Fate/Grand Order story · Part 2: Cosmos in the Lostbelt, Lostbelt No.6: Fae Round Table Domain, Avalon le Fae
The Moment a Planet Is Born
Lostbelt No.6: Fae Round Table Domain, Avalon le Fae. Entrance
8 scenes, 895 lines
1. Before the battle
54 lines
So this is Avalon... The planet's inner sea...
This is where Proper Human History's King Arthur is said to have gone after he died...
It's the biggest flower garden I've ever seen...
The wind, the atmosphere...everything's so warm and peaceful...
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Right? There's no such thing as evil in paradise.
It's a separate world that neither influences nor is influenced by the surface, no matter how apocalyptic things may be up there.
All there is here is hope.
This place is a workshop that weaves together all possibilities to lead this planet, and you guys, to a happy ending.
That being said, these are still only the remnants of Avalona shadow being projected into the British Lostbelt.
The tower imprisoning me isn't here, there isn't much mana in the air, and there's no lake where faeries gather.
The only thing here is the Site of Selection...
The forge where the six faeries were supposed to create the sacred sword.
The Site of Selection... Is that anything like the stone that contained the Sword of Selection in the legend of King Arthur?
The one that Arthur found when he was still a squire being raised as Sir Ector's adopted child...
The one he pulled the Sword of Selection from, to demonstrate that he was destined to be king...?
...That's right. It basically signifies the same thing. And my job is to guide you all there.
There, see that altar up on top of that hill? That's your destination.
It's only a stone's throw away. But, you will need to pass through a few checkpoints of sorts to reach it.
Think of them as Avalon's defense mechanism... One final test to make sure everything's in order.
Everything the faerie of paradise has done to date will appear there as obstacles to be overcome.
Everything she's done to date?
As in, from the day she was born up until now?
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That's right. You'll be going over a scrapbook of her life, so to speak, and making sure there are no loose ends.
It'll be a little journey in its own rightone that starts with a cold, unforgiving winter, and ends with a warm, fun spring.
Based on how things have gone before, it's safe to say the first obstacle will be the hardest...for many reasons.
Fujimaru, your job is to remove those obstacles and help the faerie of paradise advance.
Don't worry. You'll be going from hardship to good times, so it'll only get easier the closer you get.
And just so we're all clear, let me repeat: the faerie of paradise's duty is to create the sacred sword.
By doing so, the British Lostbelt will lose its divergence point, and human history will be stabilized once again.
Without its Tree of Emptiness, the British Lostbelt will simply fade away, like all the others.
And most importantly, the sacred sword's creation will lead directly to the protection of human history.
Were this Britain to mix with Proper Human History, the result would be a world that never had the sacred sword.
That would close off the route you have to take to defeat the Foreign God.
Then again, the Foreign God can't stop the collapse either, so you'd both be screwed there.
Anyway, I think that's everything you need to know. Any questions?
...So, making the sacred sword is Altria's duty...
(But...wouldn't that mean...)
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C-come on, Fujimaru! Why so glum!?
It's okay! There's nothing to worry about! I'm still the Child of Prophecy, remember!?
This is the moment I've been working toward all this time! I rang all the bells so I could come here.
Besides, I've known this was my duty since I rang the fourth bell, in Orkney.
I'd planned to come here alone once Cnoc na Riabh was coronated.
So...
So don't worry about anything else, okay?
Besides, Chaldea needs one of those, um, Divine Construct things too, right? Then we'd better hurry.
I'm going to protect the Britain I grew up in...
And you guys are going to take back the world you grew up in.
We need to do this to make both those things happen, and now it's time to get to it. That's all.
This will be the end of our journey. I'm lucky my pilgrimage has been so much fun.
Now come on, Fujimaru. Let's head to the Site of Selection.
Besides, it's not every day you get to go to Avalon, so let's make the most of it! Just watch my back until it's over, okay?
2. Before the battle
78 lines
Man, this sure is a huge flower garden. Couldn't be more different from Britain burning to the ground.
So the fact that it's called "Land of the Young" must mean there's plenty of food to go around, and people have all the time they could want, right?
Yeah, makes sense there's no war or animosity here.
Not much reason to do anything bad if you don't gotta take anything from anyone to have what you need.
That's true. When you have everything you need, there's no void for you to fill.
That's another way this place is very different from the British Lostbelt, which literally had to be built by filling in the sea with the bodies of dead faeries.
Speaking of which, this seems like a good time to tell you about what's going on aboveground.
The prophecy may have said there are two calamitiesa red one, and a black one...
Actually, though, there's no limit to the number of calamities. Remember that.
New calamities will continue to appear as long as their source remains.
The calamities will never go away until Cernunnosthe being continually punishing the faeries for their sinsis truly vanquished.
Furthermore, thanks to Morgan's hard work, faeries born in the land of the fae can migrate to Proper Human History.
That means the calamities won't be contained to Britain. They'll spread into and then all across the bleached world until nothing remains of Proper Human History.
It would basically be a smaller scale version of the King of Mages' Incineration of Humanity.
So you guys need to defeat every last one of the calamities before that happens.
...I see. Then we can't let Cernunnos's curse spread any further.
We need to stop his calamities while they're still contained in Britain.
Exactly.
The calamity burning down Britain right now is actually the Great Calamity that was supposed to happen a thousand years ago.
Morgan averted that calamity by passing it on to a Fang clan faerie...
Barghest, the leader of the black dogs. She's not the faerie you knew anymore.
She's now burning all of Britain as the black calamity... The Calamity of the Beast.
...Barghest...
...
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This was all foreseeable. She was born the Child of Calamity, after all.
It was Morgan who sealed that fate away by Gifting her a name. She said that as long as Barghest was Gawain, she would never become a mythical hound.
But, even that could only go so far.
Barghest was already at her limit, even without you guys defeating her.
Honestly, it's impressive she lasted as long as she did.
This won't be easy to hear, but you need to understand:
Once you get back to the surface, you'll have to fight more than just Cernunnos.
Like I said, we can't afford to let the calamities leave Britain.
Letting some faeries migrate to Proper Human History was a nice idea...
Unfortunately, in Barghest's case, that was never an option.
... ...
...
As for the other calamity, Cernunnos...
That one you can fight without having to feel bad or worry.
His soul was shattered fourteen thousand years ago. Now he's just a corpse that's not quite done dying.
That said, he's still a very powerful god.
His flesh has grown thick enough over those millennia to rival Albion's spirit cavern, and his cursed layer is equivalent to four hundred kilometers' worth of geological stratum.
You'll need the god of wisdom's curse dispelling, all the fighting forces Chaldea can muster, and a Divine Construct made especially to combat Cernunnos. Even then, you'll only just be able to scrape by.
Hm. Thinking about it, you honestly may not stand a chance.
And I can't help you either, since I can't leave this place. The best I can do is show you the way.
Aww man, I was really hoping to avoid this story ending in total annihilation.
Wat.
So not even you have a plan? And after we came all this way!?
