"What the hell? Has the Norwich Calamity already landed? That fast?!"
Staring at the prompt on her system screen, Artoria pressed her lips tightly together, her brow deeply furrowed.
In all previous simulations, the Norwich Calamity had always arrived six months later. And now, it was only February — their journey had only just begun — yet the calamity had already descended?
She vaguely remembered Oberon once mentioning that the accumulation of calamity in Norwich was acting strangely... but Artoria hadn't expected it to erupt so soon.
And of all times, it had to be now — precisely when everyone capable of dealing with the calamity was being held back elsewhere.
The early arrival of the Norwich Calamity threw everyone's plans into chaos. And just as the group was distracted by this sudden disaster, Woodworth used the chance to escape the battlefield.
But at this point, none of them had the heart to continue pursuing Woodworth. Dealing with the Norwich Calamity became the absolute top priority.
[Regarding the calamity that struck Norwich, Lord Spriggan chose passive resistance. He withdrew all his forces into the Vault City and watched as the citizens of Norwich perished under the calamity.]
[However, due to the Mors Tide that accompanied this calamity, the fairies abandoned by Spriggan became consumed and transformed into more Mors, which in turn strengthened the intensity of the calamity. Their dying grudges only further nourished the shadow of calamity emerging from the sea.]
[After the shadow descended, even the prideful Vault City was breached. Spriggan, along with the treasures within the city, was completely annihilated by the calamity's hand.]
[Having destroyed Norwich, the shadow then shifted its target — heading toward the next closest city: Londinion.]
[Percival has requested your assistance.]
[Since Woodworth has not been dealt with and to prevent a repeat of past events, Knocknarea has abandoned her garrison in Salisbury, leading her full army directly to Londinion to intercept the calamity.]
On the other side, news of the Norwich Calamity's arrival quickly reached Woodworth and Aurora, who had just fled back to Oxford.
"How tragic. It seems even Ainshale's prophecy has gone awry. The Child of Prophecy didn't go to save Norwich — instead, she chose to join the power struggle. The people of Norwich are truly pitiful. If only the Child of Prophecy had heeded my advice to head to Norwich, rather than team up with Knocknarea to seize Salisbury, maybe those citizens wouldn't have had to die."
Aurora sighed with feigned sorrow, as if she truly mourned for the dead.
"But... perhaps this could be a great opportunity?"
Thinking aloud, Aurora probed carefully:
"The Round Table Army is now Knocknarea's ally. Naturally, she won't abandon them and will rush to their aid. If that's the case, wouldn't it be perfect for you to attack them from behind while they're engaged with the calamity? You might be able to wipe them all out in one fell swoop."
"...?"
Woodworth's eyes widened at her suggestion. He stared at Aurora like he was seeing her for the first time.
"Are you serious? Instead of helping them defeat the calamity, you want me to stab them in the back while they're fighting it?"
"What's wrong with that?" Aurora asked, seemingly confused.
"What's wrong... Of course it's wrong! That's not just ruthless—it's outright foolish! No—actually, using underhanded methods to prevent the fairy realm from falling into rebel hands may not be out of the question... but this? This is just stupid!"
Woodworth's tone changed as he explained:
"According to the intel I've gathered, this calamity comes with a Mors Tide — and the strength of the tide feeds directly back into the Shadow of Calamity. Norwich's fall has already significantly powered up the shadow. If the northern fairies are also devoured, the calamity will grow even stronger. At that point, even I may not be able to stop it. All of Britain might be destroyed in this disaster."
"Better to let the Child of Prophecy and Knocknarea eliminate the calamity first — then we can deal with them afterward."
"Can they really do it, though? Knocknarea's strange weapons are nothing to scoff at," Aurora replied.
"Even so, this way, regardless of who wins, the Fairy Kingdom won't be wiped out by the calamity. If His Majesty returns, he'll only need to suppress Knocknarea's army to reclaim the realm. Not find a wasteland. Besides..." Woodworth's tone turned resolute, "...if I fight them again, I won't lose."
"I see." Aurora studied him closely, confirming his seriousness. Then, her expression softened into a delighted smile.
