I just wanna start off by saying thank you to the readers that respect my wishes and have actually communicated with me. You know who you all are. From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate the fact that you respect my decisions and haven't tried to make me write the story your way. You always support me with whichever direction that I take the story in. You've placed your faith in me and I'm going to do my best to make the story the best that I can. What you loved in the original, I want to retain and this time, I'm going to try and do better to make it more impactful. So, for those specific readers, just know that I love you ladies and gentlemen.

Still, this doesn't mean that I'll change or keep things the same, so don't twist my words. Now, enough of me talking. Go have fun reading.


Chapter 11: Search and Rescue

"Alright, you two, are you ready?" Vali asked.

Next to her, was Issei and Kuroka, who were dressed in business suits like her. Altogether, the three were driving from the Pendragon estate towards their business building, King's Grail and Leaf.

"Yep." Issei nodded.

"So, the plan is to get down there, act like we're interns at the records department. Go and sneak into the financial files and records, copy them, and sneak back out. Then, we leave and act like nothing happened. Also, try not to let anyone see you when you're sneaking about." Vali said

"Hey, wait a minute, won't people recognize you, Vali?" Issei asked.

"Nope, they won't." Vali snapped her fingers.

Instantly, her hair turned black as her eyes became green as a magic circle shimmered above her.

"Whoa…" Issei mouthed.

"C'mere." Vali pulled him close.

With a snap of her fingers and a magic circle over his face, Issei's hair color, hairstyle, and eye color changed. His hair was slicked back and was now dirty blonde and he sported green eyes. He turned to look at Kuroka, who'd also changed her appearance. She now had red hair styled into a bun with blue eyes instead of gold.

"What?" Issei was alarmed as he looked at himself. He didn't give Vali permission to dye his hair.

"It's a trick I learned from my Grandma. If boys hit on me too much, I'd just snap my fingers and lose them. When they saw me again, they'd think I was someone else…" Vali trailed off.

"And then you'd get hit on all over again?" Issei asked.

Vali only groaned.

"So, what's our cover story? Just simple interns?" Kuroka asked.

"Eldwynn gave us badges to use, so it'll make things easier for us to pass through. I had us placed within the records department of the business, so it'll make things quicker." Vali passed ID badges to the two of them along with a tablet that summarized their personal data.

On it, was a ton of information detailing a fabricated history of their fake identities. What their fake names were, their ages, their nationalities, education level, and experiences were all perfectly forged.

"How?" Issei looked at her.

"It's what happens when your family's been around for ages. We were there when humanity invented programming. Naturally, I picked it up while studying in the Human Realm." Vali winked.

Issei then remembered what had happened last night. Vali had spent some time typing up fake backgrounds and information about themselves to prepare for today. He'd nearly forgotten that his fake identity was Roland Wynford.


Soon, the view they all saw changed from a forested mansion to a city. When the trio arrived, they were met with a traditional skyscraper amongst a modern city. It was tall with shining blue glass and white concrete, with an extravagant entrance.

Walking into the Main Lobby, Vali stepped in front of the desk.

"Hello, how may I help you?" The receptionist asked.

"Oh, it's fine. We're interns." Vali spoke with a British accent, specifically the Queen's English. Showing their badges, the receptionist only nodded.

"Ah, then you should head up to the 5th floor, then. Your shift is going to begin soon in the Records Department." The receptionist smiled.

The trio entered the elevator.

"Alright, Kuroka, you've got the illusions, so you sneak into the files and records. Issei and I will try to keep eyes open for cover, and maybe act as distractions." Vali said.

"Got it." Kuroka smirked.

Issei immediately started brainstorming. How was he going to make a good distraction?

When they reached the Document Department's offices, they were met with a multitude of desks that were separated with walled borders. All around them, phones rang and the typing of keyboards echoed.

'Boy, serious to a fault. This definitely isn't "The Office UK".' Issei sighed at the no-nonsense atmosphere.

He seriously didn't expect things to be like that, but still...one could only hope.

"Alright, let's get to work." Vali said as she clocked in.

Issei and Kuroka followed suit. As they entered the office, Issei was immediately approached by a businesswoman with short blonde hair.

