The Final Knight

Wow, back from New Darlington in only half a day? That must be a new record.

We really are lucky to have Redra Bit, and that brand-new wagon he got for us.

？！

I see you're still in high spirits. That's great. I feel more hopeful for our future prospects than ever.

Welcome back from Orkney, everyone. I'm glad to see you all alive and well.

Hm? Just you here, Percival? Where's Gareth?

...Oh, right. Londinium. That's a shame, but it's also understandable.

Thanks for taking care of Oxford, Percival. It couldn't have been easy to conquer a city with walls like that.

Oh, no. I could never have done it without Altria.

We asked for peaceful negotiations several times after we surrounded the city, but they refused to listen.

We were just settling in for a protracted battle when we heard Orkney's bell ring out.

That boosted the Round Table Army's morale, and sent the Oxford soldiers into a panic.

Percival's just being modest. Even without Orkney's bell, he could have taken the city in a few days.

It's not just Fang clan faeries living in Oxford. There are Earth and Wind clan faeries, too.

And their frustrations alone had the whole city on edge, like a bomb just waiting to go off.

They were more resentful of the Fang clan than they were afraid of the Round Table Army surrounding them.

So thanks in part to that internal pressure, the Fang clan had a change of heart.

They weren't serving Morgan because they truly believed in her. It was really only Woodwose who was devoted to her.

But now that he's fallen, and without a leader to take his place, they honestly didn't know what to do anymore.

I see. So that's why the negotiations worked.

Still, how did those talks actually go? I mean, the Fang clan is literally optimized for combat.

I can't imagine they'd be too eager to form a peaceful alliance.

...That's true. Even putting the Round Table Army aside, we've seen a lot of faeries among the volunteer soldiers with their own grudges against the Fang clan.

In particular, a number of Woodwose's officers have been plundering nearby villages...

...and we've had a lot of requests from faeries wishing to take their revenge on them.

So suffice to say, it would be pretty difficult to recruit the Fang clan into the rebel army at this point.

That makes sense, but we also can't just do nothing about them.

And keeping them all locked up in Londinium until our war with the queen is over doesn't seem very realistic, either.

Yes, we discussed how to handle them among ourselves. But then, Lady Murian came along with a proposition.

Murian? From Gloucester?

That's right. She said Gloucester would join the rebel army as long as we guaranteed the Fang clan's safety.

She said Gloucester will take in any Fang clan faerie with nowhere else to go as part of an emergency war effort.

Thanks to that, we were able to guarantee the safety of any soldier who surrendered, which turned out to be the key to our peaceful takeover.

We did take the liberty of shackling all the Fang clan faeries who surrendered in front of the other soldiers...

But once they arrive in Gloucester, their shackles will be removed, and they'll be free faeries again.

Lady Murian said she'll employ them as mercenaries, which works out since Gloucester doesn't currently have a garrison.

？！

That's right, it's a twofer. Now we don't have to worry about dealing with the Fang clan, AND we also have Murian on our side.

Though really, Gloucester's basically been on our side since we rung their bell.

Anyway, feels good to finally have all our ducks in a row, doesn't it?

Well, yeah, it does, but, I don't know...

Does this mean you've already had the Fang clan brought to Gloucester?

That's right. Every one of them who surrendered here, along with the prisoners we'd been keeping in Londinium.

In fact, Murian said that every Fang clan member in Britainwell, except for the ones who live in Camelotwas welcome to come.

Woodwose banned his clan from most forms of entertainment aside from going to restaurants, after all.

So I'd bet by this point, all the Fang clan faeries who've never seen anything like Gloucester's glitz before must be having the time of their lives!

...

Are you okay, Lady Murian? You look a bit pale, and you don't seem quite yourself.

Perhaps you should lie down for a while?

If you like, I'd be happy to show the Fang clan faeries to their quarters myself.

Don't be ridiculous, Koyanskaya. I've never felt better in my life.

