Terminus

Yeah. The faeries from the north and south were pretty busy fighting each other. No time for us.

I figured it'd be easy to get out once we gave the cathedral guards the slip, but it wasn't that simple...

Yikes, they just closed the gates! We got out by the skin of our teeth!

Wait! Habetrot's still at the pub!

...Ain't much we can do for her now that the gates've been closed.

Not unless you plan on approaching from the sky, like Lancelot.

But don't you worry. Habetrot's tougher than she looks, and she's used to this kinda stuff.

She's probably giving Mike orders and defending the pub even as we speak. We can meet up with her again once everything calms down.

And it's not like you're all that close to Habetrot anyway, are you?

So don't worry about her too much. She can take care of herself.

I... I guess you're right...

I'm concerned about Habetrot too, but we got more pressing matters to take care of.

Now that there's been suspicion cast on Altria for the assassination of Cnoc na Ria

I mean... It's only a matter of time now until there's all-out war between the northern and southern faeries.

And since we teamed up with the north, all six clans are gonna be out for us and the Round Table Army.

Percival, you should head back to Londinium now and

Percival? You okay? You look really pale.

...I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I'm just tired.

I'd like to think this uproar is confined to Salisbury...

...but you're right, Lord Muramasa. Time is of the essence. We need to act now, before

Don't be ridiculous! You can hardly even breathe right now! You're not doing anything else until you get medical attention!

Ugh, we'll just have to find you a bed in Gloucester, or some other nearby village!

We can worry about what to do next after we take care of that!

？！

Not just yet. We got some cleanup we need to do first. Looks like some mors overheard the commotion.

Least they'll be a lot easier to handle than the riot in Salisbury. Come on, let's take care of them and

Hang on. Why're there so many of them!?

Mash! Da Vinci! Grab Percival and get him to that forest over there! Hurry!

Grímr! Fujimaru! Altria! Get ready to hold them off!

We'll keep 'em busy for about two minutes, then make a break for the forest ourselves!

I'm sorry. I should have been the one to fight...

Never mind that! Just shut up and eat this!

It's some of my best dried fruit! It'll help you recover some of your strength!

I... Thank you, Altria. You really are the Child of Prophecy.

You're one of the strongest, most honest people I've ever met. I knew I was right to wait for you...to believe that you'd come.

Whoa! There's a ton of mors all over the highway, too!

What the hell's going on here!? How can we get anywhere like this!?

Hey, there you two are. How're things looking at the other cities?

...That bad, huh. Then I guess it's finally begun.

Grímr?

We're not going to Gloucester or Londinium.

There are mors popping up all over the island, and every city's shut its gates.

What's worse, all the faeries who're overcome with fear in all this mess are turning into mors on their own.

Nowhere in Britain is safe anymore... This is the beginning of the Great Calamity.

'Fraid so. Don't forget, Morgan's been waiting on it all this time.

...Don't think she knew what form it would take, though.

A Great Calamity's kind of like pus that builds up in Britain over the course of a millennium.

Massive death throes become magical energy that spills throughout the isle, and the calamity that catches that magical energy grows huge as a result.

That's how the Great Calamities happen. And they're gonna keep happening as long as this Britain's around.

It almost sounds like...bloodletting.

A way of, well, letting out the bad blood that's built up in the land's veins.

So what kind of calamity absorbed that blood this time, Grímr? Can you tell?

...Yeah, I can. Well, more that I already know.

I couldn't tell while Morgan was still alive, but now that she's gone, I've got a good handle on what this calamity is.

The thing that's been smoldering away in the pit for centuries is about to come out and say hello.

That thing's basically why I was sent here in the first place. Although...I get the feeling there's more to it than that.

...

？！

From what Geri and Freki've been smelling, there're signs of more than one calamity on the way.

But those two calamities aren't my area, so I don't know what they are.

Wait a moment. Did you just say "signs"?

Then, does that mean the calamities still haven't begun in earnest?

If that's true, then the thing at the bottom of the pit...

...The one Aesc said would destroy all of Britain if it woke up, is still asleep... And that means

We can hit it now, while we've still got a chance? Exactly. You're a quick one, missy.

But to do that, we're gonna need the faerie of paradise's help.

The old god of wisdom is telling me we're gonna need her to put the thing at the bottom of the pitthe one that awaits at the pilgrimage's endto sleep.

Unfortunately, he didn't offer a lot of specifics. I still don't know what exactly that thing is, for example.

...Altria, I think it's time you told us about your pilgrimage's final destination...

About the faerie of paradise's true purpose.

？！

I...

It's...

Gah! Talk about the worst possible timing! Can't they tell we're busy here!?

Never mind that call, Altria! Go on! What were you gonna say!?

Huh?

？！

That's right! Don't you see, Da Vinci!? We're getting a transmission!

Our electronic devices used to be inoperable here, but now they're working again!

!

Well damn, don't I look a fool now? Hello!? Hello!?

This is codename Watson! Do you read me, Chaldea!?

Loud and clear, Ms. Watson. This is 221B Baker Street.

The last carrier pigeon message we received is four days old at this point, so I'm afraid we're not entirely clear on your current situation.

But permit me to summarize ours.

About one hour ago, the Border's various systems began coming back online.

Including the systems that would previously shut down if we'd so much as approach the isle.

At the moment, our electricity is being provided by the steam generator while we perform maintenance on all parts of the ship.

We can also tell from our radar that a dense magical energy contamination has settled over all of Britain.

It is too soon for this to be more than conjecture, but I believe we can say Britain has begun its collapse.

It was the Isle of Britain itself that rejected Proper Human History, and therefore, the Storm Border.

With Britain losing its power, we too can now intervene in matters more directly.

？！

Naturally, Mr. Fujimaru.

