Outside Londinium, deep within a forest far removed from the inferno.
On a cliff overlooking the city—a place that took a full day's journey to reach—Aesc, Totorot, and Grímr stood in silence. From this distance, all they could see were the towering flames consuming Londinium inside and out.
"Londinium... our ideal city..." Totorot choked out between sobs. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, yet she had no choice but to accept it.
Grímr muttered under his breath, "No wonder this world became a 'Lostbelt'. Even with a future full of possibilities, it still ends up buried by the 'malignancy' of most fairies."
As a Servant, he had lingered in this world for over three thousand years. He had once believed his junior could guide this world—or rather, the fairy island of Faerie Britain—from a pruned event into a compiled one. If that had happened, Grímr had even considered seeking out the great Odin to ask how both a newly compiled event and Proper Human History might coexist.
But now, even that possibility was gone.
Only Aesc remained silent, her eyes fixed on the direction of the burning city.
Perhaps the wails of slaughter had reached this far, for Baobhan Sith—who had been peacefully asleep—suddenly began to cry. The infant's cries set off Totorot, who began to sob as well.
"Hey, shouldn't you calm her down or something?" Grímr said quickly.
"H-how am I supposed to do that?" Aesc looked flustered.
"Even if you ask me…" Grímr was at a loss too. He had once had a wife and children, but parenting had never been his strength. Appearing in this world in his form before becoming the "Snarling Hound of Culann," he lacked even the basic knowledge or instincts for this kind of thing.
Inwardly, he cursed his junior—this so-called "father of the child"—for not being here.
"Is it just my imagination, or aside from the baby and Totorot crying, is someone else grumbling behind me? Was that you, Senpai?"
A voice came from the shadows.
Startled but filled with sudden relief, Aesc looked up as Shiomi stepped out from the darkness of the forest.
Grímr immediately snapped, "Yeah, it was me! This is your wife and your kid—so take them already. And stop letting the baby cry, will you? My ears can't take it…"
While he was ranting, Shiomi had already taken the child from Aesc's arms. He held her with practiced ease, gently patting her back while softly murmuring soothing words.
Though his voice carried no trace of magic, it was somehow more miraculous than any spell. Baobhan Sith's cries faded, and the baby quickly drifted back into peaceful sleep.
"She stopped crying…" Aesc said in astonishment.
"She was probably frightened by the sounds of death and disaster," Shiomi replied without stopping his gentle motions. "Let's get out of here first. We can talk on the way."
Totorot wiped her nose and, together with Grímr, followed behind Shiomi and Aesc as they walked deeper into the forest—away from the burning city of Londinium.
"Judging by this, you don't plan on going back?" Grímr asked, referring to Londinium.
"Well, we'll decide that later," Shiomi replied softly.
"What about Ector and Wryneck?" Totorot asked.
"I've already told them," Shiomi said. "Once they've handled things in Londinium, it's up to them whether they stay or leave. There's no need to regroup—just make sure they keep themselves safe." He turned his gaze to Grímr and Totorot. "And you two? What do you plan to do now?"
"No idea…" Grímr stretched lazily. "I'm about done with this place. Staying any longer feels meaningless. Even with all you've done, you still can't change the fact that this world is bound to be pruned."
"If Odin sees it that way too, he'll probably summon you back to his Throne soon enough," Shiomi nodded. "Thank you, Senpai, for accompanying and helping me through these past millennia. I'm deeply grateful."
"I am as well," Aesc added, bowing slightly in thanks.
"Save it, save it. It was my job anyway—just dragged on longer than expected." Grímr waved a hand. "You'll be heading back to Orkney next, right? I won't be coming along."
Totorot had already prepared herself for it. "Then this is goodbye, Grímr. If we ever meet again, that is."
"Even if we do, I probably won't remember any of this," Grímr admitted, scratching his head. "This record's too long. Not even a Divine Spirit can retain everything."
"What's that supposed to mean? So being a Servant is like being a fairy—forgetting what came before with each new generation?" Totorot asked, confused.
Grímr thought for a moment, then decided to explain as a parting gift.
"Well, about these so-called Servants…"
He sat down on a stone at the crossroads and began explaining.
Noticing they had stopped, Shiomi and Aesc paused ahead and waited for them.
"There are four hundred years left until the great calamity that comes once every thousand," Shiomi said. "If I'm not mistaken, this one will be worse than any before it. If we don't interfere, it could wipe out every fairy in Britannia."
"Londinium should endure," Aesc replied. "Even after tonight, it won't be completely destroyed. When we designed the city, we built in defenses to withstand the Cataclysm's assault."
"So, what's your plan?" Shiomi asked.
"...The Fantasy Tree." Aesc was silent for a long while before speaking. "When we studied the World Tree, I realized it wasn't just an ordinary giant tree. It was created by the 'Otherworld'—a needle meant to sew shut the universe."
"Oh?" Shiomi raised an eyebrow, a thought flashing through his mind.
"I understand its structure now. The design is beautiful—but I have a different plan," Aesc said quietly. "I don't know what my husband thinks, but I don't care about the planet or the universe. I only wish to preserve Britannia."
"Can that be done?" Shiomi asked.
"I can end this world's 'fantasy' and turn it into an 'alternate world,'" Aesc said, lowering her gaze. She understood what her plan would mean. "No matter how the planet changes, Britannia will remain stitched firmly to it."
"I see. That's just like you," Shiomi said with a faint smile.
"I once thought such a plan unnecessary, since you had already shown a more rational path," Aesc murmured, her eyes glistening. "But in the end—"
"Will you leave me behind?" Shiomi interrupted.
"Eh? Ah… of course not," Aesc stammered, startled by the sudden question before giving her answer.
"Then that's enough," Shiomi said softly. "If you already have a way, then let me stay by your side—to help you sustain this Britannia."
"Husband…" Aesc's voice trembled between laughter and tears, unsure how to feel.
"After all," Shiomi said, shaking his head, "I couldn't bring myself to destroy you—or this world."
"Then—" Aesc started, but Grímr couldn't keep going with his explanation to Totorot. The longer he talked, the more tangled it became, and Totorot's expression had gone completely blank.
Grímr stood up and walked over to them. "That's that. Everything that needed saying has been said. Take care of yourselves."
He approached Shiomi, handed him something discreetly, then turned and walked away down a separate forest path without looking back.
"Totorot, it's time to go."
Aesc called softly, urging her along. Together, they took another fork in the road, heading north.
...