I've been waiting so long for this moment, and it's finally here. I've been preparing for so long so I would be ready when it came.

I haven't felt this light on my feet since my last visit to the royal library!

Oh, while we're at it, would you like to take a look? I'm especially proud of this one.

Oh yes, I'd love to! I've actually been dying to see it up close☆ I simply love learning about new technology☆

Oho. So that works like that, and this fits into this... Wow! You even perfectly replicated the water!

And as for the buildings... Oh my, just look at all this detail. And I see you even have double beds... Hmm...

Well? Does it meet your standards?

Does it? Why, I'm downright jealous.

I can scarcely tear my eyes away from the sheer quality, nor can I believe the sheer originality.

It's elaborate, exquisite, beautiful, and simply superb. I'd love to have something so dedicated to ... in my own company.

Thank you, Lady Fox. Now that I'm in an excellent mood, I'm going to get to work.

Just to be sure, would you mind guarding this room?

...(Sigh) To think that a woman of my talents would be reduced to working security...

Of course I'll be glad to help. I won't let so much as a mouse past me while you're gone.

That being said...

...are you sure you want to do this now? You said yourself you could do it anytime.

I'm surprised to hear that from you, Koyanskaya. When you get a chance, you take it immediately, right?

...Hmm.

I do understand how Lady Murian feels, at least to a degree...

...but I also know that, while it's normal for fools to do foolish things...

...wise people doing foolish things always leads them to ruin. I do hope you know that as well, Lady Murian...

Thank you for your understanding, everyone. I've gone ahead and removed your shackles now.

I do hope none of you were injured on the way here? If anything's bothering you, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Ha! You think mere man-made shackles could harm the Fang clan!? We could've torn them off whenever we wanted!

Now you listen to me. We didn't put those shackles on 'cause we yielded to the Round Table Army.

We only did it to save faceyour face, since you asked to hire us. Got that?

Yes, of course. Thank you so much for your consideration.

Once the queen and the rebel army clash at Camelot, chaos is bound to follow.

And I know I won't be able to preach the virtues of neutrality to Gloucester's citizens if their hunger should turn to violence.

So even though this goes against the Wing clan's principles, I've decided Gloucester needs a force of its own, if only temporarily.

Hmph. Sounds like the kind of talk I'd expect from bugs.

Your clan's always been parasites depending on the strong to survive, after all.

Oh, right. There's no clan left, is there? You're all that's left.

And yet, you're still clinging to your clan's pride, huh? What a greedy little bug you are.

If you ask me, the only thing bugs like you are good for is being scraped off our heels!

... (I see Baygan's running his mouth again...)

(Well, he is our de facto leader now that Lord Woodwose is gone...)

Hey, you all agree, right!? The so-called "Wing clan" doesn't even count as one of the six clans anymore, does it!?

Y-yeah! You said it, sir! Hahahahaha! ...Ha.

Teeheehee, what a way with words you have! I couldn't agree more! Ahahahaha!

O-oh? I-Is that so? Good to see you know your place.

All right, let's see our new homes.

The Fang clan has twelve-hundred fighters, six-hundred support units, and four-hundred trainers...

And the deal was that you'd welcome all of us to Gloucester as upper-class citizens.

Where are the ones who got here ahead of us? What about the prisoners from Londinium?

Oh yes, they've all been freed from their shackles as well. They've been chatting amongst themselves in the ballroom for a while now.

You'll find them all up ahead, right through those doors. In fact, we're just about to begin your welcome celebration.

Our food may not compare to Oxford's restaurants, but we do have a very unique cooking style of our own.

(Gloucester cuisine! I can't wait to try it!) (I was getting tired of Woodwose's vegetarianism, anyway.)

(If just walking around the city was that much fun, imagine how fancy the food must be here!)

Wow... It's beautiful. I've never seen such wonderful scenery inside a city before!

Gloucester really is amazing. It's far better than a damn insect deserves!

Ha, it won't be Murian's much longer. Not now that she's invited us here.

