Lost Will

Hey, you hear what happened in the flats on Sixth Street? They say none of the faeries who lived there ever came back.

So Lady Tristan's at it again, huh... I swear, you can't relax for a second in this city.

"I didn't like how they were laughing." "I didn't like how quiet they were." You just can't win with her.

Why in the world did the queen bring a faerie like that here?

You said it. Camelot would be a damn utopia if it wasn't for her killing faeries left and right.

Dammit... One of these days, I hope someone puts that demented brat in her place.

I'll say this for Salisbury: Lady Aurora would've imprisoned a faerie like Tristan long ago.

Tam Lin Tristan? Surely you're joking, no? Who could ever respect that repugnant little brat?

The high queen's daughter? Please. She's the only one who takes that seriously.

Has High Queen Morgan ever even said one kind thing to her?

She's just a pig walking on its hind legs in a fancy dress. She wouldn't know culture or dignity if it jumped up and bit her.

Oh, yes. A most beloved daughter, that one is. Mhm.

Did you know Tristan destroyed the entire city of Cambridge?

I must say, it reflects incredibly poorly on the high queen that she permits so toxic a creature to continue doing as she pleases.

I mean, I'm not saying I believe that myself, but I've often heard it said.

I can only hope Her Majesty comes to her senses soon. If only she wasn't a Tam Lin, we'd put that uppity brat in her place...

New Darlington's done for. You can't even call it a city at this point.

Anyone trying to escape from there is sent to the underground prison, and the only ones moving TO New Darlington are criminals.

There's not a single decent faerie left in the place. You know they kill at least one a night at their Slaughterhouse Theater?

And the whole reason the city of Preston defected to Cnoc na Riabh's King Clan is because of the so-called football tournament Tristan held there, innit?

First, New Darlington tricked teams from all the major cities into coming there...

...then they executed all the teams that lost, and finally Preston after they'd won.

Yikes. Debauchery is one thing, but that is just absurd.

It would be one thing if she had real skill, like Lady Lancelot and Lady Gawain...

But that brat's got no more magical energy than a typical lower-class faerie. If she weren't Gifted with Sir Tristan's name, she'd be a third-rate faerie at best.

...No, even with his name, she's still third-rate. Without Her Majesty's protection, she'd be no match at all for knights like us.

Just goes to show that the smallest dogs bark the loudest.

If she weren't Her Majesty's daughter, every faerie in Camelot would be out to put that yappy bitch down for good.

Why?

I ask you, why?

Why must you always be like that, Baobhan Sith!?

Aah! Aaah! Aaaaaaaaah! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, High Queen Morgan!

I promise I'll do better next time. I promise I'll kill more next time.

I'm Baobhan Sith. I'm free-spirited (selfish), elegant (cruel), and beautiful (cold). Everyone in Britain loves me.

That's the part I'll play, I promise. I'll be just the successor you want, I promise.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I always end up like this.

But I'm doing the best I can. I just...I don't understand what I'm doing wrong!

Ahh, Mother... Mother...

You're the kindest Mother ever... I don't know where I'd be if you hadn't found me...

...Huh? I'm in...my room? On my bed...?

Why...? I thought I did good this time...

I trapped them in the Garden, went into the mirror, and then...

...Why is my body so heavy? This isn't good... I have to get up...

Whoa, whoa, easy there, Lady Spinel. You've got some BIG bags under your eyes, you know that?

Did you not get enough sleep? Or have you been pushing yourself too hard? Right, of course you have. You did pinch that treasure from the throne.

I'm impressed you managed to sneak in there while Morgan wasn't watching.

She's pretty furious with you now, but I think it's great! Kids are supposed to act up as they get older!

Beryl...? Is that you? I'm sorry, I'll get up rightHuh?

Easy. Don't try to get up. You're exhausted now, right? So you should be lying down.

...Okay. But, Beryl, what was that sound just now? It sounded like something fell to the floor.

Oh, that? Don't worry about it. Your fingertip just fell off 'cause your body's rotting. But hey, it doesn't hurt, right?

... ...Why is my...?

Beats me. Maybe it's 'cause you used the Garden of Lost Will? I mean, that is one hellaciously powerful cursed artifact, isn't it?

Then again...maybe it's 'cause Morgan's finally fed up with you, and stopped feeding you magical energy.

And if that's what it is, you really shouldn't be holding onto the Garden. It'll just make your condition worse.

Here, let me have it. I'll put it somewhere nice and safe.

Y-you...think so? But, Beryl, I really need to

Relaaax, it's fine. I'm just gonna put it in the underground sanctuary, where it'll be nice and safe.

You stay put and rest up here, okay? Just until you can stand up on your own again.

...Wait. Come back. Why the underground sanctuary?

...Beryl? Where did you go?

...I can't move.

...I can't move.

...That's strange. I can't move my arms or legs at all...

I awoke to the sound of my heart being chipped away deep inside my chest.

...Where am I? This isn't the field I was just in. It's...much farther away...

It's like I'm somewhere between Britain and the planet's inner sea.

This must be the Garden where Merlin said he was imprisoned.

But he also said there were different kinds of Gardens. Sweet Dreams, Dark Abyss, Lost Will, The Innocent...

And it looks like this Garden is probably

...I knew it. This is the Garden of Lost Will.