"Ah, I believe that you're the new interns. My name is Emilia Cross. If you'll just follow me, I'll be showing you to your desks."

Doing as told, the three were seated together, courtesy of Elwynn's arrangements.

"You three will start by sorting out documents and filing them in appropriate folders. Once you've finished, you will proceed to copy them into our digital files. Also, make sure not crisscross any documents. Breaks are 15 minutes each, in which you'll get 4 of them throughout the day. Lunch is 1 hour long. Also, you are to remain confidential about all documents that you see, as is our policy to maintain privacy and to prevent business rivals from seeing our documents. Now, any questions?"

No one gave a look of confusion, only nodding. To be frank, Issei felt that information go in one ear and out the other.

"Very good. You may begin now and if there are any questions, simply let any of the senior staff know."

And with that, Emilia Cross walked away to attend to her own duties.

"Alright, let's get to work." Vali smiled.

After the first 15 minutes, Issei managed to compile some documents together before leaving his desk. He needed to get the layout of the department down before doing anything else. He had to make things look natural.

"Excuse me, could you direct me to file and document storage?" Issei asked an older employee.

"Why, my dear boy, what seems to be the matter? Are you new?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm an intern that just began today." Issei politely bowed but stopped mid-motion. Some mannerisms never went away. Now, he just looked awkward.

"Well, the place that you're looking for is simply down the hall, make a left turn, go straight into the room at the end, and you'll find our storage room."

"Thank you." Issei smiled.

Walking as directed, he confirmed that the staff member was right. Opening the door, Issei walked in with his folder and placed the printed documents away before moving on to complete his part of the mission.

The task that they had, was to find anything that was related to Mordred's shares of the company, along with any massive shift in stock with the board members. As of late, Uther realized something was wrong when he saw that massive shares of stock were shifting from several departments into one, even though they were far apart in date. To anyone, that would've gone unnoticed, but since Uther knew Mordred and his intentions, the Head of the Pendragons knew something was wrong. Thus, he wanted to know which specific people were involved with Mordred. He didn't have any employees at the company do it either, since he wanted to spare others of Mordred's wrath. How was he going to harm people that he didn't know about, though?

Issei managed to find several documents that pertained to their goal, taking pictures of the cabinets and drawers that they were in. Before he could finish, however, he heard the knob of the door click. Slamming the drawers shut, Issei shifted around, pretending to look innocent.

"What're you doing in here?" A young woman walked in, perplexed as to why he was inside such an important room.

Issei almost had to smack himself when he saw her. He had nearly fallen into a trance. She had auburn hair with sapphire eyes, for starters. It was like a blanket of mesmerizing embers instead of hair, and those eyes were like gems, rather than simple eyes. This young woman in front of him was wearing a navy business suit, complete with black high-heels. She couldn't have been much older than him, maybe around 18 or so.

"Um, excuse me?" Issei forced himself to return to reality.

"I was wondering what you were doing here. This area is only for employees."

Issei realized that he'd taken off his badge. Showing it to her, Issei spoke.

"Yes, I'm a new intern. Today's my first day, so I'm a little lost. Forgive me." He said nervously.

"I understand. I was like you when I first started here. Still, everyone's nice and the work can be simple most of the time, so it made things easy. So, make sure to ask if you need help. Also, don't feel so pressured or nervous. Despite how serious everyone is, this place is one of the few companies where you can actually relax. So, try and relax a little." The young woman handed back Issei's badge with a genuine smile.

"I'll make sure to do that."

"By the way, my name is Guinevere Gwyriad. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Wynford. Now, are there any questions you would like to ask?" Guinevere smiled kindly.

"No, I'm fine, thank you. I just came to put our new documents away and I'll be heading back to my desk now."

"I understand. Well, then, take care." Guinevere turned to the door and left.

Issei took a deep breath to reboot his brain.

"Right, don't get distracted by the beautiful lady, let's get back to work."

When Issei returned to Vali and Kuroka, he sat down and whispered.

"So, I've sorted out the documents and got the others we needed to finish work." He said, hoping it sounded like code and not some idiotic and random speech. Now that he thought about it, he sounded really corny.

"Did you get lost?" Vali asked.