Which is why I would like all of you to return posthaste.

The Professor still has yet to recover fully, I'm afraid...

So we'll need your help to put together a navigational program that will let us maneuver through Britain's dense magical energy, Da Vinci.

Once you have all returned to the Storm Border, it should be ready to begin operations in approximately six hours.

？！

Right! With the Storm Border on our side, we can definitely handle the pit.

No... We can face any calamity that comes at us! And we can heal Percival in no time, too!

...Thank you. I truly appreciate your kindness, but...

I have to refuse. Please, just leave me here.

Time is of the essence, right? I couldn't live with myself if I slowed you all down.

Don't be ridiculous!

I can carry you, no problem! You won't slow us down at all!

Right, Da Vinci!?

...Only if we don't run into any more packs of mors. And unfortunately, the odds of that are pretty low.

...Percival. It's only a matter of time until mors show up here, too.

If we leave you here alone, we'll basically be leaving you to your death.

But you knew that, didn't you?

Even though you said you consider Altria, Mash, and Fujimaru friends?

I...

...Yes. I know this is very selfish of me, but...

...Gotcha. Well, if you're that committed, I guess there's nothing more to say.

Da Vinci!?

So instead of saying anything, we're just gonna bring you with us whether you like it or not!

Isn't that right, Redra Bit!? Yeah, I know you're hiding over there!

So you already knew, huh? So much for waiting for the perfect time to surprise you, snort.

Good question. I do have my reasons, but I can't tell you what they are.

All I can do is ask that you please trust me, and not pursue this line of questioning further.

...Well, yes. I was under orders to follow you and report back on your whereabouts.

But no more. I quit. I quit all sorts of things. Guess this means I'm out of a job now.

？！

At any rate, I overheard the whole thing from behind that tree.

It sounds to me like you all need a carriage. And one that verges on unsafely fast at that.

One pulled by the fastest faerie horse in Faerie Britain, who can keep galloping nonstop until we reach your destination.

(Huff... Huff...) Ah... That makes...seventy...

...Pathetic. I can't believe... I'm already...so exhausted...

...Ahh... My body is...burning up... My horns...feel like they're about to burst!

Aaaaaah!!!

(Huff... Huff...)

Ghhh...!

...What's going on? The more I defeat...the more of them there are...

It's as though...my exhaustion...keeps growing... I can't...seem to...think straight...

...There's no end to them. They're just going to keep coming...

But...I must keep them away from the Round Table Army survivors outside the castle! Have at you, mors!

...What's going on...? Everything looks...red... Did some mors poison get in my eyes?

...I can barely see... It may as well...be nighttime...

...There. That was the last of them. It wasn't easy, but at least the Round Table Army should be safe...

...

Ah... Ahh... Aaaaaaaaaaaahhh!

...I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough...

I'm sorry I told you to escape this way!

...But what other way was there?

If you'd stayed inside, none of you would have survived there either...

Maybe... Maybe I should have just eaten them all.

The weak can be food for the strong, so the strong can protect the weak.

...That's right.

Even if...Britain is reaching its end...there's still...someone I want to protect...

...I have to go. I'm sorry I can't rest in peace here with all of you.

I... I have to get to Manchester... I'm its lord...

I have to protect the people there...

Dammit, there are mors everywhere! They must be the same predatory type we saw at Norwich!

Hurry! I don't care if you grind the wheels into dust! Just make sure we reach Norwich by nightfall!

B-but Lord Spriggan, what about the soldiers we left outside Salis

Don't say it! Believe me, I hate to lose soldiers like that after everything I invested in training them!

But we're helpless against so many mors! Armed or not, humans can only do so much!

We need the Fang clan to handle a threat this large!

Not that they've been any help, since there's been no sign of them ever since they left for Gloucester!

Th-then, what's the point of running back to Norwich!? Shouldn't we cooperate with the northern faeries again to

Why do you think I'm exercising my last resort!? Any chance of alliance with the north died with Cnoc na Riabh!

Dammit! Of course I was going to have her assassinated eventually, but there's a time and place for these things!

Why did she kill Cnoc na Riabh now instead of waiting AFTER the damn Great Calamity!?

Morgan's history proves beyond a doubt that the faeries need a king to keep them in line!

What in the world was she think...ing...

No. No, no, no... Don't tell me she...she wasn't thinking at all?

She didn't give a single thought to the future, didn't have designs on rising to power, nor the desire to run this country her own way...?

She didn't think about any of that?

She killed Cnoc na Riabh solely because she didn't like her!?

I can't believe it!

How in the world did that monster survive for two thousand years with such an empty head!?

Don't trust the northern faeries! Cnoc na Riabh was a calamity!

Salisbury is Lady Aurora's city! We'll protect it ourselves!

Have any faeries been infected with mors poison!? Let us know before it gets worse, and we'll treat you right away!

It's dangerous outside! Don't let the humans out of the city! They're our property!

Anyone who tries to open the gate is a traitor! If you see someone trying it, say something!

Conduct yourselves in a manner befitting the clans! Lady Aurora will save us!

Long live Lady Aurora! Long live Lady Aurora! Long live Lady Aurora! Long live Lady Aurora!

Oh good. I'm so glad to see the night passed without incident.

And I'm especially glad things have calmed down outside! Here, Coral, come join me for a cup of morning tea.

Lady Aurora, um... I'm afraid I can't agree about the night passing without incident...

There are so many faerie corpses on the streets that we're having trouble disposing of them, especially since we can't take them outside with the gates closed...

And then, um...there are the northern faeries...

Oh, yes. It's very sad how things turned out for them.

Not only is Cnoc na Riabh dead, but now everyone knows Edinburgh's secret...

What happened to the northern faeries who were here in Salisbury?

