and resolve—Brynhildr's Noble Phantasm, [Until Death Separates Two].

Upon seeing the spear, a flicker of surprise crossed Belial's eyes, which quickly transformed into a deeper mockery and twisted excitement.

"Heh heh heh... using my 'scientific findings' against me?" He panted, his laughter broken. "But... that little dwarf Leonardo da Vinci certainly had the ability to recreate it, didn't he?"

"Shut up!" Ritsuka shouted sharply, her spear pointing directly at Belial. "You have no right to mention those Heroic Spirits! You have only... you have only defiled their noble Spirit Origins, turning them into cold killing tools for your use!"

“Tools?” Belial scoffed, despite his body convulsing in pain. “I was simply… making those dormant powers realize their true ‘value’! What’s wrong with making the best use of things?!”

"Further words are useless!" Mash said in a deep voice, tilting her shield slightly forward as if to charge.

Ritsuka stopped wasting words, her eyes sharpened, and she propelled herself forward like an arrow! The spear in her hand transformed into a resolute, cold light, piercing straight into Belial's chest!

Belial's pupils contracted as he instinctively tried to dodge, but the sluggishness caused by the poison and the loss of control over his body made him a beat too slow!

"laugh--!"

The sharp blade grazed his right arm, spraying a cloud of dark red blood and tearing off a few pieces of fur! The excruciating pain made him groan, and the ferocity in his eyes intensified! He endured the pain, clenching his left hand tightly. The remaining magic power rapidly gathered, condensing into an unstable ball of light, churning with black and red energy, aimed at Ritsuka, whose momentum had not yet subsided!

"Don't even think about succeeding!"

Mashu had anticipated this! She lowered her shield, stomped her feet, and like a cannonball, instantly cut between Belial and Ritsuka! The massive shield wasn't used for defense, but rather as a heavy battering ram, which she swung in a wide arc and smashed fiercely towards Belial's ferocious wolf head!

"Bang--!!!"

A dull, teeth-grinding impact! Belial was struck so hard by the sudden, powerful blow that he saw stars before his eyes, his head snapped back, blood gushing from his mouth. The energy ball he had half-condensed in his palm went out of control, flying sideways toward the ruins and exploding into a cloud of rubble and dust!

Before the dizziness had subsided, Mash used the recoil to adjust her posture, and her right leg swept out like a steel whip, delivering a precise and fierce side kick that landed heavily on Belial's waist and abdomen!

"Ugh!"

Belial's massive body was kicked and he staggered backward, his defenses completely breached!

"Don't forget me! Belial!" Ritsuka's cold shout followed like a shadow!

She had regained her footing, the spear dancing in her hand, drawing sharp arcs! There were no fancy techniques, only the most direct and ruthless slashes and thrusts, like a storm, pouring down on the various vital points exposed by Belial's injuries!

"Pfft! Pfft! Sizzle—!"

The sharp blades relentlessly sliced ​​through the already tattered fur and muscle, spraying up clumps of foul blood! Belial futilely swung his arms to block, but his movements were slowed by the poison and his injuries, and several deep, bone-revealing wounds instantly appeared on his body, one of which almost severed his carotid artery!

After a rapid and fierce barrage of attacks, Ritsuka took a half step back, gripped the gun handle tightly with both hands, and lowered the gun tip slightly, firmly locking onto the location of Belial's chest, which was contorted in pain and heaving violently, and his heart.

Their eyes met, both filled with murderous intent.

"Pfft—!!!"

The spear transformed into a meteor that pierced through life and death, plunging into Belial's chest with unstoppable force! The spear tip pierced through flesh and tore through bone, with a small section of blood-stained blade protruding from his back! The immense impact sent Belial sliding backward several meters, his feet carving deep furrows in the ground!

However, for this traitor who had committed countless crimes and whose hands were stained with the blood of his comrades, merely piercing his heart seemed insufficient to quell the anger or console the deceased.

Ritsuka and Mashu exchanged a glance, both seeing the unwavering determination in each other's eyes.

The two released their weapons at the same time, and then, in the same instant, unleashed all their strength and leaped into the air!

Two flying kicks, imbued with all hatred, anger, and the determination to seek justice for their companions, landed squarely and hard on Belial's ferocious wolf face, which was contorted with pain and shock and bleeding profusely!

"Bang—!!!"

