To Become a King and a Magician 821-825

Title: Shattered Hope, Vanished Dawn

Inside the square ice prison.

On the ground that had completely turned into charred ruins, under the endless rain of light meteor swords projected by Naoki, the five thousand girl soldier dolls specially created to attack him and Aesc were now all bombarded until not even ash remained.

After all, each light sword was actually transformed from sunlight, condensing and compressing solar heat to form light swords with extreme temperatures. Even those girl dolls had no chance of withstanding them.

The consequence of focusing all enhancements on countering the Holy Sword and Magecraft was that defenses in other aspects became relatively weak. Moreover, Naoki’s attacks were entirely products of Imaginary Manifestation, falling under distorted natural phenomena.

“With this, this place is safe.”

Sighing lightly while hovering in the air, Naoki glanced at the scorched earth, then turned to look toward Londinium.

Though in terms of distance, the closest to him now was the Wind Clan headquarters, followed by the Fang Clan headquarters, after a moment’s thought, Naoki didn’t even glance at the Wind or Fang Clans and flew at full speed straight to Londinium.

The life or death of the fairies had nothing to do with him. Being massacred and destroyed by the girl dolls might even be a fitting punishment for the fairies.

Compared to the fairies’ situation, Naoki was clearly more worried about Londinium.

“Nothing should have happened, right? Aesc, Melusine.”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

*CRAS!*

Under Aesc’s gaze, her eyes nearly shattering, facing Totorot, Ector, and Uther surrounded by them, the girl dolls mercilessly swung arms transformed into sword blades toward Uther.

They all knew about Aesc and Uther.

The human boy Aesc pinned her hopes on, the warrior raised by the Holy Star Sword Bearer—though they didn’t know why these two cared so much about this child, killing him certainly wouldn’t be wrong.

Moreover, the Naraku Worm’s primary goal was to destroy Britain, to annihilate everything on the island—fairies, the island itself, and even humans were actually targets for destruction.

Thus, the girl dolls decided to decapitate Uther.

However, the attack didn’t harm Uther. Ector, closest to him, immediately shielded Uther in his arms and took the girl doll’s strike with his back!

The sturdy black iron armor tore like paper. The blade pierced deep into Ector’s body, even penetrating through, and warm blood immediately splattered across Uther’s face.

“Sir Ector!”

Uther, covered in blood, burst into tears.

“Tch, missed. But no matter—the next strike will hit.”

Completely ignoring Uther’s wails, the girl doll casually tossed the gravely wounded Ector onto a pile of corpses nearby, then raised her butcher’s knife again, aiming at Uther.

Her disciple was in danger. Her comrade-in-arms, known for thousands of years, was gravely injured.

These two things reignited Aesc’s recently subsided rage!

“Stop!”

Aesc shouted in fury, nearly in tears. Melusine, influenced by her anger, immediately dove at full speed toward Uther. But in the next moment, dozens of girl dolls blocked their path, showing mockery enough to drive Aesc to despair, then opened their mouths and simultaneously spewed intensely burning flames!

(Bad—)

That was the only thought that flashed in her mind before the combined flamethrower barrage from dozens engulfed and overwhelmed Aesc and Melusine’s bodies!

“Hehehe, burn, burn to nothing.”

“We got the savior—next is the Holy Sword Bearer.”

“Five thousand already wiped out—prepare to regroup. We’ll give him a big surprise.”

“I think this is good—how about we cut off this little kid’s head and hang it on the city wall?”

The girl dolls, like fairies in another form, unhesitatingly displayed the hostility and hatred in their hearts.

But quickly, a powerful Mana wave from above drew all the girl dolls’ attention. When they looked up at the twilight sky, reflected in their eyes was a massive deep-blue magical array.

Aesc and Melusine hovered at the array’s center.

“Eh? Still alive?”

“Did she escape earlier? Seems the power was still lacking.”

“Next time, note to increase attack power.”

“By the way, wasn’t that already maximum power?”

Beneath the deep-blue array, the girl dolls chatted casually and cheerfully, like a group of girls discussing which milk tea to get after school, as if nothing was in the sky.

They didn’t take the Magecraft seriously at all.

Aesc realized this clearly.

“I’ll make you regret it…”

Aesc gritted her teeth tightly, then slammed her staff hard into the array’s center! Instantly, every intersection node of the array’s lines blazed with dazzling starlight!

