The Pitch-Black Mirror

Ash walked step by step to the rooftop and, seeing the somewhat eerie atmosphere, silently glanced at the fairies below, then walked to Mash's side and slowly gave her a thumbs up.

The meaning is self-evident:

You did a great job!

Although the amount of curse in these seawaters is very low, fairies who come into contact with the curse will immediately be infected and turn into Mors. It is estimated that, apart from the Vault Castle and a few higher places, most fairies other than the Fang Clan will not survive.

"Oh no, how could this be, my companions!"

"Your companions are the members of Chaldea."

Bai Mo gave Mash a sharp flick on the head, and even Caster had always lived in the Fairy Britain, didn't say anything about it.

And wasn't there something off about this guy's verbal tic just now?

The deed was done, and Mash could only hang her head, feeling deeply disappointed. She had only recently recovered from amnesia, during which time she had mostly spent time with fairies.

Coincidentally, two of the three fairies Mash encountered were not locals, so she had some affection for fairies and wanted to discuss the situation of these fairies in the Lostbelt with Bai Mo.

But now, she clearly doesn't have that in mind anymore.

The tide receded quickly, leaving Norwich somewhat empty.

"Um... Doctor, is all of this because of me?"

Mash, walking at the back of the group, whispered to Dr. Roman through the sensor, and Roman, upon hearing this, sighed deeply and said:

"If you're talking about this outcome, then it's certainly because of your actions. But as for this sin, Mash, it has nothing to do with you."

You didn't come here of your own volition, did you? The demons who bestowed the title of "Child of Prophecy" upon you are the Root of all this.

It's like when a company assigns an important task to a temporary worker, and a major problem arises. The problem isn't with the temporary worker. And when we have more time, I'll give you a crash course on the habits of fairies; don't mistake them for humans."

Dr. Roman's words brought a glimmer of light back to Mash's gloomy eyes, and the girl nodded slightly in response. As they descended the stairs of the Vault Castle, they were completely unaware that the sky, which had just been sunny, had once again become somewhat overcast.

"That counts as a reunion, Ritsuka. I'll make New Darlington my base for now, so you guys can go there and settle in. Is Caster your only companion?"

"No, there's also a centaur named Redra Bit, who seems to be Aurora's, but I'd love to recruit him to our side. And then there's Oberon, but he went after that guy who destroyed the Bell Tower, and I don't know where he went."

Upon hearing this, Lancelot's face showed unease, and he looked bitter. Tristan was standing nearby, quickly noticed his change.

"What's wrong, Sir Lancelot?"

"Um, Master, I'm sorry, I also lost my memory for a period of time before, and it was Mash's voice just now that brought me back to normal."

But before that, I received hospitality and help from Aurora, the chieftain of the Wind Clan, and made a promise to fight as her knight. Could you give me some time, let me...

Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in Ritsuka's eyes. She then patted Lancelot on the shoulder and smiled.

"Oh, it's nothing. Although we have a master-servant relationship, it's only natural to repay kindness. Lancelot, you can continue to help Aurora until you feel you've repaid her debt."

After all, if you were to bear the burden of injustice, your sword would also be heavy.

Upon hearing Ritsuka's words, a hint of joy flashed in Lancelot's eyes, and his admiration and loyalty to his Master deepened.

"Ah, must we part again so soon after meeting? How sad. But I am also very happy that my friend can continue to uphold the way of chivalry." Tristan plucked the strings, and the melodious music echoed in the pavilion.

Ash and Bai Mo, who were standing nearby, communicated via Magecraft communication:

"So you're just letting our fighting force go like that? We're pretty short-handed. Speaking of which, you saw this guy before, right? Why didn't you wake him up then?"

Bai Mo, however, displayed a somewhat subtle expression and replied:

"It's not nice to say it like this, but after all..."

At the same time, Ritsuka also revealed a subtle smile that was exactly the same as Bai Mo's.

Tristan, standing nearby, also spoke to Ritsuka through their master-servant contract, "Thank you for your leniency, Master. From now on, I will work twice as hard to make up for the lack of combat power in Sir Lancelot."

"Thank you, Tristan, but there's no need to feel too pressured. I agree with Lancelot going to Aurora, after all..."

Bai Mo and Ritsuka both thought to themselves, "After all, that's Lancelot. Letting him be on the enemy's side might be more effective than having him here."

Ash paused for a moment, then nodded and replied, "That's true."

At the same time, Tristan's piano playing suddenly changed style, transforming from the melodious farewell tune to a sorrowful one. Lancelot asked in confusion, "Sir Tristan, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I'm just so sad. Facing something like this, I can't find the words to refute it, and I even feel a slight sense of agreement, which makes me even sadder."

A mournful melody emerged from within, but the moment they stepped out of the attic, an eerie arc of light appeared in the sky. The heavens seemed to be plunged into darkness, and in the next instant, as if collapsing, a strange light appeared.

As the light contracted, a pitch-black mirror replaced the sky.

"This... is not my Water Mirror, who is it?!"

However, before anyone else could speak, the spell was already complete. A bolt of lightning twisted and fell, pointing directly at Bai Mo. The immense power almost covered the entire Norwich, threatening to destroy everything.

"The area is too large, this is troublesome... You all need to retreat to a safe area immediately!"

Bai Mo shouted sharply, using his power to move everyone away. Everything around Norwich was shattered by this power. Mash raised her shield high, protecting everyone behind her, while the immense power flowing everywhere tore everything else to shreds.

Just then, Mash heard a soft call.

"Child of Prophecy..."

Turning around, she saw the guard she had brought from Sheffield, but he was too far away for Mash to save.

At the same time, Ash said with a worried expression, "They even copied my Water Mirror and replaced it with a pure spacetime tearing attack?"

This close encounter allowed her to see clearly what it was.

Upon hearing this, Mash felt a heavy weight on her shoulders. Immediately, she rushed forward and slammed her shield into the ground.

"The Shield of Resolute Awakening!"

At this moment, this power emerged, and the ash beside her also wove Water Mirror, but since the jade throne was not present, she could not muster enough power to resist it, and could only try to protect and block it.

Bai Mo rushed out and instantly appeared in front of Mash, preparing to Marble Phantasm on the hilt of the Beginning and End sword to block the attack.

But at that moment, the light bypassed Bai Mo.

[Shield of Resolute Awakening] (Grants target focus)

With a loud bang, the light of the black mirror fell. Seeing this, Ash also activated the Water Mirror. Black and azure light intertwined, and with a surge of energy, Mash's figure disappeared from that spot.