But we do! We have the perfect trump card for taking on Cernunnos! In fact, it'll be a piece of cake!
Really? But, where is that trump card?
It's Muramasa!
Say what!?
Come on, don't you remember? You told us you could cut any god you came across.
In fact, you were bragging about how you cut a gigantic one clean in half in that, uh, Olympus place.
So there's no reason you can't do the same thing here! And since you didn't do anything noteworthy in Camelot, this'll be your chance to clean your name!
Um... Do you mean "clear your name"?
...O-oh, is that what you say in Proper Human History? I see. Good to know.
Hey, yeah! With Muramasa on our side...!
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...Well, sure, if you really want me to, I can try to cut him down.
There, see! He can do it! Just goes to show, it never hurts to ask!
Sheesh. You're finally letting yourself be selfish, and that's the first thing you say?
I said I'd TRY, okay? Don't get your hopes up. Not sure how much I can do against that thing.
Altria!?
Master, Altria just disappeared! Is this one of those checkpoints you mentioned, Merlin!?
Yep. This is the first. She's facing her own memories now.
And while she's doing that, you guys will need to fight and defeat...those.
Merlin, are those
I see...we've got Avalon wyverns!
Close, but no cigar! Now come on, get your head in the game!
？！
Those are radical, abstract embodiments of Altria's winter memories.
She'll never be able to leave those memories until you defeat them.
But they shouldn't pose any major threat to you now that you've come this far. Go on and give them a good thrashing.
I'll fight too, of course. It's been ages since I last showed up, after all.
Plus, I've been wanting to see how much stronger you and Mash have grown up close and in person.
3. After the battle
15 linesI don't know why, but...those things felt really awful to fight...
Why do I feel so...disgusted after fighting them?
？！
That's not actually all that surprising.
Those were Caster's most painful memories given physical form.
We have no way of knowing what they are, but by defeating them, we felt some of the same feelings they inspire in her.
Huh? Where did you all go? You just disappeared on me out of nowhere! I was really worried!
Hey, YOU disappeared. WE'VE been here fighting off weird mors and
Now, now, Muramasa. All in good time.
She has ablutions she needs to perform to enter the Site of Selection, and we have obstacles to remove.
We only have three more of these to go. Let's just take them one at a time.
Whatever you have to say can wait until after we've reached the Site of Selection.
So I don't have to do any fighting this time? Sounds good to me! Come on, let's keep going!
...
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4. Before the battle
122 linesWhenever I close my eyes, this is where I'd be.
It didn't matter if I was awake or asleep. I'd still be shivering from the frigid wind.
Howling. Howling. Wind strong enough to shatter your ears.
With nothing to protect me, my body feels cold as ice.
Surrounded by pitch darkness with nothing for warmth, and no hope of escape. That's how I grew up.
For me, Britain was pure hell.
The prophecy was true.
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.
A small newborn faerie washed ashore in a boat loaded with all kinds of treasure.
What an incredible stroke of luck. This girl must be the Child of Prophecy!
What a horrible omen. If the high queen finds out about her, we'll all be done for!
The village faeries' opinions were split right down the middle, but they all agreed on what should be done.
"At least the Child of Prophecy should be useful." "We'll raise her ourselves until she turns sixteen."
"But she's the faerie of paradise, right?" "I don't like her. I'm sure she's going to mock us!"
"She doesn't deserve a proper house." "What do humans do with creatures like that again?"
"I know! They raise them as livestock! We can make her a lovely little stable!"
"The other villages will never find out about her if we say we're raising a horse! We can keep the Child of Prophecy all for ourselves!"
The faeries of Tintagel treated me as a precious resource.
I had almost no magical energy, which made them all worry about me.
It's been four years since she got here, and she still has barely any magical energy. Poor thing... She may as well be a human.
I can't believe she still can't do anything impressive. I'm worried. Will she be able to survive like this?
...I know. We need to train her.
We need to be harder on her. Methodical with her. We can't even give her time to sleep.
Forgive us, Caster. This is all for your own good.
The way you are now, you can't even dream of being the Child of Prophecy. And we don't have any time for dreams.
We really need to have her grow at least a little.
You can barely tell her apart from a human! No one will believe she's the Child of Prophecy like this, not even when she turns sixteen!
Who cares if she can defeat the queen or not? All that matters is that she's valuable.
It doesn't matter whether she's the real Child of Prophecy or not. She just has to look the part so we can get rich.
Why else would we bother taking in the faerie of paradise?
We just have to make sure she doesn't die. We don't have to worry about her running away. She's much too weak to do that.
But the village faeries didn't know that my Fae Eyes still worked.
However much I wished I couldn't, I always saw the true feelings they kept to themselves.
Deep down, they all feared and loathed me.
The faeries that feared me believed in the Child of Prophecy with all their hearts, and worked me like a slave.
The faeries that loathed me hated the faerie of paradise, and abused me without a second thought.
Aside from that, all anyone felt for me was indifference.
I was considered a precious resource, but treated like I wasn't even there.
...But I couldn't blame them for that. I more or less knew what my duty was.
I was to bring salvation to the faeries of Britain, to free them from their suffering, and to save them in the true sense of the word.
...Even as a child, I understood that fulfilling my duty would mean the end of Britain as it existed now.
I could deal with the slave-driving, the abuse, and the disinterest, because I knew the reasons behind them. But this sound was too much to bear.
Asleep or awake, there was never a time I didn't hear it.
Howls of deceit. Howls of self-interest. Howls of selfishness. Howls of envy. The sounds I could never shut outthe sounds of the faeries' true feelings.
It was enough to make me lose track of where I was, and where I was meant to go.
I hear bells ringing. They tell me to go on a pilgrimage to save the faeries.
...(Sigh) Honestly, this sound depresses me, too.
I know it's supposed to be an honorable mission, but how in the world am I supposed to save faeries like that?
Haaah! Yaaah! Diiie!
So that's why I'm out in this nearby field again, hard at work on my training.
Today's another day of close-quarters combat practice with the Staff of Selection, which arrived with me on my boat, as a weapon.
I can't use anything like fae domains, so the only thing I can do with a staff is bop people!
Hiyaaah! Hraaah!
Raaaaaah!!! ...Haaah.
...Haha. Ahaha. Hahaha, ha...
It was an early afternoon in my sixth year. I had just collapsed from exhaustion.
My melee combat training was the only time I had to myself once the villager keeping an eye on me left, figuring I was so weak I wouldn't be able to escape, anyway.
...Aha. Hahaha... Haa... Huh?
Then, just as my voice was trailing off...
Ngh... Gaaah, that was nasty! The faeries at your place are pretty horrible, you know that!?
Huh!? D-did you just talk, staff!?
No, I'm not the Staff of Selection. I'm just a nosy old busybody.
And I just couldn't take how awful Tintagel is anymore, or how sickening it is to see you doing everything they tell you...
I just had to say something.
Ugh, I swear. I wasn't planning on getting involved, but now I just don't think I have a choice.