A cold and unforgiving Garden that whittles away the hearts of its visitors by stripping away their delusions and torturing them with self-loathing.

...Merlin did say you can leave this Garden if you can hold out till the end...

...but the whole thing is a cruel trap meant to make you lose your heart and mind before you can.

...Well, whatever.

I can always cut the line when I need to, to avoid having my heart and mind destroyed.

Sure, I won't be able to escape anymore if I do that, but there's no way Baobhan Sith has enough magical energy to keep this Garden going that long, anyway.

I'll eventually get out of here one way or another. So until then...

...I just have to contend with a bunch of things I'd rather not.

Ahh, the prophecy was true. That girl is our star of hope.

She will be our salvation. She will be our absolution.

She is the savior who washed up on our shore, along with the name "Altria."

May you grow, healthy and strong, to the age of sixteen. May the queen's soldiers never find you.

Now, go on. Hurry. Hurry. Hurry. Hurry.

Hurry and greet your sixteenth birthday. We have complete faith in you.

Which is why...

...you must give everything you have for us.

Caster, I brought you a new book. It's about etiquette for upper-class faeries.

You should study it now, so that you'll be ready when you leave for the castle one day.

Let's see... Do you mind if I put the table here?

It won't leave you much room in the stable, but you'll just have to make do.

...By the way, have your fae markings grown yet? You'll be sixteen years old in only two more years, you know.

I'm getting a little worried. Your journey is going to be hard enough as it is.

I see you're working hard again today, Caster. You are so diligent, dedicated, and innocent.

You play just as hard as you study, and you always find whatever it is the village needs at any given moment.

The other faeries could learn a thing or two from you. Just seeing you in action fills us with hope.

Still... I'm afraid it's going to be difficult to pay this year's tax.

We've already sold most of the jewelry you were wearing when your boat washed up here, along with the rest of the treasure it carried...

Some of the faeries are even starting to wonder if you really are the Child of Prophecy.

Ahh, what are we going to do... We'll be lucky if we even survive the winter.

Why must you be so terribly...weak and useless?

Ugh, I swear, none of these faeries have any tact. I guess that's what happens when you've lived past your prime.

Well, there's nothing wrong with saying when you don't like something. In fact, you SHOULD say so. Don't you agree, Caster?

I mean, you don't want anyone treating you differently just 'cause you're the Child of Prophecy either, right?

So I don't care if you're the Child of Prophecy. I'm gonna treat you like the slave you are.

Oh, have you been growing? You really need to start if you're going to catch up to where you need to be.

Especially since we don't have anything of yours left to sell. Well, we can always sell you to the high queen if we have to.

The Child of Prophecy. The Child of Prophecy. The Child of Prophecy raised in a stable.

The Child of Prophecy. She was raised as the village slave.

The Child of Prophecy. She always smiled and said "right away!" when told to do something, no matter how much she didn't want to.

She'd be killed if she refused, after all. How could she say no?

It was so much easier to keep quiet and do as she was told. I...used to think I could survive that way.

I thought, as long as I didn't rock the boat too much, once I finally turned sixteen...

...I may be burdened with an impossible duty, but I could at least finally leave that village.

We want to see proof. Proof that you really are the Child of Prophecy.

That blacksmith who lives on the cliff is ■■ ■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■.

You're the only one he's not wary of. You're the only one he trusts.

If you're truly the faerie destined to save Britain, then ■■■■ him for us.

Please. Please. We're so anxious. Our every day is filled with fear.

So go on. Prove you can protect us by taking care of him!

Of course.

Of course I will...

...

...Right.

That's it. I've had enough. I'm just gonna cut the line and close off the way to the exit now.

And so, the Child of Prophecy left Tintagel for good. Good thing I've always been quick to cheer up when I'm feeling down.

Afterwards, to make a long, not very interesting story short, I went into the Nameless Woods...

And now, I've come across Fujimaru...

...just as he's moments away from succumbing to the Lost Will's traps.

For a moment, I thought I saw Altria on the other side of that wall.

But that can't be right. I mean, there's a wall there.

And the whole point of walls is you can't see or go through them. So I couldn't have seen her on the other side.

What're you looking at, Fujimaru? Are you so exhausted you've started hallucinating?

Well, get it together already. We can't have you spacing out while we're storming the Lostbelts.

We may have any number of replacements for you, but you're still the last Master of humanity.

Huh? ...Replacements? You mean, you've found other Rayshift candidates?

Do you still not get it? You understand that you don't need to Rayshift to get into Lostbelts, right?

We have another Master candidate in Kadoc now. Once his treatment is finished, you won't be our only option anymore.

Oh, wait. He's not really a Master candidate, is he? You were the only one who was just a candidate.

Hm? Hang on, I have to take this. Hello?

Kadoc's awake now? And he's in good health? That's great! Send him to the Command Room immediately!

Good news, Fujimaru! Kadoc's fully recovered!

You can go back to just being a spare, and we can start doing our jobs properly without holding your hand all the time!

So that's how it is.

All that talk about how much they need me, and now they blow me off just like that.

Hey, Fujimaru. What do you think you're doing here?

Get it through your head already, will you? You're not a Master anymore.

You're supposed to be on standby in your room, right? Just get back in there before you get in trouble.