Pseudo-Astronomy Magecraft: Meteor Shower!

*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*

The atmosphere trembled under the powerful magical energy. Countless starlights fell from the array like a storm of rain. The dense starlight downpour instantly enveloped all of Londinium. The tiny starlight rain relentlessly swept through everything within!

This was the greatest Magecraft Aesc could complete in the shortest time. With this move—

*WHOOSH!*

A girl doll’s shadow suddenly appeared before Aesc.

She was unharmed.

“Didn’t I tell you.” The girl doll sneered. “We’re all configured to never be harmed by your Magecraft. No matter what Magecraft you use—pure magical cannons or carefully prepared grand Magecraft—it’s impossible to hurt us.”

“Your biggest fang has been pulled, savior.”

The sneering girl doll raised her arm—not transforming into a sword blade, but into a hammer, as if to smash Aesc hard with an iron mallet!

*BUM!*

A loud explosion echoed in the sky.

But it wasn’t the sound of Aesc being hurled away—it was the sound of the girl doll’s body exploding entirely.

Without warning, a brilliant light streaking from afar reflected in Aesc’s eyes.

“Naoki…”

“Yes, it’s me.”

Naoki, back turned to Aesc, nodded slightly.

“I… did I arrive too late?”

“Yes, too late. Not just you—I was too.” Aesc’s voice carried slight despair. She let Melusine carry her behind Naoki and leaned tightly against his back. “Everything is too late. Everything is over… Just like in the memories—Londinium is destroyed.”

“Aesc…”

Feeling the sorrow and despair from Aesc’s back, Naoki’s eyes trembled several times: “Melusine, here actually…”

“Everyone is dead, Holy Sword Bearer.”

Before Melusine could answer, the girl dolls proactively responded to Naoki’s question.

“Everyone—humans and fairies alike. Though fairies will soon have the next generation, humans are truly dead. Look—their corpses are still warm.” A girl doll said while lifting Uther before Naoki. “Well, I didn’t originally plan to kill this one now—but my hand trembled a bit by accident, and he ended up dead. We wanted to kill him in front of you, you know.”

“The drama humans and fairies just performed was so entertaining. Both wanted to escape, both wanted to live—so they pushed each other, using the other as shields. We laughed our heads off watching.”

“And those self-righteous Knights. At first they seemed spirited, saying I’ll fight to protect humans and fairies—but after just one arm was cut off, they were scared half to death!”

“Eh? The one at your place died of fright? Mine fled—but halfway, humans and fairies caught him and threw him back. In the end, I chopped up all his limbs and ate them.”

“…”

The girl dolls, as if flaunting their victory spoils, recounted one by one to Naoki what had just happened in Londinium.

Listening to their laughter and words, Naoki fell silent for a long time.

Then—

“Shut up.”

A single sentence laced with terrifying magical energy escaped his mouth. The spreading voice turned into Kotodama (word spirit), forcing all the girl dolls to involuntarily shut their mouths!

Next, after taking a deep breath, Naoki turned and grasped Aesc’s hand: “Aesc, I… sorry. It seems this time I have to do something you won’t like.”

*WHOOSH!*

Before finishing his words, Naoki suddenly shot into the sky, reaching an altitude where he could overlook the entire British Isles, raising his right hand high as if to grasp something and pull it down.

*BUZZ!*

The entire British sky was instantly shrouded in deep crimson light.

A blood-red full moon appeared beneath the sky filled with thick red hues!

“Fall.”

“Moon Fall.”

-

Title: Tear Everything Down and Start Over

Naoki was now deeply disappointed.

Naoki was now deeply furious.

Looking up at the figure bathed in crimson moonlight in the sky, Morgan clearly understood what feelings Naoki was bearing right now.

Because she felt the same—only, compared to her, Naoki’s emotions were perhaps purer.

After all, unlike her, Naoki had never placed hope in the fairies from the start. From the beginning, he never saw fairies as a group worth saving. Now, after hearing the vile atrocities of humans and fairies during Londinium’s attack from the girl dolls’ mouths, this conviction had undoubtedly deepened and solidified.

Thus, he was doing what he was doing now.

Moon Fall.

The secret technique hidden by the True Ancestor Princess named Arcueid Brunestud in Pan-Human History—arguably the most extreme Imaginary Manifestation in a certain sense. The manifested blood-red moon destroys everything on the land with the purest mass and force. Nothing can survive under Moon Fall!