Listen up. I'm Merlin. Merlin, the Mage of Flowers.
I'm going to be your teacher from now on. Don't forget it.
That was how I met Merlinor at least, his voice coming from the Staff of Selection.
That was how I began studying to be a mage.
Magecraft!? I know about that! Queen Morgan uses that!
...But, what exactly is it? What exactly are you going to teach me?
What do you mean? Magecraft, of course. Merlin magecraft. Trust me, it's really something.
Ooh, will it let me fly like a bird!? Like zoom, whoosh, pchoo!?
...Flying. You'd like to fly, huh... That's a pretty tall order for your first spell.
You don't know how to fly? What are you, some kind of quack?
Oh no, I can fly easily. I'm the Amazing Merlin!
But let's hold off on that one for now. Not even the Wind clan can fly, after all.
The sky is the dragons' domain. Only precious few upper-class faeries can go there.
So for your first spell, let's start with something closer to home. Something that'll make your life easier.
Tell me, is there anything you could use right now that would make you happy?
Well... I guess I'd like it if nighttime was warmer.
My house gets really, really cold. It even freezes over in the winter.
I actually lost two toes last year 'cause of that...
Ehehe... I haven't told anyone else, though. It's too embarrassing!
...Got it. I'll start studyAhem, I mean, start getting a lesson ready for you right away.
Just give me threeno, two days to find some teaching materials.
???
Merlin taught me all sorts of spells.
Heating. Detection. Healing. Linguistics. Camouflage. Lockpicking. Stealth attacks. Explosives. Obstacles.
Every time I expressed interest in learning a new spell, he'd say:
"Sorry, I can't today. You'll just have to wait until the next lesson."
And then we'd make magecraft items together. Those lessons formed the foundation of my Merlin magecraft.
Looking back on it, he must have had to change the spells a lot just so I could use them with my tiny pool of magical energy.
Say, why are you teaching me all this when every British faerie hates me?
Because I'm not a British faerie. Sorry, just kidding.
The fact is, you ARE the faerie of paradise, no matter what the faeries of your village think. Eventually, most faeries will come to follow you.
When they do, you'll need to be the idealNo...
The kind of savior that everyone dreams of. A fantastical savior.
Fantastical?
That's right. You'll need to be a character straight out of a children's story.
Everyone has different fantasies. Some want a strong king, some a kind king, some a scary king, and so on.
Your job is to be able to be all of those things.
You need to inspire hopes and dreamsor rather, bring them all together.
Everything wants something different, so a single name would only get in the way.
That's why you need to be a nameless king. Someone who stands at the edge of the world rather than its center...
...and serves as a beacon of hope for others just by virtue of existingglowing starlight shining with possibilities.
That's the kind of king I'd like you to become.
The kind that can inspire people from atop castle walls, no matter the time or place.
...Can I really be all that?
Sure you can. It might be impossible in reality, but anything's possible in fantasy.
And people have always had a way of making fantasy become reality. That's why futures we thought we could only dream of eventually stop being dreams☆
Merlin was very talkative, and a lot of fun to be around.
But that only lasted for a year.
A faerie girl saw me laughing in the field and reported me to the village elder...
...who responded by taking away the Staff of Selection until I turned sixteen and set out on my journey.
From then on, every day was more painful than the last.
That's the end of my winter memories.
5. After the battle
165 linesThis happened when I was twelve years old.
So, you're twelve now. You've done well to grow this far.
...Right. I think it's time I sent you on an errand.
I'm a little worried about letting you go alone, but you ARE stronger now that you can use magecraft.
You know where Drift Cape is, yes? There's an Earth clan faerie living there.
I'd like you to bring this to him. Just make sure you're back by nightfall.
...Huh? No way. Could that house be
There was no mistaking it.
That lone house on top of the cape was an iron theme parkan artisan workshop like Merlin had told me about.
The kind of place at the very top of my bucket listthe kind that couldn't be found in Tintagel.
It's a smithyyy!
Whoooaaa! Cooooool!
Whooooooaaa! This is amaaaaaazing!!!
Even I don't know what I was thinking at the time.
I couldn't have acted more suspicious if I'd tried. I probably looked like a burglar.
So it was no surprise when...
What're you doing here, girl!? Are you trying to get your head split open!?
Aaaaaah!
...Our first meeting couldn't have gone worse.
His name was Ector. He was a blacksmith of the Earth clan.
He was an eccentric who'd been living on the cape for hundreds of years, and everyone in the village feared him.
He was really stubborn, and kind of scary-looking, but he was a true friend and never once lied to me.
Eh? That leather pouch is from Tintagel. So you weren't trying to steal my iron? You were bringing me some?
So you're not a burglar, eh? Hmm. So this is from the Tintagel elder?
What was that? I can't hear you! Speak up! Enunciate! Louder!
Ector's hearing was poor, so I had to be really loud if I wanted him to hear me.
What's more, he hated faeries. Both his inner voice and his heart were dripping with pitch-black hatred.
"He's gonna kill me if I stay here too long. He really is going to split my head open with that hammer."
My excitement about being in a real smithy gone, I decided to leave the elder's package and beat a hasty retreat.
But then...
...Wait. Let me get a good look at you.
...You're the Child of Prophecy, aren't you?
I see. So it's already been twelve years since Ainsel made her prophecy.
Get back to your village. This is no place for a young girl.
I live out in this backwater so I don't have to see anyone.
Don't you ever come here again, got it!? I don't have time to deal with the Child of Prophecy!
Y-y-yes, sir! Sorry for the intrusiooon!
In a panic, I made my way out of his house, just avoiding the hammer he threw my way.
I ran from the cape and straight back to the village.
My steps were slow and plodding, with even less pep than usual.
I came back.
Didn't I tell you to stay away? What're you doing here? Why didn't you listen to me?
Is every faerie with that face actually a boar, or maybe a bear?
Don't touch that! That's processed iron. It'll give any faerie who touches it awful hiv
...Looks like you're okay. I see. You might look like a Wind clan faerie, but you're actually with the Demon Boar clan.
Of course, there is no such thing as the Demon Boar clan.
So you're not afraid of iron or the forge, huh. What, you got an interest in them?
I see.
I see.
Back again, are you? Well, I doubt anyone else in that village would want to spend time with me.
Your outfit's rubbish. Nice that it has a lot of pockets, but the seams and finish are horrible.
...Hmph. Here, give your elder a message for me.
Tell him I'll give him a discount if he sends someone to help me.
Really? Ector, does that mean
Don't call me Ector! Just Grandpa Smithy is fine!
You'd better be here every other day to help out! Got that!?
Ugh. I don't know who taught you how to hold a tool, but you're doing it all wrong. You're going to hurt yourself that way.
You gotta learn the fundamentals. Can't have you dying in a shop accident and ruining my reputation.
If you're really interested in learning what it takes to be a smith, I can teach you.
But don't expect me to pay you. If anything, you ought to be paying me for these lessons. I'll put it all on a tab so you can pay me back when you make it big.
