The Sisters Arrive, Good Thing the Basement's Ready (2.9K words)

Morgan le Fay was making her way through the bustling streets of the royal capital, her gaze drifting here and there

Lately, with the growing number of transmigrators, the streets had become more crowded than ever.

In the past, transmigrators would never dare reveal their identities so openly.

But ever since the banquet, formal cooperation had begun between the two sides, and the transmigrators no longer had to live in hiding.

Of course, those who had taken over others' bodies, or were stirring up trouble within Britain, had become enemies of all, and now lurked deep in the shadows.

At Morgan's side, a girl clad in thick armor spoke up:

"Mother, looks like Merlin still hasn't found Father… Should we go to Avalon and settle things with him?"

It was none other than Mordred.

Beneath the faint veil, Morgan's stunning face remained expressionless, but she replied softly:

"If killing Merlin would solve the problem, I'd already be in Avalon."

The Imaginary Number Space was far too vast.

If even Merlin couldn't locate someone within it, then neither she nor Mordred stood a chance of finding Alvin.

Where are you, Alvin…?

Just as the thought crossed her mind, she suddenly saw a white paper airplane, drifting from a sky, fluttering across dimensions and landing gently in her palm.

The moment she touched it, Morgan's eyes deepened sharply.

—Merlin's magic.

She quickly unfolded the paper airplane, and saw a single name appear before her eyes:

Marco.

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Avalon

Merlin was folding a second letter into the shape of a paper airplane.

After gently breathing magic onto it, he sent it flying in the direction of Camelot.

A pink petal shimmered at one corner of the paper's edge.

Sitting cross-legged on the grass, Merlin watched the little plane take off, mumbling to himself:

"Don't blame me, Alvin."

"If they didn't go looking for you, they'd be coming for me instead…"

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Outside the Estate

Countless knights in full armor knelt on one knee before a single woman, heads bowed, expressions filled with reverence.

Wearing a crown and a heavy cloak, the woman lifted her head, gazing quietly at the opulent estate before her.

At this moment, her golden hair shimmered brilliantly in the light.

Even before Merlin had sent out the letter, Artoria had already been making her way toward Marco's estate.

The Red Dragon Core within her had an extremely sharp sense of perception.

The moment it detected the White Dragon Core's release of magical energy, Artoria had sensed it too, even from afar.

Yet by all rights, Alvin should still have been in the Imaginary Number Space.

So why would he appear here of all places?

She didn't know.

All she could do was place a hand gently on her chest, where her heartbeat had begun to quicken.

The Red Dragon reacted to the White Dragon.

It was clear now that he really was inside Marco's estate.

Artoria slowly steadied her breathing, preparing to step forward—

But just then, the sound of footsteps echoed behind her.

Heels tapping crisply against the ground.

"What a coincidence, Lily."

Immediately after, came a sweet voice filled with enchantment making Artoria instinctively turn her head, before she quickly frowned slightly.

"Your sense of smell really is sharp, elder sister."

"Are you still planning to make a move?"

Looking at the woman, she couldn't help but ask.

Morgan looked up with a smile, gazing toward the manor ahead, and said softly, "Let's forget it this time... I'm not in the mood."

Artoria remained silent as well.

As it turned out, Merlin's original idea was correct.

After sending Alvin away, both Morgan and Artoria seemed to calm down quite a bit, no longer like bombs that could explode at any time.

To gain something and then lose it will always make one cherish it even more.

Thus, the two sisters said no more and walked into the manor together.

...

In a clean and elegant study, a far man in a bright red robe was sitting distractedly in a chair, as if waiting for something.

It had already been over half an hour since Ishtar had left, and during this time, King Marco had been waiting anxiously, secretly hoping in his heart.

Regardless of whether the person who snuck into his manor was Alvin or not... even if it really was him, that goddess should be able to handle it, right?

After all, deities are beings of a rank that surpasses Heroic Spirits, whether it's spiritual foundation or magical power, they far exceed human imagination.

If even that goddess can't handle it, then who else could possibly subdue that crude and violent demon dragon?

What if that goddess failed...

Thinking of certain unpleasant possibilities, King Marco grew increasingly agitated.

In the end, anxiety overcame reason, and he finally raised his right hand.

On the back of the man's hand, three bright red runes, or rather, Command Seals, were branded.

"Respond to my call—"

The moment the words left his mouth, one of the red marks on the back of his hand immediately vanished.

At the same time, the power of the Command Seal was released in an instant.

Yet just as King Marco was about to use the Command Seal to locate Ishtar, he suddenly heard a low growl from the demon dragon nearby.

"Aaaa—"

That voice seemed to carry some kind of magic, and in an instant, it severed the connection between King Marco and Ishtar.

At the same time, as if some kind of index magic had followed along the Command Seal, it directly attacked King Marco.

The latter, however, reacted quickly and immediately took the initiative to cut off the Command Seal connection with Ishtar.

Only then did that tracking magic come to a halt and quietly retreat.

