"A woman?! How could King Arthur possibly be a girl?"
"A young girl, about the same age as Gray," El-Melloi II explained helplessly, watching the shocked expression on Kairi Sisigou's face. "I saw her, the Heroic Spirit, during the Holy Grail War."
"So the rumors of your participation in the Holy Grail War were true," Kairi Sisigou remarked, glancing at Aesc holding her staff as the surrounding black hounds were cleared away by the rain.
He then teased El-Melloi II, "And it seems the rumors about the El-Melloi Classroom frequently producing geniuses are also accurate."
"No... this one is complicated." Ignoring the teasing, El-Melloi II shouted to Gray, who had halted due to the assault, "Calm down! Don't overthink it! Focus on your task!"
Snapping back to her senses from the recent attack, Gray hurriedly resumed her incantation.
"Gray... Rave... Crave... Deprave..."
As the chant continued, the surrounding magical energy was drawn into the scythe—no, the Mystic Code had already shed its scythe form, transforming into pure light.
The light surged skyward, piercing through the thick clouds with its impact and revealing the sunlight they had concealed.
"Is it already daytime?" Aesc mused, observing the unfolding of the Holy Lance as the surrounding darkness was dispelled by the sunlight.
A massive black hound charged toward Gray, devouring the other hounds in its path and growing even more enormous.
"Grave... me..."
"Grave for you..."
Gray bowed her head and uttered the final verse.
"O ancient Mystics...be exterminated. O sweet mystery...return all to nothingness.."
"Pseudo-personality suspended. Mana yield exceeds regulation. Second stage restraint rescinded.."
Add's voice was nothing like the cheerful tone heard before; it was now cold and devoid of emotion.
As magical energy compressed, the mystery was unleashed from the girl's hands.
"Sacred Lance, Removing Restraints..!"
A torrent of magical energy gradually took the shape of a 'lance' in the girl's hands.
No, the overflowing power could no longer be confined to the form of a 'lance.' It stood like a tower at the end of the world.
It was the end of a story.
The Holy Lance that witnessed King Arthur's demise.
Though the seals [Thirteen Restraints] remained unbroken, the sheer volume of magical energy on display rivaled that of a divine-class Great Mystery.
Gray raised the Holy Lance high, her hood swept back by the raging storm of magical energy, revealing the face she had always kept hidden.
Her eyes, now golden from unleashing the Holy Lance, gazed coldly at the massive black hound that had reached her, its maw wide open as it lunged to bite her.
"Rhongo—"
"—Myniad!"
Gray roared as she released the Holy Lance in her hands.
Pure light rampaged forward, and the colossal black hound before the gray-haired girl evaporated the instant it made contact with the radiance.
The light, capable of annihilating everything, shot from Gray's hands toward the gate leading to the realm of the faeries.
Boom—
The moment the light struck the gate, a tremendous explosion followed. The dark clouds in the sky were blasted apart, and the concealed sunlight poured down upon the earth.
The long-haired teacher stepped forward and caught his exhausted disciple as she collapsed.
"...How beautiful."
Closing her magic book, Aesc smiled joyfully, having gained another precious memory.
"No breathtaking scenery in this world could ever compare to this sight."
With that, she walked forward, intending to soothe the agonized Magic Circuits of the adorable Gray.
But after just two steps, a sudden feeling of being watched welled up from the depths of her heart.
Aesc turned to look toward the source of the gaze. At the entrance to the Faerie Gate, a faerie stood with wide eyes, staring in astonishment at Gray.
No, not her. It was from deeper within.
Aesc's gaze pierced through her, glaring fiercely into the world beyond the gate—the realm of the faeries.
"Whoa! So fierce, so fierce~"
A white-haired incubus sprang up from the ground, tilting his head as he stood.
"Where did this Faerie of Avalon come from? And right from the start, she's looking at me like I'm some kind of bug."
Merlin stroked his chin, lost in thought for a moment, then smacked his fist into his palm as if struck by a realization. "She must be shy, right?"
Seeing the illusion magic on Aesc, Merlin grew even more convinced of his guess.
"My, my, I really am too charming," Merlin said, rubbing his cheek sheepishly as a few flowers bloomed out of thin air beside him.
"Let's take a look at what lovely face lies beneath this illusion." With that, Merlin dispelled the illusion magic on Aesc.