A terrifying thud! Belial didn't even have time to scream before his head snapped backward from the force of the impact, his cervical vertebrae cracking with a chilling sound! His massive body was sent flying backward at high speed, like being hit by a speeding truck, tracing an arc before crashing heavily into a pile of sharp, broken wooden stakes and metal fragments!

"Pfft! Pfft! Crack—!"

A series of dense, chilling sounds of piercing and shattering rang out! Sharp pieces of wood and metal fragments, like a torture rack tailor-made for him, instantly pierced and tore apart his already riddled torso and limbs! Filthy blood gushed out like a fountain from countless wounds, quickly soaking the scorched earth beneath him.

Belial Gat, the lurking viper, the traitor of Group A, and one of the masterminds behind countless tragedies, is now like an ugly insect nailed to a specimen board, devoured by his own sins, utterly trapped in a bloody and immobile predicament.

"Cough...cough cough..." Blood gushed from the wounds on his mouth and chest. Belial's mangled body was nailed to a cruel rack made of wooden stakes and metal fragments. Each weak breath brought even more intense pain. He watched the two departing figures, who didn't even bother to deliver a final blow. His eyes, a final madness and arrogance mixed with dying resentment, forced out words in a hoarse voice:

"Why...why didn't you kill me? You two women...do you...still want to...show me...pity...?"

His voice was broken and weak, yet he still tried to make a final provocation with his words.

Ritsuka and Mashu stopped in their tracks, but did not turn around.

mercy?

Using the word to describe Belial Gat is blasphemous. Recalling his hypocritical smile while infiltrating Group A, every deadly trap he planned, his betrayal and exploitation of his comrade Peperoncino, his ruthlessness in defiled the noble spirit origins of Heroic Spirits as mere tools, and the bloodshed he unleashed in the Fairy Kingdom... countless images flashed through my mind, ultimately coalescing into only icy hatred and utter contempt.

If we feel pity for such scum, then everything they have persevered through, the hardships they have endured, and the companions they have lost, would all become a joke.

Even if he were to break free of those stakes now, his body, riddled with holes and ravaged by the deadly poison of Morthol, would have absolutely no chance of survival. Rather than delivering the final blow and giving him a quick end, it would be better to let him slowly savor the coldness of death and the weight of his own sins in this desperate situation he chose.

There was no need for any communication. Any words would be a waste on this man whose soul was already rotten to the core.

Ritsuka and Mashu exchanged a glance, then simultaneously sheathed their weapons in perfect unison—the spear vanished as specks of light, and the giant shield disappeared into their arm armor. No longer glancing at the still twitching mass of filth behind them, they strode resolutely across the burning rubble and ashes, heading back the way they had come, their figures gradually swallowed by the lingering smoke and heat.

As they disappeared completely from sight, the last glimmer of light in Belial's eyes faded rapidly, like embers burning out. Arrogance, scheming, madness… all the twisted emotions that had sustained him to this day crumbled with the rapid loss of his life force. Under the corrosive power of the calamity's remnants, his massive wolf-like body began to soften, disintegrate, and turn into a viscous, purplish-black liquid, peeling away and dripping away drop by drop, piece by piece, like a wax figure under the scorching sun.

"Ha... Is this... something I can never... obtain?" He murmured to himself, his unfocused gaze fixed on the sky crimson with flames, his voice as soft as a dream, "Fujimaru... Ritsuka... Mashu... you two... women... are indeed... the most... obstructive... stumbling blocks... in my great life..."

The purplish-black color melted faster and had already spread to the chest and neck.

"I hope...I can see you...coming over...from the other side of hell...soon..."

His lips twitched very slightly, as if trying to make his usual mocking curve, but it only caused more foul blood to gush out.

"You...can't be arrogant for long..."

The last syllable dissipated into the scorching air.

His head drooped limply, and the last glimmer of light in his eyes went out completely.

Breathing has stopped.

Then, the remaining shell, as if losing its last support, completely dissolved into a pool of viscous, purplish-black substance that writhed and exuded a strong aura of decay and calamity, indistinguishable from the other traces of calamity eroded in the surrounding ruins. Filthy, repulsive, like the final mark left by his life.

Perhaps, deep within his utterly distorted perception and fading consciousness, until his very last moment, he stubbornly believed that he had just completed a "great" struggle, one that could shake the world, only to have unfortunately collapsed from exhaustion before reaching the end of his "lofty ideal."

However, reality is cold. There are no lamentations for heroes here, only the silent annihilation of traitors, who, in a corner of ruins unwittingly, along with the calamities they caused, return to the most utter filth and silence.

