I Am the Fairies’ Nightmare

[The Calamity's Shadow launches an assault on the Vault City.]

A colossal shadow, as if bridging heaven and earth, accompanied by a primordial beast–like wail, unfurled countless arms that swept toward the main gate of the Vault City, a tide that blotted out the sky.

Then, as those innumerable arms pressed against the walls, vast stores of magic erupted with thunderous force. One by one, dense magic sigils were triggered; those pitch-black cursed hands were swiftly deconstructed and then driven back by pure magical counterblasts, scattering the dark appendages.

"Indeed, the Vault City that Spriggan believed could survive the Calamity must be more than merely sturdy walls," Guinevere murmured as he watched the scene. After all, fairies can effortlessly wield magic to perform miracles; it would be surprising if Spriggan's walls did not have extensive anti-magic defenses. No wonder he was so confident in his city's defenses: from what's shown, even if Guinevere poured all Newdarlington's forces into a siege without an inside breach, it would be extremely difficult to capture.

But that no longer matters—because the Calamity will act.

[The first wave of attack is repelled; the Calamity's Shadow continues its assault on the Vault City.]

It's hard to say if the Calamity's Shadow possesses intelligence; Guinevere's only understanding of its behavior is that it indiscriminately destroys everything it encounters. As expected, once it encountered something it could not destroy, its subsequent attacks focused entirely on the Vault City. The city gate endured the first wave with little visible damage—but what about the second wave? The third? And possibly endless waves thereafter?

[The second wave inflicts minor damage on the Vault City walls; the Calamity's Shadow continues its assault.]

[The third wave... the Calamity's Shadow continues attacking the Vault City.]

[The Calamity's Shadow continues its assault...]

After five successive waves, all the magic defenses—like triggered runic arrays—on the walls are destroyed, and the walls themselves stand on the verge of collapse.

"Now—time to act!"

[As the Vault City teeters on the brink of breach, Bogart leads his army out from Norwich's southern district to strike the already weakened Calamity's Shadow.]

[At the same time, Nocralae's forces emerge from the northern district, executing a pincer attack with Bogart's troops on the Calamity's Shadow.]

"As expected, they chose this moment too," Bogart murmured, noticing Nocralae's move.

"Excellent—everyone shares the same thought: now that the Vault City is vulnerable, we must preserve Spriggan's wealth. If we can't extract his gold hoard, this campaign would be too costly."

However, surveying the battlefield made Bogart frown:

"Tch, what's going on? No sign of Newdarlington's army?"

"Still holding back at this point? Are they certain we won't allow the Vault City to be torn down by the Calamity's Shadow?"

"Damn—it's that strategist Guinevere under Banwen? Even if preserving strength, there should be a limit. Does he really plan to stay out of this until the end, then swoop in to claim the spoils?"

"Sir, if that's the case, wouldn't we be at a disadvantage?!" Bogart's guard exclaimed in alarm at his muttering.

"Fool—disadvantageous though it is, it's necessary!" Bogart cursed.

"The Norwich residents aren't all dead yet; they're watching. They contributed nothing against the Calamity. Even if you capture Norwich in the end, you'll gain no popular support!"

"You've followed me long enough; you know fairy nature. Even if you help them, they may not be grateful. But if you displease them, they'll make your life miserable—feigned obedience is the best-case scenario; attempts on your life will be endless."

"Eh? That's a thing?" the guard blinked. "But sir, then wouldn't fairy lords be begging in the streets?"

"Heh, if you say so, fairy lords do end up begging—but countless others wish to do so but can't find a way," Bogart sneered. "But so what? Fairies are like that; what other choice do you have? You can't very well kill all the fairies under your rule, can you?"

................

"Popular support, huh, popular support... Banwen, you really asked an interesting question—I never thought you'd consider that one day."

Moving swiftly alone within Norwich, Guinevere spoke into the small mirror he carried as he heard Banwen's query:

"But Banwen, have you considered that after we take Norwich, even the lowest popular sentiment there won't be worse than what Newdarlington had?"

"Ah... that..." Over the water-mirror, Banwen's voice grew embarrassed:

"I—I know I was wrong. Guinevere, please don't make fun of me..."

"No, you're mistaken, Banwen. That's not what I meant this time," Guinevere said quietly. "Rather: have you thought why, even when you were so unpopular in Newdarlington, no one dared truly stand against you?"

"W-Why?" Banwen hesitated but asked with curiosity.

"Because of fear," Guinevere answered calmly, "because they fear you—and they also fear Queen Morgan behind you. They know they cannot resist Morgan, so by extension they dare not resist you."

"I once considered gaining those fairies' support, but I gave up: first, Newdarlington had a terrible foundation of popular support; second, fairies are cruel, capricious, ungrateful, lacking in loyalty, fearing power but not virtue. Winning their support is futile—they might praise and follow you today for your deeds, but kill you tomorrow for something you do that displeases them."