...They collapsed immediately after Lady Cnoc na Riabh's death.

We took the ones who are still breathing to the rearing house and are keeping them under close watch.

The rearing house? Since when have we had a rearing house?

...You ordered it built sixteen years ago to raise human children.

It's been abandoned for six years now, so I took the liberty of repurposing it.

Ohh, yes, that darling little house! I always did like it, and it turned out so wonderfully adorable.

But, you know... Now, what was his name again?

Well, ever since I cast out that grey-haired human boy, I haven't quite been able to bring myself to visit again...

Oh... I thought you had forgotten all about him. Lady Aurora, may I ask why you cast him out?

What do you mean? He grew up after using the spear only once, remember?

And he couldn't become the Child of Prophecy once he looked grown-up, right? He was human, after all.

...Right. Of course.

Was I wrong to reopen the rearing house?

Oh no, Coral. It was a wonderful idea. That building is fully equipped for pest control.

It's perfect for the injured northern faeries. A wave of my finger will send them all to their eternal rest.

But never mind them. Has the Child of Prophecy's gang been captured yet?

I can't believe they'd stoop so low as to kill Cnoc na Riabh just because they lost the competition.

We'll have to make sure the Child of Prophecy is brought to justice for this abominable crime.

The foreign mage is just as culpable... But I'm sure the Child of Prophecy must have tricked him into helping her.

I will have to ask that his sentence be lighter.

He won't be able to tell me all about the outside world if he's dead.

Teehee, doesn't that sound lovely, Coral? I wonder what the world outside Britain is like.

Humans made everything in that world...and so many different kinds of humans at that.

I'm sure it must be simply overflowing with wonders that would make your eyes pop out of your head.

...Lady Aurora, I'm afraid now is not the time for that.

The number of mors outside the city has continued to grow, and faeries from nearby villages have been pounding on our gates asking to be let in.

There are even some faeries here in Salisbury who have been showing signs of mors disease.

We need to increase our shelter capacity immediately.

Once we open the gates and let the refugees in, we'll need to open the cathedral's doors as well.

We can't possibly tend to them all ourselves...

...so we'll also have to request aid from the humans in Gloucester or Londini

Why bother? Just leave the gates closed.

Oh, and do have the human guards dispose of the faeries with mors disease, won't you? That's the whole reason we've been raising humans in the first place.

Lady Aurora... What are you saying?

I know humans are lower life-forms, but they still feel.

It seems far too cruel to have them put down their own friends and neighbors...

And what about the refugees outside? How are we

Oh, don't worry about them. They're very strong, or they wouldn't have chosen to live in their dingy forests instead of my lovely city.

I'm sure they'll find some way to get through this. We will just focus on keeping Salisbury safe.

Time will take care of everything, Coral. All we have to do is stay calm and wait.

So...you're not going to do anything? You just want us to remain here in the bell tower, where it's safe?

Now, now, Coral. Don't be difficult. I'd hate to have to strip you of those pretty, pretty wings.

...Like I did to Halobaromia. You remember him, right? He was always arguing with me with his silly logic.

You're not like him, right? You're a smart girl who understands my feelings.

That's exactly why I know you'll continue working for me, for the rest of your days.

...And that's all we know. We only have the wind tiding to go on, so we don't have any more details...

...but it looks like the coronation at Salisbury was interrupted, the Child of Prophecy killed Lady Cnoc na Riabh...

...and mass quantities of mors have been appearing all around Britain.

They also said that mors poison has been seeping out of the pit, and that all of Camelot is subsumed in a black fog.

...I see. It seems the Great Calamity has begun, then.

But this changes nothing for Gloucester.

As long as faeries vow to abide by Gloucester's way of doing things

That is, to have fun above all else, regardless of clan affiliationthen offer refuge to anyone who asks.

My fae domain is still alive and well. No mors will be making their way into Gloucester.

Although...there isn't anything we can do for faeries within Gloucester who spontaneously turn into mors.

We'll just have to have the Fang clan mercenaries dispose of them.

No... On second thought, send them out to rescue faeries stranded in the nearby villages.

The Fang clan has more resistance to mors poison than the other clans. That's why they were able to kill the mors king.

So if the only problem is an explosion of mors, the Fang clan should be able to handle it.

What we need to prepare for is the calamity afterwards...that fog or whatever it is coming from the pit.

Even though Morgan is gone now, the system she created is still rock solid.

Camelot has always held the Fang clan in reserve for situations like this.

As long as we use them properly, we have nothing to fear from the calamity.

...Um, Lady Murian? The Fang clan is, well...

Hm? What are you still doing here? I thought I gave you an order!

I'm going to keep studying the pit. I'm finally getting to the truth of it.

There are passages in the documents Morgan hid away about Britain's origins... "Cernunnos" and "The First Prophecy."

If I can decipher them, I'll know what the Great Calamity really is.

Whatever's trying to destroy our Britain...

I swear to reveal it, or I'm not the head of the Wing clan and the lord of Gloucester!

Y-yes, Lady Murian!

It's no wonder you're Britain's wisest, fairest ruler!

We Glostonians are proud to have you as our leader! Don't worry, we'll take care of the city!

...

...No, this is no time take a breather. There is not a moment to spare here.

I need to find the answer before Koyanskaya gets back, or I won't be able to call myself her friend.

... ...I knew it.

Koyanskaya told me about these beings called "gods"... And it looks like there was once one in Britain, too.

Cernunnos... The god of beasts and islands who parted the seas...

That must be the god at the bottom of the pit.

The real question is, why did this god disappear? What did the six clans wish for?

But most of all...

...what made this world go down a different route than Proper Human History in the first place?

...I'm so close to the answer now... ...I can almost taste it...

...Fourteen-thousand years ago... ...An invader that fell to the planet from a shooting star...