"Nope. The records are down the hall, to the left, and straight ahead."

"Well, if we keep things up, then we'll be done with our shift in no time." Kuroka smiled.

The plan had been for Issei to find all the documents they needed while Kuroka would copy them as Vali used her technological skills to get into the company's databases to track share movements and access video recordings.

Now that it was the Nekoshou's turn, Issei took her share of paperwork while maintaining communications with her. After the area around File Storage was cleared of most people, Kuroka made her move during Lunch.

"Remember, Kuroka, we're dealing with the Pendragon family, so make sure to be careful. We don't know who's on which side. They might pick up on you if you use magic, so try to use as little as possible." Vali warned.

"Got it."

Kuroka entered the File Storage and began gathering and copying documents with her phone and magic. She needed to make sure to thank Ajuka for his technological advances; it was just so convenient and useful. Using her magic, she cast a spell to ward others from entering the office until she was done. It'd be a shame if someone walked in on her going through all sorts of important and sensitive documents.

Outside, Issei and Vali were chatting pretending to spend their Lunch Break together. Issei had to admit, Vali looked sexy in her suit, even if it wasn't sexual at all. Her black suit and skirt just enticed his interest without any consent or relenting force. The way her shirt tried to hide her bust, her jacket hugging her curves, and her skirt attracting attention to her shapely legs, it all just sparked his attention. However, Issei wasn't too focused on that. It was simply just spending time with her, that enticed him, really. She always gave her all and confidently did so without wavering.

"So, are you free Friday night?" Vali asked.

"Yeah, I've got nothing planned." Issei smiled.

"Then, how about a movie and dinner?" Vali asked with a smile.

"Sure, what time?" Issei asked.

She was only pretending, right?

"Hm, I don't know, what do you think?" Vali asked.

Issei was about to respond but he then looked down the hall.

"Ten minutes."

"Ten minutes?" Vali looked perplexed.

One of the senior employees was heading their way and had a stack of folders in his arms. He had white hair with traces of grey hair and olive-green eyes with a dark grey suit as his attire.

"Kuroka, you need to finish right now. You've got someone coming in 10 minutes." Issei muttered.

"I can't. I've still got one more cabinet to go through." Kuroka responded.

'Need to think of something.' Issei muttered to himself.

He wanted to avoid making as many lies as possible or things would just snowball. He didn't trust himself, honestly.

"Kuroka, how close are you to being done?" Vali asked.

"About 89%." Kuroka sighed.

"Okay." Issei nodded.

As the senior staff walked over, he politely nodded at Vali and Issei.

"May we help you with that, Sir?" Vali asked.

"No need. I should make sure that they're placed where they're supposed to."

Issei saw that the senior's view was blocked with the stack of folders in his arms so he decided to do something rather cruel. He stuck his foot out.

'I feel so horrible for this. God, forgive me.' Issei cried in his mind.

The senior immediately dove forward, slamming into the door as his files fell all over the floor.

"Sir, are you okay?" Vali helped him up.

Issei knelt down to pick up the documents before he saw something. It was white, and furry. It was the man's toupee.

'Oh my god, his hair was fake.' Issei remarked.

When he and the senior met gazes, they both froze. A long awkward and embarrassing pause passed between them before Issei quickly gave him back the toupee. As the old man covertly placed it back on top of his head, he coughed and looked around. Gathering the papers and stacking them back up, Issei handed them back to the senior.

"Right this way, Si- " Issei turned before immediately slamming into the door as well.

Vali yelped when he did. That sounded way too real for it to be fake. When Issei slid down the door…he wasn't budging.

"Ooh, right. Forgot to tell you new employees that there's a carpet snag right in front of the door. If you're not careful, you're going to get a concussion. Our doors can beat bullets." The senior pursed his lips in slight embarrassment.

"I'm fine." Issei groaned as he stood up, reaching for the door handle.

"Alright, I'm done." Kuroka sighed in relief.

Exiting the room, she quickly opened the door.

"AGH!"

Crack!

"Allow me to help you with that, Sir." Kuroka politely held the door open.

"Thank you, Dear. Do take care of your kind friend there. We have a room for injuries here and the perfect tea for head injuries. Perhaps you should let him rest there for a bit." The senior said to Vali as he closed the door.