And so, I began studying a new field in preparation for my journey as the Child of Prophecy.
Ector was rough and intimidating, but he also excelled at fine craftsmanship and intricate ornamentation.
A year after I started helping him, I learned that Ector was famous in certain circles as a master smith...
I found out he didn't just take jobs from other villages in southwest Britain.
He also occasionally got special orders from big cities like Salisbury, Oxford, and even as far-off as Manchester.
For example...
Excuse me. Is Sir Ector in?
...
It was the first time a customer had shown up personally at Ector's workshop.
I tried to give her a proper welcome so it would reflect well on Ector.
Sir Ector, are you here? I'm Gawain. I sent you an order some time ago.
I don't know if it was intentional, or if she just couldn't hear me, but she ignored me completely.
So you're Gawain, huh. Never thought I'd see another Tam Lin.
...I can see you're a strong one. You oughta be able to handle this armor, then.
It's all ready to go in the back room. If it fits all right, I can pack it up for you today.
Give me a hand, Altria. And make sure you don't drop it. It ain't cheap.
There's no need for that. If it fits well, I'll just wear it out.
I see. All right, come with me then. Altria, you stay here and tidy up.
I heard the clatter of armor being put on in the back room, along with Ector and the faerie's conversation.
Apparently, she was an amazing upper-class Fang clan faerie who had been chosen to become a Tam Lin.
She was also well-known in Gloucester social circles, had impeccable manners, was as strong as she was tall...
And she obviously had enough money to buy the silver armor Ector had been working on for the last four years.
... ...
For some reason, I found myself getting angry.
This is fantastic work, Sir Ector. I'm grateful you were here to do it.
Hmph. It was a fulfilling job. The only one I've had since I came here.
Really?
I would think an artisan of your skill could easily find work anywhere.
...I know this is rude of me to suggest, but my own city still lacks a sizeable smithy.
If you think you might be amenable to moving there
Huh!? What the hell is she on about!?
...Did you hear that? It almost sounded like a bullfrog... Or maybe a night crow?
Stay outta this, you idiot! Don't you know she's a Tam Lin!?
B-b-but, come on, Ecuh, Grandpa! Who the hell does she think she is, trying to persuade you to move away!?
I won't deny that I had something of a foul mouth by this point. I blame Merlin for that.
Still, I really was pissed, so I marched up to the Tam Lin and glared at her, hoping it'd make her leave.
Oh. You must be Sir Ector's...apprentice.
...I can understand how you feel. I would be sad to part ways with a trusted mentor as well.
I am therefore willing to forgive this outburst.
But regardless, don't talk to me again until you've grown up some.
When you're as tall as I am, it's a literal pain in the neck to talk to smaller people.
Not that I imagine anyone of your size could ever even begin to understand what it's like.
...
And with that, the Tam Lin up and left.
It was clear she had forgotten all about me the moment she stopped speaking to me.
Her signature on Ector's order slip didn't say Gawain. It said "■■■■■■■■."
Some weird curse kept me from reading it, but since I can always tell when someone is lying, I could see through it.
Hmph. I'm gonna remember that name! You see if I don't!
Not bad. I ran out of things to teach you in only four years.
Apprentice or not, you're a fully-fledged smith now. Not much we can do about your lack of magical energy, though.
How're things with the village faeries? Do they still believe you're the Child of Prophecy?
Things are the same as ever there. Half the village still doesn't believe I am...
Everyone wants to send the Child of Prophecy on her way though, so things more or less work out.
What about you, Grandpa? Do you really think I'm the Child of Prophecy?
Why ask me? I couldn't care less about Tintagel.
Now go gather some sand from the beach. We need to make a lotta jewelry starting tomorrow.
There's a festival coming up in the Cat-Sìth village soon, and they ordered a bunch of cheap trinkets.
Ector was very good with his hands, so in addition to weapons, armor, and household items, he also made jewelry.
His workbench was always covered with different kinds of ornaments and accessories.
He said they were just cheap trinkets meant to fool children, but for someone like me, who'd only ever had one outfit to call her own, they may as well have been the crown jewels.
They glittered like stars in the night sky. Red, blue, green, and sometimes even yellow.
Apparently, I had a habit of stopping what I was doing and gazing at the barrettes that were all arrayed on the workbench.
One day, on my second autumn of helping there, Ector saw me absorbed in them and said:
If you want, go ahead and take one to keep for reference. I can write it off within the margin of error.
For a smith, the margin of error refers to products that are cracked or broken in the process of making something.
Of course Ector would never make anything defective, but he was kind enough to offer me one anyway, to encourage me.
But...
Thanks, but no thanks. If I brought something of my own back, they'd just take it away again.
I was thrilled that he offered it to me. I wanted so much to accept it that my vision blurred with tears.
But the faeries of Tintagel had proved with the Staff of Selection that I could never have anything I really cared about.
Still, it did help me remember a conversation I'd had when I was younger.
It was with Merlin, when I was recklessly working day and night to try and move things along as fast as I could.
Man, it sucks when things that should've disappeared long ago just stick around! Like those narrow-minded faeries who keep trying to control you!
Ugh, this is the worst! Everyone in Britain is so awful now!
...Just kidding. But if that's how you feel, Altria, you should say so.
It's okay to want what you want. You don't have to deny yourself.
Now, what is it you want the most right now? Don't be embarrassed. Just tell me.
I want a spell that can blow an enemy to smithereens. Here, like this.
Hmm, I see. So you'd need a tool you can charge with magical energy, and a spell you can use to make gunpowder explode?
...This is dangerously close to magical terrorism...
Eh, then again, there's no telling when or where the black dogs might come after you.
Okay, I'll try putting together a little recipe. Just give me threeno, six days, okay?
Let's see... I think there was a smith in Norwich who's an expert in this sort of thing...
You're so kind and helpful, Merlin. I bet you've been on a lot of dates, haven't you?
Oh, I don't know about that. I don't really understand much about that whole "love" business.
It's a lot like food for me. Instead of thinking about my companion, all I think about is what it tastes like.
That's kinda why neither faeries nor humans ever had much love for me.
But then, once, I was suddenly thrust into a role where I had to be romantic, and I ended up being better at it than anyone else.
Honestly, I'm more unsure of what that says about me than anyone.
So you don't have a single lover? Even though you're the Mage of Flowers?
Aren't you lonely?
Hm. Maybe. Though probably not too much since I didn't realize it until you said something.
It's not something I ever worried about; I always knew it'd be forever out of reach.
That said...
For me, studying magecraft, looking for a way to save Britain, and finding a lover, are all basically the same.
Um... What do you mean?
What I mean is, it might be lonesome to look for a star you know doesn't exist, but it's also kind of fun.
Then, on the morning I turned sixteen, the village faeries all gathered in the town square and told me:
We want to see proof. Proof that you really are the Child of Prophecy.
That blacksmith who lives on the cliff is an imperial guard.
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 kill 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!
That's the end of my autumn memories.
