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The family representatives were all gathered in discussion, and even the lords, despite their composed expressions, seemed a bit gloomy.

Their influence held significant weight, and they had a wide network of information sources. As they gathered here, they already had some notions in mind.

"And not just that, these phantoms are appearing all over the world," Marisbury gestured toward the window, where a white dragon soared in the sky. "In Egypt, there's a phantom of a Phoenix, in Ireland, fairies are making appearances; and in Mesopotamia, temples are manifesting..."

"What are you trying to say, Lord Animusphere?"

Marisbury's tone turned serious, "The Age of Gods is awakening!"

"Thwack!"

One of the Lords forcefully slammed the table, rising from their seat and staring at Marisbury with an intense gaze, demanding, "Lord Animusphere, are you even aware of what you're saying? You're insinuating that the gods are going to return to earth!"

"Of course, I know." Marisbury nodded and then extended his palm, using Animusphere magecraft to project a simulation of the planet. "Take a look for yourselves—"

Everyone turned their gaze to it, and their expressions shifted to ones of astonishment and disbelief. "This... this can't be real!"

Waver Velvet's brows knitted together, and he murmured, "The ley lines... they're shifting!"

As he pointed out, the alterations shown on the projected planet were, in fact, changes in the ley lines!

Kenneth's expression grew more serious, and he remarked, "Altering the ley lines equates to reshaping the very foundation. It's a seismic event with global ramifications... What on earth could have triggered this?"

"I don't know," Marisbury shook his head. "I've proposed the 'Chaldea' plan several times, but not many Lords were on board, and even those who hold a lot of influence in the world were hesitant. At this point, I'm just as clueless about what's really going on."

A heavy silence settled over the group.

Years back, Marisbury Animusphere had foreseen a massive disaster happening in 2004, and he had proposed building Chaldea for observation and recovery. However, nobody took him seriously back then. And now, this colossal event of planetary change had taken place.

And with the gods making their return...

It would undoubtedly spell catastrophe for humanity!

And at this moment, Lorelei said, "Let's set Chaldea aside for now, Lord Animusphere. With your magecraft, you should already have sensed the source of this planetary change, haven't you?"

"Fuyuki City," Marisbury said.

"In Fuyuki City...!?" Waver was taken aback.

A ripple of astonishment spread across the faces of those present as they exchanged incredulous glances.

"What's happening there, Lord Animusphere?"

Marisbury shook his head, "I don't know. The place has been isolated by the Counter Force. Even my magecraft can't observe what's happening there."

The group exchanged concerned glances.

And at that moment—

A resounding "thud" echoed, and the earth trembled beneath them.

"What's going on?"

"What happened?"

"Could the gods be making their return?"

The representatives of the families were becoming somewhat panicked. 

"Silence!" Lorelei scolded. 

The people gradually quieted down.

A representative from one of the families asked, "Lord Barthomeloi, what's happening?"

"There's something going on in Albion, but don't worry, someone will take care of it."

Once the meeting ended, Marisbury headed out.

At the entrance, King Solomon was waiting for him.

"Were you waiting for me, Solomon?"

King Solomon didn't answer and just stared at him, his eyes distant.

Marisbury tilted his head upward, his gaze following the graceful flight of the white dragon across the sky, before returning his attention to King Solomon. He asked, "What do you think of this situation, Solomon?"

King Solomon remained unresponsive, his eyes distant, as though he were the embodiment of emptiness.

Marisbury stated, "The source of this mess can be traced back to the Eternal King."

"The Eternal King..." Solomon finally reacted.

A smile touched Marisbury's lips. He then turned away and left without looking at him.

...

Deep below the streets of London lay the Tomb of Albion, a subterranean resting place for a dragon of old. This crypt wasn't just a final resting place; it also served as a primary source of rare magical resources crucial to the Clock Tower. The tomb's design closely mirrored the Inner Sea of the Planet, a majestic testament to the dragon's legacy.

Hidden under the city, between reality and the Fairy Land, the Tomb of Albion lacked real-world coordinates, with time and space being ambiguous.

In that moment, the tomb's lowest level was in a state of great turmoil. Countless fairies, all under the command of the Fairy Queen, surged out from the Fairy Land, only to be repelled by an array of spells dotting the underground.

The Fairy Queen, on the brink of manifesting, angrily cried out, "Morgan—!"

But once again, she was suppressed by the might of numerous spells.

A sigh of relief escaped the witch's lips as she lowered the hood that had concealed her face, carefully tucking her staff back into the folds of her cloak.

She turned her gaze toward the bespectacled, black-haired girl with twin tails standing at her side. With a touch of gratitude, she addressed her, "Thanks, Hinako."