"Hearing you remain so calm even now is truly reassuring. Lord Woodworth, you are indeed the pillar of our nation. I don't regret testing you at all."
"A test, was it? That explains it," Woodworth laughed, his earlier doubts vanishing. "I thought something was off. You're always too soft-hearted to suggest something so cruel. That didn't sound like you at all."
"As long as you understand my intentions."
Aurora smiled sweetly.
As for what she truly thought deep down—no one could know.
[After a day and night of forced marching, Knocknarea arrives with her army to join you in Londinion.]
[When you finally reach the city, you find that the Mors Tide from Norwich has already arrived at the city gates, hurling wave after wave of attacks against Londinion. Behind the endless tide, the dark and twisted Shadow of Calamity slowly advances.]
The scene that met Gawain and the others was suffocating.
The sky and land had turned to deep black. Endless numbers of Mors surged across the hills, stretching as far as the eye could see. Behind them, an enormous figure with twisted, spiraling horns loomed — just its presence was enough to plunge anyone into despair.
Its withered body looked inscribed with ominous runes. Like a pitch-black demon cloaked in a raincoat, it cast its shadow over the world. Black, massive, undefined, shifting — just looking at it made one's ears ring and stomach churn. Its overwhelming magic power suffocated everyone who sensed it.
"This one feels... a lot bigger than the ones we've seen before," Artoria muttered.
"Indeed," Knocknarea nodded. "Compared to the one we saw in Norwich, this one is at least twice the size. It's nearly a thousand meters tall."
"How are we even supposed to fight that?" Baobhan Sith was dumbfounded.
"Doesn't matter. First, let's deal with the Mors Tide," Bagst said suddenly. "That many Mors are a major threat to the Fairy Kingdom, even without the Shadow."
[After a brief discussion, you decide to eliminate the Mors Tide swarming Londinion first.]
At that moment, the Round Table Army was pushed to its limit. They stood atop the city walls, desperately resisting the endless Mors below. Percival fought tirelessly, slashing down any that managed to climb the walls.
But even his valor had its limits. Alone, he couldn't hold back the infinite tide. As Artoria and the others arrived at the battlefield, Londinion's defenses were on the verge of collapse.
Fortunately, the Northern Fairy Army arrived just in time. Giants with fierce combat prowess and elite gunners trained in firearms tore through the Mors, relieving pressure on the Round Table Army. Then, suddenly, a roaring wave from the sky swept the Mors off the walls.
Though the Mors Tide was vast, it was not true water. When Baobhan Sith summoned torrents of lake water from her viewing sphere, the tide was quickly swept away and scattered.
"It's the Child of Prophecy and her companions!" Realizing their arrival, Percival's spirit soared. He shouted:
"Everyone! Don't give up hope! The Child of Prophecy is here! Reinforcements have arrived! Hold on just a little longer, and victory will be ours!"
Just then, several beams of light flashed across the battlefield. Torrential magical energy exploded within the Mors Tide, annihilating everything in its wake. These bursts of brilliance came from multiple directions, all different in nature — but each one traced back to a single origin:
The Sword of Promised Victory.
Artoria had entered her Regal form, summoning multiple versions of herself from different classes. Under her command, they unleashed wide-area Noble Phantasms that rapidly cleared the Mors.
With Artoria's entry into battle, Baobhan Sith's water manipulation gained direction — she herded the Mors into one area with massive torrents, whereupon Artoria's sword lit up and obliterated them in one strike.
Under their relentless large-scale AOEs, the once-overwhelming Mors were quickly thinned out. The assault on Londinion began to falter. Any stragglers were swiftly eliminated by Knocknarea's forces — not a single Mors made it inside the city.
"Yes! Keep pushing!"
Seeing this, Percival was overjoyed.
"As expected of the Child of Prophecy! Let me fight alongside you! Together, we'll destroy that Shadow of Calamity!"
But just as he and his Round Table soldiers were filled with excitement—
All of Artoria's summoned selves suddenly vanished without a trace.
"Uh... about that..."
Artoria turned back awkwardly.
"I think... I ran out of mana."