...And then...the faeries...

N-no! That can't be right! But...it's the only explanation...

Then, we brought this on ourselves? ...No. A faerie's sins are their own. You can't punish children for their parents' sins!

And besides...if this really is true, then the pit existing makes sense.

It isn't a god trying to destroy us, but...the Isle of Britain itse

...?

Congratulations, Murian. You got it.

And thank you for getting rid of the Fang clan, by the way. That made it so much easier for the calamity to spread unchecked.

Had the Fang clan still been around, they'd have kept killing enough mors that the Great Calamity would never show up.

This time, I'm going all-out. The more calamities, the better. Thanks again for doing your part to end things.

Besides, you got your revenge, and you learned the truth about Britain.

You did everything you wanted, yes? No regrets? Then it's time to pack it in.

...It's... It's you...

Yes, that's right. Oh, and before you go, permit me one final confession.

I'm sorry for siccing the Fang clan on the Wing clan all those years ago.

I honestly didn't have any real reason; I was just in a bad mood that day. Terribly sorry.

...

It's been a day and a half since I started galloping along the coastline! We should be at the western shore soon!

Incidentally, I've started to lose all feeling in my forelegs! My hind legs too, for that matter!

To be perfectly blunt, I'm afraid any more running could endanger my life! My life as a fae racehorse, that is!

？！

Not at all. Even putting my legs aside, the wagon wheels are about twenty seconds from falling off.

Are you all ready to run to the ocean as soon as you're out of the carriage? I see a whole mess of mors over on the shore.

I never did figure out what exactly Propeller Humming History was all about...

...but I suspect it means you all are the brave warriors destined to truly save Britain.

It's been an honor to accompany you on your journey.

...All right, this is as far as I go. Take care, everyone!

Thanks, Redra! You've been the best damn horse I've ever seen!

Come on, Grímr, it's our turn now! Let's clear them a path!

Congratulations on a job well done, Fujimaru! Good to see you safe and sound!

This place seems to be seriously bad news! Our sensors are detecting a positively absurd magical energy signal!

According to Sheba, we only have a few hours until the collapse begins!

I wish I could give you time to take a breather in your quarters, I really do.

But can you tell me more about just what is going on here before I have an aneurysm!?

But first, roll call! That must be Altria, the King Arthur of Faerie Britain!

That must be Percival of the Round Table Army! That's obviously Cú Chulainn!

And that must be Senji Muramasa, the Alter Ego Disciple of the Foreign God!

Excellent! I can see they're all just as capable and dependable as I thought! Having them on board should give us just the edge we need!

Guten Tag, denizens of the land of the fae. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.

I am Goredolf Musik, director of Chaldea and commander of the Border.

Given the circumstances, I see no point in discriminating between those of you from Proper Human History and those of you from the Lostbelt.

Since we're all in the same VERY rapidly sinking boat, I hope I can count on your help in resolving this unprecedented crisis.

By the way...

...How come there are so few of you? Didn't Da Vinci's reports mention at least a few others?

？！

What!? H-how about the northern faeries then?

Didn't you have a Mab Match with a Medb look-alike where you became MabI mean, mad friends!?

Cnoc na Riabh...passed away during her coronation...

Oh... I see. Then her death can't have been a peaceful one. What a terrible shame.

...Well, we can't count on help from those who have already passed on, and there's no point in dwelling on it.

All right, let me tell you what the situation is here.

We've begun our water takeoff sequence, but it's going to be several hours yet before we can leave.

Technical Advisor, I need you in the computer room yesterday. Nemo Professor needs your help.

Mash, see that our two guests are well tended to.

No, wait. Take Percival to the infirmary first. He's not looking too good.

Muramasa, Grímr, now that you're on board my ship, you'll be treated like any other Chaldean Servant.

Captain Nemo here will brief you on our plan of attack.

As for you, Fujimaru...

Heh. I see you're in just as sorry a state as ever, but that's nothing new for you by now, is it?

First, I want you to get yourself checked over at the infirmary, then use our precious few spare Command Spells to replenish yours.

After that, you're to return here and brief myself and the administrative advisor on every place you visited in Britain.

As you know, we'll be going in there ourselves in the Storm Border in just a few hours.

So we're going to need all the information you can give us on the land and the faeries who live in it.

？！

Good! It's been a day and a half since our last transmission, so if we leave in six hours, that will be about two days!

I don't see the entire world ending in two days, so we should still have plenty of time! I think!

Nonetheless, this is going to be a fearsome battle, so make sure you're all well-rested and ready for anything!

...I see. Very well, I believe I now have a firm grasp on what has transpired since our last communication.

I appreciate your attention to detail, Mr. Fujimaru.

With your information, I know what we need to do, though whether we CAN do it is another matter entirely...

Oh? So what is it we should do then?

Broadly speaking, we have two goals.

The first is to prevent Britain from collapsing.

That will require us to investigate the pit, stop the calamity, and wipe out the mors that have sprung up all over Britain.

And the second is acquiring the Divine Construct.

We came very close on the latter, but it seems we were thwarted at the last moment.

Ah, yes. The sacred lance that was supposed to be sent from Camelot!

I don't blame the Round Table Army for this, but I still can't help but wonder if they couldn't have finished just a day sooner! Dammit!

...About that. Grímr, could we see you here for a moment?

What's up? Got a question for me?

I do, yes. It pertains to the Divine Construct.

We thought we could achieve that goal by seizing one of Camelot's sacred lances...

...but according to Mr. Fujimaru, you seemed a bit put off when the topic came up before.

May I ask why that is?

Awesome. I don't know if a sacred lance made by Morgan is something we can actually use ourselves...

...but even if we can't, it'll be an invaluable Divine Construct just as a reference. Thanks again, Percival.