But, I need to stay in shape just in case. I mean, there's no telling when I might have to go to another Lostbelt.

Huh? What're you talking about!? Your training and mission days are over.

You're just a regular guy with no special talents. Stop trying to be something you're not.

Just hang out in your room and let the experts handle things!

Just hang out... How exactly do I do that?

All this time, I've been training to handle watching someone die, or seeing something unspeakable...

I've been practicing overcoming my flight response, and clearing my mind...all because they demanded it.

At this point, I don't even remember what else to do with my spare time.

...I just can't tell. Is this really who I'm supposed to be?

I see you're afraid to come to terms with your situationto see the world as it really is, Mr. Fujimaru.

I understand. To tell the truth, I've been mulling the same thought over for some time now:

"Is solving this case truly the right thing to do?"

Think about it.

Even if we manage to prevent what's happened here, we won't regain what we lost.

Once this case has been closed, you'll be left with nothing more than a broken, empty world.

By comparison, even the current state of the world is fairly overflowing with hope.

No matter how bleak things may be, there's still a chance that you'll be rewarded as long as you keep solving problems one at a time.

You see? Isn't that precisely how things are so much easier for you now?

There's no longer any means to recover what you've lost, so you might as well forget it all.

Don't worry. No one will blame you.

With all of humanity having long since ceased to exist, there is simply no one left to do so.

...Maybe I should stop this for him. It's not like he can cut his own line.

Honestly, this Lost Will stuff is worse than I thought, even when it doesn't concern me. I can't even bear to watch.

Fujimaru's eyes keep getting more and more unfocused...

He's holding his chest tightly, like he's in a vacuum and is having more and more difficulty breathing.

Listen to me, Fujimaru. There's no need to feel sorry for these people.

They're all from a hypothetical historya living what-if scenario foisted on us without our consent.

True, I can understand the logic in them considering us their enemies...

But that's all there is to it. It doesn't change the fact that they've already lost.

So what if a meteor impact resulted in a new ice age? So what if Ragnarök burned their world to the ground?

Yes, I'm sure that made things hard for them. But that's not our cross to bear.

So don't bother listening to the residents of the Lostbelts. Besides, we've got them all beat when it comes to sheer suffering!

We're from Proper Human History. We're the victors! We took the intended route. We can't let anyone take that from us. We can't...

Still, what can we do with only twelve of us? There's no way we can ever rebuild what we lost!

You know as well as I do how bleak things are, right!? Those Lostbelt people know nothing of this kind of solitude! This sort of pressure!

They should be the ones to compromise! They should be the ones to disappear!

Any pain they've experienced is nothing compared to ours!

...

In the end, we're all just foisting the worst parts of ourselves onto each other. We act like what we want is what the world wants.

Yeah.

I've been telling myself it's only for now. That everything I'm doing is to get life back to normal.

That's why I've been able to make it this far. But the truth is...

You know, you're not quite right in the head.

You've almost died countless times, surviving by luck alone.

You've forsaken countless worlds, kept alive by the devil's own luck.

You've abandoned countless peoplecountless worldsto their deaths.

And despite all that, you're still no worse for wear.

？！

You're going to, what, just grit your teeth and bear it because it's "just for now"?

"It's not my fault I have to fight. It's not my fault I can't save anyone."

"This is no time to whine about how hard I have it. I can just bury my face in my hands so no one can see me crying."

"It'll be okay. Once everything's gone back to normal, I can go back to how I used to be, too."

That's what you've been telling yourself, isn't it? But it's not true. Hearts, they change so easily, but they never go back to what they once were.

？！

If you really think things will go back to normal once the fighting's over, you're kidding yourself.

Your heart isn't going anywhere. It can't.

The sights that have been seared into your mind will never disappear. The stench that's seeped into your skin can never be scrubbed away.

There's no going back for you.

So why are you trying so desperately to convince yourself otherwise?

？！

Nope. That's one of the better things about Proper Human History. Everybody's equal, and no one is special.

Since no one there is eternal or volatile the way faeries here are, in the outside world, things are pretty much always changing.

Wow... That sounds like such a human way to run a kingdom!

I think I like it as much as the next person.

I guess I do have some concerns.

...No. Despite it all...

Huh?

That's why you should just quit now, Fujimaru. You're only making things harder for yourself. Just stop.

All this fighting you've been doing... Chaldea's Grand Order... It was all too much for you.

His words were just what I wanted to hear.

That's right. It's exactly what I've wanted someone to say to me for a long time now.

"It's okay. You've done enough. You don't have to finish what you started."

Here, let me give you an example.

The best thing for a species may be for it to continue to exist, but that's not always true for individuals.

Individualspeople, if you like, are always wavering between two desires: the desire to Continue, and the desire for a Game Over.

There's nothing wrong with choosing Game Over. Everything has to end.

If we refused to accept that that applies to life too, we'd never be able to do anything.

So we all have to make our peace with that.

No matter how long someone's winning streak might last, it must inevitably end.

Huh? That's not good enough? You want to know what you should be aiming for then?

Haha, I should've known you'd be so optimistic, Fujimaru.

It's simple. Don't try for a Game Over. Try for a Game Complete.

You, me, and everyone else are going to have to roll credits someday. But until then, all we can do is try to complete as many of the tasks before us as possible.