Now, compared to the Moon Fall Naoki had used in Aesc’s memories, the scale this time was clearly far greater. Its size almost gave the illusion that Naoki had encompassed the entirety of Britain in his attack range.

(No…)

Aesc denied it in her heart.

This shouldn’t be an illusion. Naoki’s Moon Fall was truly intended to target the whole of Britain!

[Fairies who are fundamentally sinful need not live]

[Fairies who commit vile atrocities need not live]

[Fairies who reveal their ugliness need not live]

“…”

The Londinium incident was just a microcosm. Under the invasion of the fifteen thousand girl dolls created by the Naraku Worm, similar things were likely happening in every corner of Britain.

Fairies who wanted to live used humans as shields. Humans who wanted to live fought desperately against fairies… The contradictions between the two races were perfectly exposed in these apocalyptic moments!

Neither saw the other as allies. Both only thought of how to keep themselves alive.

No one aware of this situation could still see humans and fairies as existences worth saving. Even Aesc felt that way now!

In her heart, she had silently been anticipating—anticipating the arrival of Moon Fall.

“I don’t think there’s any need to save them anymore, Aesc.”

Naoki’s voice transmitted directly into Aesc’s mind.

“I’ll still fulfill your wish—free this island from destruction by the Naraku Worm. But for the humans and fairies living on this island… at least for the humans and fairies right now, I don’t think there’s any need to save them.”

“Tear everything down and start from zero, Aesc.”

Start from zero?

Aesc frowned: “You mean… the Queen’s Calendar?”

“Yes. Though it’s a bit too early, I think it’s enough, right? Uther is dead too. The Fairy Nation you dreamed of building—where humans and fairies live side by side—has been destroyed.”

“Indeed.”

Aesc had given up.

Given up completely and decisively.

Unlike Naoki, who only heard it verbally, Aesc had witnessed it. Witnessed the utterly vile way humans and fairies lived, witnessed the scenes where both races dragged each other down!

This was just Londinium. Elsewhere would surely be even crueler.

So, it was time to give up.

Though she had known everything for three thousand six hundred years, Aesc had still clung to a sliver of hope—only because her childhood was spent under the care and love of fairies, she had continued believing in them until now.

Even after repeated betrayals, she still believed in fairies.

Enough was enough.

The betrayals endured were enough. The ugliness witnessed was enough.

“Destroy it, Naoki.”

Aesc looked up at Naoki.

“Let the moon fall. After emptying all of Britain, we start again… All we need to save is this island. Everything on this island has nothing to do with us, right?”

“Yes.”

The two, having reached an agreement, nodded to each other from afar. Then Aesc said to Melusine: “Take me to Naoki’s side, Melusine. We… have to move to the next era.”

“Aesc, Naoki…”

For some reason, Melusine suddenly felt that Naoki and Aesc right now were terrifying. Not terrifying in the ordinary sense—but in another way… as if their entire beings had inverted. That kind of fear was the extreme calm and madness after realizing everything and discarding everything.

Yet, despite finding them terrifying, Melusine still carried Aesc to Naoki’s side.

She was the existence Naoki had saved from the dragon’s skeleton. She was the dragon who loved that beam of starlight—who loved Naoki. No matter what Naoki wanted to do, Melusine would stay by his side.

Aesc grasped Naoki’s hand, as if conveying her feelings to him.

“Please, Naoki… do it.”

“I’ve decided—no longer saving the fairies, only protecting this Britain.”

Aesc and Naoki’s thoughts, at this moment, reached perfect alignment.

*BUZZ!*

The atmosphere began to wail.

Space began to wail.

The Island of Sin began to wail.

The blood-red moon—so massive it covered and enveloped the entire sky—now fell with a thunderous roar!

In an instant, the entire world fell silent.

Everything returned to nothingness under Moon Fall.

The purest mass crushed all existence beneath the moonlight.

Fairies, humans, girl dolls, buildings, forests, rivers, mountains…

In the literal sense.

[Emptying all of Britain]

The shared thought of Aesc and Naoki became reality under Moon Fall. The Fairy Nation built by fairies and humans for over ten thousand years—at this moment—was completely emptied without remainder.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

On this day, except for the Mirror Clan and King Clan, all fairies went extinct.

