British Lostbelt — Edge Coastline
Beneath the gray sky, a desolate coastline stretched endlessly into the distance.
No cries of seagulls. No rhythmic ebb and flow of the tides. Only an oppressively dense magical aura saturated the air, thick enough to choke on.
This was the Sixth Lostbelt — the domain of the Fairy Round Table. A world warped from its very roots.
"Is this… Britain?"
Mash stood atop a jagged rock by the shore, shield faintly glowing as she scanned the surroundings with wary eyes. "The concentration of magical energy is abnormally high. It's like we've returned to the Age of Gods… No — even denser than that. It feels like we're submerged directly in an ether solution."
"Of course, Mash."
Kirschtaria Wodime descended the Shadow Border's ramp with elegant grace, his magical robes fluttering in the sea breeze. "This is the Fairy Kingdom — a paradise for magus, and at the same time, a terrifying hell."
Behind him, the Dream Team — a group capable of stopping the hearts of every magus in human history — was gradually disembarking.
"Oh my, this air is terrible for the skin."
Pepe covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief, disgust written plainly across his face. "It smells rotten and stagnant… like a canned good left forgotten for three thousand years."
"Stop complaining, Pepe."
Kadoc yawned, dark circles still visible beneath his eyes, though he looked far more relaxed than before. "As long as we don't freeze to death like we did in Russia, we'll manage."
"Hmph. Boring."
Caenis, spear in hand, kicked a loose stone. "Hey, where's that Morgan woman? I'm smashing her palace to pieces right now!"
"Calm down, Greek tyrant."
The last figure spotted near the hatch was Steve.
He no longer wore his signature red military uniform. Instead, he had changed into an elaborate, futuristic white cloak. Several small, star-like floating orbs orbited him, and his entire bearing had shifted in an instant from Iron-Blooded Hero to Profound Sage.
"We've arrived, yet the owner of this place doesn't appear particularly welcoming."
Steve raised his hand and lightly touched the empty air with his fingertip.
Sizzle—!
Purple sparks scattered. A massive, invisible barrier shimmered into existence for a single moment before vanishing without a trace.
"What was that…?"
Ritsuka asked, puzzled.
"Morgan's Rejection."
Steve explained calmly, "If this were an ordinary Servant, even a forced Spiritron transfer would result in being violently repelled the instant they touched that barrier."
"In other words, Ritsuka, you won't be able to use the briefcase for a while."
"Eh? Then we're…"
Ritsuka had just begun to worry about their combat strength when she turned around.
She saw the A-Team leaders still bickering, the monk casually eating mapo tofu, Senji Muramasa sharpening his blade with focused intensity, and the Director standing with arms crossed, wearing her usual arrogant expression.
"…Well, it doesn't seem to affect us much after all."
Ritsuka quietly swallowed her anxiety.
As for me…
Steve smiled. The star orbs at his fingertips suddenly accelerated, releasing a strange fluctuation that belonged neither to Earth nor the Present.
"Morgan's barrier is built upon the laws of Planetary Mysticism. That means she can control every form of mysticism within the Earth's sphere."
"Unfortunately for her…"
"What I'm using is cosmic magecraft from one billion years in the future."
"Using the Planet's rules to restrict visitors from the Universe? That's as ridiculous as trying to stop a meteor with a fence."
As Steve finished speaking, the magical fluctuations around him abruptly changed — as though they had leapt free of this world's coordinate axis, becoming an elusive, ghostly signal.
Morgan's barrier, for all its power, was nothing more than a faulty firewall when faced with an entirely different dimensional power system. Steve pierced through it effortlessly.
"Alright, everyone's logged in."
Steve clapped his hands once. "Next — we cross the forest ahead. Stay close. Don't get separated."
…
Nameless Forest
As the group advanced deeper inland, the scenery grew increasingly unsettling.
The trees twisted and gnarled like tormented human figures. Thick fog rose from the ground, swallowing vision and slowly eroding the senses.
"This is strange…"
Mash tightened her grip on her shield, brows furrowed. "Senpai… it feels like something is leaking out of my brain…"
"Me too."
Ophelia pressed her temples. In the fog, a demonic light flickered within her eyes. "Names… concepts… This fog is trying to steal our very definition of existence."
"This is the Nameless Forest."
Steve's voice drifted from ahead, laced with faint mockery. "Normally, everyone would lose their memories here, scatter, and put on a grand self-discovery performance."
"…Eh? Memory loss?"
U-Olga Marie, walking in the center of the group, suddenly stopped.
The two horns on her head trembled. An indescribable flame ignited in her golden eyes.
"What a joke… As Director, I've finally regained my memories! I've finally remembered that I am the head of the Animusphere family! I've finally escaped that damned Alien God's control!"
"Is this accursed forest trying to make me lose my memory again?!"
The surrounding fog, sensing her rage, grew thicker, attempting to suppress the restless intruder.
"Fools who don't even know of their own deaths…"
U-Olga Marie sneered and raised her right hand. A pitch-black energy sphere — like a miniature black hole — instantly formed in her palm.
"Listen well, you brainless plants and fog!"
"I am the Director of Chaldea! The successor of the Animusphere! The former U-Olga Marie who once ruled the surface of this planet — though that was a dark chapter in her history!"
"My name is an absolute coordinate engraved upon the stars! How could you possibly erase it with such low-level curse concepts?!"
"Move aside!"
BOOM—!!!
A deafening roar shook the air. The black hole in U-Olga Marie's hand erupted.