Only the Fang clan can exterminate mors, and our strength will be that much more valuable when the war heats up.

The humans can have Oxford if they want it. We'll be taking Gloucester for ourselves soon enough.

What a shortsighted fool Murian is. She thinks she's keeping us safe, when it's actually the other way around.

Soon, she'll see just how strong we are. What a shock it'll be for her to realize she has no choice but to depend on us.

In fact, that's probably why she welcomed us in the first place! She knows exactly what a parasite like her needs to survive!

Hahahahahaha! You said it, Boss!

It doesn't matter how much other faeries copy humans. The weak will always have no choice but to obey the strong!

And now that Woodwose and his precious intellectualism are gone, we're free to use our strength any way we want!

...(Sigh) I truly can't believe it. Twelve-hundred years later, and not one of you has changed at all.

I'm honestly shocked that none of you had the slightest qualm about entering such a suspicious ballroom.

I suppose it could be your brains shrinking to match your new size?

Ah, well. There's nothing we can do about that. You've never been more than trash who can't even remember the atrocities you committed in any case.

Wh-who said that!? Where'd that booming voice come fro

WhaHuh? What is that...? Hey, look outside!

There! Up in the sky...!

So, you finally noticed me. I've been watching you aaall this time, you know.

Good evening, members of the Fang clan. Welcome to my game board.

We won't have any interruptions tonight, so I do hope you can keep me entertained.

M-Murian!?

What's going on!? When did she get a sacrament to make herself huge!? I thought only spriggans could do that!

Really? That's the first thing you want to know? Well, okay. But only because it'll add to your humiliation.

Gloucester is my personal fae domain. I've spent a thousand years establishing its rules.

The logic of the outside world doesn't apply here. My word is all.

Here, the weak become strong, and the strong become weak.

And this place, in particular, is a world unto itself that reflects my mind even more closelyan insect space that shrinks everyone who enters it.

Now do you understand?

I didn't grow. You all shrank.

You're all as small as the "insects" you've ground beneath your feet.

Murian! How dare you look down on us!? Cut this crap out now and turn us back to normal!

A mere insect like you will never be able to survive without our help!

Oh my. The Fang clan's third-best fighter indeed. It's almost mesmerizing how bold and brazen you are.

Buuut...

I suppose it's all brawn, no brains, hm? You didn't think how easy it would be for this "mere insect" to crush you with a finger, did you?

Baygan's...dead? The strongest warrior in the clan aside from Lord Woodwose...?

Hehe, I'm sooo sorry. He was just so loud. He was starting to annoy me, so I squashed him♡

You see, everyone, as long as you're on this game board, you're weaker than ants. But once you go outside, you'll be your old powerful selves again.

Though of course...

The only way for you to get outside is to kill me. Any other clan would probably admit defeat here...

...but you're the strongest clan in all of Britain, right? Who knows? Maybe you'll actually manage to beat me♡

AhAaaaaah! Run! Run for your liiives!

Get outside the ballroom! Head for the forest! Hurry, before she smashesAgh!

Ahh... How truly glorious! They don't even have time to scream before I squish them!

I must admit, you're all dumber than I could have imagined. Have you really not grasped that there is no "outside" here?

Try to run to the woods, and I'll flatten you with a wave of my hand. Try to run to the lake, and I'll churn the water and drown you.

Even if you somehow managed to make it to the moon...I'd just eat the whole moon, and you with it.

No matter how many times you die, your next generations will only wake up inside this miniature garden.

And I'm going to keep exterminating all of you until your souls are so worn out that no new generations are born.

The best thing you can do for yourselves now is plead for mercy.

If you're lucky, I might even consider sparing your lives.

Well...let's say "life," since no more than one of you will make it.

All right then, my teeny-weeny Fang clan friends.

The night has only just begun. I do hope you enjoy this game. I spent the last thousand years putting it together for you, you know.

...

Take that! And that! And that!

You can't hide from me! Not in the woods! Not anywhere!

