IBHJ 1278

Meanwhile, all of Tír na nÓg resumed its normal operations. Bedivere sat by the lake, watching them with the calm yet concerned expression of someone who felt like an outsider. Arthur appeared behind him, gently patted his shoulder, and asked, "Would you like to come with us, Bedivere?"

"Me?" Bedivere pointed at himself, surprised.

"You must have many questions, things you want to ask Agravain, right? Come along. If we find him, you can ask about all those doubts you've been keeping inside."

"My doubts..."

"Like why he betrayed the true Emperor, or why he willingly takes orders from the current Emperor knowing they're the counter force of the Eternal Kingdom from Pan-History," Arthur said with a gentle smile. "You can ask everything that's troubling you... maybe then your heart will find some peace. At the very least, you won't have to suffer the way you are now."

"King Arthur..." Bedivere said, visibly moved. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. Thank the Eternal King," Arthur replied with a smile.

"Eternal King?"

Arthur's smile widened. "The one who told me to say these words to you was Eternal King!"

Bedivere fell silent, completely stunned by this revelation.

...

"Kiara, where are you going?" Ayaka called after Kiara as she was leaving.

"I'm going to find the other me and settle things once and for all!" Kiara replied through clenched teeth.

She hadn't recovered all her memories yet, but the encounter with the Beast had triggered fragments of what had been sealed away by Demonic Bodhisattva.

"Don't try to stop me, Ayaka."

Ayaka looked at the determined Kiara and realized she seemed different somehow. Ever since Kiara had remembered certain things, she had changed. She was becoming more like Demonic Bodhisattva, yet still remained distinct from it.

"I'm not trying to stop you," Ayaka said, shaking her head. "I just want to ask—rushing out like this, how exactly do you plan to find Demonic Bodhisattva? Or that Beast? And even if you do find them, do you really think you can match their power?"

"Well..." Kiara hesitated, not having considered these practical concerns.

As she pointed out, the Beast was impossible to track down; Kiara couldn't possibly find him, much less Demonic Bodhisattva. And even if she somehow did locate them, she'd only be delivering herself right into their hands.

"So what should I..."

"I can take you to Demonic Bodhisattva, Kiara."

"Laeticia?"

Both of them turned in surprise to see Laeticia approaching them.

"Not just me—these two can help as well," Laeticia said, gesturing to her side.

As she spoke, a powerful spiritual storm gathered beside her, materializing into the forms of Altera and Skadi.

"Altera?" Ayaka looked at her in surprise. "Weren't you supposed to be with Shirou?"

"Eternal King sent me to protect you," Altera said with a gentle smile.

"And I'm here to settle the score with the Beast," Skadi added calmly.

Laeticia turned to Kiara with a serious expression. "I can sense where Demonic Bodhisattva is through our contract. So, Kiara, you just need to focus on what you want to ask when we find her."

"Thank you everyone," Kiara said gratefully, looking at Laeticia and the others.

In the past, she had only Demonic Bodhisattva, but now she had friends who genuinely cared about her.

...

As Shirou's group began their mission, Kiara and her companions also set their plan in motion.

"It's over there. I can feel a faint connection in that direction," Laeticia said, pointing toward the distant horizon.

Kiara and the others nodded. Thanks to the contract between Laeticia and Demonic Bodhisattva, she could sense the Bodhisattva's presence.

Skadi used her [Runes of Wisdom] to hide everyone's magical signature and granted them [Flight]. Then, with Laeticia leading the way, they headed toward the source of the contract's resonance.

They streaked through the sky like rays of light, clouds brushing against their faces. Soon, a rugged mountain appeared before them, topped by an enormous tree reaching toward the heavens.

"What is that..." Ayaka stared at the otherworldly tree in amazement.

"Isn't that Ritsuka's tree? What's it doing here?" Laeticia asked with surprise, though from her tone it was clearly Jeanne speaking through her.

"Be careful, Ayaka, Kiara," Altera's expression grew serious. "There's indescribable malice over there. It reminds me of Uranus... wait! Look over there—"

Her expression suddenly changed as she sensed something new.

In the distance, light and shadow twisted together in the sky.

"That's the Beast's aura!" Skadi's face instantly turned cold.

"Skadi—"

Altera looked at her with concern. Although Skadi typically maintained an elegant and reserved demeanor, her hatred for this particular enemy ran even deeper than usual. Altera worried that Skadi might lose control after detecting the Beast's presence. However, Skadi calmly said, "Let's land and observe the situation first."

Her decision surprised Altera, but she nodded in agreement. "All right."

Clearly, Skadi's hatred for the Beast was extraordinary, but she was able to keep her emotions in check.

Skadi and the others masked their presence and landed on the ground. The Beast was terrifying, and observing it from close range was extremely dangerous—but watching from a distance using [Clairvoyance] would be even more risky. Powerful beings like the Beast were actually more sensitive to magical observation from thousands of miles away than they were to the naked eye up close.

The group concealed themselves among the rocks. This area had once been a towering mountain, but the battle between Ritsuka and Manaka had reduced it to little more than rubble.

From their hiding place, they gazed toward the massive tree—the one Ritsuka had created after being implanted with the [Star Anchor-Ruyi Jingu Bang]. Once it had been brilliantly white and sacred. Now it was unnaturally dark, with sounds like tormented spirits emanating from it—truly a disturbing sight.

In front of the tree was the Beast, looking like some devil in black robes. Facing him were two figures.

"It's them..." Skadi raised an eyebrow. "The Apostles?"

Indeed, standing opposite the Beast were the Empire's Apostles—Aife and Morgan!

"They're actually fighting!" Ayaka said with surprise, then asked, "Is the Emperor here too?"

"If the Emperor were here, the Beast would have been defeated already, Ayaka," Altera explained. "Besides, I can sense that the Emperor's power is still synchronizing with the planet. She's probably in her palace right now, synchronizing with history."

Ayaka nodded, understanding this logic. The Beast was certainly powerful, but it couldn't compare to the Empire's Incarnation. Even a UO would be nothing before such power. If the Empire's Incarnation were present, the Beast would have been defeated a long time ago.