I, Guinevere, am going to crush you, you curry stick, today!

A strong stench of blood assaulted her senses. The girl struggled to open her eyes amidst the howling wind. Looking up, she saw two overlapping figures slowly separating on a "hill" of corpses in front of her.

Lily's gaze fell on one of them, unblinking, with a hint of surprise and a touch of realization.

She was a tall woman with a half-broken crown on her head. Her silver armor was tattered and barely offered any protection, only managing to conceal the curves of her body. She pulled out the longsword that had been piercing another person's abdomen—the now dim and lifeless Star Sword—and remained silent for a few seconds until the person fell to the ground before slowly turning around.

The other person's face looked more mature than mine.

But that's all the difference there is.

For a moment, Lily had the illusion that she was looking in a mirror.

The man stood atop the mountain of corpses, looking down at her—the moment their eyes met, the girl felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head in the dead of winter, making her gasp for breath.

"You came."

"—King Arthur."

……

P.S.: I originally thought I could finish it in one chapter, but it turns out I still have to split it into two chapters... Hmm, some of you may not know that there are only fifteen days in a month on Qingbai Planet, so Qingbai, who diligently updates every day, is definitely not a procrastinator!

Such baseless slander deserves an apology to all the people of Qingbaixing!

Thank you! I'm sorry!

Chapter 147 Goddess (Part 2)

"Where is this place...who are you?"

The stench of slaughter was so thick it was suffocating on the hill piled high with corpses. Lily looked up at the woman standing on the high place, who looked quite similar to herself but was clearly older and more mature. Countless thoughts and guesses flashed through her mind, but in the end, she only asked these two questions, which were simple and normal in the face of the current situation.

The person seemed to smile—or perhaps it was just a slight upturn of the corners of her mouth—but there was no trace of a smile or any other emotion in her eyes. She simply looked at her coldly, holding what appeared to be the Star Sword in her hand. But the brilliance that Guinevere and she herself had wielded was now completely gone, as dull as a rusty piece of scrap metal.

Bright red blood slowly slid down the blade, dripping onto the many corpses beneath his feet. Some of them had their eyes open, others their mouths agape, as if they were still shouting in their last moments before death. However, all that echoed around him was the hollow sound of the wind. Not far away, the charred flags were still fluttering in the wind.

War is inherently cruel, but it also contains glory and honor—these were words Hector once spoke, and Lily firmly believed them. Even though what she did was equally cruel, the weapons she wielded to protect her people and homeland were far more noble than those of the invaders who sought plunder and slaughter. Yet, amidst this mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood, she could find nothing that could be called light.

Only deathly silence remained.

Only despair remains.

If this world truly has an end, it must be this utterly desolate scene before us. In the distance, the setting sun blazes like fire, its deep red afterglow spilling across the earth, and our eyes and souls are as if exposed to raging flames, suffering unbearable torment.

"All life will eventually pass away."

The woman did not answer the two questions Lily had posed. After a moment of silence, her murmured words seemed to echo in the wind: "Flowers will wither, rivers will dry up, mountains will crumble, and even the brightest starry sky will one day fade and disappear."

"And humans..."

"will die."

In the cold wind, the sound seemed especially chilling against the backdrop of countless corpses. Blood occasionally dripped from the sword tip, still carrying a trace of warmth; it was unclear whether this could warm the already cold bodies of the soldiers. The man's indifferent gaze swept over the surroundings as he slowly descended from the mountain of corpses. The sound of boots clashing against tattered armor drew closer. Lily watched as the man approached, then walked away without pausing.

She paused for a moment, then turned and followed him.

Banners fluttered, and the small mountain of corpses continued to stretch out. Two people with similar appearances walked forward, one in front of the other. Lily quickened her pace, still walking in the other's shadow.

"It is not out of malice, hatred, or disgust. From birth to death, from prosperity to decline, is simply the natural order of things."

"For example, those foolish people who pursue immortality constantly discard old body parts in order to prevent aging, or even regularly replace their own bodies, but their souls will still wear down. And even if they use secret arts to repair their damaged souls, the countless gains and losses over a long period of time are enough to drive the strongest warriors mad."

"Then abandon emotions. Transform yourself into a puppet devoid of joy, sorrow, grief, and fear. If you can achieve this, you can indeed live on for a long time, realizing the immortality he so desperately desires—"

"This is also a form of death."

The man's voice paused for a moment: "Even for a mere individual, defying decay is this difficult, let alone ten, a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand above them. King Arthur, what you want to do, what you are doing, what you have already done, is precisely this kind of foolish behavior. And the result..."

She didn't continue, nor was there any need to. A glance around was enough for Lily to understand the meaning of that last sentence. The smell of blood grew stronger. She looked at the crown with a tattered corner: "...A foolish act? But...wanting fewer people to die, wanting the living...to live better lives—isn't that a normal thought?"