Die! Die! Die! I want to see you running in panic, wailing for someone to save you before I grind you to paste!

Gh... Ghhh! Not fighting back didn't save them! Obeying didn't save them! Running away didn't save them!

Everyone I ever knew... They're all dead! Those Fang clan barbarians ate them...bit right into their arms and legs...while they were still alive!

How dare they call themselves Britain's guardians!? They can't make anything themselves! All they do is destroy!

Every day, they just go around doing whatever they want...all because they happened to be born strong!

Then, just when our clan starts pulling ahead of them, they decide to hunt us down! For sport!

And when they couldn't figure out what to do with the survivors...they decided it'd be easier to just get rid of everyone...!

That's the worst part of all! Those barbaric wolves just live their whole lives doing whatever pops into their heads!

Well, I won't let them get away with this! I swear it! I'm going to make them know what it feels like to be preyed upon, no matter how long it takes!

I won't listen to what they have to say. I won't even tell them why I'm doing it. I'm just going to wipe them all out with overwhelming power.

Whatever else happens, I can't die before then! Even if I'm the last of my clan to survive...

I'm going to erase the entire Fang clan from existence!

Ahaha. Ahahaha. Ahahahaha!

...

(...Whether Morgan or the Child of Prophecy wins, Britain will stick around.)

(But...things will be very different for it with the Fang clan gone.)

(You know what you're doing is foolish... But you still couldn't stop yourself.)

...It's such a shame, Murian.

To think not even a creature as wise and righteous as you could escape the hatred in your past.

You're acting no better than a human... And that's not what I look for in my clients.

That takes care of the fifth bell. According to the prophecy, there's only one left to go now...

Yes. The Mirror clan's bell. We've been doing everything we can to find it, but to no avail...

I'm so sorry we can't be of more help.

I've been flying everywhere in search of it, and there just isn't a sixth bell to be found.

...I can't say I'm not nervous about this, but I think we need to give up on the sixth bell.

Besides, we saw in Norwich that Ainsel's prophecy isn't perfect, right?

So now that Altria has enough magical energy to cover the entire Round Table Army...

...and with Cnoc na Riabh's forces on our side, we should be a good match for the queen's army.

...That's true.

And now that Lady Cnoc na Riabh has agreed to ally with us, we can't afford to be late to the party.

I'll call for the third platoon and the volunteer soldiers we left in Londinium to join us here.

As soon as they arrive, we'll set out for Camelot.

...

Uh, yes? Why do you ask?

The Bells of Pilgrimage are markers of the clans' recognition, right? The Mirror clan is gone, so I don't need theirs.

Yes, I'm very glad about that! I hope she likes the souvenirs I got her in Edinburgh!

？！

By the way, I know it's kind of late to ask this now, but what are the Bells of Pilgrimage, anyway?

I can tell they're special since the clan heads all protect them, but that's it.

Their tolling carries all across Britain. Altria gets more full of herself every time she rings one...

Bells like that are usually just meant to mark the time, right? How do they figure into a pilgrimage?

It...really is pretty late in the game to be asking that, Muramasa.

Even so, I've been wondering the same thing.

(Putting aside the fact that in Proper Human History, bells were used to keep fairies away...)

I also wonder why Ainsel used the word "pilgrimage" when this Britain has nothing in the way of gods.

For that matter, not a single faerie we've met has even known how long the bells have existed.

Well, I'm sure Morgan probably does, but

Um... Can I say something?

The Bells of Pilgrimage are the transformed bodies of the dead clan leaders.

They signify obedience to the faerie of paradise, and their support of her mission to free Britain.

Their ring is a song of apology; it shows that the six clans of that time have decided to forgo being the descendants of A-rays and their assent to become faeries of the earth.

At least, that's what I was told...

？！

...A song of apology. I guess that's what a pilgrimage is in this Britain: an apology...

The bodies of the clan leaders... So, they're not the bodies of the six ancestor faeries?

