"It seems… I've finally caught up this time."
Under the gaze of all present, Melusine descended like a shooting star, landing between the two armies. She quickly scanned her surroundings and, upon spotting Guinevere in the distance, finally let out a sigh of relief.
Previously, after gathering intelligence from various sources, she learned that Guinevere had traveled with the Child of Prophecy to the distant land of Orkney. Wasting no time, she flew there in pursuit—only to find the entire place completely deserted.
At first, she suspected that Guinevere and the others had noticed her coming and immediately gone into hiding. Unwilling to give up, she scoured all of Orkney, nearly turning the entire region upside down, only to finally be forced to admit one truth: her intel, while not wrong, was outdated. Guinevere and her companions had indeed been there—but she had arrived too late.
While fretting about where to search next, she noticed a system alert: Norwich had fallen to a Calamity, and now another was threatening Londinium. At that moment, she slapped her forehead, instantly realizing where Guinevere's group must have gone.
After all, when it came to the Calamities, the Child of Prophecy and their party had always taken the initiative to deal with them. That much Melusine knew well. In fact, the reason she'd been stationed in Norwich in the first place was partly because she hoped to run into them by chance. But no sooner had she left due to rumors of Guinevere's presence in Edinburgh than Norwich was attacked.
Although she regretted missing the chance to stop the Calamity in Norwich, she wasn't too hung up on it. Now that she was certain that Guinevere was the reincarnation of Uther, she no longer feared her beloved dying in a Calamity. As for the people of Britain—honestly, she wasn't all that keen on protecting them anymore.
After all, she knew all too well what kind of "fae" these creatures were. The only reason she'd protected them before was out of fear that Guinevere might be affected by the chaos. But now that that risk was gone? Why should she care if they lived or died? Morgan didn't bother herself with these pitiful subjects—why should she?
Still, the moment she got the news, she rushed to Londinium. One reason was concern for her brother, Percival. The other was to test her luck—perhaps she'd run into Guinevere here.
And clearly, after so much bad luck, this time fortune had finally smiled on her.
Retracting her gaze from Guinevere, Melusine turned toward Woodworth. The gentle look in her eyes instantly morphed into something murderous—an exemplary display of how fast a face could change.
"Woodworth, you dared lay a hand on my love… You brought an army to strike while he was weakened after fighting off a Calamity—are you that desperate to die, you shameless old man?"
She showed no intention of giving her millennia-old colleague any face. From the get-go, Melusine pointed straight at Woodworth and cursed him out, her voice full of gunpowder.
"...Lancelot, what is the meaning of this?"
Being directly scolded the moment she arrived, Woodworth's anger flared instantly. But his lingering rationality reminded him that picking a fight with the Fae Knight Lancelot wasn't the wisest move. So, furrowing his brow, he retorted:
"I'll overlook your insults this once… but why are you siding with the rebels? Are you saying… you intend to betray Her Majesty Queen Morgan as well?"
"Ha? Morgan?" Melusine sneered as soon as she heard the name. "Spare me that old hag. She couldn't care less about the rebellion—you're the only bootlicker who does."
"Silence! How dare you insult Her Majesty?! I'll twist your head off and offer it as penance!"
Red with fury, Woodworth snapped. At that moment, he forgot all else. Tearing off his suit, discarding all formalities, he launched himself like a cannonball toward Melusine.
"You think I'm afraid of you?!"
Not backing down in the slightest, Melusine swung her arms. Her dual sword-sheaths, normally worn like bracers, flew forward. Azure magic enveloped them, transforming them into gleaming blades. With a burst of magical propulsion from her back, she shot forward like a meteor to clash with Woodworth. The two of them instantly became locked in a fierce battle.
Meanwhile, as the two clashed with no warning or explanation, Guinevere and the others stood dumbfounded.
"What's going on? Why are they fighting?" Noknare said in astonishment. "Weren't they staunch allies in the last simulation? What is this—internal strife?"
"I don't know either!" Artoria said blankly. "I was about to ask the same thing!"
They had all been on the verge of despair when Lancelot appeared mid-battle. Their forces had already been worn thin by previous fights against the Swarm of Mors and the Calamity's Hand. The mere sight of Woodworth arriving like a vulture had been enough to make their heads ache—though not completely hopeless, the odds were already looking grim.