"It's meaningless." Without the slightest pause, the voice declared decisively: "The Age of Gods has ended, and the Age of Gods is about to end. When the rules of the planet transform into 'the laws most suitable for human survival,' existence outside of them will no longer have any meaning."

"The once glorious gods have all fallen, and the things of fantasy have realized this, so they have taken the initiative to flee to the inner side of the planet, leaving the real world to you humans. As for those life forms that cannot go to the inner side, abandoned by the planet, they can only calmly accept their impending demise."

"Giants are like this, monsters are like this, Picts are like this, Britain is like this. This island will come to an end along with the entire Age of Gods. After death, new life will grow and flourish. No power can change this. Whether it is the starlight that saves the world or the storm anchor that holds the planet together, everything you can reach will be destroyed and destroyed."

"This is the flow of souls."

"The beginning of all things, the end of all things."

As she walked, a breeze blew from all directions. The tall woman stopped abruptly, looked up at the sky. The sky was high and vast, and a huge, fiery red ball of fire burned fiercely. In its radiance, everything around her possessed an indescribable, poignant beauty. Lily's gaze followed her upwards.

The vast yet narrow sky, with its swirling sunset clouds, resembled blood about to congeal.

"And this is your end."

With the blood-red sky and sunset behind her, the crowned woman, sword in hand, slowly turned around. Hundreds, even thousands, of corpses lay spread out before her, in all directions: knights, squires, countless ordinary soldiers, and countless civilians. Their bodies were cold, their blood was cold. Crows circled overhead, their cawing like mourning bells tolling for the departed, their black feathers fluttering as they fell from the sky.

"Who are you?"

"And who are you asking this question to?"

A question and an answer followed, then another unbearable silence. The cawing of crows filled the air, and Lily suddenly felt a little disoriented; in her memory, certain people and words flashed by vaguely.

It seems like a long time ago: after several years of poor harvests, the town finally had a rare bumper harvest. People celebrated joyfully for three whole days. Children ran around and played, young boys and girls walked in the streets, and the elderly sat in front of their doors. Regardless of age or gender, everyone had a genuine smile on their face... She was only ten years old then, and in the four or five years that followed, she never seemed to see such a pure smile again.

Just thinking about it brings a warm feeling to my heart, but at the same time, there is a stinging pain that makes me stop breathing. At that time, I was just standing in the shadows in the distance, alone, watching those laughing people, trying to avoid the drunkards and the overly enthusiastic girls.

He smiled to himself, and felt content on his own.

From beginning to end, she was an anomaly, unlike anyone else.

Born because of this country, growing up because of this country, rejoicing because of this country, and fearing because of this country—whether it's Hector, Merlin, or even her father and mother whose faces she doesn't know, what everyone wants from her is not the fifteen-year-old girl named Artoria.

Rather, he was an "ideal king".

Through her teachings so far, she has come to understand what constitutes a king and how to put it into practice. She has received sufficient education and has been endowed with the qualities to demonstrate these qualities to the fullest extent.

But until the very end, she could not equate herself with that "ideal king".

They have neither the desire to dominate as human beings, nor the sense of alienation that comes with ruling over all people, and the intoxication of faith is out of the question.

That being the case.

even so.

Why are you here?

That voice, similar to his own, asked coldly. Yet, it also sounded as if he were talking about something that already had a known answer.

Lily closed her eyes.

My thoughts drifted back to a short time ago, to a hotel room in a small town near Cornwall, where dust motes floated in the warm sunlight. A white dress and oddly shaped black stockings lay on the bed, and the female magician wore a mischievous smile, her hands rubbing together in a way that almost made me want to back away.

But in my memory, perhaps because of the sunlight, that smile and expression became warmer: "These are clothes I specially prepared for you, hurry up and change. Do you need my help..."

"But, isn't this women's clothing..."

"Any questions?"

"me……"

"Actually, looking at it from another perspective, this is also a great opportunity. You've never worn girls' clothes before, right? Trying to dress like someone your age once in a while can be beneficial for your mental and physical development..."

"I always feel like you're lying to me..."

"Haha, trust me a little more, and even if it's just for a short time... In fact, it's precisely because it's short that I want you to experience what it's like to be an ordinary girl. You know, a teenage girl like you is the most beautiful flower in the world, attracting applause and cheers wherever you go. So, even just once is fine... How about it?"

……

"Looking back now, this prank was probably Merlin's unique way of doing things, but... I'm sorry."

She silently apologized to the female magician.

Even after changing into this outfit and living under a different identity... I still don't understand what it's like to be an ordinary girl.

"Flowers... they really don't bloom so easily."

P.S.: Finally caught up... I'm so out of it, I don't even know what I'm writing anymore. Hopefully the quality isn't too bad. That's all, going to sleep now (yawn).

Chapter 148 Goddess (Part 2)

Most of the time, the general trend of the universe is beyond our control.

