Swoosh—
Shiomi yanked the crimson spear free. The Fang Fairy, already dead the instant its heart was pierced, collapsed to the ground.
"What a hassle, having to personally deal with the messenger fairy."
Aesc carefully avoided the blood-soaked dirt as she approached the battlefield.
"The three clans need time to withdraw their forces from Manchester," Shiomi said as he put away the crimson spear. "If these Fang Fairies, tasked with summoning reinforcements, made it back to Manchester, it would ruin my plans."
Around him lay the scattered bodies of Fang Fairies, blood spreading in uneven pools along the dirt road. Fairies were unlike humans. They were beings who coexisted with nature—fragments of the planet itself, or self-aware terminal-like entities.
Their bodies were closer in nature to Servants, magical constructs formed around a Spirit Origin. Because of this, fairies did not decay after death but instead crumbled away, returning to the earth. Soon, the ones Shiomi had slain would vanish entirely, blending into the road beneath them.
"But you went through all that trouble, using three different methods to persuade the clans to cut their losses... They shouldn't change their minds so easily."
"Hard to say. Better safe than sorry." Shiomi extended his hand. "Careful not to get blood on your clothes."
"Magecraft can clean it off anyway."
Though she spoke lightly, Aesc still took Shiomi's hand and leapt across a wider pool of blood with a long stride.
The two left the main road behind.
After persuading Manchester's three clans, Shiomi had immediately departed the town with Aesc.
"Best to keep things simple when we can," Shiomi said with a smile. "Since we made it into town, I thought we might at least get to sleep indoors tonight."
"Do you regret it, Tenkei?" Aesc asked, a little uneasy.
"Regret it or not, if we can't sleep comfortably, we'll hardly get any rest at all," Shiomi said, brushing his hand over her hair.
Aesc noticed again that not a drop of blood had stained him. Even though his black robe was embroidered with flowing silver patterns and wasn't easily dirtied, he remained meticulously cautious.
"Tenkei seems stronger than before," Aesc whispered.
"Since I'm traveling across Britannia with you, and we'll run into those troublesome fairies from time to time," Shiomi replied matter-of-factly, "how could I protect you if I didn't get stronger?"
"It's been so long since I last fought. My hands feel rusty." Aesc pouted slightly.
Shiomi raised an eyebrow. "But you can't bring yourself to kill, can you? Even if you dislike the fairies, taking a life isn't something you can easily cross."
Though she always kept a cold face before the fairies, showing no interest in anything and smiling only at him, Shiomi knew well—Aesc was still the kind-hearted little witch inside.
When the time they had spent together grew long enough that their initial age difference no longer mattered, he came to understand Aesc more deeply.
"...Maybe that's right. I could just strip away their combat ability, and leave the rest—" Aesc stopped mid-sentence, realizing the words felt wrong. "—No, I can't do that. It feels irresponsible, like dumping all the dirty work on you."
Shiomi suddenly released her hand and stepped forward to block her path.
"Then let's settle it this way. Because I take pleasure in killing those fairies, and our kind Aesc the Rain Witch cannot stop the Sage's atrocities, only silently lamenting in her heart... How does this arrangement sound?"
"Enjoyed it?" Aesc froze.
She recalled how, when facing the Fang Fairies, Shiomi had worn a provocative smile before striking, yet his expression had turned utterly cold the moment he acted—transforming into a pure killing machine, precise and efficient.
"Don't believe me?" Shiomi raised an eyebrow innocently.
"No, it just feels like something straight out of a storybook definition." Aesc tugged at her cloak, smiling absently. "And a really cheesy one at that."
"Is that so?" Shiomi took her hand again, lost in thought.
"And Tenkei isn't happy either." Aesc drew closer, wrapping her arm around his as they walked.
After nightfall, the temperature on the plains dropped further, making the closeness of their bodies a more tangible warmth.
"He couldn't be happy anyway," Shiomi replied lightly.
Britannia's daytime skies were perpetually dusky, yet clear nights always brought a sky full of stars. Strolling across the fields on such a night, their hearts felt open and spacious, less inclined to dwell on complicated matters.
"So, where should we camp tonight? Should we find a higher spot?" Aesc asked.
"What do you think?"
"I'd rather camp in the forest," Aesc admitted, a hint of shyness in her voice. "After all, holding Tenkei under the stars feels... unsettling."
Even knowing no humans or fairies were nearby, she still felt as if someone might see them.
"Then let's stick to the old routine—camp once we reach the forest," Shiomi smiled understandingly.
Aesc tilted her head, leaning her body against his shoulder as they continued walking side by side at a leisurely pace.
"With their supply lines and reinforcements cut off, the frontline Fang Clan should collapse soon. After suffering defeat and having their strength severely weakened, the Fang Clan should stay quiet for decades—"
"The only threats to Britannia now will be those recurring calamities," Shiomi added.
"We just suppressed the once-in-a-century calamity not long ago. Perhaps we can finally go back and rest for a while," Aesc continued.
She was referring to the forest cabin hidden by a Barrier on a remote island off Britannia's western coast. It was the new home they had built with their own hands after leaving Orkney, choosing that isolated island and settling there.
For the first fifty years, she had spent her days there slowly, accompanied by him, gradually gathering her thoughts until she was ready to begin her travels across Britannia.
For Aesc now, that place was her home. After decades away, it was only natural to yearn for a return. After all, it wasn't a once-in-a-century calamity. The scale of ordinary disasters was manageable enough for the fairies to handle themselves.
"It is time to go back," Shiomi nodded. "But before that, there's a place I want to visit."
"Where?" Aesc asked, slightly curious.
"Edinburgh," Shiomi pointed north.
Beyond the horizon, invisible across the vast plains, lay the city where the Northern fairies lived.
"Up until now, we've never truly interacted with the Northern fairies," Shiomi said. "For the sake of future convenience, we need to try making contact with that unique group of fairies."
...
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