Then, ten years later—

On the continent of Britain, where everything began anew.

【The Autumn War】 began.

【Confirmed】

【The Holy Sword Bearer and Vivian begin executing the mission】

【Question】

【Shall we send the new Fairy of Paradise】

【Affirmation】

【The island must be destroyed. The Holy Sword Bearer and Vivian cannot be trusted—they will not fully execute the mission in the end. Add a candidate】

【Receiving affirmation】

【Temporary observation period is two thousand years. If the British Isles still exist at that time, send a new Fairy of Paradise to execute the mission】

【No objection】

【No objection】

-

Title: Communication from the Lostbelt

Chaldea.

The people gathered here to search for Naoki, who was lost outside, were now facing the cruelest order.

Namely—

“Alright, Ritsuka-chan lost—strip.”

“That was my last piece of clothing!”

The women gathered together were now playing a strip version of Rock-Paper-Scissors.

With full embarrassment, Ritsuka removed the final piece of clothing on her body, then quickly slipped under the blanket. She glared at Merry, who had won against her with a flushed face—and even managed to snap a candid photo in the moment.

“That’s enough! Merry-sensei! How long are we going to play?!”

“Of course, until I’ve stripped everyone here bare.”

Merry said this with an extremely innocent gaze. From her eyes, several people in the room could clearly see two big words: Pure Lust.

For this trash Succubus who would die without seeking pleasure, pleasure was the sole reason for living in this world. Originally, with Naoki around, she had no time to bother others—but now that Naoki was gone, she was truly free.

The reason they had gathered in Ritsuka’s room to play was also Merry’s idea.

The main goal was to kill time.

Yes, just to kill time.

Though Chaldea currently had the mission to go to the Lostbelt and retrieve the Holy Sword Bearer lost outside, in reality this wasn’t a task requiring all of Chaldea’s functions. Besides investigating the Lostbelt, Chaldea also accepted requests from the Mage’s Association and the United Nations—like planetary observation, etc. There were actually many missions.

Thus, when work piled up, the Lostbelt matter had to be temporarily postponed. And those with no immediate tasks could only gather to pass the time.

Ritsuka, Mash, Merry, Gray, Olga Marie—these five could be said to be the most idle in Chaldea.

As a side note, Sajyou Rei was the busiest. Due to her overly versatile abilities, she had essentially become a consultant for every department in Chaldea, spending her free time running between departments.

The other purpose was purely to satisfy Merry’s mischievous whims.

(Girls gather in a room to play, then completely strip, recording the beautiful moments of youth)

(Later I’ll compile these women’s gathering photos into an album… Might be useful for future family meetings~~~)

PS: A Succubus’s brain is basically full of lewd material.

Just as Merry was planning the fun for the next family gathering, Ritsuka’s communication device on the table suddenly rang.

In almost the blink of an eye, the women quickly put back on the scattered clothes around the room. Ritsuka also rushed to the table and picked up the device: “Doctor, it’s me. What’s up?”

【Yes, there’s a very urgent matter. You all need to come to the Control Room immediately.】

Roman’s voice came from the device.

【Chaldea has just received a communication from outside… No, more precisely, a communication from the Lostbelt.】

Communication from the Lostbelt?

Everyone exchanged glances, then Ritsuka replied: “Understood, Doctor. We’ll head to the Control Room right away.”

“Looks like there’s no time to play around.” Merry sighed with slight regret. “I really wanted to try this. I went through the trouble of making 96-proof alcohol.”

“No one’s trying it!!” ×4

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

In Central Control Room.

One minute after the call with Roman ended, Ritsuka and the others gathered here, just like before a regular operation.

As the caller, Roman also played the one-way communication from the Lostbelt mentioned earlier.

【Pan-Human History Chaldea】

【I don’t know how long after you receive this message. If it’s a hundred or a thousand years later, that would be troublesome. Hopefully within two or three years after that.】

The voice was quite fuzzy. Though the content was clearly audible, it sounded very faint—like a damaged recording played from a broken speaker.

【This is Natsukawa Naoki】

“Eh?! Department Head?!”

“Big Brother?!”

Hearing the owner of the voice in the communication, Ritsuka and Mash exclaimed instantly—the message from the Lostbelt was actually from Naoki?

“Didn’t expect a communication from His Majesty the King.” Merry laughed. “Could he have been out too long and forgotten the way home, so he wants us to pick him up?”

