A tense atmosphere hung over Camelot like a damp blanket that was barely able to keep a downpour of dread from drowning them overhead.
Soldiers were moving around nonstop under the orders of the Knights of the Round Table. The knights themselves were not being idle. In the few days since they met in Kyle's room, Lancelot and the others had been leading soldiers against an increasing number of small skirmishes.
The people of Camelot have now realised the gravity of the situation. But there was nothing they could do other than pray and trust in their 'heroes'. Meanwhile, Caelum and Erta were in Kyle's room, busy preparing for an unknown battle.
Both of them were of the same mind that the war between Camelot and the Wild Hunts was not the only thing waiting for them in this dungeon. If anything, it was but a prelude to something else.
The dragon veins still weighed heavily on their minds. There was something about that strange energy that struck them odd. None of the other Chosen seemed to have sensed it which was why neither Caelum nor Erta brought it up. But they knew that it was connected to the real threat.
On the large bed, the two sat with their backs against each other. They have already changed into more comfortable clothes provided for them by the servants of the palace.
They pressed their backs against each other, their stigmata touching and resonating with the connection formed by the Life Covenant.
Erta stirred her holy mana, her body glowing with bright golden light. Caelum fused his Serenity and Chaos and let them flow through the connection. It reached Erta's body and pulled her holy mana into his body.
The moment the holy mana entered him, it erupted with power, multiplying in intensity and concentration before being pushed back into Erta's body again. That process repeated several times until both of them were glowing brightly. So bright, in fact, that their figures could no longer be seen.
Santana screamed the moment she opened the door to the room. Merlin, who was fortunately behind her, hid away quickly.
They were supposed to gather today for a final meeting, but they were instead blinded by an terrifyingly bright light and blazing heat. They could not enter the room even if they wanted to.
The power within that light was pulsing so strongly that the mana in their bodies were reacting to it. Soon, Lancelot arrived together with Galahad and Kyle. They wondered why the girls were not entering the room, but the girls did not bother saying anything.
Kyle thought they were just being embarrassed to enter a man's room alone and opened the door to lead them inside. Of course, he screamed like a child when his eyes were assaulted, stinging from the extreme light.
And in perfect timing, the light quickly died. It receded and was drained back into Caelum and Erta's bodies. The steam rising from them was the only evidence of whatever they had done. They had been immersed deep in that process for several hours and only now finished in time for the meeting.
"What the hell are those two doing?"
"We don't know either. We've been waiting here for a while, but they were already like that even before we got here."
"That light was insane. My body got weak after it hit me."
"My eyes! It stings!"
The group watched the couple on the bed. They were both drenched in sweat even though they were not moving. Their eyes were closed, but they seemed to be talking.
The group moved closer to hear what they were saying, and realised that they were reciting incantations. While Erta's was of a language completely unknown to them, Caelum's incantation was in English.
At least until the words turned into a garbled mess of screeches and noise. It was as though there was something preventing them from hearing it.
And then, the two's eyes opened. Their completely synchronised breathing immediately became rough and ragged as exhaustion washed over them. Santana spoke to them cautiously.
"Are you two alright?"
"We'll begin in a minute. Just… let us rest first."
Merlin brought them a glass of water each while the rest sat all around the room. They were silent as they wondered what the two had been doing all this time. That bright light was a power unlike anything they had felt before. It contained something other than mana that they did not recognise.
It did not take long for the two to recover from the fatigue. Caelum helped Erta stand up and drew a curtain to cover them before changing into their combat suits. The others awkwardly looked away as Caelum began speaking from behind the covers.
"Lancelot, how are the preparations going?"
"They're done. We can move out anytime. Just say the word."
"Good. Tristan, any word from the scouts?"
"The barbarians have slowed down near the edge of the forest. They couldn't see further than that since the enemy was being very vigilant. Overall, it's pretty quiet. Quite the opposite of the north."
"How are things in the north, Gawain?"
"It's been crazy. The units we've sent beforehand have been fighting almost everyday. The fairies have a large variety of beings among them so it's difficult to stick to a single tactic every time. What's worse is that we get reports of screams at night and dead soldiers being found the next morning. We're losing morale, to be honest."
"Banshees, quite the annoying things. But it doesn't matter now. Those are just petty tricks meant to shave off our power before the true battle begins. After this meeting, the fairies won't be able to avoid a confrontation anymore."
The curtains opened up to reveal Caelum and Erta in their black and white suits. The exhaustion had already left them as they looked energised and more than ready to participate in the battle.
The group looked at them and remembered the extremely bright light coming from their bodies just moments ago. Santana, who had been the first victim, asked in place of everyone.
"Hey, what was that light earlier? It was so bright and terrifyingly powerful."
"That's insurance. Just pray that we don't have to use it. Anyway, as planned, the rest of the army will march north today. Every one of you needs to be there to fulfil your roles according to the dungeon's conditions. Galahad, your mission is more important than the others'. Leave the fighting to them as much as possible and focus on finding and securing your friend."
"Yes, I understand."
"Good. Then I'll head out to the east immediately. Everyone, begin your march as well. Listen to Erta's instructions when you're out there."
Caelum turned to the side and found Erta fixing up some minor details on his suit. She did not seem like it, but she was worried about him. Even if they knew that there was something wrong with this dungeon, they could not prepare for it when they knew nothing else other than its existence.
"Honey, take care."
"You too."
Erta kissed Caelum on the cheek. He could feel her anxiety through their connection. She knew that even if he was strong, fighting against an entire army alone with a god leading them was incredibly dangerous even if the god was just a fake.
However, Caelum had no intention of fighting Odin's Wild Hunt head on. His job was just to whittle their numbers down while ascertaining their strength. He would evaluate them to prepare Camelot's army before the final battle began.
Caelum kissed Erta as well to reassure her. Since they met, this would be the first time they separated from each other. It would be a lie if he said he was not nervous for both Erta and himself. Their destinations were different, but were both equally dangerous.
Before he dwelled in the mounting anxiety of the unknown, however, he left through the window. He shot across the sky without even leaving a trail in his wake. It was evident that he had gotten stronger. The only question was by how much.
"Okay, everyone. Let's move. We need to obliterate the fairies quickly and help Cal against the barbarians."
Erta, who was usually silent when around other people, immediately took control of the group. Lancelot sighed in relief. It seemed he did not really like being the leader and was more than happy to relegate the position to someone better suited for it.
Everyone began moving according to Erta's words. That morning, Camelot's entire army, excluding the garrison left to protect that city, began marching northward.
The people of Camelot watched them with worry, but cheered for them loudly. Having the support of the people they were fighting to protect was important to an army's morale.
Unlike when she first traveled to Camelot, Erta made the army march much faster. Fortunately, they were not so weak that increasing the pace of the march would exhaust them before they could even reach the battlefield.
The Knights of the Round Table led by Lancelot, Tristan, Gawain and Galahad were doing an excellent job inspiring their soldiers. Even with just this, they have already played their roles well.
Even Merlin, who did not have much of a leadership position considering her role, was helping out by casting supportive magic on the soldiers. Thus, the army of Camelot reached the battlefield in less than a day.
However, the moment they arrived, a gate opened up in the night sky above them. A cavalry of deathly riders came flooding out. Leading them was an armoured horseman who held its detached head with its left arm.
It was a dullahan.