Damn, you got a mind like a steel trap, don't you, Fujimaru? Yeah, that's right. You guys're barking up the wrong tree.

Taking one of Camelot's sacred lances for yourself doesn't mean you'll automatically be able to fit it to this ship.

Divine Constructs are closely tied to their wielder. You might be able to create one, but you having the right to actually use it isn't the same thing.

Until you guys get back what you at Chaldeano, what all of Proper Human History lost when the world was wiped clean...

...you'll never be granted a Divine Construct of your own.

？！

...It can't be. But...no, it's the only logical explanation.

So that's why we had to come to this Lostbelt.

And Ms. Sion sent us here because she knew about it!

Aaah! Alert! Aleeert! There's been a change in central Britain's gravity!

Whoa! It's as strong as the Foreign God's pseudo black holes!

(Crying) Something really gross is emerging from there! Waaah! I don't even want to look at it!

You think that's bad!? I'm seeing fire spreading all over Britain!

Looks like it started in the northwestern part of the isle!

A whole tsunami of fiery wind is blowing across all of Britain from Manchester!

？！

Keep it together! Gather as much detailed information as you can.

I also want to see these phenomena myself. Point the ultra long-range lens we used in Atlantis at central Britain.

I'm trying, but we can't see a thing out there! It's as dark as the bottom of the ocean out there!

But we're still positive about what's going on!

...Then it looks like we'll have to go see what's going on for ourselves.

Any word from the Professor? How much longer until the navigational program is done?

She said it's already done! She just needs thirty more minutes to test it before it's deployed!

It's good to have Da Vinci back. That's three hours sooner than I expected.

Goredolf, Holmes, the ship is ready for battle.

Fujimaru, would you bring Mash and Altria Caster here?

We don't have a single second to spare.

I hate to do this, but it looks like we won't have any time for a test-drive before we head out.

Okay, that should handle your minor injuries, and I also gave you a stimulant ampoule.

But are you sure you don't want to try the recovery pod?

It might not help you recover completely, but it should at least give you a little more energy.

Thank you for your help, Da Vinci. But yes, I'm sure. I'll wait until after the Great Calamity has been dealt with.

If I get into that bed, I'll be unconscious for several days, right?

I'm the commander of the Round Table Army, and that's time I can't afford to lose.

Even if I can't be of much help, I still want to see what becomes of Britain.

And besides.

How could I ever face my soldiers if I told them that while Britain faced this crisis, I was asleep?

...

...

Besides, there's something I need to tell you too, Altria.

I was hoping to keep this to myself, but I can't do that now that I blabbed about it back at the cathedral.

...This is about you being a substitute Child of Prophecy, isn't it? Is that also why you're in poor health right now?

From what I've gathered, it was Aurora who took you and those other human children in just after you were born.

Woodwose was the one who saw you had talent at the rearing house, and Lancelot taught you how to use a sword.

I'm guessing the purpose behind all that was to create their own Child of Prophecy?

That's right. After Ainsel's prophecy became known, a number of different measures were taken in response to the Child of Prophecy.

The queen's army captured all faeries who had just been born, some villages hid next-generation faeries who met the description...

...and some villages raised them in secret.

The lord of Salisbury's idea was this:

If we don't know where the Child of Prophecy will appear, we can just prepare our own in the meantime.

...So that's why you and those other human children were taken in and raised to be warriors.

You were meant to serve as the Child of Prophecy in case the real one didn't appear sixteen years later.

...True. That may have been one of their reasons.

...So what happened afterwards?

Lord Woodwose determined that I had the most potential out of all the candidates.

What's more, Salisbury possessed one of the weapons Aesc the Savior used to save Britain in the Fae Era...

This spear, the Spear of Selection.

However, Aesc had placed a seal on the spear that prevented any sinner from using it.

In practice, that meant only humans could even touch the spear, let alone wield it.

So that's why they used human children. Even if they're not as strong as faeries, they could use the Spear of Selection...

And that was the bar that had to be met to call oneself the Child of Prophecy.

That's right. Then, when I was ten years old, I succeeded at drawing out the Spear of Selection's power.

I think...it chose me. That it wanted me to use it to kill wicked faeries.

I'm sure I heard a voice saying something like that in my head.

...That was also when the Mirror clan disappeared from Britain.

The day the Spear of Selection chose me was also the day she went to the Lake District on our lord's orders.

...Huh? Hang on. That doesn't make sense.

The Mirror clan disappeared six years ago, right? But you're

The Spear of Selection uses its wielder's life-force to generate its true power.

...I'm sorry, Altria. The truth is, I'm sixteen years old, too.

I was ten when the Spear of Selection chose me, and I aged ten years as a result.

That's why I have the body of a twenty-six year old.

...But British humans only live thirty years on average. That's why you didn't age anymore the second time you used it; you couldn't age more.

Does that mean the only reason you're still alive now is

Yes. I must have been born stronger than other humans.

I guess Lord Woodwose did choose well, huh?

That's why I owe you an apology, Altria.

I was raised to be a substitute for youNo, to be a threat to you.

But instead of coming clean about that, I began an organization meant to support you.

I used your name without permission, just so I could put the Round Table Army together for my own selfish reasons.

I have no right to speak about peace in Britain, but I went around preaching it all the same.

...

...That's... That's not true at all...

You didn't do this for yourself. You never did. Even now, you're

(...You're forcing yourself into action just to save Mélusine...)

Attention Storm Border. The ship is now battle-ready.

We've detected a powerful gravitational fluctuation in central Britain. Holmes believes this is the start of Britain's collapse.

In thirty minutes, we will transition to flight mode and attempt to enter British airspace ourselves.

All hands to the bridge. All hands to the bridge.