The two girls turned to Issei, who looked dazed.

"Why'd you hit me with the door?" He hoarsely sighed as he gripped his stomach.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were next to it." Kuroka apologetically said as the three walked away.

"I've still gotta finish downloading all the files, but the last of them are stored in Emilia Cross's office. I'm going to need you two to keep an eye out for me while I do that." Vali said.

As the three neared said office, Vali went inside while Kuroka and Issei stood watch.

"So, you got everything?" Issei asked.

"Everything you pointed out." Kuroka shrugged.

"Alright, I've gotten started. Give me 15 minutes." Vali said.

"The Wi-Fi here sucks." Issei groaned.

For 5 minutes, nobody came by. When the 10-minute mark came by, that was when things started going downhill.

"Vali, there're a significant number of people coming back from lunch, are you done yet?" Issei politely, but urgently asked.

"I've still got 10 minutes, Issei. Buy me some time, please." Vali replied in the same sassy-yet-polite tone.

Issei looked at both ends of the hall and saw that the number of people coming were growing more and more numerous.

(Pirates of the Caribbean OST – Jack Sparrow Theme. Play Song.)

'Alright, desperate measures, it is.' He sighed as he jumped at the first idea in his mind.

"Kuroka, how good are you at playing dead?" Issei asked.

"What?!"

"One of us needs to play dead."

"And what if things escalate?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Issei hissed.

With no time to argue, Kuroka immediately doubled over onto the ground.

"Help!" Issei yelled.

Kuroka closed her eyes as naturally as she could, hoping that nothing was going to happen to her.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. She just collapsed!" Issei yelped.

"Get her up." Someone said.

She felt two pairs of soft hands lift her legs and shoulders.

"Oh my god! She's heavy!" One lady groaned.

Kuroka felt a tick mark sprout on her forehead.

"Kuroka, start doing something." Issei mumbled quietly into her earpiece.

In the heat of the moment, she started trembling.

"She's seizing! She's having a seizure! Call the paramedics!" Issei bellowed.

Laid back onto the ground, Kuroka felt someone grab her left breast.

'I swear, if that idiot did this to cop a feel, I'm going to neuter him.' Kuroka growled.

"Do you know what to do, Ma'am?" Issei asked.

'Oh, good, it's not some random person.' Kuroka took minor comfort with that revelation. She could never count all of the guys that have tried to grope her.

"Paramedics, make way." They came clamoring.

Getting Kuroka on a stretcher, Issei stood up and was about to follow until he heard Vali speak into his earpiece.

"Alright, I'm done. Good work."

Almost instantly, Kuroka snapped her eyes open and sat up.

"What happened?" She asked.

"You were having a seizure, Ma'am. Just lie down and we'll transport you to a hospital."

"No, I'm fine. I can walk." Kuroka tried to get her voice heard, but the paramedics weren't having it.

Gently placed down onto the stretcher, the Paramedics carried Kuroka away. She looked at Issei, calling out.

"Help me!"

Issei merely waved goodbye to her as Vali came out into the hallway. Sneaking out the office, Vali had made sure to disable any cameras that would've exposed her.

"Alright, Kuroka, sit tight. As soon as you get to the hospital, tell us where you are and we'll come get you." Issei spoke into his earpiece before turning to Vali.

"You all set?" He asked.

"Yep. What'd you two do, exactly?" Vali asked.

Oddly, Emilia Cross's office was rather sound-proof from the outside and inside.

"Oh, she fainted and then faked a seizure. The paramedics have her now."

Vali froze.

"Issei…did they give her Valium?"

"I think they said something about it, maybe."

Vali's jaw dropped.

"She's sensitive to Valium! It'll knock her out for hours! We'll be combing all of the hospitals to find her!" She declared.

Issei stared at her, frozen and wide-eyed.

Wooooooooooo! The sound of sirens could be heard as the ambulance outside grew fainter and fainter.

"Outtheway! Outtheway! Outtheway!"

Issei screamed as he blitzed out the doors of the building.

"Issei, watch out!" Vali called out.

Then came the honk of a truck.