'What exactly was that thing, that it could forcibly sever the link between me and my Servant'… King Marco panted heavily, and a sense of powerlessness couldn't help but well up in his heart.

In the past, that demon dragon had massacred the nine great noble families in a single night and treated Britan's laws as nothing.

Although King Marco had narrowly escaped with his life, in all the years since, he had been plagued by nightmares because of it… Likewise, this great noble who had never suffered setbacks before, hated Alvin to the core.

In the years since Alvin had left, his influence had continued to spread, and now, among Britain's nobles, more than half looked to King Marco as their leader.

However… now that the demon dragon had returned, King Marco found that he was still so powerless in front of it.

And just as King Marco was still drowning in despair, a report from outside the study made him feel even more hopeless.

"Bad news, my lord! King Arthur and Lady Morgan have both appeared outside the manor!"

Those two sisters… actually came to his manor at the same time?

King Marco's pupils contracted suddenly, and then, slowly, his whole body slumped into the chair.

"My lord, what should we do now…?"

A spy's tentative question came from outside the door.

"Let them in! That's King Arthur and Morgan we're talking about, are you all planning to keep them blocked outside?!"

Even a goddess had failed, if that goddess were to expose him, it was easy to imagine what kind of end awaited him next.

At that thought, King Marco suddenly flew into a rage, furiously smashing the teacup against the tightly shut door.

"Get out! All of you, get out!"

…

....

Ishtar felt as if she had just woken up from a dream.

For this goddess who had never really suffered any setbacks until now, today's defeat was undoubtedly a massive blow.

If it had been Tiamat's true form, she could have accepted it… but the problem was, she had only faced the spirit body of that "mother", and yet she hadn't even been able to muster the will to resist.

And now, she had even become a prisoner of the enemy...

That guy clearly didn't look like a decent person, if he were to take advantage of this chance and do something bad to her…

As that thought flashed through her mind, Ishtar was suddenly jolted awake and abruptly opened her eyes.

What entered her vision was a pitch-black room.

A candle flickered dimly like a bean-sized flame, dispelling the darkness.

"You're awake?"

Next, she heard the boy's voice by her ear, filled with gentleness.

Ishtar lightly frowned, trying to get up from the ground.

But just then, her legs suddenly went weak, and she collapsed uncontrollably.

She looked down at herself, her eyes at first blank, then, as if realizing something, she sharply raised her head, with a trace of coldness in her voice, and said faintly, "To think you'd drain every last bit of someone else's magic, you really do have a twisted taste, White Dragon of Britan."

"And this must be a basement, right? Your preferences really are strange."

The White Dragon could devour all things and even the radiance of the Holy Sword could be consumed.

To fully drain Ishtar's magical energy was naturally not difficult.

Alvin sat on a chair and turned to look at the goddess before him.

Her twin black ponytails fell naturally on either side, her figure tall and graceful.

The dress she wore couldn't conceal her fair, delicate skin, and her long, bare legs were fully exposed.

At this moment, she was sitting on the floor in a "duck sit" position.

Her hands were bound by silver shackles, and she was biting her lip, her eyes misted with tears as she looked at the boy.

Humiliated.

Absolutely humiliated!

Even back in Uruk, Ishtar had never felt so humiliated.

Not only was her magical power sealed, but even while as weak as an ordinary woman, her hands were tightly bound.

This damn dragon... Ishtar took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"What exactly do you want?"

Very soon, she spoke as calmly as she could manage.

Since he hadn't disposed of her right away after capturing her, it meant she still had some use to Alvin.

Alvin sat down across from her, glanced at her a few times, and then said helplessly, "Hey, aren't you being a bit too wary of me? If it weren't for me, you might've had to return to the Throne of Heroes the moment you materialized."

"As for why I brought you to the basement... It's just that this place is less likely to be disturbed. Makes it easier to talk. That's all."

If Alvin hadn't stepped in to stop things and smooth them over at that moment, just kicking over Tiamat's dessert alone would've been enough to sentence Ishtar to death.

So his words weren't exactly a lie.

However, Ishtar was clearly unconvinced.

She pursed her lips stubbornly, her pretty face filled with resentment, and said, "If it weren't for 'Mother's' intimidation, there's no way I'd have fallen into the hands of a despicable White Dragon like you."

"Despicable, huh... Well, in Britain, the White Dragon is called the 'Lowly King' anyway, so being a bit despicable doesn't matter." Alvin chuckled.

"But since you've already said that, then I guess it's fine if I act a little more despicably, right?"

As he said this, he lightly poked Ishtar's waist with his finger.

Since her dress didn't cover her waist, the warm fingertip brushing against smooth skin made Ishtar's body shudder instantly.

"Mm~"

Her delicate body trembled slightly as an uncontrollable sound escaped her red lips, and her legs rubbed together involuntarily.

"If you don't cooperate, things might not stay this simple... I've got plenty of nasty interrogation potions on me, you know."