6. After the battle
176 linesApparently, the Earth clan faerie living on the cape used to be one of Queen Morgan's imperial guards a long time ago.
The village faeries' worry was genuine.
They really did believe that killing Ector would keep the village safe.
So they closed in around me and begged me in all sincerity:
Please, kill him. Kill him for us.
If you really are the Child of Prophecy, then kill the queen's agent for us!
It would have been almost impossible to refuse, so like always, I took the easy way out. And so...
...Okay.
...Okay, I will. I am the Child of Prophecy, after all.
I decided to do what they wanted of me, and went off to kill my friend.
This is why I said I could never have anything I really cared about.
...I have to kill him. ...I have to kill him.
...I have to kill him. ...I have to kill him.
If I don't kill him, they'll think I'm an imposter, and they'll kill me instead.
It was easy to sneak in, since Ector was hard of hearing. He was sleeping on his stone bed, completely defenseless.
In my hand, I had a rusty iron knife the faeries had given me.
... ...
The truth is, it wasn't impossible to refuse. I was just scared.
Scared of being called an imposter. Scared of getting beaten for being useless.
Scared that my life so far might have been for nothing.
And so...
... Ghh...!
I got so fed up and angry that I brought the knife down as hard as I could.
...Oh well. Maybe things will work out.
I sheathed the now chipped knife and began walking the dark path back to the village.
I was practically trembling with fear, but I also knew the village faeries were simple folk.
I was almost strangely optimistic that I could get out of this as long as I explained everything.
Don't let her fool you! She didn't kill the blacksmith!
I was watching the whole time! She didn't do anything to him! She just cut one of his helmets!
And that's not all! I know her magecraft is fake, too! It's all just smoke and gunpowder!
She's not the Child of Prophecy! She's not special at all!
What did she say? Is that true?
She couldn't kill the imperial guard... She wouldn't kill one of Morgan's agents...
Then, she can't be the Child of Prophecy... I knew it didn't make sense!
I tried to run away, but the village faeries were all stronger than me, and had more magical energy, too.
Grab Caster! Grab the liar!
Hand her over to Woodwose's executioners as a Child of Prophecy imposter!
They caught me in no time, and threw me in an underground jail.
The faerie who accused me was smiling so smugly, so...triumphantly. But I wasn't surprised.
Whenever she talked to me claiming to be my friend, she was always consumed with envy and doubt.
She wasn't a bad person. It was just faerie nature.
Even when you know someone is objectively worse off than you are...
...you just can't help but be jealous when they're treated like they're special.
After that, life in the village became very hectic.
Woodwose's executioners.
A horrific group of soldiers who went around capturing faeries suspected of being the Child of Prophecy and taking them to the castle.
They were to arrive in Tintagel in three days, and I was to wait for them in my cell until then.
So, you finally showed your true colors. I can't wait to hand you over to the high queen.
I never believed you were the Child of Prophecy. There's no way a faerie like you could be our savior.
I don't want to hand you over to Woodwose, but everyone else says that's what needs to be done with imposters...
But...is it really so important?
It's awful that things have come to this. We were so close. So very close...
But then, I suppose it was always too much to hope for.
This village would have disappeared the year you washed up on our shore if you hadn't come along.
You and the treasure that was on your boat gave us hope. But now, the treasure's all gone...
Soon, our village will be... Then again, if we all tell Woodwose you're the genuine article, maybe we can still get a sizeable reward...
I'm sorry, Caster... I tried to talk the others out of this. I really did.
I'm so sad things have turned out this way, too. You really did do your best for us...
A lot of faeries came to visit me in jail, each for their own reasons.
The faeries of Tintagel were divided right down the middle into supporters of the queen and supporters of the Child of Prophecy.
The fact that I was in jail must mean that the Pro-Queen faeries had gained a numbers advantage.
There was no faerie left who could rescue me.
But, there were some who were willing to look the other way if I escaped, and I figured that was enough.
Either way, everything hinged on what would happen in three days.
I would have one last chance to escape after they let me out of jail, right before they handed me over to the executioners.
I made sure to stay in shape so I could run whenever I needed to, and kept a constant eye out for opportunities.
...You better believe I'm going to escape. I've been training my whole life to go on this pilgrimage.
I can't let it end before it even begins.
Hearing commotion outside, I thought the executioners must have come, and readied myself to escape.
So, you're still alive. Hmph. Guess not even these faeries were that stupid.
Ector!? What are you doing here!? What happened to you!?
What, this? Don't worry about it. I had to beat a few faeries up to get here. But never mind that. You've got to go.
Here, put this on. It's no helmet, but this hat should help protect your head and hide your face at least a little.
Huh!? You mean, you're here to help me escape!?
Ooh, this hat's so cute and stylish! I knew you had good taste, Ector!
Stow the compliments. Here, I got this back for you. It was always yours anyway.
...
It was the Staff of Selection that had been taken from me when I was a child.
Nine years had gone by since I last saw it, but it still felt like an extension of my body.
Though sadly, it looked like it had long since lost Merlin's flippant voice.
Go on now, hurry. It won't be long before Woodwose's executioners
Ector!?
...Don't call me by that name. It'll only bring you bad luck.
I took out the guards, but there'll be new ones here soon. We need to get you out of here while it's still dark.
Run as far and as fast as you can. If you can make it to Salisbury's plains
What was that? It's coming from outside.
At the time...
I could only imagine that the executioners had come and set the village on fire.
...I can't believe it. I knew they said they would have to cut down the number of mouths to feed for winter...
But killing each other over it? That's not just stupid, it's downright pitiful...
What's going on here!? Why are the faeries who called for us killing each other!?
Who's in charge here!? Where's the Child of Prophecy!?
Please stand back, Lord Woodwose! These faeries have all gone mad! We can't question them now!
What would you have us do, sir!?
...Grr, damned bloodthirsty fools! Baton wielders, exterminate the residents! Spear wielders, guard the exits!
We can't let any of them escape now! Don't bother putting out the fires until the faeries have been dealt with!
But make sure to capture any faerie who could be the Child of Prophecy alive! Her Majesty's orders!
No!
I didn't have any particular plan. Heck, I didn't even have time to think.
But just as I was about to make a run for the town square to try and rescue everyone...
Stop, Altria! You'll never make it in time! You need to get away from here, now!
Besides, why would you want to help them!? They were going to sell you away!
I know, but...!
They were still the faeries I'd grown up with.
They may have lied to me almost nonstop for my entire life, but that didn't mean I could just abandon them.
...You fool.
Just come with me, dammit! They're here for the Child of Prophecy!
Once you're gone, there won't be a reason for the executioners to be here anymore!
Once we reach the cover of the forest, you can do whatever you want!
Grandpa took my hand and ran.
...Phew. There we are. You can go the rest of the way alone.
I fought some of Woodwose's soldiers on the way, so it won't be long before more show up. You need to get away from here before they do.
...What about you, Grandpa? I don't suppose...you could come with me?
