Chapter 1149: Oberon Vortigern
"Nauseating to the point of vomiting..."
Artoria's expression gradually shifted.
Her eyes widened.
That voice, those words, that tone—they were so familiar, familiar enough to have filled an entire year of her childhood, bringing her some of her few moments of happiness—
He had used the Child of Prophecy and the foreign traveler to defeat the Queen.
So that's how it was.
Had it all started from that moment ten years ago?
"Oberon, just who are you?"
Artoria looked at him with a complicated expression.
"Oh dear, I'm the grand finale making an appearance at the critical moment, yet I forgot to introduce myself!"
Oberon slapped his forehead in regret.
"This body merely borrows the form of the Fairy King from Pan-Human History. I am a false Heroic Spirit who stands against the world. You may call this Spirit Origin a role-player or an impostor, as you wish—"
"My true self is the materialized will of Britain, yearning for its own destruction. I am Oberon Vortigern! I have come to eradicate Pan-Human History, the abyssal insect destined to destroy Britain!"
In the end.
Everything before had just been an act.
The difference was that Oberon was the director who stepped onto the stage himself, directing and performing the entire story.
Vortigern.
Anyone familiar with British mythology would not be unfamiliar with this name.
In Pan-Human History, he was the brother of King Uther, the incarnation of Britain's will as a white dragon, ultimately slain by King Arthur, who embodied the red dragon.
"Rather than let Britain be tainted by human civilization, it's better to reduce it to ashes in my hands!"
That was Vortigern.
He was essentially Britain's own doomsday device, the island's inherent tendency toward self-destruction.
In this Lostbelt world, Vortigern manifested through the legend of Oberon, borrowing Oberon's Spirit Origin, legend, and ideals to successfully gain the trust of the Child of Prophecy and the foreign traveler.
But no matter how his appearance changed, his essence remained the same.
He was Britain's own desire for self-destruction!
In Pan-Human History, Britain, caught between humanity and mystery, abandoned the mystery represented by Morgan and chose the humanity represented by King Arthur, gaining the possibility of survival. Its self-destructive tendency became very weak, allowing King Arthur to easily defeat it.
But in this Fairy Kingdom, fairies were everywhere.
And fairies represented despair.
Britain was like a dying patient with every organ afflicted by terminal illness, constantly seeking its own death. The desire for self-destruction became overwhelmingly strong!
In such circumstances, Vortigern emerged.
He became the sharpest sword in Britain's hands, striking wherever and whenever necessary, all for the sake of its own extinction!
Artoria remained silent.
Gradually, she made up her mind and firmly raised the Staff of Selection.
"Britain's will for self-destruction—Vortigern."
Eiji closed his eyes, and Uther's face at the moment of death surfaced in his mind.
"Then, 2,400 years ago, the one who killed Uther in Londinium—"
"You should know the answer, right?"
Oberon said with a cheerful smile.
"To let humans rule the British Isles would be the best choice for preserving Britain's continuity, but the island itself has no desire to survive at all. How could I possibly allow humans to dominate Britain?"
"Ah, Uther's death was quite foolish, wasn't it?"
"That was only natural, after all, I transformed into his most trusted person to assassinate him!"
Ah.
So that's how it was.
Eiji had never understood why Uther died without any struggle back then.
Given the skills he had been personally trained in by Tonelico and Grimm, even facing the Calamity of Illusion, he should have been able to put up some resistance at least. The sanctuary shouldn't have been so pristine - there should have been signs of struggle around.
But Uther died so cleanly, without any resistance at all, with only an expression of utter disbelief on his face.
Because the person who killed him, in his eyes, was the one who raised him, his most trusted person.
Namely, Tonelico.
The Calamity of Illusion transformed into Tonelico and killed Uther.
"I told you before, if you still refuse to give up, we would meet again."
Oberon laughed with utmost mockery.
"During your journey so far, you've shown quite a few vulnerabilities. Watching those openings, I almost couldn't resist assassinating you. It would have been so easy to kill you then, since you hadn't become wary of me yet. Though, one can never be sure—"
That's right.
Whether during sleep on the journey.
Or when dealing with the Great Calamity in Norwich.
He had many opportunities to assassinate Eiji.
Eiji didn't know him.
But he knew Eiji.
Because as early as 2400 years ago, they had already been mortal enemies!
"Filthy insect, I ask you."
At this moment, Morgan, who had remained silent until now, spoke up.
Her icy eyes shot toward Oberon like arrows.
"Was it you who took Baobhan Sith?"
After the decisive battle in Camelot, Eiji searched many places but couldn't find Baobhan Sith.
It wasn't until Oberon spoke from the shadows that they learned Baobhan Sith had become the core of the Cursed God.
But why would Oberon know about this?
"I saw you were having such fun fighting at the time, so I thought I'd take care of her for you. That vampire fairy was born to become the core of the Cursed God anyway. Making the most of things is a good quality, isn't it!"
Oberon laughed delightedly.
"Not just Baobhan Sith, but Barguest too. The black hound's curse was what I left behind when I was defeated as the King of Mors a thousand years ago. A few years ago, when she was in despair, I even kindly altered her memories. Ah, come to think of it, there are so many truths to reveal that it would take days and nights to tell them all!"
He is the embodiment of the island's will. No matter how many times he dies, as long as the island exists, he will not perish.
It's just that previously, with the Cursed God suppressing him, he could only appear as the Calamity of Illusion or the King of Mors.
Only now, with the Cursed God destroyed, has he finally come to Britain in the form of the Abyssal Insect!
"We're done for."
Grimm let out a long sigh.
"Those two are about to go berserk!"
In the center of the field.
Eiji slowly opened his murderous eyes, boiling sword energy churning the atmosphere like a storm.
"Oberon, I'm going to kill you!"
"Indeed, all insects must be thoroughly exterminated!"
Morgan's eyes overflowed with killing intent.
There was no room for negotiation.
The hatred ran too deep.
Only bloodshed could resolve it!
"No, wait a moment!"
Habetrot suddenly changed her expression, as if she had thought of something.
"Cernunnos won't do! She can't win!"
"Hahahahaha! Well said! Against opponents like you, this is how it should be!"
Upon hearing this, Oberon let out a maddened laugh.
"But do you think I appeared in the form of an insect this time for no reason?"
His smile then turned profound and mysterious.
"The curtain of night, the lark of dawn—everything is but a midsummer night's dream! Come, it is time for this story to reach its conclusion!"
And so.
The decisive battle was about to begin!