“Please calm down a bit, Merry.” Rei whispered.

【If there’s still anyone in Chaldea who remembers me, please convey this to the Medical Department Head, Romani Archaman—assuming he’s still there.】

【The message content is as follows:】

【Please gather as many people related to me as possible. Fujimaru Ritsuka, Mash Kyrielight, Merry, Aozaki Aoko, Arcueid—gather everyone you can, then come to the Lostbelt where I am now.】

【I’m sure with Chaldea’s capabilities, the Lostbelt coordinates can be traced back. Unfortunately, I can’t give the location directly.】

【The point is—please come to me as quickly and in as many numbers as possible.】

【Only you can stop me.】

The communication ended there. Everyone in the Control Room looked unhappy. Though the reason wasn’t clear, Naoki’s intent was understood by all present.

He was facing some kind of trouble in the Lostbelt and needed to call everyone to help him… No, judging from the last line, it seemed they had to go to stop him from doing something.

But why stop him? What exactly did he want to do? Was he under someone’s threat, unable to refuse something himself, so he hoped Chaldea would stop him?

But thinking about it… who could threaten him?

Naoki was the hero who saved humanity—the strongest Holy Sword Bearer and Elemental Spirit. It was impossible for anyone to force him to do anything.

“Roman, have you traced the Lostbelt’s location?”

After thinking for a moment, Marie asked Roman.

Roman nodded: “Before informing you, I listened once and traced it back through this communication. It’s now locked onto the Lostbelt from which the message was sent. If we’re quick, we can Rayshift in thirty minutes.”

“Go prepare, Fujimaru, Mash.” Marie said to the two. “Though Naoki’s message is still vague, thinking here is pointless. Heading straight to the Lostbelt to investigate is the fastest way—Rei, Gray, can you contact the others?”

Gray nodded: “Understood. But contacting everyone might not be possible. Big Sister Aoko might have run off to some parallel dimension, and Big Sister Arcueid is sleeping in the Millennium Castle—she probably won’t pick up the phone.”

“Leave that part to me.” Merry laughed. “I’ll find a way to contact those who can’t be reached directly. You focus on the ones who can.”

“Good.”

Marie stood on the platform below the main command chair.

“Then, as Chaldea’s Director, I order—prepare all of Chaldea for immediate Rayshift to the Lostbelt! The destination is the Lostbelt where Operations Department Head Natsukawa Naoki is located!”

“Roger!”

-

Title: Artoria Caster

Thirty minutes passed quickly after Chaldea began preparing for Rayshift.

After skillfully completing all preparations, Ritsuka and Mash, as Chaldea’s two designated operational personnel, once again headed to the Lostbelt via Rayshift.

This was their sixth Lostbelt journey.

The first was Russia, blanketed in ice and snow.

The second was Northern Scandinavia, also covered in ice and snow.

The third was the vast and prosperous China.

The fourth was India, endlessly perishing and reincarnating.

The fifth was Olympus, filled with remnants of Machine Gods.

Now, for the sixth Rayshift, after the familiar process, as their consciousness recovered—

“It’s freezing!”

Ritsuka immediately hugged her arms, the cold environment around her making her shiver right away.

Beside Ritsuka, Mash, already in her armor, looked around: “It seems the Rayshift succeeded, Senpai.”

“Y-yeah~~~~ I know~~~~”

Ritsuka was shivering even while speaking. She hurriedly rubbed a small fire spell to warm herself.

【Fujimaru, Mash, can you hear me?】

At that moment, Roman’s voice came from her wrist.

【Rayshift went smoothly. Hold on a second—we’ll compare your current location.】

Lostbelt conditions differ from Pan-Human History, but no matter the difference, it’s still on Earth. Thus, by comparing data, Ritsuka and Mash’s location could certainly be determined.

Mash looked around again—the environment seemed frozen.

(It really resembles Russia…)

The first Lostbelt they visited, Russia, was also covered in ice and snow. But though both were blanketed in ice and snow, Mash felt Russia and this place were different.

Russia’s ice and snow were extreme cold intolerable to humans. Due to that extreme environment, the remaining Russians had even undergone species evolution, becoming wolf-like humans.

But this place was different. First, the temperature was still within normal cold limits—at most winter level. Second, there was silence.

Because of living beings, Russia still had some signs of life despite the ice and snow. But here, there were no signs of life at all—silent like a dead land.

