Section 11: The ■■ City, London (2/2)

Red lightning!

How you like that!?

Shit. Guess that didn't get it done.

Dammit, what the hell's going on in this city? Is this stuff really just fog?

My body's so frigging heavy it feels like my lungs are gonna burst!

Oh shit, the Incarnadine Demonic Beast's getting out!

Ghh! Gaaah!

Dammit!

The fog is consuming everything. No... This is more like a cloud than fog.

I see. The fourth imitation Singularity lies at the upper bounds of the Spiral Proof World.

Conceptually, it is close to the heavens.

...It seems the Incarnadine Demonic Beast is about to break Angrboda's seal.

It's growing stronger much more quickly now. Perhaps it is responding to Sodom's Beast.

Still, you underestimate me at your own peril, Incarnadine. If this truly is the heavens, then it lies within the domain of the King of the Storm.

Sacred lance, removing restraints...

Thrust and feast. Thirteen fang

What the...?

Khh!

Why? Why are you

...!

You're not going anywhere, Incarnadine Demonic Beast! I'm gonna hack you AND this damn Demonic Fog to pieces!

Tell me...how long are you going to keep playing knight?

...!?

You are King Arthur's heir...a perfect duplicate of the king.

Isn't that true...

...my darling Mordred?

...Mother? Is that you?

...

No, wait... I see now. You're Jack the Ripper!

Damn Assassin! You got a lotta nerve pulling that shit on me!

You're dead, you hear me!? You're finished!

...

...Yes, that's right. You ARE finished.

Huh!?

What the...!? Above me!?

Forneus!? But it's supposed to be sealed away in the Third Singularity!

Shit!

Wha

...

...Father?

Ah... Aah...

Aah... Aaaaaaaaah!

This isn't right! This isn't who you are, FathKing Arthur!

You don't worry about me! You won't even LOOK at me!

That's who you are, right!? So why!? Why would you do this!?

This... This isn't how a king's supposed to behave!

...

I know not of what you speak, knightly stranger.

I am Arthur no longer. I retain no royal authority with which to lead.

I am but a raging storm. There is no sense in asking the wind why it howls.

It is an engine of destruction, laying waste to all in its path. And before me now is the wriggling head of a Demonic Beast.

A knight standing beside me may as well be invisible...

...Rhongomyniad.

Well, so much for seeking shelter. Just look at this place.

It's just ruins everywhere I look.

Well, there might be some intact buildings... Nnnope, no dice. None of them are keeping the fog out.

I see. So there is nowhere we can go to escape it then.

So what do we do now? Make a break for the underground?

Fujimaru would never survive such an ordeal.

Fool. I am not telling you it is not the only way; I am telling you it is not an option at all.

I understand that being a hero necessitates a measure of foolhardiness. Overreliance on this dubious virtue leaves you simply with sloth.

And such depravity is not to my taste.

No, you can't. Don't be stupid.

Man, where's that boundless confidence even come from? You a secret Celt or something?

Even a bear would do a better job of hedging its bets. C'mon, know your limits.

Yikes, Master. You know you're WAY out on a limb when you've got a Celt lecturing you on restraint.

Still, I think I agree. You've maybe had one too many mushrooms and it's time to come down.

Mushrooms are great. Obviously. But only in properly controlled portions under the right circumstances. You definitely don't want to OD.

Enough, both of you. Can you not see he is beginning to tear up?

？！

Ghh!

We really don't have time to be hemming and hawing over our next move here.

True. We need to do something... But what?

Gyaaarrrghhh!

That power was immense. And it came from...underground!

Holy hell! That punched all the way from underground into the sky!

？！

Whaaa...!? Who's using their Noble Phantasm under the freaking ground!?

？！

Hang on. Isn't that Forneus?

What!? How is this possible!?

Forneus is sealed away in Okeanos. What is it doing here!?

GRAAAAAAH!

I...

Huh!?

I refuse destruction. I reject the curtainfall. I rebel against...the setting sun.

What...what is it saying?

What are you looking at?

Over here.

Wha...!?

Khh! Jack the Ripper!

...

...This is bad.

Locusta! Are you there!? What about you, Sétanta!?

Fujimaru! If you are there, answer me!

...

So, the Demonic Fog isolated me from the others. Impertinent creature.

...Mommy.

Grr, get out of here!

...Mommy.

...Mommy.

...Mother... ...Mommy...

MMMMMMOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMYYYYYY...

...I told you to leave me alone. There is no hope for any of you.

You think? Maybe you're right. We don't know. But...

...we don't wanna. We're still hungry!

Did the fog...just turn into rain?

I knew it. These imitation Singularities are undergoing changes I know nothing about.

Ghh! The pressure is...getting stronger...!

Locusta was right. This is no ordinary Demonic Fog poison!

This is London. The city of rain.

The pelting raindrops are like tears. The tears flow like the Thames.

We were washed away. The water at the bottom is so dark, so cold.

Is that all you know how to say!?

Damn!

Ghh! It is getting...very hard to breathe...!

Please. Give us warmth. Give us light.

We don't want love that burns like fire. We don't want passion that scorches.

All we want is quiet, gentle, soothing love. So please.

Shut up...!

Khh! My head... It feels like it's...splitting open...!

...