Storm Border deck.
After being translocated by Shiomi's displacement Magecraft, Melusine and Barghest were briefly startled to see the massive ship flying through the sky. That surprise vanished the moment they looked down at the earth, and both were struck speechless.
All of Britannia was burning. The calamity beast born from Woodwose tore through the surviving fairies and cities as it advanced southeast, chasing a fleeing crowd of fairies.
"That is…" Melusine stood frozen.
"Chieftain Woodwose?" Barghest thought she was seeing things.
Shiomi watched the rampaging monster without emotion. "At this point, it should be called the Beast Calamity. Don't even think about heading down there. The entire Britannia is heating up."
Where the Beast of Calamity passed, fire followed and the blaze only grew stronger. Storm Border's radar showed temperatures in that region had already exceeded a thousand degrees Celsius. Approaching without Magecraft or protection would kill even the most elite magus.
"Are we just going to leave it? Evacuate Britannia altogether?" Baobhan Sith came over to ask.
Those who had retreated earlier were waiting on deck for Shiomi and Morgan. None expected them to return with two Fairy Knights.
"For now, we leave it. Before we withdraw, we need to—" Shiomi stopped mid-sentence as something occurred to him. "The Londinium Army… was it wiped out?"
"The situation isn't good. When we broke the seal on Father, the calamity spread unbelievably fast," Sakura answered with worry. "And when the divine remains of the Great Hollow were destroyed, the explosion ignited all of Britannia. It's far too abnormal."
"No. This is the Beast God's backup plan." Shiomi pressed his lips together. "The Calamity of Flame and the Calamity of Beast have manifested again in this Britannia. This time, they intend to erase this island of sin completely."
"Island of sin?" Barghest didn't understand. "What is Britannia actually—"
Baobhan Sith stopped her. "I'll explain later, if you're willing to hear it."
"Princess of Londinium." Barghest recognized Baobhan Sith.
The silver-masked girl who once appeared beside the God King during ceremonies, later named Fairy Knight Tristan as the symbolic counterpart to Camelot's Fairy Knights—yet she had never gone to war.
"Right now I'm just Baobhan Sith. A small witch, nothing more." Baobhan Sith pouted and adjusted her glasses.
"There should still be survivors in the Londinium Army," Artoria said as she approached. "If Tenkei wants to save them, it might not be too late."
Shiomi unexpectedly hesitated, puzzling everyone.
"Master, Artoria, can you still fight?" he asked with a frown.
"I can, but the King of Knights cannot," Scáthach replied. "She has already released the True Names of two Noble Phantasms at full strength. She needs to rest."
Shiomi and Morgan exchanged a look.
"You're going to rescue Ector, aren't you?" Morgan understood immediately. "The Black Knight has followed you loyally for four thousand years, never once complaining. If it were me, I couldn't watch him die either."
"I'll be back soon. Take Morgan to her cabin to rest—her Magic Circuits are already overloaded."
Shiomi set Morgan down, letting Baobhan Sith and Sakura support her, then contacted the bridge through his communicator.
"Doctor, can we move the Storm Border southeast? We need to reach the remnants of the Londinium forces before the Calamity closes in," Shiomi asked.
"You'll have to ask the Director about that," Romani said, with no hint of objection.
"The Master said we save people, so we save them. This Storm Border was built as New Chaldea's 'Ark of Noah' in the first place." Olga Marie agreed immediately.
"Right full rudder! Full speed toward Londinium in the southeast!" Nemo ordered at once.
The Storm Border banked in the sky, gradually accelerating toward the southeastern lands.
"Everyone else, return to the interior now," Shiomi commanded. "The air out here will turn dangerous soon. Anyone not in perfect condition, take care of yourselves first!"
The warship quickly cleared the airspace above Camelot and pushed its speed further as it raced toward the retreating Londinium forces.
"If we're talking about not being in perfect condition, that applies to you as well," Scáthach said, standing steady in the roaring wind.
"I'm the exception," Shiomi said with forced authority. "Even if the three of you blocked me together, I'd still head into battle."
"The Land of Shadows fights to the very end. We don't retreat lightly." Scáthach gave a confident smile.
But right then, Shiomi sensed the Calamity reacting to their movement, accelerating as it locked onto them.
"This is bad. Woodwose's lingering resentment is affecting the Calamity. It's targeting the Storm Border—because I'm on it," Shiomi clicked his tongue. "My good intentions just made things worse."
Melusine stepped forward. "Let me intercept the Calamity. Please go assist the Black Knight and the Londinium soldiers."
"I will as well…" Barghest added.
Her life had been spared, and although she still didn't fully understand the truth behind Britannia, she could fight.
"No need to throw your lives away here. That thing is the Calamity born from the Sub-Bell of the Fang Clan." Shiomi gripped Longinus. "But I won't stop you from fighting. Intercept it at the rendezvous point with Ector and the others!"
"Yes!" Melusine answered eagerly.
Danger or death—she didn't fear either.
As long as she could fight for him, as long as she could be his sword, Melusine still had a reason to live.
Before long, the Storm Border caught up with the remaining Londinium forces, and Shiomi realized the situation was worse than he had imagined.
Trapped between the fairy clans and the Calamity, just a few dozen soldiers remained—nothing like the nearly ten thousand who had departed.
Carrying the blame in his heart, Shiomi waited until the ship came to a stop, then leapt down into the battlefield where the Londinium soldiers were fighting Mors and the Black Dog, clearing all the surrounding monsters in an instant.
"Your Majesty!" Ector gasped.
He didn't know much about what had happened in the palace, but seeing the Calamity return told him something disastrous had occurred.
"You've carried this burden all the way here. Your thousands of years of loyalty won't be stained by the sins of our ancestors."
Shiomi looked up toward the blazing horizon, where the Beast of Calamity was charging like the end of the world itself.
"I'm just old bones now. Dying here wouldn't be a waste," Ector said, gripping his battleaxe. "We warriors of Londinium never retreat!"
Scáthach and the others landed nearby.
The battered remnants of the army steeled themselves again, raising their weapons.
They were the troops he had trained with his own hands. Shiomi knew he couldn't stop their will to continue fighting.
He raised Longinus high, mana erupting around him.
"Halt your advance, Calamity! 'The Dazzling Spear of Selection' (Longinus)!"
...
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