That's right. They were at first, but some of them were destroyed by calamities at various points in history.

When that happens, either the current clan leader becomes a replacement bell, or the last

Percival! Where's Gareth!? What is she doing right now!?

Gareth? She's in Londinium, watching over the chil

You know what, let's have Kenwood, the captain of our recon team, check in on her. We're already preparing a message for Londinium anyway.

Commander Percival! We just received an emergency message!

There's a fire burning in the south! A big one!

A fire? ...Oh no.

It's Londinium! The queen's army is attacking Londinium!

That takes care of this morning's patrol! No sign of any enemies nearby! Looks like today's going to be another peaceful day in Londinium!

They said the battle at Oxford concluded with peaceful negotiations, too.

I wonder if the Round Table Army's having a fancy breakfast at one of the restaurants there now? I'd love to see what they're eating!

Huh...? What's that sound? Is there something going on inside the cast

...Huh? Why are they all fighting each other?

There she is! It's the faerie who was with the Child of Prophecy!

Just her? Great! Let's kill her now! She's just another filthy member of the Round Table Army, anyway!

Huh? Huh? I don't get it. What's going on?

Why are rebel army soldiers attacking Londinium...?

(Huff, huff...) I beat them... I had to kill them, but

The castle! Londinium's under attack! I can worry about the rest later! Hurry, Gareth!

Why are you...doing this...? I thought we were...comrades...

Ha! Us, your comrades? Ridiculous! This piss-poor excuse for an army must be as soft in the head as their equipment is shabby!

This so-called third platoon of theirs are all just paramedics! They're no match for us and our combat training!

Go on, men! Kill every last person in Londinium! Women and children, too!

Damaged goods like this rabble have no place in our Britain!

That's what you mongrels get!

I wish I could see the look on Percival's face when he comes back here and finds all his precious people dead!

You...

You bastaaards!!!

Granny! Granny...! Sem, Granny's not... She's not...!

Shh! Be quiet and hide here, Samaria! Help'll be here soon!

Gnn... Ghh! Nan... Dammit! It's all because she shielded Samaria!

Where is everyone, Sem!? What about Yuri? Or Oddo? Or Camry?

They're all okay, right? Everybody's okay, right!?

...O-of course they are. I, uh, saw them escape from the castle earlier.

They're fine... They're all fine. Ghh... That's why we have to stay hidden, too!

One, two, three... Hey, there were five kids here, right? We're still missing a couple.

They've gotta be around here somewhere. Let's look around. We can't leave any witnesses.

...The oven fire's out. Take a look inside.

What, are you nuts? I can feel the heat all the way over here. Looking inside will just burn you!

No one would be stupid enough to hide in there.

Exactly. These vagrants don't have a lick of sense. There's no telling what they'll do in a pinch.

Never mind, I'll check it myself. ...All right, let's see what's cooking...

...! (Somebody! Please! Save us!)

Gah!

Huh? You dropped your sword? What're you

Raaaaaaaaah!

Sem! Samaria! Are you okay!? If you're alive, answer me!

It's Gareth! Samaria, we're saved! Gareth's here now!

Really!? (Cough, cough...) Ooh, you're right! It's Ms. Knight!

Did you beat those guys all by yourself? That's amazing!

Thank goodness! I'm so glad you two are all ri

(No... They're not all right at all. I have to treat those horrible burns soon, before...)

Come on, let's get you outsi No, we can't leave through the gate now.

Let's go to the command room! It's safe there, and it's got salves, too!

Percival and the others'll get here in no time! We'll just hole up in there till they arrive.

Yeah... Okay! Thanks, Gareth!

Come on, Samaria! Don't get in Gareth's way now!

I won't! I'm just glad everyone else is okay!

...

Come on, we need to run! Stay close to me!

Look! There's still a faerie here! Send more men over! Surround her and finish the job!

Guh!

Huh? How's she so strong!? I thought all their real fighters were supposed to be gone now!

I know her! That's Half-Assed Gareth!