Happy, sad, failure, success... None of that matters. As long as you've never done it before, anything goes.

And you still have plenty left to do, don't you?

You've got a lot of living ahead of you before you can truly say you have no regrets.

I believe that's what's best for an individual, but above all...

...nothing would make me prouder than to know you did all of that.

...Oh, right. You're supposed to be taking a break, and here I am talking about who knows what.

Okay, see you later. Have another great day. And if you ever want to talk, you know where to find me.

？！

Despite it all?

？！

Why is that?

I see. And what would that be?

I don't know just yet. Right now, all I have is the wish to live.

Hah. A wish?

That's right. What's wrong with that? Everyone wishes for what they want.

Everything I've achieved so far is because I wished for something I wanted.

So I'm going to keep going, and I'm going to find out why I think that way.

So what if I lack confidence? So what if this is too much for me to handle?

？！

Seriously?

Well, I'll be damned. Were humans always this resilient?

Senpai! Altria! You're both all right! Oh, thank goodness!

Uh... Mash? Is that you? Does this mean...we're back in reality?

But, the Garden of Lost Will didn't stop because it ran out of magical energy. So how...?

Oh wow, it's all smashed to pieces! A national treasure, gone just like that! That's so bold of you!

Oh... I, um, I'm sorry! I was just in such a panic!

It was putting out really evil magical energy, and I didn't know what else to do, so...!

Sh-should I... Should I not have?

No, Mash, you made a great call. I would've been too worried about how valuable it was to destroy it.

But now, thanks to you, both Fujimaru and I are safe and sound.

The Garden of Lost Will was a cursed object that robs anyone who's trapped inside it of their, well, will to live.

I, uh... I never had much of that to begin with, so it wasn't so bad for me...

But if Fujimaru had been in there just a little longer, he might have...

Might have...

...Might have nothing! You were standing right back up on your own in there!

What the heck is your deal, Fujimaru!? How can your mind be built like Baggie's!?

I don't know, ask Habetrot! It just came out, okay!?

I'm not sure why Altria is so upset either, Senpai.

？！

Augh! What you did in there is so shocking it's actually kind of infuriating!

It makes me wonder just how serious you are about, well, anything...

I see. Now I understand.

It's true. Senpai's mental state never changes, whether he's doing his job as Master or just being Senpai.

Even when he seems to be casually eating his dinner, he's actually quite serious about it. It's very strange.

？！

No, that's not what I'm... ...

...Then again, maybe it is. You really don't run from anything, do you?

Even in Norwich, you ran all the way to the harbor even when everyone was trying to stop you.

？！

You know, I guess I didn't, did I!? I sure didn't go to the harbor, though!

？！

？！

...

Oh my, is that romance in the air!? Wait, no, hang on. That's not romantic love. It's platonic love and admiration!

？！

R-right, I almost forgot. I was only able to find this place thanks to Peperoncino!

I went after Baobhan Sith after she abducted you two, but then, just when I was trying to figure out where you were...

Peperoncino swooped in and saved the day!

You know it, hon. It took a lot out of me, but I ran all the way here with these long legs of mine. There's a reason I'm so proud of them♡

I wasn't sure at first whether I should help or not, but Mashie was just barreling ahead so frantically.

I mean, she sprinted from Edinburgh to New Darlington so fast she actually kicked up dust clouds.

So I simply couldn't help but step in, you know?

？！

New Darlington.

I noticed Mash because I've been keeping an eye on the place from a nearby hill.

New Darlington is Beryl's citadel. I've been looking for a chance to sneak in for a long time.

Up till now, I never found any openings I could use thanks to all of Morgan's monitoring spells...

But when I saw that Mashie was about to charge straight in from the main gate...

I thought, "Oh well, c'est la vie" and stopped her before it was too late. Then we snuck in together.

That's right. Peperoncino used Shugendou I mean, magecraft, to find you, Senpai.

All I did was follow the thread of the bond you share with Mash.

If anything, I'm the one who should be thanking you.

I never would have known this place was on the outskirts of New Darlington otherwise.

？！

That's right. We're in an underground sanctuary.

We came in through a little church out in the woods near the shore.

Too bad it looks like this place is positively overrun with nasties now...

Anyway, let's focus on getting out of here, shall we? This is the deepest floor of the sanctuarya prison eighty meters belowground.

It's a long and winding way back to the surface, so make sure you're nice and limbered up first.

I assume it was super cramped in that tiny little bAltria?

Y-you've got it all wrong, Count... I don't think any kind of love is in the cards for me for

？！

! Y-yes, I'm ready! Of course I'm ready!

(Oh my, her shoulders are as tense as anything. I do hope she'll be able to loosen up eventually...)

Well, we can worry about that later. Besides, it doesn't look like I need to stick my nose in any of that. I have a feeling time will solve a lot of these problems.

Huh?

Oh, don't you mind little old me! Now come on! Let's hurry to the surface!

And just so you know, Fujimaru, I'm counting on you to handle any nasties we run into on the way!

I am Morgan the Fairy Queen, a Ruler. I have come in response to your summons.

You there, descendant of witches, are you my Master?

...

I sure am! Nice to meet you, Morgan! You and me? We're gonna have lots of fun together!