No, I can't. I still have work left to do.
Once I'm sure you've escaped, I'll be heading right back to my forge on the cape, and that'll be that.
You've been nothing but trouble, girl. Don't visit me again.
...But... But Ector, you're...!
I couldn't help it. I could see his kindhearted lies.
I could see the deep wounds to his sides, though he'd hidden with his clothes. I could see how his strong back had practically been cut to ribbons.
...And I could see that his failing heart would stop entirely once I took my eyes off him.
...Right. You faeries of paradise really are a pain, aren't you?
...The village is done for. The executioners are here.
Hold your head high. Grip your staff tight. Now is the time to begin your journey, Altria.
Remember, no matter what anyone says, even if you don't believe it yourself, you ARE the Child of Prophecy.
You could have killed me that night, but you didn't. That's who you really are.
No matter how much Britain rejects you, or how much the faeries shun you...
...or even how much weaker you are than them, you're still a better choice for savior than anyone else.
I don't think you ever realized this yourself, but you're just not capable of getting angry for your own sake.
And besides
You're the spitting image of her:
A stubborn sore loser who keeps getting back up no matter how many times she falls. That's why I know you'll see your chosen path through to the end.
...No! I want to go back to the forge and live with you at the cape! That'd be way more fun!
Besides, once I turn seventeen, the prophecy won't be true anymore, and I won't make any more trouble for yo
...
But that dream would never come true. He never even heard what I wanted to say.
I don't know who Grandpa was, or why he did so much for me.
All I know is the heartbeat I can still hear today...the sound of my own, still living heart.
...Right. That's right.
The one thing I have going for me is my ability to quickly cheer up, no matter how many times I'm brought down.
I secured my new hat atop my head and gripped the Staff of Selection tight.
...Goodbye, everyone. Thank you for raising me until I turned sixteen.
I'm the faerie of paradise. I'm the one who's meant to bring Britain the salvation it really needs.
So I'm going to begin my pilgrimage now, just like you wanted me to.
But, that was easier said than done. Forget beginning my pilgrimage. I couldn't even get anyone to take me seriously.
I tried to meet with the head of the Wind clan in Salisbury, but the rebel army turned me away at the door.
I tried doing a few odd jobs in response to their demands that I prove I was the Child of Prophecy, but...
Which hole in the woods did you crawl out of? Your clothes are a mess, and you've got almost no magical energy.
But, at least you're a decent worker. Nice job taking care of the mors on the highway!
I don't know how many centuries it'll take you, but hey, good luck saving Britain!
We don't need the Child of Prophecy here anyway, girlie. We have Lady Aurora looking out for us.
Hm? But the faeries are waiting for the Child of Prophecy? Ah, don't let them fool you. They're just pretending.
Faeries latch on to anything that seems like fun, or even just whatever's trendy.
Nobody actually wants or believes in the Child of Prophecy.
We'd all love it if Morgan went away, but her aside, we're happy with the way things are now.
After being laughed off, I used my anger as fuel to take me from west to east and back again.
Fooling myself into thinking that starting with smaller villages would yield better results than big cities, I went around the forests visiting all kinds of places.
But, it was no different. Everywhere I went, people laughed at me, used me, and dropped me like so much garbage.
On the surface, they were all for the Child of Prophecy. But on the inside...
"Isn't there anything more fun to do?"
...Now I see. They all love rumors about the Child of Prophecy, but the actual Child is just a big pain...
I had no one to teach me, and no companions to commiserate with.
Every faerie in Britain hated me the second they laid eyes on me.
Since humans had no love for faeries either, all I could do was travel alone.
...This is hard...
...Really hard.
Consumed by depression, I decided to go to the Nameless Woods.
I didn't have a particular plan in mind.
I just wanted to be someone other than myself, even if only for a little while.
But, the curse of the Nameless Woods didn't even affect faeries from paradise. So much for that.
So I just pretended to have lost my memory and went off to the newcomer tent to sulk.
But then, a new faerie was carried in.
...Mash?
He had lost his memory, and was in such bad shape both physically and mentally that I felt like I had to help him.
But, most of all, I thought:
"If he's forgotten about the Child of Prophecy... maybe there's a chance we could be friends."
That's the end of my summer memories.
7. Before the battle
47 linesThis is it! We're finally to the spring memories!
And since they're spring, I'm sure they're going to be lots of fun!
I bet any obstacles we run into here will be total pushovers! So you won't have to worry much about taking them down.
...
I was hoping we wouldn't have to fight any more of those mors...
？！
...Me too. If those really are Altria's memories given physical form...
...then I can only imagine how painful they must be for her.
Even just facing them as mors makes me feel like my heart's being gouged out of my chest...
Don't worry. That's all done with now that we're past summer.
Spring memories are fun times, and fun times only.
The only kinds of obstacles I'd expect to see here are things like... Hmm...
They'll probably be Altria herself dressed to the nines, or an enormous feast full of delicious foods.
...That's all well and good, but before we start fighting, there's one thing I wanna clear up.
You said that the faerie of paradise who rings all the Bells of Pilgrimage becomes the sacred sword itself, right?
...Does that mean Altria's gonna disappear once it's done?
Yes, that's right. Creating the sacred sword's conceptual foundation will destroy everything she was, is, and ever will be.
That is the faerie of paradise's duty, her function. And even then, the sacred sword won't be easy to forge.
Everything about herevery experience she's had, all her memories, even Spirit Origin, her very fatewill be used as materials to make it.
It is not a sacrifice. It is an equivalent exchange.
And it has to be her. It can't be anyone else.
...
Does Altria know this?
Oh yes. She knows very well that fulfilling her duty means the end for her.
That much should have been made clear to her from the beginning.
？！
I know how you all feel, but please understand: this really is the only way.
She knew what would happen when she entered the spirit cavern.
Yes, the situation may have forced her hand, but she's still heading to the Site of Selection of her own free will.
...
Huh? You're all here?
Altria?
Wait, you're back already? That doesn't seem right.
Yeah, we still haven't fought any...
...
... ...I see.
Well, that was easy, huh!? It was literally over before I knew it!
So that's the Site of Selection on top of that hill, huh? Okay! Last one there's a rotten egg!
...I can't believe it. All those horrible memories,and even at the end, she...!
？！
...I know. It just ain't right.
But you know, Fujimaru, if nothing else, I'm glad you're so damn pissed off about it.
So look. Whatever happens next, just let the old man here handle it.
Muramasa? What do you mean by
Never mind that now. Come on, we need to run, or she really will go on ahead of us.
Either way, this is the end of her long journey. Let's see how this mission of hers plays out.
8. Before the battle
238 linesWhenever I close my eyes, this is where I'd be. Whenever I sleep, this is where I'd be.
No, that's wrong. It's a lie. Whether my eyes are open or closed, whether I'm asleep or awake...
...this is how the world has always looked to me.
The wind... The clouds... They're not really a storm. They're all people's voices.
Ahh... Aah... Aaah...
