Everyone's breath hitched as they witnessed the Insect devouring the island.
Except for a few, the others had never seen an existence so vast, and had never seen an existence that so defied common sense.
"That is... our final enemy."
Ritsuka stared at the Cursed Worm with a pale face.
"How do we... defeat it?"
[It's very simple. Just defeat Vortigern in front of us.]
Merry's voice sounded.
[The Cursed Worm is Vortigern, and Vortigern is the Cursed Worm. Both are the same entity. More visually, Vortigern is the core of the Cursed Worm. If we defeat it completely here, the Cursed Worm will also disappear.]
"Yes, it's that simple—but it's going to be terrible, isn't it?" Vortigern sneered. "I won't be defeated so easily by you. At least, the Holy Sword Bearer there must know. My body cannot even be harmed by your Holy Sword. Nothing in this Britain can hurt me."
"And for me, as long as I can buy as much time as possible, that is my victory. Both the Lostbelt and Proper Human History, everything will be swallowed by Naraku (Hell), falling into an endless abyss."
Proper Human History?!
Aoko frowned: "Why do you mention Proper Human History? What happens in a Lostbelt shouldn't be able to—"
"Hey, hey, hey? Did you forget where I came from?" Vortigern laughed, interrupting Aoko. "I am an entity that came from Proper Human History. Furthermore, there are so many of you who came from Proper Human History here. Affecting Proper Human History in reverse is just a trivial matter."
"Merry!"
[We are checking!]
Without needing a reminder from others, Merry had already asked all Chaldea members to begin investigating the spatial conditions around Britain. And within just a few tens of seconds—
[The results are out! Just as Vortigern said! The space starting from the northern part of the Island of Britain shows extremely abnormal distortion phenomena! Although it has not caused any impact at the moment, as time passes, it is estimated to begin collapsing within an hour! At the latest within twenty-four hours, the Island of Britain will be completely destroyed!]
[And after that, the Earth will also be completely destroyed due to the hole formed by the collapse of Britain!]
*BAM!*
Without the slightest hesitation, as soon as Merry's words finished, Naoki instantly appeared in front of Vortigern! Raising the shining Holy Sword and swinging it down!
*CLANG!*
But all that was heard was a dull thud.
The Holy Sword seemed to hit an impenetrable metal, not even managing to penetrate Vortigern's body in the slightest!
"Didn't I tell you? Only this sword is useless against me."
Vortigern smiled and placed a hand on the Holy Sword. Countless pitch-black insects crawled and flew out from her sleeves like a storm, swarming Naoki simultaneously!
*BOOM!*
Explosive flames burned all over Naoki's body. Heat waves and blazing fires collided with the swarm of pitch-black insects!
However...
"No effect?!"
"What do you think I've been doing for these six thousand years?"
Vortigern roared and laughed hysterically at the same time, completely disregarding that her body was that of a woman, she lifted her leg and kicked Naoki in the stomach!
Retreating dozens of meters rapidly, Naoki stabilized his body. He glanced at his Holy Sword, and after confirming his body's condition, he slightly exhaled: "It seems... you truly have prepared everything."
"Of course. After all, I am Vortigern, your eternal and unavoidable enemy, the chosen savior. The Red Dragon and White Dragon of Britain, fated enemies. If I didn't think of every way, I wouldn't be able to defeat you completely."
From Vortigern's sleeves, swarms of insects poured out like a flood, and in an instant formed a giant wave that surrounded everyone.
"For these six thousand years, I have constantly made you my imaginary enemy, thinking of every way to try and defeat you. And a thousand years ago, after reaching cooperation with your other self, I fully understood your entire strength."
"So I made a request to the Holy Grail, to the Holy Grail that has been inside my body since the Sixth Singularity—and I got it: a power that absolutely cannot be defeated by the Holy Sword Bearer."
