Boom—
Boom—
Lightning flashed across the Sea of Life.
It reflected on the water's surface, creating shimmering patterns, streak after streak.
"Why..."
"Why is there no answer..."
In the center of the sea, a woman with a graceful figure and a pair of enormous, wrathful horns stood alone, her expression filled with sorrow and pain.
She hugged herself, looking utterly pitiful.
And with every sway of her body, a flash of lightning flickered across the sea's surface.
This was Tiamat, the possessor of the Sea of Life.
But now—
She was just a mother who had lost her child.
Tiamat could no longer count how long it had been since she had last seen Ian.
"Why did you leave Mama... Where did Mama treat you wrong...?"
As she mourned, waves of magical energy emanated from Tiamat's body.
Even the usually calm Sea of Life was now experiencing earth-shattering tremors.
If anyone could exist in the Sea of Life at this moment, they would surely be terrified by such an overwhelming and dreadful scene.
But—
That was impossible.
The only one who could appear here was Ian, Tiamat's own son.
"..."
After causing such a ruckus for a while, Tiamat finally calmed down a little.
Immersed in the Sea of Life, she began to think more deeply about what had happened.
First—
He had said that he wanted to leave the Sea of Life to see the outside world.
But he had been gone for far, far too long.
He had said he would love her forever.
That meant...
She was surely still in his heart.
But why hadn't he returned?
There must be a reason—and the first thing to rule out was the possibility that he didn't want to return to the Sea of Life.
Then...
There was only one answer left.
That place called Britain must have something more terrifying than a demon.
It must be so.
That's right!
It's a bad woman, isn't it!
Her son Ian is so exceptional, he's certain to be desired wherever he goes.
Yes, that's it, it absolutely has to be!
"BRITAIN!"
Tiamat shouted towards the sky above the sea.
"GIVE ME BACK MY SON!"
The dragon's roar echoed through the vast space, as if wanting to grind everything it touched into dust.
No.
This cannot be—
I absolutely will not allow this—
I will absolutely not accept this—
Destroy Britain!
If that person called Vortigern can't do it, then I'll finish it myself!
Tiamat was completely unaware of one thing:
As she continued to roar like this, the magical energy that had originally existed only in this space began to slowly flow towards a certain place.
That was the "channel" Ian had left behind before he departed the Sea of Life.
The Sea of Life was gradually forming an inseparable connection with Britain.
.....
At almost the same moment.
"..."
Artoria's eyes shot open.
She looked to her side and saw Ian sleeping peacefully. A little further away, Morgan was getting ready.
This was not the first time the three of them had slept together.
Ever since they resolved their misunderstandings, sharing a bed like this had become a daily routine.
"What's wrong?"
Tying up her hair, Morgan turned around and looked at her sister with confusion.
"What is it, Artoria?"
"Why do you look so troubled—"
"..."
In the past, Artoria would probably never have wanted to confide in her sister Morgan about such things.
But now, to her, the great magus before her was, in a sense, an essential part of Camelot's operation.
Thinking this, Artoria no longer hesitated and answered directly:
"Sister, I had a bad dream."
"..."
Knowing that Artoria would no longer lie to her, Morgan returned to the bedside and sat next to her.
"What happened? Tell me in detail."
"..."
Artoria glanced at Morgan, then at Ian, before answering softly.
"I think... I sensed his mother doing something."
"What?"
Even though Artoria didn't specify who "he" was, Morgan reacted almost instantly, understanding she meant Ian's mother, Tiamat.
As the only one who had had a proper opportunity to meet her, Morgan's expression immediately became serious.
"Are you serious?"
"Mhm." Artoria was mindful of her voice.
She was a little worried that these words might affect Ian beside her.
"Sister, you've said before that you met his mother, right?"
"Is this what she was like?"
For the next few minutes, Artoria shared everything she had "seen" in her dream with Morgan, holding nothing back.
The moment their eyes met, the answer was self-evident.
That's right.
It was Tiamat.
"..."
"..."
The atmosphere instantly grew silent.
Both Artoria and Morgan understood perfectly the situation they were now facing.
"Sister."
"In that case, Tiamat... she's likely coming to take Ian back, isn't she?"
"Very likely."
Recalling Artoria's description of a Tiamat on the verge of rampaging, Morgan found that it perfectly matched her memory of the mother dragon.
"Then what are our chances of winning?"
Artoria asked very directly.
"Very low."
Thinking back on everything Tiamat was capable of, the usually confident, even arrogant, Morgan showed a rare expression of worry.
"She... is far more powerful than I am."
"To say she has the power to destroy all of Britain would probably not be an exaggeration."
"..."
Although she had braced herself to some extent, Artoria couldn't help but be shocked to hear her sister say this.
"Even you say that?"
"Then it seems we're facing a truly formidable enemy."
"..."
"..."
Glancing at each other, Artoria and Morgan both smiled again.
Once upon a time, they probably never would have dreamed that they would one day share the same intention: to protect the same man.
"Sister, there must be some way, right?"
"Mhm, of course there is."
Morgan nodded.
"But it's a bit risky."
"Risky?"
"Yes—"
"Because..."
Morgan looked out the window.
"We might have to use that 'Tree'."