(Was Big Brother’s message really sent from here?)

Mash couldn’t help thinking that.

【Okay, Fujimaru and Mash’s location confirmed. Estimated position is Britain—specifically the northern tip of Britain.】

The northern tip of Britain.

No wonder the environment here was so cold.

Mash looked at Ritsuka: “Master, are you feeling better?”

“Yeah, somewhat. My body’s a bit warmer.” Ritsuka, holding the small flame, nodded. “By the way, is the Department Head really here?”

【From the location, he should be—or at least was. After all, based on the trace-back results, that’s where Natsukawa sent the message.】

It was just unknown how many years ago that was.

Judging from the content Naoki wanted to convey, he must have sent the message long ago—but he himself wasn’t sure when Chaldea would receive it. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have said such things.

But since it was Naoki, a hundred or two hundred years was no issue for him. Even a thousand years was like a dozen years to him.

He was definitely still alive—that much was certain.

【However, the troublesome part is we can’t observe your location. There’s no observable data. All we can do is communicate with you like this for now. To find Natsukawa there, you’ll have to rely on yourselves for the time being.】

“Understood, Doctor.”

After lowering her wrist, Ritsuka, now warm, said to Mash: “Then let’s start searching for the Department Head. First, let’s check the surroundings, then look for any villages or locals.”

“Yes, just like before, Senpai.”

Having gone through the entire Human Order Incineration and five Lostbelt journeys, Ritsuka and Mash were extremely proficient with this procedure. After confirming the goal, they immediately acted.

However, the two stopped again after just one or two steps.

Because not far ahead, on the beach continuously pounded by waves, a broken wooden boat was stranded there. And beside the wooden boat, someone was lying.

Without thinking twice, Ritsuka and Mash immediately ran over. After all, it was the first person they’d encountered here—and it seemed they’d suffered a shipwreck. There was no reason not to help.

But when the two got closer and clearly saw the face of the person lying on the beach, they both froze in place simultaneously.

“T-this…”

“A… A… Miss Artoria?”

The person lying unconscious beside the wooden boat—no matter how Ritsuka and Mash looked—appeared exactly like the King Arthur from Pan-Human History they knew!

Hearing their voices, as if awakened, the girl who looked almost identical to Artoria slowly opened her eyes and sat up from the sand.

“Ugh… I… Right, I remember being attacked by him… then… Eh? People? Wait, people on this island… Could it be—”

The girl only noticed Ritsuka and Mash crouching in front of her after a few moments. Then, as if realizing something, she hurriedly stood, brushed the sand off her body, slightly lifted the hem of her skirt, and performed a palace curtsy like a princess.

“Ahem! Pleased to meet you, honorable guardians of the Boundary Island. I am Artoria Caster. I have come uninvited. May I ask you to take me to where the Holy Sword rests? I have come to unseal the Holy Sword.”

“…”

“…”

Listening to the words from the girl claiming to be Artoria, Ritsuka and Mash both looked confused and puzzled.

Guardians of the Boundary Island?

Where the Holy Sword rests?

“Um…”

Ritsuka raised her hand awkwardly: “Sorry, you… seem to have the wrong people? Mash and I aren’t guardians of the Boundary Island, and we don’t know where the Holy Sword rests. We’re just outsiders who just arrived here.”

“Eh?”

Artoria Caster, who had initially looked full of hope and tension, froze in place after hearing that.

Then, under Ritsuka and Mash’s gaze, her cheeks instantly flushed completely red.

-

Title: Guardian of the Holy Sword

Artoria Pendragon.

King Arthur from Pan-Human History.

Ritsuka and Mash actually had a pretty good relationship with her. After all, among the many “big sisters” in Chaldea, Artoria was one of the easiest to get along with. Unlike Merry, Ritsuka and Mash truly respected her.

They just never expected to meet someone in the Lostbelt who looked exactly like her—and even had an almost identical name.

Hearing Ritsuka and Mash’s denial, Artoria Caster frowned slightly after a brief silence: “Not… not guardians? You two?”

“Yes, in fact, we just arrived on this island too.” Ritsuka said, “I’m Fujimaru Ritsuka, and this is my friend, Mash. We both came from Pan-Human History… Um, about Pan-Human History—”

“The world on the proper path, right?”