Morgan le Fay was an expert in potion-making, and she had nearly twenty kinds of potions specifically for interrogating prisoners.

Although Alvin wasn't particularly skilled in potion-making, he understood the basics, so, he could at least brew a few simple ones on the spot.

"Hmph... Do you think a mere potion can affect a god…"

Ishtar had just finished speaking when she saw Alvin get up and start rummaging around for potion ingredients.

Her delicate face slightly contorted, and her eyes filled with panic.

After a brief silence, she bit her red lip and said with some grievance,

"What exactly do you want to ask?"

"You were summoned by King Marco, weren't you?" Alvin asked bluntly.

"Let me go first and then—" Before Ishtar could finish her sentence, Alvin suddenly placed a hand on her thigh and slowly moved it down to her fair, delicate foot, lightly brushing the arch.

Even though she hadn't worn shoes since descending into this world, Ishtar's feet were spotlessly clean, with a beautiful arch and slender, elegant toes, like flawless white jade, rare in this world.

She was also the kind of woman who disliked wearing shoes, but whether that was due to her being a god or some other reason, there wasn't a speck of dust on her feet…

Although Alvin was thinking this, but his hand didn't stop.

The moment she felt the unfamiliar fingers touch her sole, Ishtar almost instinctively tried to pull her foot back like she'd been electrocuted, but Alvin held it tightly.

"Alvin, I'm going to kill you——!!!"

Just as she shouted, her other foot was struck with a tickling sensation, and her toes tensed up instinctively as she let out a sharp scream.

Alvin said calmly, "Honestly, I think I've been pretty gentle. But next time, I'll wait until the punishment is over before listening to your explanation."

"I'm giving you three more seconds. If you're still stubborn, you'll get to experience some other punishments."

This time, Ishtar didn't try to act tough anymore.

She had no idea what this White Dragon was really like and didn't want to take any unnecessary risks.

"I was indeed summoned by King Marco."

"Why was King Marco able to summon a god?"

Ishtar glanced at Alvin and said,

"You white... White Dragon, isn't it obvious? It's because he has my holy relic."

The word "idiot" was on the tip of her tongue, but when she saw the boy's bright, gentle smile, she forcibly swallowed it back down.

"You're a god, at least. Is King Marco's magical power alone enough to maintain your materialization?"

Alvin paused for a moment, then continued, "And even if it is, wouldn't the descent of a god be 'blocked'?"

Ishtar's expression froze.

As Alvin said this, she suddenly remembered something very important.

It's true that a god's descent requires a holy relic, but at the same time, it also requires the approval of a certain entity.

The will of the planet — Gaia.

Gaia and Alaya: the former is the will of the planet, while the latter is the collective will of all living beings.

The biggest difference between the two is probably this: Gaia's side produces Heroic Spirits with "divinity," while the likes of Guardians, such as someone like "Emiya Shirou" — are on Alaya's side.

From this point of view, Ishtar should be on Gaia's side… and yet King Marco was able to summon a god for no reason, and Gaia still gave permission?

Or… did King Marco use some method to deceive Gaia?

If that wasn't the case, then the only possibility was that Gaia had tacitly approved King Marco's summoning ritual… but why?

Just as Alvin was still tangled in chaotic thoughts, he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps from outside the door.

There's someone else in this place…?

Alvin couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.

You have to understand, this was a very hidden underground chamber within King Marco's manor.

Alvin had specifically brought the unconscious Ishtar here just to avoid being disturbed.

Could it be Tiamat?

No… this magical energy doesn't feel like hers…

Alvin closed his eyes, and in an instant, his sensing ability spread across a large area outside the basement.

"..."

What the hell… why are Morgan and Lily here?!

As if sensing something, Alvin's eyes snapped open.

Then, his first reaction was to swiftly remove the shackles from Ishtar's wrists, and silently begin calculating his next steps.

Feeling the magical power within her body slowly returning, Ishtar looked up at him in confusion.

"What's wrong with you…?"

Even Ishtar could tell that Alvin was panicking inside.

"It's nothing… anyway, you're free now. Just leave this place quickly and don't come back to cause me trouble."

Alvin tried to sound as calm as possible.

"Your forehead's sweating… are you sure you're okay?" Ishtar's gaze was full of suspicion.

Alvin waved his hand and said,

"I'm the White Dragon of Britain.

What could possibly happen to me…"

Just as he said that and was about to open the door, he suddenly heard the footsteps had already stopped outside.

Knock knock knock…

The knocking on the door seemed to sync with Alvin's heartbeat.

Then, a pleasant and melodious female voice came from the door.

"Alvin… is that you?"

It was Morgan le Fay.

"I can sense his magical energy… could he be locked in here?"

When Artoria's voice followed, Alvin's heartbeat accelerated even more.

Ishtar saw all of this and, as if realizing something, the corners of her lips suddenly curled into a vengeful smile.

Just as Alvin's mind went completely blank, he saw a hand on the door handle behind him.

Then, the door to the underground chamber slowly opened…

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