...Huh?

Welcome to Faerie Britain, Beryl Gut. Did you sleep well last night?

The Tree of Emptiness is dead. The Foreign God's plans are no concern of mine.

Huh? What're youWhoa, you're right! It really IS all dried up and dead! The hell were you thinking!?

I have no further use for it. Faerie Britain is no longer a Lostbelt.

And while I myself am no longer a Servant...

I am willing to keep you on as my husband, Beryl Gut.

This would purely be for appearances' sake, but the pretense will benefit us both.

Hang on. What the hell's going on here?

The next six months were crazy.

Tam Lin TristanBaobhan Sith, took a liking to me after I told her about Proper Human History.

It was pretty cute the way her eyes would always light up when she pestered me to tell her more about the "outside world."

She was especially taken with fashion, and had a particular fascination with the latest shoe designs.

I'm guessing she'd never found anywhere to belong in the land of fae.

Later, we built the National Slaughterhouse Theater in the dowdy old city of New Darlington.

There, we put on every fun kind of show we could think up.

Faeries hated Baobhan Sith well before I came along. I just poured fuel on that fire.

Ohh... I see. That must be what happened.

Correct. When you summoned me, I saw what had become of this British Lostbelt.

Even in this hypothetical world, Britain still collapsed two thousand years ago.

This, I could not allow.

In an instant, I grasped both what had taken place in this Lostbelt's history, and the mechanisms of Chaldea's summoning system.

I deciphered the secrets of Rayshifting, and used them myself.

I knew it! Hot damn, you really are a monstrous genius among monstrous geniuses, aren't you!?

You Rayshifted yourself back in time and rewrote Britain's entire history!

And you did it all within a few hours of me summoning you! DAMN, girl!!!

Oh, so, is that what that was all about?

Were you in a hurry to fix things 'cause this place couldn't have come about as long as I knew about the old Lostbelt?

...True. I did need to alter the past while your consciousness was shut down.

Information is the only thing which can be Rayshifted.

To Rayshift a living person to a Singularity, one must first use a Coffin to transform their body into Pseudo-Spiritronspure information.

Impressive though this theory of magecraft is, it is only made possible by Singularities existing outside normal space-time.

However, that is still no more than a way to correct distortionsa system that can only function within the confines of a Singularity.

Rayshifting is not time-traveling, and thus cannot be used to alter the past.

However...I already existed in this Lostbelt.

I was here in Fae Era 4000, as the faerie of paradise sent from Avalon.

...I see. So you sent your own knowledge back into the past.

Servants are Ghost Liners...which is just concentrated information when you get down to it.

Of course, even a Servant would normally disperse as soon as they Rayshifted anywhere that wasn't a Singularity...

But if there was someone on the other end to receive that information, like a preexisting email account...well, that's another story entirely.

In Proper Human History, you were a witch who was defeated by King Arthur and lost your hold over Britain.

As that history's Queen Morgan, you were rejected by the entire isle.

So you decided to entrust those memories, that information, to the version of yourself that was born in this Lostbelt, didn't you?

Correct. Following that Rayshift, the Morgan of Proper Historythe Servant you summonedceased to exist.

But in exchange for her resolve, the Morgan of this Lostbelt learned the fate that awaited her.

In the first, original version of the Fae Era, the faerie of paradise was murdered...

...and all but a handful of faeries were wiped out in the Great Calamity of Fae Era 12,000.

Once I learned of that truth from my Proper Human History self, I was able to escape my would-be murderers and survive.

...I then changed the course of that destructive history, and killed the Tree of Emptiness.

Doing so would ultimately destroy this Lostbelt, but it also provided me with an opportunity.

So long as someone capable of keeping this world alive remained, this Lostbelt would transform from fantasy into reality.

That is the world in which you now you find yourself. This is the Era of the High Queen.

This land is my Faerie Britain. I built it with my own hands, and no one will ever take it from me.

Is that a problem?

Nope! All good here!

When you've already been resurrected to suit someone else's purposes once before, why worry about a second time?

Still, things are gonna be different now. Without the Tree of Emptiness in the way, the Era of the High Queen has been firmly established.

You can't bring any more dead people back to life to iron out inconsistencies, and any outsiders who show up won't be able to mess with it, either.

You do know the Chaldeans are gonna do everything they can to destroy this Britain of yours, right?

I see no reason to be concerned with them. My enemy is your colleague...

...and Olympus's Tree of Emptiness, which now covers the entire planet.

Damn, so you're planning to go on the offensive against a distant Lostbelt next?

Granted, that probably is more urgent for you.

But still, Wodime's no pushover, you know? And those Olympian gods seem like pretty bad news too.

Besides, Wodime doesn't seem especially pitiful or interesting.

Killing him'd be a pretty big risk, and there wouldn't be much reward even if I succeeded.

...Are you saying you have no wish to fight Olympus's Crypter?

Did you not tell me that each Crypter is competing with the others?

Is that not why you were all resurrected? To vie to become the king of this planet?

Nah. I don't know about the others, but I got zero interest in being a king.

Then why did you answer the Foreign God's call? Was mere survival your only concern?

Well yeah. Imagine you suddenly woke up dead, and a mysterious voice says you're gonna stay that way unless you accept their offer.