It was neither magic nor a magical artifact. It was pure, merciless, unreasonable violence — a Beast-level gravitational wave capable of distorting physical laws.
The dense fog that had blanketed the area was instantly shredded, like smoke scattered by a hurricane.
Concepts such as curse of oblivion or conceptual deficiency were nothing more than jokes before absolute quality.
A single strike.
The fog covering several miles vanished completely.
The once-gloomy, terrifying Nameless Forest was now bathed in the warm hues of long-vanished sunset clouds. Sunlight poured down unobstructed upon everyone.
"Hmph. Truly pathetic."
U-Olga Marie brushed nonexistent dust from her palm and raised her chin arrogantly.
"A barrier of this level isn't even useful for morning exercise."
"…"
Silence fell over the group behind her.
"That…"
Ritsuka weakly raised her hand. "Director, you're incredibly cool… but it seems you've also blasted the road ahead into a highway."
What had once been dense forest was now a perfectly flat, wide road — broad enough for an aircraft carrier to sail through — stretching far into the distance.
"Ah, this saves us the trouble of road clearing." Pepe smiled and clapped. "As expected of the Director. A true nuclear peace solution."
"Um! This is strategic obstacle removal! Strategic!"
U-Olga Marie's face flushed as she defended herself.
…
At the edge of the Nameless Forest, behind one of the few surviving large trees.
A figure wearing a blue-and-white princely robe, small wings on his back, trembled as he hid behind the trunk.
Oberon.
According to the original script, he was supposed to encounter the memory-lost protagonists here, then play the role of a kind older brother who would gently guide their pilgrimage.
But at this moment, the future villain — the incarnation of lies — stared with wide eyes at the massive, intimidating army bulldozing its way toward him like a living siege engine. His expression twisted rapidly, as though he had swallowed a hundred flies.
Are you kidding me?!
Oberon roared inwardly.
Were those actually humans? Were they truly the saviors sent by human history?!
Who was that silver-haired woman leading them?
Was that simulated black hole from earlier?
Exactly — it was a black hole!
It casually erased the Nameless Forest that had stood for thousands of years?!
And that man in the red shirt… He's smiling so brightly, yet he feels even more dangerous than Cernunnos. What kind of monster came out of that star system?!
And that mage with the staff… that monk eating spicy mapo tofu… that samurai with killing intent carved into his face…
Oberon wiped cold sweat from his forehead.
His original script had been perfect: protagonists lose memories → feel powerless → meet kind Fairy King → build trust → ultimate betrayal.
But now?
Did these people even need his guidance?
If he jumped out right now and said "I've come to help," that short-tempered silver-haired woman would probably throw a black hole at him too!
This script was unplayable. Absolutely unplayable!
Oberon gritted his teeth. His once-handsome face, crafted to deceive, twisted into a large, awkward expression.
Vortigern… Oh, Vortigern… What gods did you anger to bring this upon us…?
…
Cornwall Village
Thanks to U-Olga Marie's physical road opening, the group quickly passed through the forest and arrived at the legendary Village of the Exile Fairies.
The fairies here had once lost their names and purpose, living peaceful yet confused lives.
Today, that peace was shattered.
When the fully armed and intimidating group particularly Caenis entered the village, the fairies who had been sunbathing or daydreaming were seized by terror and huddled in corners.
"Who are these people…?"
"How terrifying… That silver-haired woman is really scary…"
"Are they here to kill us?"
Ritsuka was about to step forward to reassure them and show Chaldea's friendly intentions.
Before she could speak, however, Steve had already moved ahead.
He wore a warm, friendly smile.
Yet behind that smile lurked an oppressive aura that instinctively instilled fear in every fairy present.
"Greetings, residents of Cornwall."
Steve's calm voice resonated clearly throughout the entire village.
"We come from the entirety of human history… You may call us the Demolition Squad if you prefer."
"You may not understand what that means. That's fine."
"What matters is that, from this moment forward, this village has been requisitioned as our temporary base."
"Of course, as civilized people, we won't simply take your belongings for free."
Steve snapped his fingers. The displeased-looking Senji Muramasa stepped forward, drew a newly forged short sword still glowing with magical light, and casually thrust it into the ground.
"This is your deposit."
"Behave yourselves, and in the future you'll receive many more of these shiny little gadgets."
The surrounding fairies' eyes widened at the sight of the magical artifact that could instantly boost the combat power of lower fairies.
Fear? It no longer existed.
For these simple, greedy creatures, anything shiny meant the Demolition Squad and Demon King were instantly rebranded as honored guests.
"Wow! So beautiful!"
"Is that for us?"
"Welcome! Welcome! We warmly welcome you!"
Seeing the fairies instantly switch sides and begin fawning over Senji Muramasa, Ritsuka's lips twitched.
"Um… Steve, we're supposed to be ally of justice, right? This feels a bit…"
"Like villains?" Steve turned and winked. "Ritsuka, remember this well."
"In the Fairy Kingdom, kindness is the lowest-value currency."
"Here, only power and interest serve as the common language."
He looked toward the distant silhouette of Camelot. The smile in his eyes gradually turned cold.
"Alright… We've secured our first outpost."
"Let's rest here for a while and see if those lost little bugs come crashing into us."
…
Deep in the distant forest, a certain little bug that had been secretly observing the situation suddenly shuddered and shrank further into the shadows.
…
PS: Please support me and read advanced chapters at patreon.com/AbsoluteCode