"Oh, shit! No!" Issei screamed.

Boom! Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

"Okay, now we really do need an ambulance." Vali sighed.

(Pirates of the Caribbean OST – Jack Sparrow Theme. End Song.)


Back at the Pendragon Compound, Arthur, Lefay, and Bikou were about to begin their own mission while the other three were on their way to the city. To find out as to how Mordred was possibly turning others to his side. While Vali, Issei, and Kuroka were tracking down who was connected to Mordred, Arthur's team was in charge of finding someone.

"So, what makes you think this is going to even work?" Bikou asked.

"Legends say he was trapped, but in the end, myths can only tell so much. I want to know how Mordred's turning others to his side, but there's too little information and too little people worthy of trust to know for sure. For starters, before anyone can know that Lefay and I have returned, I want to see if he's alive. I'd rather not alert Mordred. Now, legends, tales, and our family history books suggest that this area is where he disappeared." Arthur replied.

He pointed at a spot on a map.

"If Merlin is trapped like in legends, then we'll need a very specific person to free him." Arthur said.

"So, who're we looking for?" Bikou asked.

"The Lady of the Lake." Arthur replied.

Bikou sputtered, spitting out his tea.

"Ergh!" Arthur gave him a look of disgust as the tea splattered on his jacket.

"The Lady of the Lake is real?!"

"Bikou…we're devils…how're you surprised by that?" Arthur deadpanned.

"Well, I mean, I heard she's unbelievably beautiful and extremely gifted in magic, so…"

"Oh, I understand, you wanna see what she looks like." Lefay chuckled.

"I'm just curious!" Bikou responded.

"Alright, let's hurry up and get a move on." Arthur created a magic circle to take them where they needed to go.


There were a multitude of reasons for the Pendragons settling in Cornwall. It wasn't just to live in a quieter area of England, but it was in hopes of reconnecting with times of old. Dozmary Pool, now a landmark and a location of scientific interest, was believed to be where the Lady of the Lake dwelt.

"This is…underwhelming. It barely reaches the top of my toes." Bikou sighed.

The place that they were standing in, wasn't really a pool. It was more like a dish of crumbly dirt. Around them, for what seemed to stretch miles, was green lush grass that never seemed to end.

"That's just how it is nowadays. Some magic just fades away as people know less and less about it." Lefay sadly said.

Arthur immediately started walking around the drying lake, observing.

"Arthur, you really don't think we'll find something here, do you? I mean, where's the evidence?" Bikou asked.

"In some records, the Lady of the Lake is believed to be a fairy. Fairies tend to hide from the eyes of others. If we look hard enough, we might find something." Arthur reasoned.

"Yeah, but I don't think that'll happen here."

"Take a look around, Bikou. If this area is as dry as it looks, then why is it that the rest of the area is as lush and vibrant as possible? Why is it that only the lake is drying out? The way the lake and terrain are shaped, it should be this spot that has the most water." Arthur pointed out.

Now that he thought about it, yeah, all of the water should've pooled where the ground lowered here. Looking around, the grass was as healthy as can be, contrary to what the lake looked like.

"Lefay, I need you to fill this lake with water. Let's see what happens." Arthur requested as they backed up.

With a flick of her wand, Lefay summoned a torrent of water to fill the dry and cracking dirt hole. When the water calmed, the three waited. For almost 10 minutes, nothing happened.

"Well, that was a flop. Why was that done?" Bikou sighed.

However, Arthur begged to differ. He reached for Excalibur Ruler, the strongest of the Excalibur Fragments. He could sense something coming. In all his years of experience, he'd gained a sort of sense or gut feeling of when something was going to attack.

"Get ready." Arthur warned.

Doing as told, Bikou and Lefay took out their weapons and watched the lake. Suddenly, water blasted upwards like a geyser. Forming from that burst, were several fairies made of water, lacking any features aside from body shape and four wings.

"Hey, fairies…" Bikou pointed out Arthur's correct observations.

"Just focus and fight, Bikou." Arthur sighed.

Drawing his sword, he jumped into the air, quickly slashing apart the numerous water fairies. Dodging, jumping, and weaving between blasts of water, Arthur had no trouble dispatching the numerous enemies that charged at him. Behind him, he sensed a torrent of water droplets shooting at him. With a spin of Excalibur Ruler, he dispersed them before cleaving that fairy apart in midair.