"Don't call me by that dumb name!" The girl's charming expression twisted in displeasure as she retorted.

The witch looked somewhat awkward, "But the name you've registered now is Hinako."

[Note: Hinako Akuta is a True Ancestor, also known as Consort Yu or the Crimson Beauty Under the Moon.]

"Hmph. Whatever. I only came to the Clock Tower because of that guy's invitation in order to avoid humans. Who would've thought that humans would end up in such a mess?" Hinako's tone dripped with disdain, her lips curling into a sneer. "It's honestly pretty funny!"

At that moment, a fresh wave of fairies surged out from the Fairy Land. The witch quickly used her spells to suppress them before turning to Hinako, requesting, "Could you give me a hand?"

"Seriously? Do I really have to?" Hinako's response carried an irritable edge as she drew out a blade engulfed in flames.

Once the task was accomplished, Hinako sheathed her sword, settled herself into a seated position, book in hand, and looked at the witch. Curiosity laced her tone as she asked, "I just don't get it. You're not human, and we're both supernatural beings. It'd actually be to our advantage if humans were wiped out. So why bother helping them?"

"I used to be a Human King... Well, a pretty bad one at that. So, it's only natural for me to lean towards humanity's side."

"Oh, now I remember. The first time we met, you mentioned being the former king of this land. You'd been suppressing that fairy for over fifteen hundred years. She was even your subordinate back then..." Hinako chuckled and went on, "It's pretty amusing. The ex-King and her subject, turned enemies for fifteen centuries. It's quite fitting for the ugliness of humanity. I'm almost tempted to give you a round of applause!"

The witch gave a bitter smile and replied, "She wasn't my subordinate, and I definitely wasn't her king... and... she's completely mad now. She's out for her former king's blood. There's no way to communicate with her anymore."

Just then, another wave of fairies came out from the Fairy Land. The witch heaved a sigh and said, "Could you help me again?"

"Don't get too chummy with me!" Hinako shot the witch an icy glare before unsheathing her blazing sword and driving off a swarm of fairies.

After successfully repelling the fairies, just as the witch was about to voice her thanks, she received a communication from someone.

"Morgan, I need your help with something," the voice of the Flower Mage echoed in her ears.

"What is it?"

"Go find Solomon and bring him to the King!"

The witch didn't probe for details and instead expressed her worry, "Finding Solomon won't be difficult. The problem is that the connection between the Fairy Land and the real world has grown even stronger. If I leave, she could invade the real world at any moment."

"Well..." The Flower Mage also looked hesitant, saying, "Fuyuki City is already isolated by the Counter Force. We can't guarantee that nothing will happen to the King... I'm preparing to manifest through a Saint Graph there, and you..."

"I'm out of options, Merlin. You know my situation. I've become a Dead Apostle. The Throne of Heroes won't accept me, and my reputation has soured among the others, making them unwilling to lend me their Saint Graph. I can't go there," the witch sighed in resignation.

Meanwhile, Hinako unsheathed two fiery blades, declaring, "Get lost, Morgan le Fay!"

"What?" The witch looked at her in confusion.

"Eight hundred years ago, you saved me once. This time, consider us even. Go away!" Hinako turned her back.

The witch's gaze softened, "Thank you, Yuu."

With that, she turned and left.

Stepping out of the Tomb, the witch Morgan le Fay cast her eyes upon the white dragon soaring through the sky and felt a sinking feeling in her heart.

How could she not recognize that white dragon?

Over a millennium and a half ago, it had stood as the King's greatest enemy; it was none other than the White Dragon, Vortigern!

"Could the white dragon... have returned?"

The witch's brow knitted as she scrutinized the creature, and a moment later a breath of relief escaped her lips.

The white dragon wasn't a physical entity, but rather a faint illusion.

However, it wasn't time to relax just yet because she could perceive that the white dragon was gradually transitioning from an ethereal form to a tangible entity.

This unexpected materialization was connected to the strange disturbances in Britain Island's ley lines, causing profound shifts in the very core of the planet.

And at the heart of these disturbances was the ominous black mist that now shrouded the sky.

"What exactly is that thing?" The witch gazed up at the sky, her thoughts escaping her lips in a soft murmur.

Over fifteen hundred years, she had encountered many mysteries. One could say there were very few things in this world she couldn't recognize. Yet, she had never seen something like this!

Altering the ley lines, which in turn changed the planet's foundation, led to upheavals in nature, the gradual return of the Age of Gods...

No, it couldn't be labeled as a return.

It was more like a restoration!

What was going to happen?

And what had set this chain of events into motion?

Most importantly... 

"My king, sister... Are you both safe?" 

In the depths of the witch's heart, there was concern.

...

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