I repeat, the ship is now

...Looks like that's all we've got time for now. I'm heading to the computer room. What about you two?

I'll go to the bridge, too. I may be an imposter, but I still called myself a Knight of the Round Table.

If nothing else, I want to honor my companions who lost their lives on the battlefield by seeing for myself what becomes of Britain.

...My own wish may be nothing to speak about, but I can at least honor theirs:

A future where humans and faeries can coexist in peace.

...

Wh-wh-wh-what the devil is going on here!? It's only been a day and a half!

How is all of Britain burning in only a day and a half!?

I mean, I knew mors were bad news, but this is...unbelievable...

No, mors don't use fire! Something else did this!

This has gotta be the red calamity. Looks like the fire's coming from Manchester...

Isn't that where we made that promise with Barghest?

That we'd help some faeries migrate to Proper Human History if things went belly-up?

That's right! Barghest told me about that!

She said she had already talked to Manchester's residents about the prospect of migrating outside Britain...

...and that they all loved the idea!

？！

That's where we're headed. We need to find out what's causing the fire anyway.

It'll be something of a detour, but it shouldn't affect our entry route into the pit.

How are things on your end, Da Vinci?

All systems green! We're making good time at sixty knots, or one-hundred and eleven kph!

You want to head to Manchester, right? I was just thinking we should make that our first stop, too.

We have to keep our promise to Barghest, after all!

We should be there in ten minutes, but it's surrounded by a massive fire!

At least the faeries inside should be safe; the town's ramparts ought to keep the fire out!

We'll have to move the faeries onto the Storm Border all at once, since there won't be time to guide them one at a time...

So Fujimaru, I'd like you and Mash to head there ahead of us and let them know we're coming!

I'll send the Shadow Border down to the surface as soon as we arrive in Manchester's airspace.

It'll land automatically, but you'll still need a driver to get there. Can you do that, Meunière?

S-sure thing! Guess I'm the only one who can, since chubby's gotta stay here as the commander!

I'm impressed you accepted so readily, Meunière. But I suppose you ARE the Border's longest-serving pilot.

Oh! W-well, yeah, pretty much! Besides, I've had it easy up till now!

Great! Okay, I'm counting on you guys to round everyone up and fill them in.

？！

Man, I feel like a paratrooper! Da Vinci thought up an autopilot mode for everything!

Scanning for hostile entities... Good, no mors nearby! Outside temperature is...a thousand degrees celsius!?

That's like running around inside a forest fire! Make sure your Mystic Code's on good and secure, Fujimaru!

All right, full speed ahead to Manchester! Let's gooo!

？！

Huh!? Meunière, the hatch is still locked!

We need you to

I'm sorry... I can't. You can't go out there now.

...Dammit! What the hell's going on here!?

You guys said Manchester was supposed to be this quaint, idyllic town, right!?

So what the hell am I looking at!?

Meunière? What are you talking abou

？！

Wha Are...those...?

They're corpses! A goddamn mountain of corpses! And not just faeries! Humans, too!

And they didn't die in the fire...

The human corpses are all torn apart. It looks like by...fangs. And the faeries were hacked to bits with swords...

Which means

？！

Help! Heeelp! She's gonna kill me! She's gonna kill meee!

Something's wrong with Lady Barghest!

I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die! She said we would all survive!

She said Chaldea would keep us safe, even if the Great Calamity struck here!

Nooo! I don't wanna die anymore! I hate fire! I hate knights!

Help! Heeelp! Save me, Oberon!

I don't wanna be born just to be killed all over again!

...Haaa. Ahh... Ah, ahhh...

Bar...ghest?

THAT'S Barghest? She doesn't look anything like you described her in your reports...

Did... Did she do this to Manchester?

Fujimaru! Get back here, you idiot!

？！

Her magical energy is skyrocketing...! The hell? How can she have more than the Storm Border!?

Is she...eating the smoke!? No, wait! She's sucking magical energy out of the faeries' bodies!

Ahh... Aaaaaahhh!

Ah...ah... Chal...dea... You're...here... Just like...you promised...

...But...you can't be here. Leave... Go away...

You need...to escape... Britain's faeries...are...

...It's all...my fault... I should have...known better...

Ahh... Aaaaaahhh!

Master, quick! Get back inside the Shadow Border! It's not safe out here!

？！

Dear God, she just kicked the Border like it was a damn football!

Get the Border out of here, Meunière! That's the magical energy-eater Da Vinci wrote about in her reports!

She's sucking up Senpai's life force!

I'm trying, but the steering wheel's not ...Huh? Hang on.

She's going away on her own. Guess she's not too interested in us.

She's headed outside the city... I think towards Gloucester? And she's not alone.

There's a bunch of black, doglike creatures following her... She's got them all lined up in a procession.

It's like watching some twisted real-life Pied Piper of Hamelin...

Is that...

？！

I've got the Shadow Border safely stowed away. Are you guys ready to head to the pit now?

Yes. Manchester has been completely destroyed.

Given what has become of Barghest, and the fact that she is now leading a procession of black dogs, I believe it would be best to refer to her as the Calamity of the Beast from here on.

Regardless, though we could take her on now, I agree that we should make our way towards the pit first.

I trust there are no objections?

Hey, come on. Just 'cause it's true doesn't mean you gotta be so blunt about it.

She might've been our enemy, but Barghest was one of the few faeries in Faerie Britain who

It's okay.

I'm not sure why Barghest slaughtered all of Manchester...but whatever the reason, it's no surprise she became a mors after doing something so horrific.

I have no problem calling her a calamity now.

...Okay, if you're sure. Just don't push yourself too hard, okay, Altria?

In any case, we will have to fight Barghest eventually, since she's the source of the fire spreading all over Britain.