When a bubble of water was forming around him, Arthur used his speed to kick off a magic circle in the air and dash out before he could be trapped. As he dropped closer to the fairies surrounding him, he spun in a deadly arc, splicing them all apart.

Down below, Lefay was waving her wand, blasting away at the swarm of water fairies zooming around her. Swiping her arm through the air, she deflected streams of water while blasting bolts of lightning and levitating rocks to smash her opponents. Stepping to the side, she slipped by a wave of water before retaliating with a beam of mana that turned one water fairy into mist.

Next to her, Bikou plucked several hairs from his head, blowing them into the wind as he activated the magic in them. Golden mana burst from the hairs, forming copies of himself. Altogether, they leapt into the air, bashing away with staffs and senjutsu. Bursts of gold mana rippled here and there as Bikou danced wildly in the air like a cyclone.

Arthur landed back on the ground and decided that they needed another plan. Even after tearing through dozens of waves, there appeared to be no stopping.

Before he could think of much else, he turned to the side and saw that Lefay was being swarmed by an onslaught of enemies. He felt worry and fear strike him as he knew that Lefay was going to be completely overrun by the numerous fairies. He had to protect his little sister. Rushing over to her with his knightly speed, he blocked a blade of water that was meant for her on impulse, cutting his hand in the process. As his blood dripped into the water, Arthur rapidly gutted the assailant before it dispersed into droplets.

"Are you okay?" He asked Lefay.

"I'm fine. Thank you, brother." She apologetically looked down.

"Alright, any ideas?" Bikou asked as he landed next to his friends.

"I've got one." Arthur shrugged.

He decided to try out a random idea in his head. Excalibur Ruler had the ability to manipulate nearly anything that the wielder desired, whether it be other creatures or even energy itself. Thus, why not try and put the water under his control?

Activating Excalibur Ruler, he plunged the blade into the water. Even though the Lake looked chaotic already, with all the fighting going on, Arthur felt like he'd just stuck a stick into a whirlpool. It was threatening to drag him in, like it was a vacuum that wouldn't stop until it consumed him. He forced himself to stay still as Excalibur Ruler worked its magic. Its golden aura seeped into the lake. Soon, Arthur felt his will exerting over the water, despite the fighting that he could feel from the Lake. Commanding the water to cease activity, the water fairies stopped coming. Yet, he could sense that there was something deeper within the water; they weren't through yet.

Suddenly, at the center of the lake, Arthur could see that there was something bubbling. A geyser erupted from the water, blasting into the sky. Whatever remaining water fairies that there were left, were swallowed by the cyclone of water. Yet, Arthur, Lefay, and Bikou were left untouched. The three stared in awe, as water seemed to form out of nowhere, pooling into the lake.

At long last, the water calmed down as every enemy was dealt with. Shimmering into existence, the trio saw that something was forming at the center of the lake.

When the entity came closer, they saw who it was; a young woman with long golden hair, cobalt eyes, and pale skin. She wore a long pale-blue silky dress that flowed with the wind, almost as if it were a cloak of mist. Wrapped around her neck, wrists, and ankles, were bracelets and strings of gems, with golden shoes completing her appearance. However, what set her out wasn't her majestic beauty, it was the aqua aura around her and her glowing eyes.

"Who are you?" Arthur asked.

"I am Nimue, the Lady of the Lake. Tell me, which of you shed your blood into my lake?"

Bikou soured his expression. At first, he was awe-struck and mesmerized by her beauty. Now, with that sentence, he felt his wonder disappear almost instantly.

'Seriously? Is she that petty?' He groaned.

"It was me." Arthur showed his injured hand.

Instantly, streams of water covered his wound. At first, Arthur was about to retreat but when the water touched him, he felt the faint sting completely disappear in a matter of seconds. Nimue had healed him.

"Don't look so surprised, Heir of the Pendragons. You freed me from that prison." Nimue smirked.

"Prison?" Lefay asked.

Nimue then looked slightly miffed.

"So, you weren't aware of my imprisonment?"