Artoria smiled: “I know about Pan-Human History. After all, the bastard who taught me Magecraft—”

Suddenly, mid-sentence, Artoria looked up at the sky as if confirming something, then continued: “The bastard who taught me Magecraft once told me about Pan-Human History knowledge, saying it’s the true world still full of infinite possibilities.”

“But… that knowledge was just information. This is the first time I’ve actually interacted with people from Pan-Human History. I never thought it would happen here.”

“Miss Artoria, do you… believe we’re from Pan-Human History?”

Mash was a bit surprised. Artoria’s statement didn’t seem to doubt them at all.

“I can tell if someone’s lying~~~ It’s a little skill of mine—Oh, I should reintroduce myself. That was unclear earlier.”

“I’m Artoria, Artoria Caster… Um, right now I’m a wandering Magus. I came to this island to find the Holy Sword.”

Holy Sword.

Artoria had mentioned this word before too.

Ritsuka couldn’t help asking: “The Holy Sword you mean?”

“The Star Holy Sword that saves the world. You have it in Pan-Human History too, right?” Artoria explained. “On this island rests the Holy Sword used by the great hero who saved Britain when it faced a massive crisis in the past. I’m wandering just to find it. I have a strong reason to obtain that Holy Sword.”

The Holy Sword used by the Great Hero who saved Britain?

Could it be…

“Miss Artoria, may we know the name of that great hero?”

“Eh? Name?”

Artoria shook her head: “No, I don’t know. The legends passed down don’t include the great hero’s name—You want to know the great hero’s name?”

Ritsuka nodded: “Because he might be the person we’ve been looking for all along.”

“Looking for someone?”

“Yes, in fact, an acquaintance of ours from Pan-Human History went missing over half a year ago after saying he was heading to a Lostbelt. Since he’s a very important person in many ways, we came from Pan-Human History to the Lostbelt to find him. His name is Natsukawa Naoki.”

Ritsuka explained: “Miss Artoria, are you familiar with this name?”

“Ah… That… No, I don’t know. There’s no one named Natsukawa Naoki among the people I know, and I’ve never heard the name at all.” Artoria shook her head like a toy. “But I think he definitely isn’t on this island. After all, on this island, besides us, there should only be one guardian of the Holy Sword.”

“Guardian of the Holy Sword…”

Ritsuka and Mash fell silent upon hearing that term.

Natsukawa Naoki was the Bearer of the Star Holy Sword. On this island there was a Holy Sword and a guardian of the Holy Sword… Honestly, neither thought there was no connection at all. Moreover, Artoria had also said, “You have it in Pan-Human History too, right?”

“Miss Artoria, can we come with you to meet this guardian of the Holy Sword?”

Mash asked: “Even if he might not be the person we’re looking for, we still want to ask a few things…”

“I think that’s fine… but this is my first time here too. I actually don’t know exactly where he is.”

Artoria said with slight embarrassment.

Though she came to this island to find the Holy Sword, all Artoria knew was the fact that the Holy Sword might be here. She had no idea about anything else.

After all, the legend of the Holy Sword Bearer who saved the world happened two thousand four hundred years ago. Most of the passed-down legends had been lost. Even that tiny bit of information she heard from a blacksmith after much effort.

“Could it be over there?”

Ritsuka suddenly said, pointing into the distance.

Following where she pointed, what Mash and Artoria saw was a church-like building standing at the highest point on the island.

But even from this distance, it was clear the church was in ruins. The entire roof was gone—as if sliced off by something. What remained was perhaps only about a third of the original.

“If we’re talking about where the Holy Sword rests, it’s usually a church, shrine, or something like that, right? I think it must be there.”

“That makes sense… Let’s check it out.” Artoria said, “Even if it’s not there, it’s fine. After all, this island isn’t that big. It’ll just take a little time to search the whole place.”

As she said that, Artoria already started walking toward the church. Ritsuka and Mash quickly followed. The three swiftly left the beach and headed into the swirling snow ahead.

And not long after they left—

*PLUK!*

In the middle of the churning sea, a shadowy figure suddenly emerged—or rather, swam out of the seawater. Dragging a soaked body onto the beach, the shadow glanced at the still-burning campfire, then stared far toward the church.

“There… Moving pretty fast, though part of it is because it took me so long to swim here… Calculating, there’s not much time left.”

“Better quickly find His Majesty and bring him back.”