"You?"
Woodworth frowned. This was his chance to impress Her Majesty Morgan. These lords and nobles who only know how to flee... every last one of them is a useless parasite! How can the Faerie Realm be properly built with these insects around?
"As a Fairy Knight, your strength is unquestionable," he said, his tone condescending. "But the Mors' Curse is no joke. This is the domain of the Fang Clan. Lady Tristan, you should rest on the sidelines."
In truth, Spriggan, the Clan Leader of the Earth Clan, was currently scrutinizing Aurora with suspicious eyes. As an imposter, he had meticulously studied every person of note to avoid exposure and evade danger. He hadn't spotted Rimuru anywhere nearby.
"That may have been true in the past, but not anymore," Fairy Tristan retorted.
Who do you think you are, you little cookie? Daring to interfere with my plans? Go cool off somewhere else! she thought. Being the Savior isn't just a title. Since ringing the Pilgrimage Bell, I've gained the power to save the world. Now is the time to prove it to you all!
"Oh?"
Woodworth was intrigued by Fairy Tristan's claim. Simply defeating a Mors wouldn't qualify as the power to save the world. He wanted to see what gave her such immense confidence.
Fairy Tristan had been waiting for this moment for a long time. She looked at Aurora and flashed a wildly arrogant smile. "The Mors' Curse will no longer be something fairies fear! I can restore all those who have turned into Mors—back to their original forms!"
This announcement caused a greater uproar than the Mors' appearance itself. Fairy Tristan watched with satisfaction as the others stared at her in disbelief. Having found temporary safety now that she was confronting the Mors, they began whispering among themselves.
"I know this is hard for you to believe."
It was no wonder they were skeptical. The claim of ending a curse that had persisted for a thousand years was coming from a fairy notorious for her wickedness.
"So, let me prove it with facts! Duel, begin!"
With Jiang You present, Fairy Tristan didn't need a Duel Invitation to pull the Mors into the range of his Noble Phantasm. She simply touched the Mors directly. All fairies avoided this highly contagious curse, but Fairy Tristan used this seemingly reassuring gesture to solidify her Savior persona, initiating the Duel through the infection itself.
The Duel of Terror unfolded, and all the fairies sensed a subtle shift in the world.
Fairy Tristan LP: 4000 Mors B LP: 4000
"This is my power as the Savior," Fairy Tristan explained to everyone in a more understandable way. "I can transform my experiences and future into cards to fight with. In this type of battle, anything can be wagered—even souls."
"Therefore," she continued, "this combat can also pull fairies who have lost their names, meaning, and souls back from the curse! All I have to do is place my own soul on the scales and engage in a fair Duel."
The miraculous space convinced everyone to believe her—at least sixty percent. Now, if Fairy Tristan won the Duel, their belief would become absolute.
Woodworth's nose twitched slightly. This rule-level power instinctively made him feel threatened. The Child of Prophecy truly lives up to the name, to be capable of something like this, he thought. He glanced at the Mors that hadn't been restrained by the rules and asked, "But this power only allows for fair one-on-one Duels, correct?"
"Yes, the rules only allow for fair Duels. Therefore, equal numbers are required. This brings me to my next point."
Jiang You had said that his ability could indeed grant all fairies the potential to Duel Mors. But to maintain the Savior's uniqueness, this power had to be usable by only a select few.
"I can temporarily share this power with others," Fairy Tristan announced, "but the chosen individuals must possess immense strength. Your Grace, who here is more qualified than you?"
This statement subtly flattered Woodworth, causing the big dog to unconsciously lift his nose in pride.
"Her Majesty Morgan is the one most deserving of this qualification," he declared, "but such a trivial matter hardly requires troubling the Queen. I will handle it in her stead!"
At this point, Aurora could no longer deny that Fairy Tristan truly had something up her sleeve. She had always been meticulous about leaving no incriminating evidence, even choosing the most cowardly nobles as her targets. Yet, she had stumbled precisely on this point. How could she have ever imagined that the Savior could actually cure the Mors Curse, which corroded even souls? Damn that Mirror Clan! Their Prophecy was completely distorted! They deserve to die a thousand deaths!
Fleeing now would be too obvious, and she had no confidence in escaping from under Morgan's watch before Melusine returned.
Her only hope now was that Fairy Tristan couldn't win this Duel. Although she had prepared to stubbornly deny everything, the leverage she held over Fairy Tristan and Melusine might still offer a chance to save her life.
"What do I need to do?"
Woodworth positioned himself before the remaining Mors. A creature of this size would normally take him mere seconds to defeat, but this was the first time he had to ensure its survival.
"Hold this invitation."
Fairy Tristan tossed an exquisite envelope to Woodworth. The white envelope was adorned with intricate gold and blue patterns that, upon closer inspection, perfectly matched the design of Camelot's city walls—clearly a meticulously crafted item.
"After opening this invitation, you will gain the right to Duel a Mors for approximately three days. If you win the Duel, you can transform the Mors back into a fairy. If you lose... you will be infected. Therefore, the user must possess considerable strength."
In reality, Fairy Tristan had Medea custom-make this item. Medea improved upon the invitation tickets Jiang You had previously used by incorporating the curse medium left behind by Beryl. Now, this item functions like an Anti-Mors Noble Phantasm: after capturing the user within the range of Jiang You's Noble Phantasm, it automatically captures the Mors within the same range.
As for why it was made so exquisitely—Fairy Tristan needed to start making money. With New Darlington in ruins and needing to be rebuilt, the aspiring Lord found that every administrative task required funds. She planned to sell these invitations in limited quantities. To the fairies, they were practically talismans against the Mors Curse. As a commercial product, aesthetic value was naturally essential.
One could say Goldie had taught her well, but it would have been even better if he had provided the funding too.
Woodworth LP: 4000 Mors C LP: 4000
"How interesting!"
Woodworth broke the wax seal on the invitation, and the rules of the Duel Space immediately applied to him. He drew his Deck. "I see... so the previous generation is in my Deck as well? What a remarkable item. Truly worthy of the Child of Prophecy."