She's a coward who chose to come back to Londinium instead of going with the Child of Prophecy!

She'll just give up if we all attack her togeUrk!

You're the cowards here! You could never have killed everyone if you hadn't taken them by surprise!

I don't need help to take on the likes of you! If you value your lives, you'd better run away right now and nev

...

Kill them all! Death is more than they deserve for refusing Her Majesty's mercy!

"Humans and faeries living in harmony"? Ha! What a joke! That's just the drivel I'd expect from slaves raised like livestock!

...I see you're just about done.

Woodwose may have failed to breach Londinium from without, but it was clearly all too fragile from within.

It's fitting that these fools met their end by being too quick to trust other humans.

Failures like them have no need for a hometown. Burn it to the ground.

With Londinium gone, the Round Table Army will have nowhere to go, and the Child of Prophecy's reputation will suffer.

Be especially thorough with the command room. Maybe that will finally teach Percival a lesson.

...Huh? I... Why am I...?

...I can't open...my right eye... That's...weird...

What about...the town...?

...

Ah... Ahh...

Aaah... Aaah...

Not again... How many times...do I have to see terrible things like this before

Huh? I've...seen this before? And more than once...?

Oh... Right. That's right. ...I get it now.

I'm a Mirror clan faerie.

I'm Ainsel...the one who tried to save everyone from a future where they all died. Only I couldn't save anyone...

I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Mirror... Even after you were kind enough to take over for me...

I still couldn't

Hey, there were more kids around here, right? Where'd they go?

Find them! Leave no survivors! Make sure they're all dead before the Round Table Army gets back!

...No. Not yet. It's not over yet.

Come on, Gareth! It's up to you to keep Sem and Samaria safe!

...You know, Mirror. Despite everything, I'm glad I was reborn into a new generation.

The days I spent in Londinium were perfect. A dream come true.

Everyone helped each other... Accepted each other... Trusted themselves to each other...

They cared for themselves, and they cared for the people around them.

...And you know what Fujimaru said about that? He said that was perfectly natural.

So our Britain was sure to end up like that, too.

...Hehe. I wonder if we'll have that sort of world someday. Will there ever be faeries with a bright future like that?

I really liked watching Fujimaru. There's so much happiness in his world...

...and it sounds like there are no cruel futures there where things inevitably come to an end no matter what you do.

...I'm so jealous. We never had anything like that.

If nothing else, I at least knew what I needed to protect. That I had to guide the Child of Prophecy.

But...I didn't want to lose anything else in the process.

I didn't want the rest of my clan to die.

That's just who I was. Gareth the Obstinate. Ainsel the Stubborn.

I could always see what fate the future held. Why couldn't I just accept it?

...Hah. Why? I know exactly why.

(Huff... Huff...)

The command room is up ahead. Are the oil barrels all in place? I want it completely blown to pieces.

That's enough! You're not laying another finger on this place!

...So there's still one left. You're obviously on your last legs. Normally, I wouldn't bother cutting you down.

You could've managed to escape on your own, but I guess you just couldn't help playing the knight.

Fine, I'll put this eyesore out of her misery. One of Percival's so-called soldiers has no business acting like a knight, anyway.

Shut up! You're the ones who have no business calling yourselves knights!

I am Gareth, Knight of the Round Table Army!

I'm the hardworking Child of Prophecy's first attendant, and the great Percival's number one apprentice!

(Huff... Huff...!) Well? Had enough!?

Grr, what's with this faerie!? Is she immortal or something!?

Forget her! She'll die soon enough anyway! Come on! We need to leave before the Round Table Army returns!

Grr... Goddamn unkillable faerie!

(Huff...huff...) I did it... I did it!

Now I just...have to wait...for Percival to

The command room is up ahead. Are the oil barrels all in place? I want it completely blown to pieces.

(Huff... Huff...) Hup!

One...last thing...to do...

I'm a knight of Londinium... It's my job...to protect everyone's home...