Isn't it natural for humans to bet on any opportunity that'll mean life over death?

Not for you. You have no attachment to your own life, and neither do you place any value on the lives of others.

You live only for the moment, and seek nothing beyond that.

You are prepared to meet your end at any time. A man such as you would never awaken simply to keep living.

Ahh, you're giving me way too much credit, Your Majesty. I'm just your everyday hedonist.

Sure, living's a pain in the ass, but I can deal with that as long as there's enough fun stuff to make up for it.

Take Tam Lin Gawain, for instance. She seems interesting. It'd be fun to mess with her.

Spriggan, on the other hand, seems boring. He'd be better off as the villain of a B movie.

That's all there is to me, Morgan.

Incidentally, you seem boring, tooby which I mean you won't be any good for helping me pass the time.

So you can just relax and do your queen thing. 'Sides, I'm not strong enough to kill you anyway!

...

What about Tristan then? How do you see her?

Lady Spinel, huh. She's a jewel, that's for sure. I'm happy to take good care of a pretty young lady like that.

But...she's a dead end. She's neither pitiful, nor interesting.

...

Just the thought of harming her arms and legs makes my chest tighten up. The more promising someone's future is, the more it makes me want to ruin it.

And believe me, I'm aware of how bad that makes me sound.

I guess putting someone pitiful out of their misery is just my way of expressing my love.

Did anyone else feel that tremor? It almost felt like the prelude to an earthquake.

An earthquake? We almost never get those in Britain...

？！

...

Pepe? Um... Are you not feeling well?

I couldn't help but notice that you haven't quite seemed like yourself...

Oh Mashie. You really don't miss anything, do you?

Well, don't worry about me. I'm just feeling a little bummed out, that's all.

But I do appreciate you looking out for me. Thanks, Mashie.

Now, come on. Once we get through that door and out to the hall, it's a straight shot back to the surface.

So let's get going already. You guys still aren't anywhere close to done.

Ahh... Ahhh... Aaahhh...

Haaah... Ahh... Aaah...

？！

Whoa! Their bodies are rotten! They're corpses!

They're remains of the people who died in the calamity of Darlington one hundred years ago come back to life!

Now I see. This was a human burial ground!

...All right. If they mean to attack us, we'll just have to defend ourselves! I'll keep the fighting to a minimum and secure a path to the upper floors!

Aww, what? You're not gonna attack 'em? Well, that's boring.

I went to a lot of trouble to release these human mors from the observation room, too.

Hiya, Fujimaru. This makes, what? Three times we've run into each other now? Feels like you and I are more than just acquaintances by now, doesn't it?

...You said these things are human mors? Does that mean what I think it does?

What, I don't even get so much as a hello? Not very friendly, are you, Kouhai?

Guess I hurried all this way from New Darlington's lord manor for nothing then.

？！

As you can see, these things are human. But they're not corpses, like you thought they were.

There's only one dead body left in all of Britain. Nah, these guys are the fruit of a little research project I've been working on the last six months.

I wondered, "What would happen if you transplanted the mors curse to a human?" Well, here's the answer.

They're alive, and they're dead. Dead, but alive.

Being like that's so painful for them that all they can do is implore anyone who passes nearby for help...

But that makes them pretty great parting gifts.

'Cause now, mors poison can infect humans just as well as it can faeries.

？！

Still, while I'm not surprised to see Mash show up, I didn't expect you to be here, too, Peperoncino.

I didn't think you'd come all the way to Britain just to avenge old Wodime.

I never pegged you for the hot-blooded type. If anything, I figured you were more like me.

That's true. You're a cleaner, and I'm a killer. Neither of us were ever good people.

Right, wrong...even whether this benefits me. None of that matters to me right now. I'm just here to kill you.

If someone pisses scum like us off, that's all the reason we need to kill them, isn't it?

You know, when you're right, you're right! Guess this means emotional appeals and peaceful discussion are off the table then!

？！

That's right! As you can see, this burial ground's long past its prime, so I thought I'd give it a little renovation!

Now it's time to bury the evidence before Morgan finds out I got carried away with my experiments!

I didn't have to tell you guys that, but hey, you, me, and Mash were all part of Team A once, right, Peperoncino?

So I figure the least I could do is warn you to scram before you wind up buried alive.

I don't know about Fujimaru, but at least you two might be able to make it out of here in time.

But...he said these people are still ali

？！

Stay away from them! Don't you get it!? You can't help them anymore! No one can!

We're still deep underground! If we don't hurry out of here, we'll be dead, too!

Once we have a safe way out of here, then we can worry about rescuing anyone we can!

？！

I'll use magecraft to help keep us safe! Let's hurry upstairs, Fujimaru!

？！

No, we're still underground! To reach the surface, we need to get to the farthest end of this sanctuary!

Stop!!! Go back to the staircase!

？！

...Phew. That was close, but it looks like I just made it.

Sorry for kicking you all out so fast. I know my legs are just terribly long♡ Is anyone hurt? No? Oh good.

？！

Hm? Oh, there's just a little poison gas in here.

Hang on while I go shut it off, okay?

Don't worry. As you know, I trained in Shugendou up in the mountains, so karma doesn't affect me much. I can survive the gas for a good while.