"Not at all. We weren't even sure if you existed." Bikou blurted out before Lefay slapped a hand over his mouth. Sometimes, ancient beings got offended if they were told that they'd been forgotten.

"I see. Then, why did you seek me out?" Nimue sighed, exasperated.

"We need to find Merlin. The most likely person to know where he was, is you."

"And why should I help you with that? Why should I help you find that man, when I was the one who locked him away?" Nimue raised a disdainful brow.

"Because he might have information that we need."

"And what is this information that you seek? I have aided King Arthur and the Round Table when they lived. I'm sure I can offer aide as well."

"The secret that we're looking for, lies with Merlin." Arthur reaffirmed.

The Lady of the Lake and Arthur held their gazes for several moments. The way Arthur said it, made it seem as if he was refusing her staunchly. Bikou was appalled. Why was he refusing her knowledge? In legends, Nimue aided the Knights of the Round Table, probably much more than Merlin did. She was just as qualified as the old wizard.

Arthur, on the other hand, was skeptical of her. She had played a role in the Fall of Camelot by locking Merlin away. Who's to say which side she was really on? Did she lock him away because of the original Mordred? Did she have her own motives? Was she even speaking the truth? Arthur only had one way to find out, and it was to hear both sides. To do that, he needed Merlin as well.

"Is there a reason for your distrust?" Nimue raised a brow.

Arthur didn't respond, making his answer obvious.

"I can understand why you'd distrust me. I assure you, I am not your enemy. When I trapped Merlin, I had my reasons. It wasn't because I had no more use for him, or I felt that my power was threatened. That story is false. I am a fairy, not some witch. I trapped Merlin within that crystal cave, because he proved that he couldn't use his reason over his desire for affection and lust. He showed me that his interest was only for my body and in turn, several parts of my person were in danger." Nimue sneered.

'Wow, that was a hateful face.' Bikou and Lefay stepped back.

"I won't accept nor deny it, but it still stands that Merlin knew King Arthur for most of his life. The situation that we're faced with right now, is something that I believe he'll be of help with." Arthur nodded.

"You mean the trouble with Mordred's successor?" Nimue huffed.

Lefay looked surprised that she knew this.

"My fairies keep me informed and I have been keeping a vigilant watch from within my prison." Nimue smirked.

"What do you know?"

"Only that your friends are fulfilling their end of the mission. As for Mordred, I'm sure you know the only way to deal with him. His namesake wasn't the most pleasant man. He was always jealous of what others had, but his own life and childhood was grim and sad. He's not entirely at fault for who he became. Still, he proved to be a monster and his new successor is on his way to walking those same steps."

"The sword is the only tool that he truly listened to." Arthur concluded.

"That all depends upon you. Can you find it within yourself to sway him? Will he be willing? Will you be like your own namesake and repeat history?"

Nimue was silent, only staring at Arthur, who contemplated her questions. For countless long, painful minutes, the two locked gazes with one another. Finally, Nimue sighed.

"Ever since I met King Arthur, I'd always known he'd be a great ruler. He would be the Once and Future King. He was strong, loyal, steadfast, and brave. However, he was stubborn, fretful, and he didn't always see all the details that built the big picture. He even suffered bouts of disastrous rage. Yet, I knew he'd do his utmost for the good of the land. That was why I gave him Excalibur to replace the weapon that he'd lost. I see that you carry his previous sword, Caliburn."

Arthur's finger twitched, as if by reflex at its mere mention. Even without him carrying it, she could sense its aura closeby.

"Contrary to what the Vatican will tell you, Excalibur and Caliburn were not forged by their alchemists or Heaven. Excalibur was forged from the wonders and magic of fairies and the ancient mystics of England. It is a sword meant to protect this realm and its people. Caliburn was created through consolidated magic from the realm, Merlin, me, and a certain dragon. Perhaps…if you are indeed worthy, then you just might be trustworthy enough to know. If the sword can be wielded by you, then it must see something within you that few others have." Nimue groaned.

Opening her palm, a blue wisp formed in her hands.