The previous Vortigern, by obtaining the Holy Grail, acquired a body that would not be harmed by the Holy Sword. This was also inherited by the current Vortigern. Her body would not be harmed in the slightest by Excalibur. And with her physical strength, perhaps other swords would also be useless against her.
As for the other power she obtained through a request to the Holy Grail, it might be an absolute resistance to Mana.
Not Magic Resistance, but resistance to Mana.
Magecraft that directly intervenes, or phenomena caused by Mana. All these things cannot harm her. Everything that goes through Mana cannot harm her.
Vortigern knew very well that her greatest enemies were Naoki and Morgan. Most of their methods involved Mana. Therefore, she obtained this kind of power—a power that absolutely cannot be defeated by either of them.
(In that case...)
Naoki suddenly opened his eyes wide, staring at Vortigern. His Mystic Eye of Soul Eater immediately emitted a faint light.
"This is also useless." Vortigern sneered. "Mystic Eye is fundamentally also a type of Magecraft, even innate Mystic Eye. It needs to be used with Mana, and if it uses Mana, it cannot intervene with me."
"And then—"
*SWISH!*
Countless swarms of insects clustered around her, and at the critical moment, they blocked the sudden stream of light attacking Vortigern.
Seeing Melusine very close, Vortigern frowned: "The most beautiful Fairy in Britain, Melusine—you are truly ugly. Rotten garbage pulled out of the mud, a parasite whose entire meaning of existence depends on the Holy Sword Bearer. Shouldn't you be called the ugliest creature in Britain?"
"Silence!"
Arondight was swung again, but under the biting of the insect swarm, even the outer skin of the Albion Dragon gradually turned pitch-black.
(Erosion!? This is... the Mors curse!?)
Realizing the substance of this pitch-black material, Melusine immediately abandoned her weapon and returned to Naoki's side.
Using the insect swarm woven into hands to toy with the two swords that had already turned completely black, Vortigern laughed: "You ran quite fast. A little longer, I might have been able to turn you into Mors too—I'm actually quite skilled in curses, after all I lived with Cernunnos for six thousand years, and even gave birth to the Mors King."
Supreme Mana resistance, a physique that ignored the Holy Sword, and erosion curses.
The power shown by Vortigern far exceeded everyone's expectations. Some even began to wonder, even if Naoki was still Naoki with unlimited Mana, would he also be unable to face Vortigern?
And at this moment—
*CRACK!*
A sound like something being squeezed and crushed echoed from far to near in everyone's ears. And along with this sound, the Throne Room began to collapse. Even the entire Camelot City and the land began to crumble.
The range of the Cursed Worm's influence had extended here. Perhaps it would only take a few more tens of minutes to swallow all of Britain?
Gritting his teeth, Naoki immediately waved his hand—
*SWOOSH!*
A dazzling white light instantly shone from the ground, enveloping everyone. And after that white light disappeared, the entire Throne Room suddenly became empty!
Vortigern frowned: "Displacement Magecraft? Using this trick to send everyone away in a situation where space is completely chaotic, it can only be said to be worthy of a Fairy King who can grasp the surrounding situation at any time. It seems you are not affected at all."
"Then, are you staying here alone to die?"
The last sentence, Vortigern directed at the only person in front of her.
Naoki used spatial exchange to send everyone away, their destination being the southern tip of the Island of Britain, perhaps the last place to be swallowed by the Cursed Worm.
While he himself did not leave.
"There's less than ten minutes left before the Cursed Worm completely swallows this island. You sending them all away is just pointless. Although the time of their death might be slightly different, you will all die here together."
"They won't die..."
Naoki gripped the Holy Sword tightly.
"I once witnessed their death, witnessed everyone's departure once. At that time, I couldn't intervene at all, so I watched them die. But this time is different. I stand here personally. So I will not let them die."
"Ten minutes—this last time, is enough to kill you."
*BOOM!*
As those words fell, the Cursed Worm swallowed the entire Camelot City.