Karma? Um, I don't understand. What do you mean by

Hmm, I'd say this should take me about three minutes? I could do it faster if I wasn't so tired, but oh well.

Fujimaru. Mashie. Do you two trust me enough to wait until I get back?

？！

Great. All righty, I'm just gonna go take care of this.

Hehe, this should be fun. I haven't had a chance to use my full strength in a long time!

...

...

？！

Oh my, three minutes already? Time does fly when you're having fun, doesn't it?

There you go, it's all spick-and-span. Now let's get out of here before it all comes crashing down, shall we?

I never doubted you could do it, Pepe.

Although...exactly what kind of poisonous gas was it?

The ceiling in here is about forty meters high. Was the gas heavier than air?

Something like that. All sorts of things tend to stagnate in the air under a cemetery.

...Um, Count Peperon? Are you...

？！

Oh my, such fire in your eyes! Are you burning to continue our little love talk from earlier!?

...Never mind. It's nothing.

Oh? Well, that's too bad. I was so looking forward to chatting about romance.

I guess that's just how you've always lived your life, hm, Altria?

I do have my concerns about that, but this time, I appreciate it. In that case, mind keeping it to yourself until all's said and done? Thanks, hon.

...

The lower levels must be completely buried by now. Come on, let's get out of here while we still can.

Right! The exit's just over there. I'll lead the way!

？！

Be careful, Master! I'm detecting a powerful hostile magical energy signal up ahead!

Oh, COME ON! How did you get up here without a scratch on you? What the hell, guys!?

That shoulda taken at least one or two of you out! And you, Fujimaru!

Why're you looking at me like that!? Is that really your idea of a Master sworn to defend humanity!?

？！

Don't waste your time on the likes of him, Fujimaru.

I was hoping to take care of him myself, but... Would you three mind kicking his heinie for me?

Just be thorough about it, yeah? We don't want him ever doing anything nasty again.

Right! I'm sorry, Beryl, but we don't have any time to waste. If you're going to stand in our way, I'm going to have to force my way past you!

...I see. Guess you didn't care for my game, then.

All right, looks like I'll have to break out the big guns.

？！

That magical energy aura...! Stand back, everyone! He's... He's...!

...Aah. Haaah...

...Sorry 'bout this. I didn't wanna have to show this side of myself if I didn't have to...

But I've waited long enough to be alone with Mash. Time for the rest of you to give us some privacy.

He has... No, it can't be... That's Woodwose's Spirit Origin!

What, tired already? Oh, come on. I'm just getting started.

I didn't go to the trouble of copying Woodwose's Spirit Origin just for us to screw around.

That's Woodwose's Spirit Origin!? Not Wryneck's!?

He was one of Aesc's companions! He was nowhere near this powerful though!

？！

Either way, that doesn't change the fact that he has an A-ray's Spirit Origin!

We don't have any weapons able to penetrate the Grand Duke of Waste Heat's hide!

Heh... Heh, heh...

Oh, look at you, little savior. Clever, ain'tcha? Don't gotta tell you there's no point fighting, do I?

Still, I wish your idiot friends would get it through their thick skulls that none of you are getting out alive.

Isn't that right, Peperoncino!? Don't think I don't see you trying to sneak up on me!

？！

One down, three to go! Later, Peperoncino!

Could've killed you whenever I wanted, but I was cutting you a break for old times' saHuh?

Guh... Gaaaaaah! Groooss! I feel siiick!

You! What the hell did you do to me!? What is this!?

Don't you recognize it? You've been testing it on who knows how many people.

I was carrying enough for five hundred people, and now, I passed it on to you.

Wha... You bastard. You were already

That's right! I was already practically dead!

So, how do you like the taste of your own damn curse!? The one that reflects right back onto you when you kill someone!?

Gh... Gaaah! Bleaaah!

Stop!!! Go back to the staircase!

Two hundred... Three hundred... Oh my, I can't even count them all.

This must be where he was keeping all the humans he was experimenting on.

I knew Beryl was a botanist, and that he knew a lot about witch magecraft and potions...

But I had no idea he could also abuse curses like this. Those British witches really are bad news, aren't they...

There's no way we can get past all of them unharmed.

Get too close, and they'll come after you begging for help. Touch them, and be poisoned. Kill them, and get cursed.

Well, Mashie's immune to poison, so that probably wouldn't work on her...

The real cruelty of it though is how it's meant to make you kill helpless innocents.

Even if it is just a malicious prank taken too far...

...it'll hurt Mashie and Fujimaru the most.

Scumbag or not, though, I'm still their senpai. I'll just have to handle this for them.

...There we go. All done. Now I just need to cast a little illusion...

...move the bodies over to the corner...hide all the blood and guts...and...

Oh gosh, just look at me! My outfit and makeup're all a mess!

Makes sense, though. One curse for every person I just killed.

Now my intestines are pulverized, and my skin is in tatters... It's going to take more than a trip to the spa to bounce back from this♡

Any halfway decent person would follow you all to the grave now... But I can't do that just yet.

Would you all mind waiting just a little bit longer? I have one last thing I need to take care of.

Gh... Gaaah! Bleaaah!

What the shit!? What is wrong with this head of the Fang clan body!? How the hell is the mors curse even working on it!?

