IBHJ 1186

Mordred studied her mentor's face with a long sigh. "What's really going on here?"

Strange as it was to sense her teacher's presence in the Empire's Guinevere, even stranger was the fact that she was alive—and human again, no less.

What had actually happened?

A flash of memory—that haunting butterfly—crossed her mind. Mordred let her sword drop and sank down beside Guinevere.

Right... Just as the arm was about to fall, she remembered a massive shadow appearing above her. But the memory was too hazy to tell if it had been real or just her mind playing tricks.

Still, if that shadow had been real, it must have been what saved her from the Emperor's falling arm. But what could have cast such a shadow? Mordred closed her eyes, trying to grasp at the fading memory, but it slipped away like smoke.

"Mmm... don't pull my hair... that hurts..." Guinevere mumbled sleepily. Sensing someone nearby, she cracked her eyes open. "Is it morning already? Morning, Xuanzang... I'll take three loaves today..."

Mordred: "????"

Is she an idiot?

Looking down at the sleep-talking Guinevere with disdain, Mordred pounced, pinning her to the ground. She worked quickly, trussing up Guinevere's hands and feet with rope like a fisherman securing her catch.

"Wha—what are you doing?!" The rough treatment snapped Guinevere fully awake, and she cried out in panic.

"Shut up! Make one more sound and I'll cut your clothes off first, then throw you naked into the street!" Mordred's glare lingered jealously on Guinevere's C-cups. Being eternally stuck in early adolescence had left her with some... strong feelings about her small size.

"Mmph." Guinevere quickly ducked her head, abandoning any thought of calling for the Apostle's help. ‘How did I end up in this situation?’ she lamented internally.

"Do you know what happened to us earlier?" Mordred settled onto the ground, studying her captive. Usually, she'd have eliminated an enemy without hesitation, but Vivian's presence gave her pause. With so much uncertainty, keeping Guinevere bound seemed the safest option for now.

Guinevere shook her head quickly.

"What about that butterfly thing you were doing back there?"

Another head shake.

"Tch! Answer me!" Mordred snapped, her patience wearing thin. If she hadn't sensed Vivian within this woman, she'd have dealt with her already. That uncertainty was only making her more irritable.

"But... but you told me not to speak..." Guinevere whimpered.

Mordred stared at her captive, feeling a headache coming on.

‘She has to be an idiot. There's no other explanation.’

How was this even possible? Her teacher had been wise, graceful, elegant, and strong. How could her parallel world counterpart be so... embarrassing?

Mordred took out her frustration by squishing Guinevere's cheeks between her hands.

"Oww oww!" Guinevere gazed up at her with the pitiful look of a scolded kitten. ‘I did what she said, so why is she still being mean?’ she thought. ‘And these ropes are so tight, especially around my chest...’

"You're awake, Mordred."

A familiar voice from behind made Mordred jump. She spun, sword thrusting toward the voice, only to be met with a resounding "clang" as it hit a barrier.

After the failed strike, Mordred leaped back, sword raised defensively as she sized up the newcomer.

"That was dangerous!" The newcomer pressed a hand to her chest, catching her breath. She gave Mordred a troubled look. "What are you doing, suddenly attacking me like that?"

Mordred kept her guard up, watching in silence.

"Lady Pendragon! You came to save me!" Guinevere exclaimed with relief.

"Lady Pendragon?" The woman looked at Guinevere in confusion. "What are you talking about? And Mordred—why attack me? I know things are tense between us, but trying to kill me on sight? I'm still your mother's sister, after all."

"Morrigan?" Mordred lowered her sword slightly, studying the woman with uncertainty.

The woman smiled, raising one elegant finger. "Morrigan is one part of Morgan le Fay. I'm another part of her. Though we're the same person, to be precise, I am Morgana the Goddess of War. But that might be confusing, so you can just call me Morgan, or Morrigan."

Mordred's expression remained hard. "Who is Eternal King?"

"Your father, of course. Shirou Pendragon though many know him as Fujimaru Shirou," Morgan answered with a smile.

"Then who's Morgan le Fay's most beloved man?"

"Ah- w-what? W-why would you ask something like that?" she stammered.

"Just answer the question!"

"That's—that's... how can I say something so embarrassing out loud!"

Mordred's eyes narrowed dangerously, her grip tightening on her sword.

"It's... it's your father..." Morgan finally squeaked out, looking mortified.

"Hmph. Just what I'd expect from that brother-obsessed pervert!" Mordred sheathed her sword with a look of utter contempt.

"You..." Morgan looked ready to burst into tears. Sure, her brother complex wasn't exactly a secret, but having her little niece throw it in her face like that was just too humiliating.

"But how did you both end up in the Fomoire Abyss?" Morgan asked to change the subject.

"Fomoire Abyss?" Mordred's eyebrow arched. "Were you the one who saved us?"

"Saved... you?" Morgan tilted her head in confusion, touching a finger to her lips. "Well, if you mean retrieving you two while unconscious from the Fomoire Gods, then yes."

Mordred raised an eyebrow before sharing what had happened with Morgan.

"I see... So much chaos while I was away," Morgan mused, crossing her arms.

"Speaking of which, why are you here?"

"Oh? Is my dear niece actually interested in my affairs?" Morgan's eyes lit up dramatically. "I'm so touched I might cry!"

She dabbed at imaginary tears with her sleeve.

Mordred: "..."

‘This Morgan is even worse than Morrigan!’

"Okay, okay, I'll stop teasing," Morgan relented. "I'm here because my main body left me here."

"Main body? Right... with all this talk of Morrigan and Morgana... where is your main body?"

"My main body?" Morgan smiled. "Ah, I see Morrigan didn't tell you. My main body underwent dispersive death back in 2003."

"Dis—dispersive death?" Mordred stared in shock. She might not have liked Morgan le Fay, but she'd never imagined her actually dying.

And what the hell was "dispersive death" supposed to mean?

"It means splitting your complete self into several parts. Like how the fairy Morgan le Fay is Chaldea's Morrigan, while I'm the war goddess Morgan. Then there's giant Morgan le Fay, Dead Apostle Morgan le Fay, human Morgan le Fay..."

Mordred's jaw dropped. "H-how did this happen?"

"Hmm. I probably stumbled onto a secret I shouldn't have known. So before they could kill me, I killed myself first to escape death and preserve the secret. Though none of us Morgans actually remember what that secret was anymore. And because of my aspect's nature, I've been here in the Fomoire Abyss until I found you two."

She paused, noting Mordred's silence. "Don't mourn for me though. Each Morgan is still Morgan le Fay. You could say I simply exist in many forms now."

"I'm not worried about you. Just thinking about how you might be useful."

"How heartless," Morgan sighed dramatically.

Morgan glanced at Guinevere. "Why did you tie up Vivian like this? I thought you two... got along quite well?"

Mordred startled. "My teacher, Vivian?"

"Yes, Vivian." Morgan nodded, gesturing toward Guinevere.

Mordred studied Guinevere with narrowed eyes. First she'd sensed Vivian's presence within her, and now Morgan was confirming it. What was really going on here?

Meanwhile, Guinevere was bound like a helpless rabbit caught by wolves—small, frightened and trembling. The situation felt dangerous, so she decided it was safer to stay quiet for now.