The walled cities are still holding out, but the fire's completely devastated the forests and plains.

It also looks like the smoke from the fire's gathering in the sky and forming thunderclouds. She's consuming the lightning they generate as her primary food source.

Her magical energy grows with every step she takes.

We are going to have to stop her before she becomes a literally unstoppable monster.

Even so, we need to check on the pit first. There's both a red calamity AND a black calamity, right?

We can't go to war until we know the enemy's strength. Luckily, the Calamity of the Beast is still moving slowly.

She seems to be headed towards Oxford right now, but at this pace, it'll take her a good four to five hours to get there.

That should give us enough time to come up with a plan of attack. Got that, Altria? Fujimaru?

...No, there isn't. There's no getting the old Barghest back now.

I hate to admit it, but I only now figured out why she was Gifted her name.

It was to prevent her from becoming...that.

But now, because weI, defeated Gawain...there was nothing to stop it anymore.

The black dogs... The curse the mors king put on the Fang clan...

Maybe...

Maybe Barghest always knew she was going to become a calamity, from the day she was born...

That must be why she was so hard on herself... Why she strived to be a model knight...

？！

Gaaaaaah! What is that!? What IS that!?

Oh gods, it's gross! I don't wanna look at it anymore!

Stop that, Lookout! What are you talking abou

Ah. You can see the pit, can't you!? Save the whining for later and put it up on the monitor! Now!

Our primary objective is to acquire the sacred lance at Camelot, whether we can use it or not!

So we need to get a handle on what's going on with the pit as soon as possible!

Ghh... Yes, sir! Putting it up on the monitor now!

？！

That black mist seeping from the pit is actually severe multilayered curse contamination!

Whatever you do, don't touch it! It'll make you go insane and rot your whole body!

Although... Whoa, this is amazing! The inside of the pit's almost like a whole other dimension!

Every signal I fire at it just disappears! It's basically a cursed bottomless pit!

...No, never mind the pit itself for now. THAT's the real problem!

What are you doing, Data Collection!? Get to work already!

I'm trying, but I can't!

I can't get a read on its magical energy OR its Spirit Origin!

I'm not even getting any real numbers for its mass or volume!

Even when I compare it against the pit itself, just the part we're seeing here is showing up as over two kilometers long!

Whatever it is, it's impossibly big! There's no other creature like this, not even in the deepest ocean trenches!

...

Grímr? Is that the same god that was present during Britain's genesis?

Yup. That's Cernunnos, the beast god. In Celtic mythology, it's the king of beasts, and the one who knows hell itself. Here, it's the being responsible for Britain's creation.

That thing's why the old god of wisdom chose me to come here as his vessel.

That said...

He didn't mention how much it's changed. If this is his idea of a joke, I ain't laughing.

That thing's way too big for anyone, human or faerie, to do something about.

？！

I-i-i-is this really happening!? Please tell me it's just a bad dream!

Zeus I can understand! He was a machine, at least! Ivan the Terrible might have been a massive mammoth, but that made sense for the frigid tundra!

But that... That's a living creature!

There's no way any living creature could be that huge! And it's just standing there, right in front of Camelot!

We can't possibly go in to collect a Rhongomyniad now! Or can we!?

What do you think, Administrative Advisor!? Is there a chance we can get past that thing!?

...I hate to say this, Goredolf, but I simply do not know.

We simply know far too little about that creature to say anything for certain at this point.

I can say that even viewing it through the monitor is enough to give me palpitations.

That creature is pure, concentrated curse.

In fact, I daresay there has never been a maledict god more powerful.

It would be suicide to set foot in Camelot right now. And yet...

I suspect that creature is precisely why Queen Morgan prepared the sacred lances. Take a look at where she kept them.

Then, Aesc... I mean, Queen Morgan

Was preparing a means to defeat that thing.

...She had a plan to protect Britain all along.

？！

I agree. 'Sides, the big guy hasn't so much as budged.

Maybe he's just there...existing, and that's what he does. Plus, Servants ought to be able to withstand some degree of curse.

So I say we do what Fujimaru says and head down to Camelot's throne room now, before

...We can't. It's too late. ...It's all too late.

？！

It's the same as the calamity we saw in Norwich! Then, that must mean it was

Yes. That calamity was just Cernunnos's handone of many.

Never mind that now! That...hand thing is creeping up the wall towards Camelot!

？！

Our magical energy gauge is going haywire! The curse contamination emanating from the pit just skyrocketed!

It's currently at six-hundred and forty million tons, and still rising!

It's a humongous tsunami of a curse, big enough to cover all of Britain!

Hard to port, one-hundred eighty degrees! We need to get out of this airspace, now!

If that stuff swallows up the Border, we're done for! Don't let even one of its fingers so much as graze us!

Khh, it's no use! I'm giving it all we've got, but we're not getting any more altitude!

Cernunnos must have a hundred...two hundred... Gah, I can't even count how many hands it's got!

They're everywhere you look! We can't avoid them all, let alone get away from them!

Dammit! Da Vinci, what about the Shadow Border!?

It won't work! Even if we could get everyone on board in time, there's nowhere to run with the ground covered in curses!

There's no way out of this! I think...this might be it for us...

Aaah! Contact in seven...six...five...! Goodbye, everyone! It's been swell knowing you!

...We have visibility again! Those icky things are gone!

Our engine output's back where it should be, too! We can get out of here no problem now!

Oh good. That makes all the trouble I went to worth it.

Now do you all see why NFF Services' guaranteed safety protection is the best in the business?

That voice! That honeyed, ice-cold, dangerously alluring Vitchy voice! That can only be

？！

Lady Murian? Did you leave the lights off again? Ugh, you're going to ruin your eyes like this.

I just got back from the coronation. I'm sure you've already heard how it turned out, but

...Bloodstains?