"In such circumstances, continuing previous policies may not be worse... Precisely: rule by terror."

"One must say: fairies are truly a strange species. They are the most unafraid-of-death beings I've seen—just for fun or novelty, they can act in ways that risk grave disadvantage, as if thoughtless, because every fairy is born for some intrinsic purpose. Failing to achieve that purpose is, to them, more terrifying than death. Yet on the other hand, they are simultaneously the most cowardly beings I've seen—because I've never witnessed such soft-on-the-weak, fearful-of-the-strong creatures. They bully the weak for amusement, even to lethal extremes with no benefit, yet when facing the strong, no matter how cruelly wronged, they lack courage to resist."

"I've been in the Fairy Realm long enough to learn many secrets—but I've never heard a fairy-centered anthem of rebellion. 'Do princes and lords have mettle?' They cannot say so."

"Banwen, I told you before about the human-history adage: 'Water can carry a boat, but also capsize it.' But in the Fairy Realm, this does not straightforwardly apply. Fairies differ from humans: no matter how strong a human is, they cannot oppose the entire populace—but a powerful fairy can. If you are strong enough, by crushing the few leading strong fairies who dare resist, the rest will never rise."

"So as long as you demonstrate sufficient power, you can act arbitrarily upon that crowd of fairies."

"Bogart dares not do this, nor does Nocralae, because they aren't strong enough—they cannot use absolute terror to deter those fairies. But I can."

As he conversed with Banwen, Guinevere gradually approached the battlefield, moving through the endless dark arms, arriving between the Vault City and the Calamity's Shadow. Because Nocralae's and Bogart's attacks had drawn the Calamity's attention, the front lines had shifted toward the docks, creating distance again between the Vault City and the Shadow. Standing between them, Guinevere was inconspicuous—unnoticed for a time. Gazing upon the armies battling the Shadow, his sight passed over them to the town behind. He sighed softly:

"What's wrong, Guinevere? Why the sudden sigh?" Banwen's voice came through the mirror in puzzlement.

"Although I resolved this long ago, it still feels a pity."

"A pity what?"

"No, nothing." Guinevere shook his head. "Order our troops to stand ready; when I signal, launch the full assault to breach the Vault City."

"All right... but what will the signal be?"

"You will see." After saying this, Guinevere closed the water-mirror, then drew his sword. He paused, gazing at the blade in his hand, before lifting his eyes to the Calamity's Shadow hundreds of meters away. His reason for sighing was not complicated: because he was about to kill many people and fairies. Among them were Nocralae's and Bogart's soldiers, and Norwich residents who hadn't reached safety—some were his enemies, some malicious fairies—but not all. Among them were fairies neither his enemies nor evil—though few, they existed. Yet they too would soon die. Because manpower was insufficient, because this was not his home turf, and because Artoria's group had hindered him, he could not evacuate all the tested, still-kind fairies. Ahead of him were many more fairies, but that could not be helped. This was a life-or-death war: unless the Calamity's Shadow is driven from breaking the Vault City's defenses and annihilates Nocralae's and Bogart's troops in one stroke, his own soldiers would suffer far greater losses. So even at the cost of collateral innocent lives, he must proceed.

"Forgive me, everyone."

He murmured this and gripped the hilt; flames coiled around the blade, gradually giving the greatsword a thin coat of fire. At the sword's guard and scabbard junction, a ring of flame formed.

"To prevent the sun from setting, I shall ascend to the heavens and steal your light."

"—Celestial Fire, draw!"

At his words, the greatsword slid free. Passing through that ring of fire, it ignited in blazing flames. A faint double-handed sword phantom hovered around it, subtly altering its shape. The scorching blade emanated heat intense enough to warp space.

Then, infinite radiance shone from his position. With each step forward, the ground beneath him shattered as scorching flames rolled outward, banishing the Calamity's taint around him. But at the same time, the raging fire ignited every fairy soldier within hundreds of meters of him.

"What is happening?!"

Commanding troops central on the battlefield, Nocralae turned sharply toward the overwhelming magical aura. Seeing her soldiers ablaze, her eyes flickered.

"Could this be the Norwich's Celestial Fire?" she murmured. Then realization hit, and her face changed drastically:

"No—wait! That charging direction... does he intend to trap us all?!"

"Damn it! Has he gone mad? This isn't like him! What potion has Banwen fed him... There's no time! All fall back! Retreat!"

Meanwhile, at the heart of the flames, hearing the anguished cries from all sides, Guinevere stepped forward and raised his greatsword overhead.

"From today onward,"

"—I shall be your nightmare."

Then, the Scorching World's Sword fell in a sudden, devastating arc.