-

“This is bad, Vivian…” Liliana’s voice came through the communicator, carrying an unusual seriousness and a hint of barely perceptible fatigue. “Judging from this, it looks like a war of attrition… and there’s another ‘calamity,’ have you sensed it?”

Morgan's gaze immediately fell on the observation screen, her magical perception instantly extending. Her pupils contracted slightly: "...It's Machia. In the direction of the Glass Forest. If we rush there now, we might still be able to stop it before the sea completely engulfs Britain... But Your Majesty, your health!"

“Ah… I know.” Liliana’s breathing was slightly rapid. “I… can’t handle large-scale spells for the time being. Vivian, if I remember correctly, that fairy knight’s elemental attribute is ‘water.’ Can you use powerful earth magic or barriers? I… can’t effectively draw upon the earth elemental power in the ley lines right now.”

Meanwhile, the live feed on the Nautilus's main screen was chilling.

The ancient woodland, once known as the "Glass Forest," and its surrounding vast area have now transformed into a raging, turbulent ocean! The seawater is not the usual azure, but a deep, almost inky blue, mixed with purplish-black calamity energy, appearing eerie and dangerous. The five-meter-tall giant horse, composed of raging, living water—the Water Calamity Machia—stands proudly atop the towering waves, silently roaring towards the sky. Each time it raises its forelegs, formed from the turbulent currents, and stomps down, it unleashes terrifying, rapidly expanding, ring-shaped tsunamis, tens of meters high! The giant waves, like invisible battering sledgehammers, easily crush everything in their path—remaining buildings, scorched forests, rising hills… everything is as fragile as sandcastles before the absolute water pressure and calamity's power.

Witnessing this apocalyptic scene that seemed like the world was collapsing and the oceans were overflowing, the temperature inside the Nautilus cabin seemed to drop several degrees, and a chill crept up everyone's spine.

"Ritsuka! Mashu! Respond immediately!" Da Vinci's anxious voice rang out in the communication channel. "The flood is rapidly advancing towards Manchester! Although the Beast Calamity has been resolved, the Water Calamity poses a greater threat! Return to the Nautilus immediately and prepare to evacuate this airspace!"

"Wait!" Ritsuka's voice was urgent. "I see her! It's Kalia! She's alive! I can't abandon her!"

On the very edge of Manchester, the roaring torrent of floodwaters was almost upon them! The murky sea, carrying debris from the ruins, began to devour the scorched earth surrounding the city like a ravenous beast. Just as everyone was preparing for an emergency evacuation, Ritsuka's sharp eyes caught a glimpse of familiar armor reflecting light from a crevice in a partially collapsed ruin below—it was Kalia! She lay unconscious beneath the rubble, her silver armor stained with dirt and dried blood, bearing multiple wounds, but fortunately, she showed no signs of being corroded by the purplish-black calamity.

Recalling the complex yet ultimately decisive look in Kalia's eyes during the battle to capture the royal city, Ritsuka did not hesitate at all.

"Ritsuka! It's too dangerous! The flood is coming soon!" Leonardo da Vinci's warnings were ignored.

Ritsuka shot down the still-slightly lit teleportation array like an arrow, rushing towards the ruins! She kicked away the heavy broken beam pressing down on Kalia, ignoring the spikes and grime on her armor, and carried her on her back with all her might. She then turned and sprinted towards the Nautilus's newly repositioned teleportation coordinates!

Behind us, the roar of the raging waves was deafening!

"Splash—!!!"

The turbid seawater, like a collapsing celestial river, swept away the spot where Ritsuka had just stood with overwhelming force, and rushed towards her frantically running figure! The edge of the wall of water almost touched her heels!

At the critical moment, Ritsuka, carrying Kalia on her back, leaped into the teleportation beam that had been relit!

With a flash of light, the two men tumbled onto the deck of the Nautilus. Almost simultaneously, the observation screens showed that the last corner of Manchester had also been completely swallowed by the raging floodwaters, transforming into a new, churning ocean of black waves.

The spaceship rapidly ascended, and everyone looked down: the southeastern part of the Fairy Kingdom, along with Manchester, which had just survived the fire, had been completely submerged in an endless swamp. Ritsuka collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, her heart pounding wildly, a chilling fear seeping into her body like ice water—just a second later, she and Kalia would have been torn apart and swallowed by that devastating torrent.