From birth to old age, dying from illness, seeing off elderly parents, and later dying in the company of children, through countless cycles of day and night, most families and most people in the world live such a life.

If we broaden our perspective further, from the establishment of a country to its rise to power, there must be many capable individuals who have made sacrifices for it. Then, as the entire group grows to a certain peak, the problems that were once suppressed begin to erupt, leading to a gradual decline, and eventually being replaced by another country or another group of people.

This cycle continues endlessly.

The changing of lives and the shifting of eras merely make things larger and heavier. The age of gods and fantasies has passed. Those who were once glorious may have felt resentment, and may have put up various forms of resistance, but in the end, they did not change the overall trend.

But Lily understood that Merlin, Hector, her father Uther whom she had never met and didn't even know what he looked like, and many other people directly or indirectly involved in this matter, all wanted to do this extremely difficult thing.

Having witnessed the common sense of King Uther and King Vortigern, two diametrically opposed figures who both ended in failure, what people now expect is probably someone capable of bearing the weight of a colossal being that is constantly crumbling, who will never be defeated by despair, and who can go further on this path than anyone else.

He was not a king in the secular sense.

He was not a prophet in the faith.

If one were to use a relatively accurate term to describe this vision, it would be roughly—a staunch “martyr.”

This is my destiny.

To this day, Lily has always thought this way, and she believes she has understood and accepted this path that was not chosen by her.

At this moment, the woman, her back to the blood-red sky, lowered her head slightly, her indifferent eyes fixed on her. On this plain, where only slaughter and bloodshed permeated the air, Lily heard the other woman calmly ask, "Why are you here?"

"If you are not enlightened, even with external help, you will not be able to see me or any of this."

"And if you had no doubts, you wouldn't be able to talk to me like this. Because what I'm saying—"

"These are all your thoughts."

"Without exception."

……

Plymouth, once a small town, is now mostly in ruins. A small squad of soldiers moves through the still intact streets, occasionally using their spears to clear away rubble, search for residents who may not have evacuated for various reasons. The lead knight rests his hand on his longsword and looks up into the distance.

With the loss of the Trident of Poseidon, the resonance of the sacred artifacts has ceased, and the influence of the Tower of Radiance is gradually fading. The sky, as bright as day, is slowly darkening, resembling the scenery of a winter evening, sparse yet with a touch of loneliness.

……

Inside the simply yet elegant tent, Fisher was half-lying on the table, his quill pen moving slowly in his hand, as if he needed to think for a long time before deciding on each word.

A middle-aged man with a mustache next to him looked at him with a flickering gaze, seemingly quite impatient, but in the end he did not urge him on.

……

The figures on horseback galloped across the roads and fields.

Within hours, information about the incident had been placed on the desks of various parties, and all sorts of rumors were spreading like wildfire. In the shadows, something began to coalesce...

"They really did come..."

The sound of waves crashing against the shore could not bring any peace to her troubled heart. Nimiao gently put down the girl who seemed to be asleep and slowly stood up.

Ahead, the light of several torches was enveloping them.

"Are you Vortigern's men? Or Macha's? Neither seems quite right... Is the target me or her?"

There was no answer. Her gaze swept over the other person's clothes and longsword, which had been deliberately obscured of clues, and the little girl licked her lips.

"Forget it, it doesn't matter who it is. Since they dared to unleash their killing intent this way... even if they die a painful death, they probably won't have any complaints, right?"

Anger and joy intertwined in his purple eyes, transforming into a strange and insane aura...

On the sea, the waves surged and the beasts roared, a grand scene that seemed to belong only in mythology. But the two people in the midst of it had no time to appreciate it. Kai struggled a few times in the bone-chilling water, grabbed a half-plank of the boat, flipped himself onto the surface, and wiped the water droplets from his face.

Just then, a bolt of lightning struck from the sky, which he blocked and deflected with his scepter. Countless bolts of electricity crackled and scattered in mid-air. He gasped for breath, "I wonder how Al is doing, and what exactly was that sword just now..."

"Stupid beast——"

Not far away, a loud shout suddenly rang out. After noticing that the Wave Beast was behaving differently than before, the two tested it a few more times and finally determined that something must have happened to the other. Therefore, this simple provocation, which was initially useless, could now be put to use.

He roared, and the earth shook all around him. It was impossible to tell how far his voice had traveled. As he shouted, he raised the scepter high. Although he was not good at using this treasure, even his most basic usage, with the flow of magic, was enough to arouse the giant beast's instinctive vigilance.

Seeing that the enormous body was indeed "slowly" turning towards them, Kai chuckled and said, "Fool." On the other side, Gawain had already used the momentum to leap up and slashed heavily at the head of the giant beast with his sword.

pong——

With a resounding clang like metal clashing, the spinning sword shone brightly and forcefully cleaved into the azure shell.

The monster let out a hysterical roar, and lightning struck from the sky. The waves surged like a high wall, swallowing the two of them in an instant!