(Huff... Huff... Cough, hack!) Ah...ah...

...They really...did plant a bomb here... Ugh... What were they thinking...?

This must...be the fuse... Oh, but, it'll still blow...if the fire reaches it...

Hup!

Whoa, look at it go. Oh, it hit the guys who were running away! That's great!

Ghh, ow ow ow... Yeah... I definitely...can't move anymore...

Still, I should be...safe here... The fire's...not spreading that quickly...

Oh... The bell's...ringing...

They're back! Way to go, Altria!

That's great... The only bell left now is... Oh. Right.

I guess things really are turning out like I predicted. Strange. I'm...not even sad this time.

Hang in there, Altria. ...Oh, and...

I'm sorry, everyone. After you went to the trouble to make this great armor for me, I still...

What're you apologizing for? We're all so grateful.

...

Hehe. Thanks for not giving up on us, Gareth! You were amazing!

Right? No bad guys're gonna beat me! I'm...a Knight of the Round Table, you know!

...Okay, the fires are all out. Let's get the bodies out of here.

...Bring the faeries' bodies to a nearby hill, and the humans' bodies to the communal graveyard.

Once you're done, we'll need to assess the damage and report to the commander. I know it won't be easy, but it has to be done.

No survivors, huh. They didn't even spare the kids...

...

We'll wait over here. I wouldn't want to get in anyone's way.

...Yeah. There's nothing we could possibly say to console them.

They knew these people much longer than we did. They need time to mourn.

Altria's up above. She just carried Gareth's body up to the bell tower.

...You know, I'd forgotten there was a belfry in Londinium, too.

...Tch. It's almost like she knew things were gonna turn out this way.

...Gareth. So this is where you made your last stand...

...But...that slash mark on your helmet must have been made by...

...

...Oh. I'm sorry, Fujimaru. I didn't see you there.

You're very kind to worry about me, but there's no need. I'm used to this sort of thing.

...I decided to bury Gareth's armor in the children's grave...

But I'm holding on to her lance...until I can return it to the one who deserves it the most.

...You held out on your own for so long. ...But...

(I knew it. I just can't do this, Gareth. I can tell why Londinium was attacked.)

(I... I'm not like you. I can't see the good in this world. I can't see anything worth protec)

Oh, you're here too, Fujimaru? Did you come to cheer me up or something?

Thank you, but you don't need to worry about me. I was prepared for this.

Still, I think I would like to ring the bell alone. I'd rather no one else see me like this, if you don't mind.

...And there's the sixth bell. Well done, Altria.

..."The round fortress shall burn, and the bell of water shall appear," huh?

Oh, welcome back, Blanca. How did things look with Cnoc na Riabh and Camelot?

Hmm. So both sides are preparing to fight, and the only Tam Lin summoned were Barghest and Lancelot?

Baobhan Sith's been disinherited, and is currently confined to her quarters in Camelot?

Ahh, right. She stole the Garden of Lost Will. No wonder Morgan finally lost her temper.

So, Spriggan's at Camelot. Murian hasn't moved from Gloucester.

Aurora is gathering her volunteer soldiers at Salisbury, and will rendezvous with the Child of Prophecy later.

And no sign of movement from the mors. Sounds like the calm before the storm.

Hm? What is it? You don't seem like yourself. What's got your fine fur all ruffled?

Did you push yourself a little too hard? Why don't you take a break, then? You deserve it.

From now on, we won't be able to just sit on the sidelines and watch.

The battle between Morgan and Altriathe two faeries of paradisewill decide which of them survives.

As long as Morgan's defeated, this story will be concluded. That will hold true even if they both die.

The fact is, whether Altria lives or dies isn't the point of this story.

If only Ainsel hadn't left that hook. I don't know what she was so afraid of, but it was a really nasty trick.

Still...

As far as Proper Human History is concerned, all that matters is that Fujimaru survives.

We're finally almost at the finale. Soon, the land of the fae's story will come to a close.