“Kalia!” Morgan rushed forward to check on the unconscious knight. After a moment, she breathed a sigh of relief, “…Thank goodness. There are no signs of calamity infection, just exhaustion and multiple external injuries causing unconsciousness. Whew… Ritsuka, I thought you’d picked up a big problem.”

"Can she be cured, Your Majesty?" Ritsuka asked anxiously.

“Treating external injuries is no problem,” Morgan replied, but her gaze had already shifted from Kalia to the rampaging “water horse” on the main screen. “However—”

The situation is dire. Liliana and Castor have just endured a fierce battle, their magic and stamina severely depleted. They are clearly unable to contend with a Water Calamity that is both elementally weak to them and capable of unleashing a cataclysmic flood in the short term. Someone must step forward and stop it before they recover.

Morgan's gaze slowly shifted to Senji Muramasa, who stood with his arms crossed, silently observing everything.

“Senji Muramasa,” her voice was clear and direct, “I need you to provide me with magic. His Majesty and Castor’s magic power is nearly exhausted. Can you do it? Although the power of that calamity might be somewhat effective against you…”

"Oh?" Senji Muramasa raised an eyebrow, his aged yet sharp eyes showing no fear. "Although that 'water' energy did indeed somewhat irritate my 'fire'... however, these old bones aren't that fragile." He stepped forward, standing beside Morgan, his tone as carefree as ever. "Let me assist you this time." He then turned to Ritsuka, giving her a slightly reassuring smile. "Child, don't impulsively jump down again this time. Leave these kinds of troublesome matters for 'adults' to us 'adults'."

She had thought she'd need to use some persuasion, but Muramasa had agreed so readily. Ritsuka shuddered as she looked at the terrifying tsunami on the screen, which seemed poised to drag the entire world into an abyss. This time, she knew that pretending to be strong was pointless.

“I understand, Grandpa,” she replied softly, clenching her fist. “This time… I’ll listen to you.”

“That’s more like it.” Muramasa nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Morgan. “So, what should we do?”

Morgan nodded slightly, then quickly gave the order: "Nemo, Da Vinci! Be ready to provide support at any time, maintain the ship's stability, and monitor all movements of the Water Calamity. Senji Muramasa and I will try to suppress it." Her brows remained furrowed as she gazed at the gloomy horizon in the distance. "...We cannot relax yet. Sylph's whereabouts are still unknown. She is a fairy who controls the 'weather,' and if she also becomes a calamity... she will likely be far more troublesome than the two before us."

In the cockpit, Captain Nemo stood tall, his small frame ramrod straight, his youthful face displaying a resolute determination that belied his appearance: "Understood. Leave it to me; I will ensure the ship suffers no harm."

-

With the help of Morgan's levitation magic, Senji Muramasa stood alongside her atop the raging floodwaters, beneath which rolled inky black waves and glimpses of underwater ruins. Facing the terrifying tsunami wall, tens of meters high and seemingly connecting heaven and earth, and the colossal horse atop the wave, radiating endless malice and violent water element, the battle-hardened pair remained remarkably calm. However, this "catastrophe" level opponent, capable of manipulating the power of heaven and earth, was a first for Senji Muramasa.

Time was of the essence. Without the slightest hesitation, Muramasa immediately lowered his waist and stood at attention, forming hand seals. The pure magic power within him, imbued with the characteristics of forging and fire, flowed steadily and continuously towards Morgan in front of him, like a floodgate opened.

"Let's begin, Your Majesty!" Muramasa said in a low voice, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead. "This old man's 'firewood' can't withstand too much intense burning!"

“Understood.” Morgan’s eyes were sharp as knives as he uttered a rapid incantation. “First, calm down! Arcane Art: [Eternal Swamp - Deep Pool]!”

She slammed her staff heavily into the void! A complex, dark, earth-yellow magic circle instantly unfolded beneath her feet, its light spreading rapidly like ripples to the boiling water below!

An unbelievable scene unfolded! The once turbulent waters beneath the giant horse's hooves suddenly deepened in color, becoming murky and viscous! The flowing seawater seemed to be infused with heavy silt and an invisible binding force, rapidly transforming into a vast, deep, and viscous black swamp! The moment the giant horse's body, formed from turbulent currents, touched this swamp, it sank as if sinking into the most deadly quicksand, its speed far exceeding expectations! It angrily churned its body, trying to stir up more water to wash away the swamp, but the surging water was instead assimilated and absorbed by the swamp, causing the swamp to expand outwards at a visible speed!