Daylight was filled with the sunshine of spring and the scent of summer; the night was covered in the air of autumn and the starry sky of winter.
The ground was covered in green vegetation, flowers swayed in the breeze, and beautiful creatures known as "fairies" wandered by the lakeside.
In this world unreachable by ordinary people, a "tower" stood quietly beneath the sky.
Its name was Avalon, located outside the flow of time, where it would remain until the end of humanity.
A white-haired mage sat cross-legged inside the tower, leisurely admiring the world beyond.
In the past, Merlin had served as the court magician and was also King Arthur's teacher.
But after Alvin's death, a massive rift had formed between King Arthur and Merlin.
So this nightmare simply built a confinement tower in Avalon, and from then on often stayed inside, watching the scenery like he was now.
Because Merlin possessed clairvoyance that could pierce the present, he could see anything he wanted even from within the tower.
Though he said himself that it wasn't very useful, in fact, it was quite convenient.
Originally, because he still felt uneasy about Artoria, Merlin would occasionally send "clones" to visit and check on her.
But now that Alvin had returned, with him around, Merlin figured he could just slack off and enjoy the show from his end.
Thinking of this, he seemed to recall something amusing and murmured to himself, "Perfect, let me see if Morgan has found Alvin yet…"
As he thought this, Merlin's gaze turned incredibly deep, casting his sight toward a certain direction outside the tower.
Then, his expression changed dramatically.
At the moment Morgan's finger snap echoed, the entire sky was blanketed by dark clouds.
It was as if a portion of the heavens had collapsed, and a massive surge of magical energy soared into the sky, changing the color of the wind and clouds.
Just a moment ago the sun had still been shining brightly, yet in the next instant, a terrifying storm arrived.
The Domain of the Age of Gods!
Merlin rubbed his eyes in disbelief, his gaze fixed on the direction of the palace gates.
Then, cold sweat broke out on his back with a sharp "whoosh."
"That woman has gone mad?!"
To cover the entire empire with the Domain of the Age of Gods…
Even Vortigern hadn't achieved such a feat in the past.
Was Morgan really about to accomplish it now?
Once the Age of Gods descended again, Britain… no, even those transmigrators would likely suffocate slowly in that intensely concentrated magical energy.
Merlin's previously carefree expression vanished, and his eyes grew increasingly solemn.
It looked like his true body would have to leave Avalon in person this time…
…
Meanwhile, in Camelot Royal Palace.
Boom—
A sudden crack of thunder exploded. Vast and terrifying magical pressure engulfed the entire palace.
Not to mention the Knights of the Round Table, even Gawain, who was currently at the training grounds, abruptly lifted his head, staring toward the palace gates with suspicion and uncertainty.
Not far from him stood one of the Knights of the Round Table, Bedivere, who had just been sparring with him.
In addition, present was Artoria's sworn brother, also a Knight of the Round Table—Kay.
"Is the palace under attack from external enemies?"
Sensing that terrifying aura spreading from outside the palace, Kay couldn't help but look up, and soon his face showed a hint of hesitation.
After all, Camelot's royal palace currently held the empire's strongest fighting force… For all this time, aside from the White Dragon, no enemy had ever posed a real threat to the palace.
With the recent surge in transmigrators… could it be one of them had come here seeking death?
But if it were just a transmigrator, it shouldn't be enough to force the King to draw the Holy Sword…
At that moment, Bedivere suddenly noticed that Gawain's expression looked a bit off.
He actually saw a trace of fear in the eyes of the man known as the "invincible" Sun Knight.
"…It's her," Gawain murmured.
"You know who's fighting the King?" Bedivere asked instinctively.
"This aura… there's no mistaking it."
Gawain seemed to be suppressing his emotions, his tone low and heavy: "Mother' has returned."
Mother?
Bedivere and Kay looked at each other, both seeing confusion in the other's eyes.
Then, after a brief moment of doubt, Bedivere, who seemed to have remembered something, blurted out instinctively: "…Morgan le Fay?"
…
Morgan le Fay—at this moment, she truly seemed to have become a sorceress.
The high-density magical energy beneath her skirt was as dark as ink.
Under her control, this power resembled a slumbering beast opening its bloody maw—an endless darkness that swallowed the light emitted by the Holy Sword entirely.
Just like when the demon dragon once descended, when Morgan deployed her domain, even the Holy Sword became dim.
Artoria fixed her eyes on Morgan, coldly saying: "So you really can use the powers of the White Dragon."
Morgan had been conducting various experiments on the White Dragon all these years.
As soon as she released the power capable of bringing about the Age of Gods again, Artoria had already vaguely suspected this possibility.
In this world, only the White Dragon possessed the special power to devour magical energy.
"Compared to what he once had, the power I possess now doesn't amount to much," Morgan said with a stunningly beautiful smile.
"But combined with my own authority, it's not difficult to devour the brilliance of the Holy Sword."
"The Holy Sword is powerful, yes, but it's not without weaknesses… Of course, if its sheath were still around, perhaps I'd be more cautious."
"It's just a pity that as for where the sheath is now, not even you know, do you?"
Artoria showed no expression on her face,
She simply gripped the Holy Sword more tightly, fury burning in those beautiful eyes.
Billowing dark clouds slowly advanced from afar.
The stifling magical energy quietly descended, then slowly spread outward.
"Your Majesty…"
In the distance, Gawain and the others had just arrived.
When they saw this scene, their pupils sharply contracted.
As expected, it was the "True Ether" that had only existed during the early Age of Gods…
Looking again at Morgan in the distance, she had already slowly raised the staff in her hand.
"It's time to end this, Lily."
An incredibly dense amount of magical energy frantically gathered into her staff.
Layers of dark clouds resembled descending night, as if ready to swallow all light.
Gawain instinctively gripped the Sword of the Sun, but his body trembled slightly.
After so many years, upon Morgan once again, he remembered the fear once brought by Vortigern.
A darkness even the Holy Sword could not pierce… that was the demon dragon Vortigern.
And the Morgan now, she was even stronger than Vortigern had been.
But the King stood right in front of him.
If he let her protect him again… looking back in the future, he would only feel ashamed.
Gawain bit his lip in secret, stepped forward to stand beside Artoria, and raised the Sword of the Sun.
However—
Just like during the final battle with Vortigern, the darkness devoured the light of the Sword of the Sun.
Artoria tightened her grip on the Holy Sword.
But just as she was about to swing it again, she suddenly realized that the high-density magical energy around her had vanished.
Along with it, the domain of the Age of Gods that Morgan had deployed also disappeared.
A ray of sunlight broke through the clouds and fell.
What's going on? The True Ether vanished?
The knights felt a chill in their hearts and instinctively looked up at the sky.
"That was close… Any later and it really would've gone too far.*
Right after, they heard a youthful voice laced with lingering fear.
The moment that voice rang out, the entire Round Table of Knights froze.
Morgan's expression also stiffened suddenly.
Then, as if realizing something, she slowly raised her head, only to see a boy, standing there, in the beam of sunlight that pierced the cracks in the sky, smiling gently at her.
…Alvin.
…
…