It's so awful to look at that I've put out my own eyes. It's so horrible to hear that I've plugged up my ears.
But it didn't matter. Nothing banished the darkness, or made the wind stop howling.
This is the tainted land where I need to fulfill my duty as the faerie of paradise.
I can't do this! I just... I can't do this!
But no one would listen no matter how loud I screamed. Besides, the wind was blowing so fiercely I couldn't even hear myself.
After everything I experienced in the village, and getting to know more faeries better, the storm only intensified.
I have no idea which direction I should go, or what I should even look for.
I know how this sounds, but Queen Morgan was honestly kind of lucky.
She wanted to make Britain into her own kingdom.
It was thanks to that powerful, envy-inspiring goal of hers that she navigated this storm without losing her way.
But I don't have anything like that. Not. One. Single. Thing.
I hate Britain. I hate faeries. I hate humans.
So how could I ever see a way through this storm?
...No, that's not right. I could see a way. It was shown to me when I rang the Bells of Pilgrimage.
Altria Pendragon, King of Britain.
When I heard that she was my Proper Human History self, I thought I was going to throw up.
The ideal knight. A king who lived her whole life for others, and sacrificed all she had for Britain's future.
I don't want to end up like her. I could never live a life like that.
But to create the sacred sword is to also determine her fate.
Without the sacred sword, her life would be different.
Without the sacred sword, Britain would come to a different end.
...Forget this. I should just give up. Yeah, that's it.
After all, I'm the only one who can save her.
That's what I thought to myself each and every time I heard the bells ring.
But...
...I can still see that star.
I don't know what that star is.
I do know it's not my dream, my goal, or something I care about.
But it's always been there, ever since I was born.
It may have grown small and weak at times, but it was always there, no matter how intense this storm got.
I don't know where I want to go.
I don't care about my duty. I just want to forget all this Child of Prophecy stuff.
So, why...?
I never stopped moving forward.
I didn't want to give up. I couldn't let this storm beat me.
...I don't get it. Why am I so obstinate?
What is it that's stopping me from throwing my life away?
As a faerie of paradise, I didn't have a spring. I didn't have much of anything.
That's why I at least want to know why I couldn't just give up.
I'm no queen. I'm no savior. So what brought an ordinary nobody like me so far?
What did that tiny star mean for an ordinary girl like me?
...Is this the Site of Selection? The forge meant to make the sacred sword?
That's right. That thing in the middle there is the furnace, the center of the universe. That's where the faerie of paradise is meant to go.
All you have to do is stand there, and the sacred sword will come into being.
And not just for this Lostbelt, either.
It will also finally bestow you with the sacred swordthe one whose concept was wiped clean from your world.
And it won't just be something a Heroic Spirit temporarily reproduces. It'll be a weapon capable of defeating an invader from a foreign world for the humans of this time period.
...Does that mean doing this will save Fujimaru and Mash's world?
It will make the impossible, possible. They will go from having no chance to having a small chance.
It will? Well, that's all the more reason to do this!
Britain will go back to the way it used to be, and it'll save the outside world, too! What more could we ask for?
But...it'll also mean...
...
？！
Hey, what's wrong? You both look almost sick. What is it?
Do you need to rest up outside? It's okay if you do. This probably won't take too long, anyway.
It's not that.
？！
Yes, that's right. Creating the sacred sword's conceptual foundation will destroy everything she was, is, and ever will be.
Come on, Altria. This is nuts. You don't have to do this.
Don't be silly, Fujimaru. You're the one who praised me for not running away.
...
？！
Okay, here goes.
Oh, since I won't have another chance to say this, I need to get something off my chest.
I hated every minute of my life. Everything about it. Humans, faeries, Britain, my duty...everything.
Fighting is...terrifying. Hatred is...exhausting. I would have been so much happier just living a normal life.
But I knew how much saying that would disappoint everyone, so I just had to act like a good, dutiful Child of Prophecy.
And that made our journey together a balancing act for me. A hard one.
Every time, I thought, "Well, I somehow hung on this time, but I'm sure I'll give up next time."
Honestly? No one's more shocked than me that I made it this far.
Forging the sacred sword means erasing Faerie Britain from existence.
I'll never really love faeries or humans, but I could always see the wish they held in their hearts.
Every one of the faeries was suffering inside. They all wished for salvation.
Even if they're sinners, even if they're just getting what they deserve, I can't believe they brought this on themselves.
Because, hey, we're all the same!
Lies of omission and outright deception are just parts of life!
And even under all those lies, everyone truly wished to be saved!
...I swear, I really wish they'd cut that kind of stuff out.
It was really hard, walking this Avalon path. Sometimes I just wanted to shout, "Can't someone cut me some freakin' slack!?"
But looking back now? I'm glad. My life wasn't all bad, after all.
Until now, standing here, I didn't think there was a way I, of all people, could save this world.
...That someone like me could never be allowed to end their world.
I mean, it's not fair to decide a world's fate when you don't even like the world, right?
...Right.
？！
...But, you're still going to do it anyway, huh?
？！
...Yeah. I am.
I'm going to fulfill my duty here. And the crazy thing is, even I don't know why!
It's probably for some silly, selfish reason. Something no one else could ever understand.
You know, I bet it's the same sort of thing that kept you going in the Garden of Lost Will, Fujimaru...
...and the same kind of thing that made you stand firm in the face of the calamity in Norwich, Mash.
I'm not doing this for anyone else. I'm doing this for me. I'm not even doing it because it's right.
I think...
I've been making my way through this storm because there's something I just can't turn my back on.
My fingertips dissolve first. I can feel the contours of my entire body fading away.
My memories will probably go after this...then my sense of self.
The planet's inner sea isn't stripping away all my memories at once, like one's just as good as another.
To make the sacred sword, it has to go through them carefully, so it could understand humanity in the present day.
I was only ever a means to learn about them so it could shape a better, more powerful sacred sword.
...Good. This should make me into a good sword.
A sword bright like the star I saw in that storm...the planet's light that won't ever fade in the face of the wicked. A sword that isn't me, from a place that isn't here.
A sword bearing the wishes of the masses, and hope for their happiness.
A sword who can hold her head high at the Site of Selection, and become the saber fit to stay by your side.
Oh...I'm so glad. As Caster, the faerie of paradise, I may not have had spring memories...
But as Altria, as myself, I have such wonderful memories of my journey.
My body's gone now. By creating the sacred sword, I'll finally fulfill my duty as the faerie of paradise, the Avalon le Fae.
My journey as Caster will come to an end.
And that's okay. I didn't come this far because I was afraid to die.
Still, I just...
I wish I could have found out what that light was.
...The light I've seen all my life. The light that's seen me all my life.
Wanting to know what it was, and being determined not to give up until I found out, is what's kept me going all this time.
I thought I'd find out somewhere on my pilgrimage, but I never did.
That's the one regre
Yeah? Can't end things just yet then, can you?
...Huh? What're you doing here?
What do you mean, what'm I doing here? Who the hell else is gonna forge this sword?