That's a little something from me, darling! I mixed in a little extra Retaliating Curse of my own to sweeten the deal, so to speak!

A Retaliating Curse!? You son of a...! Is that any way to fight like a man!?

HahaGhh! Please, stop, Beryl! It really hurts to laugh right now!

This is no time to be laughing, Pepe! We need to treat you right awa

Thank you, Mashie! But don't you worry about that!

Fujimaru! You know what you have to do!

？！

...Right!

Preparing to take out hostile Black Wolf, at full power!

(Huff... Huff...) Gaaaaaah!

You really...did it, dammit...! I'm impressed, Peperoncino!

All right, I see how it is! I admit, you got me! I'm the one who messed up...so I'll be the one to run for it!

He escaped through the skylight. I guess we won't be following him. Not that it matters now...

...

？！

Pepe!

Oh. Was I sleeping!? Silly me, I can't believe I missed your big fight scene!

Still...at least I can tell from your faces that you won. Even though you both look like you're about to cry.

Come now, cheer up. You're supposed to smile and high-five after you win a fight, not rain on your own parade.

But... But... We wouldn't be alive now if not for you...

And we didn't even realize what you'd done for us...!

Oh? Whatever are you talking about?

All I did was try to sneak-attack Beryl and fail miserably.

So of course things turned out this way.

Besides, it's only right that I be the one to take responsibility for my actions, you know?

Now, go on. You need to get going already. This was just a detour, remember?

Don't worry about me. This is as far as I go. I'm already dead, anyway.

？！

Oh, Fujimaru. Mashie I can understand, but not you.

Carrying the dead will only slow you down. Especially now, when I'm full to bursting with curses.

Besides, we're enemies. We were always going to go our separate ways sooner or later.

Not to mention I really am a despicable murderer. I just went after someone worse this time.

Believe me, you two have no reason to mourn someone like me.

？！

？！

...Exactly.

I'm glad you never did. I'm glad my lovely little kouhai never ended up hating me.

Pepe...

Hey now, no crying. Besides, Beryl and I are cut from the same cloth.

We're both worthless good-for-nothings at heart. I was always thinking more about how things would end than how long they'd keep going.

？！

Do you know why people like me violate the law? It's not because we want to do bad things.

We just want to get out of keeping on for keeping on's sake.

The laws people make are meant to help them flourish longer and better... Just like humanity itself.

So after defying them, ignoring them, and breaking them...the bill's finally come due.

But you two aren't like that. You two want to keep on keeping on, right?

Then that's exactly what you should do. You should keep running, and running...

...until you've gone so far people like me can't even see you anymore.

You have to do at least that much if I'm going to die by myself. I'm too much of a coward otherwise.

Go on now. Take Mashie and get out of here. You're her Master, aren't you?

？！

Why thank you, darling. It's been a blast for me, too.

Don't forget. Now that you've come this far, you'd better save Britain...and Altria.

Hehe. As something of an expert on curses, I can sense what type it is that's covering all of Britain now.

Listen to me closely. Your real enemy here is someone who's out to bring an end to everything.

Remember that well, and don't let your guard down until it's well and truly over.

Good... They made it to the exit. That wraps up the last of my unfinished business.

...I'm not scared or in pain anymore... But I guess I do still have some bitter memories.

...I swear, I really am scum.

After everything I did, I still have nothing but fond memories of my time there.

No wonder I was fated to die alone. That's what I get for killing everyone else myself.

Really, it was shameless of me to even consider wanting to go out on a high noOh.

...So that's why he did that. I can't believe I only just realized it now.

Aha... Ahaha... Ahh, I swear...

Hehe. I always thought it was sudden, even for him.

Thank you, Daybit. Thank you for using that once-in-a-lifetime ticket...

...to come see me when I was at my most beautiful.

...

...

？！

...I didn't know the Count for very long...

But I could tell he'd killed a lot of people, just like he said.

He had no sympathy for those he killed, or for himself as he was about to die.

He was cruel and cold-blooded. So much so that we really don't need to waste time mourning him.

...That being said...

He was under no delusions about who he was, and he never lied to you.

He was so true to himself it was almost scary. He really did do whatever he liked however he felt like it.

...So, um, I guess what I'm trying to say is

？！

...Right. I'm sure he would have smiled and said so himself.

He was a strange, mysterious sort of person through and through.

He was more egalitarian with himself and those around him than anyone I've ever met.

？！

？！

There! I see them! Your tracking capabilities truly are exceptional, Lady Da Vinci!

You know it! Now I'm really glad I added a camera function to Tiphone!

Heeey! Fujimaru! Mash! Altriaaa!

Are you guys okaaay!? Come on, we've got places to beee!

...I see. So Pepe's...

...

What a loss... I was always hoping he would take over as the new head of Norwich one day.

Yeah, it's sad, but I'm afraid you'll have to mourn him later. Don't you got something to tell them, Da Vinci?

I could tell 'em myself if you like, but I figure it's better coming from you.

Oh, right. Altria, we got an emergency message from Oberon.

It said, "The Round Table Army has captured Oxford. You can ring the Bell of Pilgrimage at any time."

"Please get here before the queen's army comes to retake it."

That's right. Percival beat the Fang clan while we were away up north, so we don't even have to fight this time.

Now come on! Let's get to Oxford as soon as we can!