...

Murian!?

...Oh... Koyan...skaya... Welcome...back...

I'm glad...you're here... I still...hadn't said...a proper goodbye...

Oh, perfect! I actually came here to say goodbye myself.

Thank you so much for all your help with fundraising and product distribution in Gloucester.

Mors may be the only new creatures I managed to acquire here in Britain...

...but I still enjoyed some lovely days off thanks to your generosity. I promise to repay this favor one day.

As soon as I've finished making my primate zoo, you'll be the first to receive an invitation.

...Hehe. That sounds...great...

But...I'm sorry... I'm not...sure what's...going on...anymore...

It feels like...I'm still dreaming... And once...I wake up...

...You're worried you'll forget everything!

Not to worry. I'm the Beast of Taming. Unlike humans, I never forget my debts.

Thank you for calling me your friend, my eccentric little princess.

It would be an honor to purchase your joy and grief for my catalog.

I'd never sell them, of course. I'm quite fond of you.

...I see. Then...do you think...you could pay me...for them now...?

I was...an idiot... I couldn't...keep my anger...my hatred...in check...

I'm responsible...for this... I should have...realized...who the true...enemy was...

But instead...I was used...and manipulated...right to the end... So, at the very least

You'd like to get your revenge? You just leave that to me. I'll follow these bloodstains and find whoever

No... I want you...to at least...protect Britain...

We faeries...may be fated...to die out... We can never...atone for...our sins...

Even so...I still want you...to protect Britain... To protect...the land of the fae...

I don't want...the Great Calamity...to just...wipe us all out...on its own terms...

I want us to reach...our destination... even if it's the end of the line...

...Can I...ask this of you...Koyanskaya?

Even though...you're all alone...in this world... just like...me...

Protect Britain in the true sense of the word, hm? All right. I'll do it.

If you're looking for me to protect rather than destroy, it's obvious what needs protecting.

Rest assured, NFF Services has the situation well in hand.

I'll make sure the ones who can make the real villain's life hardest stay safe and sound!

That's Koyanskaya's Beast form!!! Marines, can you put that up on the monitor!?

It's no use! Our cameras are being jammed! And our sonar's not working, either!

...Gaaaaaah!!!

Do keep those annoying pulses off of me, won't you? They're messing with my concentration.

Hmm. Sonar jamming, eh?

(...As with Limbo, it's only a matter of time until we'll need to settle things with Koyanskaya.)

(I was hoping to collect some data that would help us eventually subdue her, along with some inspiration for my deductions...)

Well, are you going to escape or not? This emergency evacuation service expires soon!

If you need my services again, it's going to cost you dearly♡

Right! Get us out of here, double-quick! I certainly don't want to be stuck with a preposterous bill!

But we will pay you in full for this service eventually!

You can count on that as surely as you can count the bruises we left you with after our battle in Olympus!

Oh, in case it wasn't clear, that was a reference to the fact that we trounced you during the

Crap, we just lost some power to the engines again! Can it, chubs! You're messing up her motivation!

No, it's not that! Pressure is building up on the ground again... It looks like even Koyanskaya could only hold it off for so long!

Meunière, get us out of here! Whatever you have to do, do it! I don't care if you have to ruin one of the Triton Engines! Make it happen!

Aye, aye, sir! I'll apologize to Engineer later!

...And that's as far as the friend discount goes. The rest is up to Chaldea.

As for me, I think it's time I returned to my headquarters...

...So this is Cernunnos's curse. Easy to mistake it for a weapon capable of destroying the world.

Kh... But this curse isn't meant for enemies from the outside. It's for cursing your own kind...and yourself. A curse of self-destruction.

The only way I could defend their ship from it was to absorb it myself...

...What a sorry state of affairs this turned out to be...

This is...horrible... All of Britain's beauty...gone...

...Indeed, Ms. Kyrielight.

Once the other Lostbelts' Trees of Emptiness were gone, they disappeared as well, but their inhabitants were none the wiser.

This...is nothing like that. Britain is experiencing a true apocalypse.

Even if there were some reason that the land of the fae had to meet such a dreadful end...

I shall never be able to forgive the architects of this cataclysm.

Y-yes, well, I understand why you would be so heartbroken by this, Kyrielight. And you have every right to be angry, Holmes.

But we still need to do something about it, yes?

If left unchecked, that haze seeping out of the pit is going to cover the entire planet, right?

Isn't there something we can do to seal the pit!?

...No. There isn't. We can't even get close in the Storm Border anymore.

The twelve Rhongomyniads were our last hope, and they've all been destroyed along with Camelot.

...There's nothing we can do to stop the collapse Trismegistus II predicted anymore.

...I'm afraid she's right. Britain's destruction is inevitable now.

And from there, that destruction will spread across the rest of the globe until Proper Human History, the Lostbelts, and everything else is swallowed up by darkness.

？！

Hey, now. There's still hope. I'd hold out for at least another hour before giving up.

Sure, the faeries' sins have been accumulating for fourteen thousand years.

Sure, we're now faced with both the calamities the prophecy predicted, and the corpse of a god that just popped out of the pit.

There's nothing Proper Human History can do about any of that.

But all that stuff is also cosmic fantasy only made possible by this situation.

The British Lostbelt became its own Proper Human History by virtue of turning into a Singularity...

That is, a distortion in history.

In other words, repairing that Singularity will restore history, resulting in the land of the fae never having existed.

And isn't that Chaldea's specialty?

？！

Yes, I recognize it too! I'd know it anywhere!

Hey, hey, everyone. Merlin, the Mage of Flowers, is here at last. Sorry to keep you waiting so long.

Now come on, cheer up. It's not like you all to give up so easily. In fact, the real battle here in Britain is just about to begin.