My whole life's been about making blades and cutting through destiny and karma. I'm Senji goddamn Muramasa.
...
Go on, move aside. You brought the iron, now let the swordsmith do his job.
Oho. So this is the planet's inner sea, and the universe's furnace, huh. Hooboy, just getting close is enough to burn you. Now that's what I'm talking about!
This right here? This is a job worth doing. Thanks, Altria.
Guarding you wasn't a bad gig. But this? This is much more my kinda work.
If I got a say in it, I'll take a searing forge over escort duty any day of the week.
No, you can't! Thank you so, so much, but you can't do this! It'll burn you to ash!
Fine by me!
Swordsmiths? We're born to pound iron. If I can do that in the gods' own domain, that's worth burning my life away!
'Sides, a smithy's supposed to be hot! So I ain't gonna stop pounding for nothingnot even if my whole Spirit Origin burns up!
There we go. It's coming along nicely. Basic shape's all set. Now we've just gotta temper it.
No! Stop! you can'tHuh? Aaah! I'm floating! Why am I floating!?
Oh, that? That'll be 'cause I took over here. You're probably getting booted out so you don't get in the way.
All right, Child of Prophecy, see you around.
Got more iron than I need for this sword, so don't need to use it all, 'specially if you still got something left to do.
I could use this power for the final finishing touch, but I want you to take it for yourself.
In exchange, I'm gonna use this to finish the job. Since you bought my life, seems only right that I pay you back with it, right?
Don't be ridiculous! You've more than paid me back for that!
Besides, you're from the outside world! And you're Fujimaru's enemy!
You don't have any connection to Britain! Don't you have another job you need to do!?
True, I don't know how I'm gonna face the Foreign God now! But hey, now I'll probably never see her again anyway!
Don't worry about it. I'm doing this 'cause it's what I want, just like you.
This was always my destiny. That said...
I'm sorry I never got to make you that barrette.
...
...The light...went out...
...Altria...
？！
...Her Spirit Origin signal is...gone...
...
...Altria... I know the sacred sword had to be made, but did it really have to be
I know, right? They had to be able to come up with a better way.
It's just so inefficient, not to mention inhumane.
But I guess it's probably too much to ask for a planet's soulthat's basically what the inner sea isto think humanely.
...
...
？！
Sorry to keep you waiting, Fujimaru, Mash.
This is the essence of the sacred sword. Go on, take it.
I'm sure Da Vinci and the other people at Chaldea will be able to use this as a base for a powerful offensive spell.
I wish I could have given you Excalibur itself... But I'm afraid things didn't work out that way.
It looks just like a Holy Grail!
Yes, Senpai! It looks like it's a magecraft principle of the same typeno, quality, as a Holy Grail! But that's not the issue!
Hold up. What's going on!?
？！
You mean, how did she come back? I'm as surprised as you are.
I really thought the forge would just be turning out a new Excalibur specifically for Chaldea's use...
Hang on. Where's the ginger?
...I see. So there was someone who gave her a tiny reprieve.
...Muramasa...
I can't believe the old man is...gone...
？！
...Now I see. It wasn't Altria's Spirit Origin that disappeared.
It was actually...Muramasa...
...He really did protect her to the end...
...He always did refuse to compromise on his work...
？！
Yes. The Heroic Spirit Senji Muramasa sacrificed himself for what he believed in.
The only reason I'm standing here now is because he insisted on performing the finishing touches himself.
Now that the sacred sword has been delivered to the planet's inner sea, the premise behind this Lostbelt has been overturned.
In time, it will be gently pruned away as though it never existed.
But before that happens, there's something you need to do.
Faerie Britain, the Lostworld made by the traitorous Morgan, is not part of this Lostbelt.
As such, the calamity it created is not subject to the Pruning Theoretical Phenomenon.
It represents a threat to humanity that you must defeat yourselves.
There's something different about you now, but...
？！
I'm glad you're safe and sound. Welcome back, Altria.
？！
Thanks, Fujimaru!
I'm back as the custodian of the sacred sword and stronger than ever!
True. No matter how you slice it, you've definitely powered up. And wait. That magecraft theory...!
Instead of Hero Creation, you have Sacred Sword Creation!?
No fair! How did you get a skill like that!? Are you out to steal my thunder or something!?
All right, Merlin, that's enough of that.
It's okay, Altria. Just ignore him.
？！
It's too bad Fou isn't here right now.
All right, all right. I know we both have different roles to play, so I'll take this as a win and move on.
...The Heroic Spirit protected her, and she still lives as a result. This, too, is fate.
The sacred sword has been forged, and this is the moment a planet is born.
The Child of Prophecy fulfilled her duty, aided by the foreign mage.
So now, it's my turn to help. I'm going to do a small-scale restoration on Britain to the way it was before things turned completely hopeless.
Specifically, I'm going to turn back the clock on Cernunnos, at least a little bit.
Turn back the clock...? You mean, to before he appeared?
That's right. Once Cernunnos shows up and covers the land in his curse, not even the sacred sword's protection will be enough for you to win.
So I'm going to have him go back in time by, oh...let's say two hours.
See, I suspected something like this might happen, so I've kept the entire pit in a dream.
Once I have Cernunnos wake up, it'll be as though the events of that dreamthat is, everything that took place there over the last two hoursnever happened.
You can do that!?
You did something similar in Uruk, didn't you?
？！
Indeed. It's been pretty boring waiting around here ever since I was freed from the Garden, so I spent some time casting a spell on the pit.
My Spirit Origin is practically falling apart now as a result, but oh well.
Suffice to say, once I disengage my dream zone, I'll probably disappear along with it.
I wish I could stick around to see how your battle goes, but sadly, it doesn't look like that's going to happen.
But don't worry about me. Even I felt bad about basically demanding Altria be the only one to sacrifice everything.
Sure, things didn't turn out exactly as I planned, but hey, that's why we build in margins of error.
For my last trick, I'll even help you out by sending you straight to the Storm Border, without having to go back through the spirit cavern!
When you get there, it will be one hour before Cernunnos shows up, and you'll have another hour after that before his curse spreads everywhere.
That gives you two hours to settle this. But this time, you should at least have a fighting chance.
Muramasa and I both gave everything we had for this. All you have to do now is the best you can.
Isn't that right, Nameless King? Can I ask you to watch over Fujimaru and Mash for me?
Of course. You take care too, Mage of Flowers.
...After all, this is just a shadow of Avalon, so I'm sure the real you is still imprisoned in that tower.
Saw right through that too, did you? Yeah, you're definitely the sacred sword's guardian now.
All right, then back to dying Britain with you all!
Once you overcome its twilit skies, you'll find clear blue ahead!
Good, I got them back safely. I'm glad I made it before I ran out of time.
Oh, though I just remembered I forgot to ask something.
I've been following the Chaldean stargazers' journey with my Clairvoyance as much as possible...
...and Fujimaru talked to himself a lot more than usual this time.
Hmm. I wonder what that was all about?