"...Huh? Artoria?" The blooming flowers froze mid-air.
--+--
"Huh?"
Gray, lying in El-Melloi II's arms, watched as Aesc—who had just turned to glare at the faerie by the gate—suddenly began to change in appearance, finally settling into a face that looked remarkably similar to her own.
She looked up at her teacher and saw him staring at Aesc in shock, his expression as if he'd been triggered by some past trauma.
"You... what is this?"
"Miss Aesc?"
The two, simultaneously struck by this immense impact, voiced their questions in unison.
Aesc, who had realized her illusion was dispelled mid-step, gritted her teeth and growled, "Merlin!"
After quickly restoring her illusion magic, a vast amount of magical energy surged from Aesc. In a flash of white light, the magic book in her hand transformed into a semi-open circular array encircling her, several long spears embedded within it.
At the same time, a circular water mirror unfolded vertically behind her.
With a glance from Aesc into the water mirror, the circular array flew into it, launching spears of light one after another toward Merlin.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"
Caught off guard by the sudden assault, Merlin dodged the light spears with a series of acrobatic moves, struggling to maintain his balance.
Taking aim at Merlin, who had barely managed to steady himself, Aesc fired one final shot at his head. Finally, her mood eased somewhat.
Before the others could notice the commotion, Aesc raised a finger to her lips, addressing the two before her. "Shh... Let's discuss any questions in private later."
She then glanced meaningfully at Kairi Sisigou nearby.
Kairi Sisigou immediately raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "...Don't worry, ma'am. I don't go looking for trouble."
"Lord!" The arriving Wills glanced at the water mirror behind Aesc. Though curious, he didn't ask—after all, mages all had their own secrets.
"The Faerie Gate hasn't disappeared," Wills pointed toward the distant gate, reminding them.
"It's too late. Trevor's magecraft is already complete," El-Melloi II said, his expression grim as he looked at the gate. "Simply destroying the artificial faeries isn't enough anymore."
"Then we should excavate Wills's Fairy Eye and dismantle this workshop," suggested the arriving Hishiri Adashino.
"No, that won't work either. At best, it would only cause the sealed souls to run amok as well."
"But starting to analyze and dismantle the magecraft now could take who knows how long," Kairi Sisigou said, staring gravely at the gate.
No, there might still be a way for this. El-Melloi II looked toward Aesc.
Feeling his gaze, Aesc didn't speak. She simply smiled and pointed at Wills.
What did that mean? Before a confused El-Melloi II could process it, Wills stepped forward with a resolved smile.
"There's a better way," Wills said, walking toward the Faerie Gate with the relaxed stride of someone returning home. "I should have done this long ago."
The moment he saw Wills's movement, El-Melloi II understood his intention.
Handing Gray over to Aesc beside him, he stepped forward and grabbed Wills's shoulder, staring into his eyes. "You'll be dragged in by the dead! Staying alive is what matters most! As long as you're alive, there's always a way to—"
"Ahh... I understand, Lord."
Wills knew what his lord was about to say. Ignoring the attempt to stop him, he broke free from El-Melloi II's grip and continued forward. "I'm not going to my death. I'm merely going to that world—the world where my beloved resides."
"The living should not be bound by the dead," El-Melloi II grabbed Wills once more.
"You should understand, Lord," Wills met El-Melloi II's gaze. "If it were you, you'd comprehend my choice, wouldn't you?"
El-Melloi II stood frozen in place.
Ah, yes. If not for the King's command, I would likely have followed him too...
Wills smiled and continued on his way. This time, there was no resistance from the hand El-Melloi II had placed on him.
"May you find happiness," Aesc said softly, smiling as she watched Wills resolutely approach the faerie. "If you happen to see Merlin, give him a slap for me."
Seemingly puzzled by Aesc's words, Wills blinked in confusion.
"Thank you. If I see him, I will," the waiting faerie giggled and stepped forward, offering her hand to Wills.
The bewildered Wills might not have fully understood why this student seemed acquainted with the legendary Merlin, but he understood the meaning of the hand extended before him.
Wills took the faerie's offered hand, their eyes meeting as they shared a smile.
"And thank you, Lord El-Melloi II," Wills said, holding the faerie and turning back to look at El-Melloi II.
"Thank you for solving my riddle."
With that, Wills and the faerie, hand in hand, stepped together through the gate.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.