IBHJ 1281

Altera gripped her sword tightly, her eyes flashing with killing intent, but Skadi caught her wrist and shook her head at Aife. "I won't fight you."

"What did you just say?!" Aife's eyes widened in disbelief.

In that moment, while Skadi was restraining Altera, Apostle Pendragon seized the opportunity. She grabbed Aife by the shoulder and instantly disappeared.

"Morgan, what are you doing? Let go of me—" Aife's voice lingered in the air, but she was already gone.

Skadi glanced at Kiara, who was staring at the spot where the black tree had disappeared. "They've fallen into the Fomoire Abyss. The world's surface blocks the abyss, so we can't follow them from here. The Empire has probably detected us by now—we should leave."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Though Kiara seemed hesitant, she understood that without the ability to break through the world's surface, there was no way to enter the Fomoire Abyss protected by the planet's fundamental laws. She had no choice but to leave with the others.

…

Back in Tír na nÓg, Altera turned to Skadi with a questioning look. "Why did you let them go? That Morgan still had her eternity, but Aife had lost hers. We could have finished her off right there."

Skadi thought for a moment before answering. "I think I understand which version of Aife she is."

"What do you mean?"

"Aife and I were both chosen to be the strongest warriors of our era," Skadi explained. "One of us was destined to become master of the Shadow Land and guardian of the Fomoire Abyss. We were nearly equal in strength, and neither would back down, so we agreed to fight three rounds to determine the winner."

"And in your history, you won?" Altera asked.

Skadi nodded. "Actually, in every timeline I know of... I won that duel. Although Aife never verbally admitted defeat and always opposed me, deep down she had accepted my victory. She even gave up glory and fame to remain in the Shadow Land and help me."

"But this Aife is different, isn't she?"

"If I'm not mistaken,in this world, Aife became master of the Shadow Land and guardian of the Fomoire Abyss without ever dueling with me."

"Is that really so unusual?" Jeanne asked, confused. "According to parallel world theory, shouldn't that possibility exist?"

"No," Skadi replied. "Though parallel worlds represent countless possibilities, in any world where Celtic mythology exists, where Scathach and Aife exist, the outcome of that duel cannot be changed. Yet the Aife and Scathach in this Empire never dueled before inheriting the Fomoire Abyss."

…

"So this duel with Aife," Shirou asked Scathach curiously, "was it really that important for inheriting the Shadow Land?"

On their journey to Badon Fortress, Scathach had mentioned wanting to fight Aife if they encountered her. When he had asked why, she'd told him about her origins and the ancient heroic saga about her that history had nearly forgotten.

Considering his question, she hesitated, first shaking her head, then nodding. "Only the strongest warrior can take the gods' place as guardian of the Fomoire Abyss. Aife and I were the greatest warriors of our time, so we had to complete the ritual duel."

"I won that fight. Even though she never truly accepted it, she stayed in the Shadow Land and kept challenging me over the years. So if there's any difference between that Aife and the one from Pan-Human History, it must be that she never completed our duel. If we run into her, let me handle it. I need to remind her that I've always been the stronger one.”

He nodded in understanding.

"Gilgamesh and the others have begun the attack!" Alaya called out.

Shirou turned to look and saw a massive portal opening on the plain outside Badon Fortress.

"Charge!"

At the command, a huge force of Heroic Spirits poured through the portal, rushing toward the heavily defended fortress.

"We're under attack! Enemy forces approaching!"

The alarm immediately sounded throughout the fortress.

Apostle Lucius, in charge of defending the fortress, stood on the wall watching the approaching swarm of Heroic Spirits with a frown. "So they've decided to attack first."

"Lord Lucius, what are your orders?" a guard asked.

"Hold position. Don't engage them," Lucius replied.

The guard looked surprised. "The Heroic Spirits from Pan-Human History are attacking us, and you don't want to counterattack? This could be our chance to wipe them out!"

"If they're attacking head-on like this, they must have some trick planned," Lucius explained. "Once His Majesty completes the synchronization with pan-human history, all resistance will collapse anyway. We just need to hold our position and avoid engagement."

The guard nodded in acceptance.

…

"They're not counterattacking?" Shirou watched the heavily fortified fortress with mild surprise.

He had expected the enemy to launch a counterattack with the Heroic Spirit army serving as bait, but instead they were holding their position, completely ignoring his side's provocations.

"This could be problematic," the witch remarked with a slight smile.

"Not really," he replied, shaking his head. "I anticipated this."

No sooner had he spoken than a brilliant beam of light suddenly shot out from inside the fortress with a thunderous boom. It engulfed several guards, immediately causing chaos.

"We're under attack! Intruders inside the fortress!" the soldiers' shouts echoed across the battlefield.

"You brought Mordred into this as well?" the witch asked.

He nodded. The turtle strategy—holding position without engaging—was a tactic he had often used in Merlin's King's Game. He'd prepared for it from the start. While Mordred created havoc inside, the approaching army of Heroic Spirits—including magi and beam specialists—launched concentrated attacks on the fortress walls.

"Boom! Boom!"

Beams of light danced chaotically across the battlefield. However, an invisible barrier surrounded the fortress, absorbing all the attacks. The barrier wavered slightly but remained intact.

"Kill Mordred!" Lucius roared in fury.

"Want to kill me? That's not going to be easy!" Mordred laughed, firing a few more blasts. Seeing the guards converging with their divine aura nearly overwhelming her, she grinned. "Playtime's over for now!" She ducked away and passed through the protective barrier, escaping outside.

As Mordred retreated, Lucius shouted, "Secure the fortress! Drive back the enemy forces!"

The guards were just beginning to follow his orders when Mordred suddenly passed back through the barrier again.

"Miss me? I'm back!" she declared cheerfully, firing another beam directly into a soldier's face, killing him instantly.

As the soldiers rushed toward her, she quickly slipped back through the barrier and disappeared again.

After several rounds of this frustrating cat-and-mouse game, Lucius finally lost his mind. "If they're so eager to be destroyed, then we'll bury them ourselves!" He drew his sword, his voice tense with rage. "Whatever Pan-Human History is planning, it doesn't matter—kill Mordred first! Kill her at any cost!"