If Fae Lancelot were to join the fray on Woodworth's side, they'd be completely screwed… But before they could even worry about that, Lancelot suddenly started brawling with Woodworth.
"Wait… I think I heard her say something like 'How dare you attack my love'... Is she protecting someone on our side?" Baobhan Sith suddenly said.
"Oh right!" Artoria clapped her hands. "Lancelot is Percival's sister! So it makes sense she'd turn against Woodworth to protect her brother. After all, Woodworth isn't just here to kill us—he's also targeting Percival and the entire Round Table Army!"
"Makes sense!" Baobhan Sith nodded in agreement.
"Uh… is that really it?" Gareth said doubtfully. "Up until now, Lady Lancelot hasn't helped the Round Table Army at all… Because of Percival's rebel status, I thought she'd always tried to keep her distance."
"Then what, you have another theory?" Noknare shrugged. "Don't tell me she's fallen for Guinevere too? Like, maybe after being killed by him in that last simulation, she suddenly found his cool demeanor so charming that she fell for him? And now she's here to protect him? You think that's even remotely plausible?"
But at her words, Bagst quietly paused for several seconds before murmuring:
"…Well, I wouldn't say it's entirely—"
"Totally impossible?!" Baobhan Sith cut her off. "Come on, who the hell falls in love with someone because they got murdered by them? That's peak masochism. What kind of logic is that?!"
Bagst suddenly froze, face twitching.
"Wait… Baobhan Sith, before you fell for Guinevere, didn't he beat you up in that blacksmithing simulation?" Artoria suddenly recalled. "Actually, now that I think of it, didn't Noknare get beaten up by him too?"
"Please! That's different," Baobhan Sith waved it off. "I fell for Guinevere during his battle against the Calamities—that's what planted the seed. Right after he kicked my ass, I was seething with rage, okay?"
"Same here! I fell in love at first sight the moment I laid eyes on him! The beating came much later!" Noknare added. "Besides, didn't you get beaten up with me, Artoria? No sane person would fall for someone because they got murdered by them. That's next-level masochism."
"True," Artoria nodded. "So, Bagst… what were you trying to say earlier?"
"…Nothing. Never mind." Bagst quietly turned her head away. To cover the awkwardness, she focused her gaze on the battlefield where Lancelot and Woodworth were still fighting. "Anyway, do you guys have a plan in case we have to deal with Lancelot next? Woodworth's already on the verge of collapse."
Everyone gasped and quickly looked toward the battlefield. Sure enough, under Lancelot's fierce onslaught, Woodworth was being completely overwhelmed. The man once hailed as Britain's strongest warrior couldn't gain even a sliver of advantage against the Fae Knight.
After observing the fight closely for a few seconds, Artoria clicked her tongue.
"No good. That cheating Lancelot just keeps spamming that 'Seya Slash' over and over again, or leeches Woodworth's vitality with that damn 'Waterfowl Waltz.' If this keeps up, Woodworth has no chance at all. Even if she can't kill him, the moment he realizes he's gaining nothing, he's going to run for it—he's always been fast on his feet."
"You're right," Baobhan Sith nodded. "While she's still tied up fighting, let's grab Guinevere and run. My Swift Ring's cooldown is almost done—I'll get us out to sea, then teleport once it's ready."
Everyone quickly agreed.
"Good call," Noknare nodded. "You all go—I'll stay and hold her off."
"I'll stay too," Bagst added. "I'm a general of the northern fae now. Artoria, you take Guinevere and go."
And so, while Lancelot was still occupied with Woodworth and had no time to check on them, Artoria and the rest swiftly gathered the members of the Child of Prophecy's party and departed from the other side of Londinium. Boarding a small boat, they escaped over the blood-tainted sea with Baobhan Sith steering them forward.
Only Noknare and Bagst remained behind, choosing to stay for the sake of the northern fae who couldn't escape.
——Though the Fae Knight Lancelot, locked in furious battle up front, knew nothing of this.
At this moment, she dreamed only of defeating Woodworth in battle and saving Guinevere and the others. She hoped to show Guinevere where her loyalties lay, using this as a gesture of sincerity—so that perhaps, one day, he would accept her. And then, maybe, she could finally rejoin him and become part of his team…
Clinging to that dream of a future together, Melusine felt full of determination.