All battles in Fairy Britain had ended, because this Lostbelt world had been destroyed. As if it never existed, after the wall of light dispersed, the once-prosperous Fairy Britain was reduced to a white, blank land, indistinguishable from other paper-white places in the world.
Aoko, Artoria, and Melusine—who had been forcibly restored to her fairy form by Aoko's Fifth Magic—came to Chaldea's battleship bridge to say goodbye to Ritsuka Fujimaru and the others.
"Well, I do have to thank you all for your help," Aoko looked around curiously. The sci-fi bridge fascinated her, and she hadn't had a good look last time. "My purpose for coming to this world is accomplished. I can help you all out sometime in the future."
"Sometime in the future?" Sensing a key phrase, Holmes asked curiously, "Can you explain exactly what you mean, Lady?"
"My appearance changed the history of Lostbelt Britain," Aoko spread her hands. "Some important figures who should have appeared did not, or left early. Although Chaldea got through the crisis easily this time, you also lost something you were supposed to obtain."
"You mean…?" Da Vinci-chan seemed to recall what Sage Grimr had said before leaving.
"Exactly," Aoko raised a finger. "The Star's Holy Sword. Originally, a special fairy would exist, and after completing her pilgrimage, she would sacrifice herself to create the Star's Holy Sword, which should have been born in this world fourteen thousand years ago."
Even Ritsuka Fujimaru was shocked. She immediately said, "But the Star's Holy Sword of Pan-Human History—isn't it…?"
"Probably in the hands of some Arthur in pan-human history," Aoko shook her head. "My Artoria here was summoned from some Lostbelt during the Holy Grail War by coincidence, so her holy sword isn't the Star's Holy Sword from pan-human history."
"In short, you'll someday face an enemy that can only be defeated by the Star's Holy Sword," Aoko said. "When that time comes, Artoria and I will come to help you. That's a Magician's promise, okay?"
"Thank you, Sister Aoko! Miss Artoria!" Mash said happily.
"Alright," Aoko smiled, taking out a contract and handing it to Ritsuka. "Sign this contract, and I'll come to your side as promised in the future."
Ritsuka blinked, took the contract, and let Holmes and Da Vinci check it over before signing her name. The parchment vanished into the air, and a karmic bond was formed between Aoko and the last Master of pan-human history.
"It's time to say goodbye," Aoko took out the Principle Blood Ring and let Artoria and Melusine enter the Ark World first. "There's no feast that doesn't end, no story that doesn't finish."
Ritsuka understood this, perhaps better than anyone else. She made no move to keep them but said her farewells while looking forward to meeting again someday.
To return to her timeline, Aoko needed to travel through the Imaginary Sea for longer than it took to come to the Lostbelt, since her first stop was ancient Britain, then from ancient Britain back to her Chaldea.
But Aoko wasn't in a hurry. She first held a grand banquet with the traumatized but kind fairies in the castle, and during the feast, she revealed her long-prepared plan.
…
"I can give you two choices," Aoko said to the fairy leaders. "Since Fairy Britain is destroyed, you probably can't stay long on the surface of my world.
"However, I can ask the Star's Brain to send innocent fairies into the Inner Sea of the Stars," Aoko said. "As for the rest, the fairies of the six major clans, I invite you to join my kingdom, as residents of the Ark World."
Aoko hadn't hidden her intentions, so the fairy leaders were already somewhat aware of her plans. Now that she officially announced it, none of the fairies—including Cnoc na Riabh—were surprised.
"…I want to stay in Camelot, to stay here," Morgan took a deep breath and looked at Artoria. "Because this is the last land of my Britain, and my people are here…"
She also wanted to say, "Artoria is also here…" but there were too many people, so she put it more grandly.
Morgan's fairy knights naturally supported their queen's choice. Barghest, who'd been unconscious for a long time, woke up. The curse in her body disappeared, as it was tied to the land itself; now that Fairy Britain was gone, she wouldn't lose control of her appetite for loving others.
Wryneck, always Morgan's loyal hound, wouldn't object to following her to a new world.
"I hope to establish a trade district in Central City or Camelot!" Muryan said, flying before everyone. "And I want goods from the human world!"
"Of course!" Aoko agreed readily. "I was already planning on it. Your Gloucester was a successful trading city, and the magi in my world are eager for the services and products fairies provide."
And these descendants of sinners are all under my control, Aoko thought to herself. These fairies are her capital for expanding her influence in the world of magecraft. Which family of magi, holding divine relics and treasures, could refuse a wedding dress woven by a high fairy herself?
Habetrot would be incredibly busy now, Aoko thought slyly. A spinning fairy should act like a spinning fairy—what's the point of being a fairy knight?
Only the northern fairies were silent, as they were genuinely considering whether to return to the Inner Sea of the Stars. Led by Cnoc na Riabh, these fairies weren't descendants of the six great clans and bore no planetary original sin, so they were eligible to return.