IBHJ 1149

"If you're capable," Kama retorted coldly, "then you can do the same."

Her animosity toward Apostle Pendragon went beyond her being an Apostle, it was because she was Morgan. She knew everything about what had happened to Shirou and Mordred, about everything that had gone down in the Eternal Kingdom.

And she hated every bit of it. Everything about the Eternal Kingdom, even Artoria, who she used to think wasn't so bad. If the Eternal Kingdom had never existed, maybe none of this would have happened!

If the Forest of Einnashe had never been... Maybe everything would have ended with the Fourth Holy Grail War.

But such thoughts were pointless.

What was done was done.

It had become woven into the very fabric of the Human Order Foundation.

That was why Fujimaru Sakura had disappeared.

That was why Kama had emerged as a Beast.

Because only a Beast could tear down the Human Order Foundation—only Kama could make Fujimaru Sakura's wish come true.

"Imaginary numbers... This isn't a Noble Phantasm or Beast's authority—it's your magecraft. You're an Imaginary Numbers magus. But you know what? Using magecraft in front of another stronger magus is pretty dangerous."

"The Eternal Empire has no magi," Kama said flatly.

Everyone knew this as fact—the Eternal Empire had no magi.

The Empire drew its power from three sources: the Holy Grail, the blood of Holy Spirit, and the Emperor. Their foundation wasn't magical energy, but Holy Spirit power.

From the very beginning, the Eternal Empire's system had been different from Pan-Human History. Magi simply didn't exist there.

Mordred's lips curled into a sinister smile. "You're wrong. The Eternal Empire did have magi. Back when His Majesty hadn't achieved eternity, magical energy and True Ether flowed everywhere in the Empire. Do you want to know why they all disappeared? I'll tell you—there was one magus who absorbed all the True Ether into her body, making herself the strongest, and only, magus."

Kama's instinct told her something was very wrong.

"And as bad luck would have it, I am that magus. Playing with magecraft in front of me? Ha, it's like showing off to a master!"

Morgan pulled a small staff from her chest and gave it a wave. With a thunderous boom, a massive magic circle blazed to life beneath her feet. Countless chains burst from the void, tearing through reality into Imaginary Number Space, wrapping around Kama's true form.

Kama's eyes went wide. "This is—"

"—Here's a riddle: when you have endless time, day after day after day! Living the same dull life on repeat, unable to die no matter what you do, how do you keep your soul from breaking? The answer is—you let it shatter right from the beginning."

Morgan's face lit up with twisted joy. "This is how you use Primordial Fairy Arts, amateur! You're all mine—"

Before she could finish, an arrow ripped through her body from behind.

She looked down at the arrow piercing her chest, her face frozen in disbelief.

"You're right—how do you keep your soul from breaking? The answer is—let it shatter right from the beginning."

The bound Kama spoke flatly, "And my soul broke a very, very long time ago."

Behind Morgan, a black, muddy arm could be seen in a throwing stance before melting back into the ground.

That was... Tiamat's mud.

And now, it was Kama's mud!

As Kama's arrow struck Morgan, the chains holding her snapped. She landed softly, walked over to Morgan's crumpled form, and asked coldly. "—Here's a question: how does a broken soul continue to survive?"

She lifted her gaze. "The answer is simple—you need to find the light."

Morgan repeated, "—Light?"

"You wouldn't understand. At least, not you in this world, Morgan."

Morgan didn't understand, but with Kama's arrow in her, she had no choice but to let her eyes drift shut, falling into temporary death.

Kama grabbed her limp body, muttering: "I'll drop her off with Mordred first, then go help brother."

She looked down at the woman in her arms and spoke in a low voice. "My soul broke when I was young, but fortunately, I found the light that kept me going."

—Even when everyone else turned their backs on Sakura, brother was always there to protect you.

"Brother, if I have to tear down the Human Order Foundation... would you still protect me?"

She shook her head: "No, even if you try to stop me, I'll keep going down this path as a Beast. Because it's not fair that only you, the one I love the most, should end up without happiness."

…

Mordred stared at Ector, bored out of her mind.

Guard duty was mind-numbing, but she was the only one fit for the job right now. Ambrosius had his hands full controlling Tír na nÓg, and Bedivere had too much history with Ector. As for Xuanzang... she was just a monk who did nothing but chant "Amitabha" and eat, so the task fell to Mordred by default.

Xuanzang tried making small talk, but Mordred showed little interest. Being a devout Buddhist, Xuanzang always went on about Buddhist teachings, stuff Mordred had zero interest in. Sure, faith was a kind of philosophy, but to Mordred, true philosophy came down to two things: the sword in her hand and her cup.

"Ugh..."

As the pin-cushioned Ector came back to life yet again, Mordred raised her sword to strike, but a voice called out from behind, "Wait, Mordred!"

It was a man’s voice.

She turned to see Bedivere looking at her with a serious expression.

"What's wrong, Sir Bedivere? Are you trying to convince Ector to join Hope?"

Bedivere nodded.

"It won't work. People who aren't on your side from the start never will be."

Still, seeing how serious Bedivere looked, she let out a sigh. "We have to keep him on death's door, or we can't be sure he won't try something. How about this, you talk while I kill him."

With that, she stabbed Ector’s neck again.

Bedivere gave her a helpless look, but he also knew that the Empire's worst feature wasn't the Imperial Armor or even the Crown of Thorns, but its immortality.

He took a deep breath and turned to Ector, who looked like a human pincushion. "Ector, I know you probably think I betrayed the Empire, but trust me, I haven't betrayed the Empire.”

Ector: "..."

Like hell I believe you!

"The Empire's real threat isn't from outside—it's from within! Someone is using the Empire's power to invade Pan-Human History for some terrible purpose! The being on the Imperial Throne isn't even our Emperor! We shouldn't be fighting each other, we should be working together... You of all people must understand what I'm saying, right?"

Ector: "..."

Like hell I understand!

Ector couldn't help but roll his eyes. Asking him to understand and believe while killing him... Bedivere, you've really outdone yourself!

But Ector knew exactly why Bedivere had joined Hope.

In the end, it all came down to the Holy Grail.

It wasn't a secret among the twelve apostles that someone had given the Holy Grail to the Heavenly Emperor. And after the Emperor got his hands on it, his will had completely changed.

The invincible Imperial Armor, the strike against the Council, and now the synchronization with Pan-Human History, and the invasion of enemies from across the continent… all of it had started after the Emperor's will changed.

Ector knew this well, the Emperor's original will would never have allowed an invasion. So when the Emperor changed and enemies started pouring in from across the continent, he could see why Bedivere would come to such a conclusion.

But still...

"You've gone too far, Bedivere!" Ector responded sullenly.

"What!?" Mordred stared in shock at Ector who should have been nothing but a corpse.

Sure, Ector was eternal, and yes, he was immortal—but when killed, his dead body should have been just that, a corpse.

And corpses don't speak.

And yet...

"The Heavenly Emperor makes his own judgments. Questioning him is enough to warrant your fall! Agravain was right to give you the Poison of Corruption!" Ector stared coldly at Bedivere.