"This will guide you to Merlin. Since you refuse to accept my help, then you shall have his. The House of Pendragon must remain until the return of the Once and Future King, no matter what. The future may depend on it. However, before you leave, ask yourselves this: if someone is a threat, not just to themselves, but others as well, would you terminate them, even if there's the smallest speck of good within them?"

Arthur only regarded her, not answering as he considered her question. Nimue simply handed the wisp to Lefay as she floated back to the middle of the lake.

"Also, make sure to tell Merlin to stay away from me. I have no desire to speak or meet with him again. That wanker can take his courting and advances and piss off. If he comes near my Lake, I'll strike him dead." Nimue scoffed.

"But wait, how did you get imprisoned?" Lefay asked.

"We'll discuss that at another time when this chapter of the tale is over. You'd best hurry and complete your mission before you can do anything else." Nimue said as she dispersed into particles.

Before another word could be spoken, the Lady of the Lake disappeared, freed from an unknown prison. The trio looked at Lefay's hands, where blue wisp glowed brightly, serving as their only clue to where Merlin was.


They traversed endlessly into the forests a long way from Dozmary Pool, arriving at the base of a mountain. The entrance they were looking at, was utterly uninviting. It was dark, pitch-dark, as in, it screamed 'evil' and 'no-return'.

"So…anyone have some holy water, a rosary, and a bible?" Bikou asked.

"No, but we do have a glowing ball of gas that's creating a path leading into that cave." Lefay gestured towards the entrance.

"I really don't like this." Bikou grumbled.

When Arthur took a step forward, he instead held a hand in front of him.

"I'll do it."

Bikou took the first step inside but when he did…

"Ow!" His face smashed into an invisible wall. His nose crunched up and his lips moved upwards, which nearly made him lick the barrier.

He stumbled back and looked at the entrance and saw transparent ripples at the entrance where he'd touched.

"Okay, so a barrier."

"Maybe I should walk in first since I've got the wisp?" Lefay pointed out.

Doing as suggested, Lefay wasn't hit by an invisible force field like Bikou did. It was probably one of Nimue's tricks to ensure that only someone she trusted was allowed to go in. She must've seriously hated Merlin to go this far that only she or someone she trusted was allowed to go in.

Continuing into the dark and damp tunnel, the three eventually came across a wall of stone that was covered in runes and magic circles. However, Lefay noticed something. There were small blue shimmering lights peeking through from the cracks.

"Stand back." Bikou said.

With a precise, powerful, but controlled strike, he broke through the pile of boulders and revealed the source of the light that Lefay saw. It was a magnificently shining blue wall of crystal that blocked the entire path forward.

"So, if Merlin is as powerful as legends say, how come he's never busted out?" Bikou asked.

"Merlin was known to be incredibly powerful. He helped forge Caliburn, saw the future, knew a plethora of spells, and was skilled in many other things. However, he was known to have personality flaws, such as his devotion to his lovers. I'm sure Nimue lured him in here and used magic so powerful that not even Merlin could escape, since her limits are higher than his." Lefay hypothesized.

"Or, he chose not to." Arthur suggested.

"Either way, we need to get a move on." Lefay held up the wisp to the wall of crystal.

As she approached, she could feel the wisp pulsating faster and faster in her hands. This was it. Behind this wall, was Merlin. It had to be him.

Lefay pressed the wisp into the wall, causing it to be absorbed. Instantly, the entire cave began trembling. The three stood on their guard, waiting for something to attack them or for the ceiling to cave in. Suddenly, the wall in front of them began rumbling even more. Lefay pointed her wand at it, pushing at it with magic. Dissolving, the wall turned into particles and revealed a massive room made of crystal. It shimmered like a disco ball, with light sparkling everywhere. However, what had everyone's attention was who was in the middle of the room.

"It's been a long time, Arthur."


Alright, so, Issei might be in the hospital again. Kuroka might be knocked out and taken wherever. Vali's gotta clean up the mess. And, now Arthur, Lefay, and Bikou just met someone that they don't know, but clearly knows them or one of them.

Boy, another semi-cliffhanger. I guess I'm starting to transition back into that phase of my writing. Still, if you want to know who it is, then you're gonna have to tune in next time to read the next chapter. Until then, I wish you a good day/night, and thanks for reading again.