After the Meeting, Crusch gathered all mercenaries and members of the expedition in one place and gave a speech. Arturia mounted her Ground Dragon beside Crusch and both of them were facing around three hundred people who joined this expedition.

Felix mounted her ground dragon on Crusch’s right while Reinhard mounted his on Arturia’s left.

Crusch controlled her Ground Dragon and took a step forwards. She hardened her expression and shouted.

“Alright, people! This day had come! Today, we will take down the beast that had existed since 400 years ago! Today will be the day that will be remembered. It was time for us to make history! This story will be passed to the future, there are two choices!”

Crusch paused a little. The crowd in front of them had various expressions. Excitement, Bravery, some of them were looking forward to being passed down in history. But, one expression had spread more than those, it was Fear. Fear towards the beast.

It was Crusch and Arturia’s job to wash those Fears off everyone’s face. It was a hard job, but Arturia was confident that she could do it.

“It looked like some of you didn’t believe that we could take the Hakugei today.” Said Crusch as she looked around the crowd.

The crowd went silent, that time, Arturia stepped forward with her Ground Dragon and shouted.

“Don’t worry! You are the chosen one, we will gain the victory. Believe in me, and believe in my Knight. All of you just need to follow us from behind, watch us! I don’t say that you will be useless, no! You will be the most important of us, as you will be the one who will dealt the killing blow towards Hakugei, one of the three Great Beasts!”

The crowd began shouting loudly alongside Arturia.

“Woooohhh!!!!!”

“LET’S GOOOO!!!”

“We will kill that whale!!”

Arturia nodded her head a little and unsheathed her Caliburn. Crusch also unsheathed the sword on her waist. Both of them raised their sword and Arturia shouted.

“Raise your weapon! Let’s shout it, shout your bravery! More importantly, let’s shout for our victory!”

The mercenaries in the crowd raised all kinds of weapons. Sword, spear, hammer, there was even someone who raised staff amongst the crowd.

As if they understood something, all of them shouted at the same time.

“””OOOHHHHH!!!!”””

Crusch turned her Ground Dragon and then swung her sword, “Let’s go! It’s time to hunt a whale!”

Crusch began to march forward with her Ground Dragon. Arturia followed her and marched forward, walking beside Crusch.

The mercenaries followed them from behind while shouting, and that went on for a few minutes.

***

The expedition members advanced through forests and plains until they finally arrived at the place that was informed by Subaru.

“So that is Flugel’s tree?” Arturia asked Reinhard beside her as she looked at the big tree that was higher than the cloud in the distance.

The tree was the biggest one that she saw. It was massive, but her gaze was taken away from something else. From the top of the tree, a mist began to form and a shadow appeared.

Arturia looked up and saw a white whale flying in the sky. A second later, a screeching sound came from above.

“Awoooooo!”

A lot of mercenaries covered their ears with their hands, but some of them were trembling while looking at the whale in the sky.

“So that’s Hakugei.” Said Crusch.

Arturia looked at Crusch and saw her having a smile on her face while looking up at the Hakugei. Wilhelm who stood beside Crusch had locked his sight to Hakugei. His face was calm, but he hid a fiery flame behind it. The flames of hatred.

Arturia looked at the Hakugei that began to approach them from the sky and jumped off her Ground Dragon. She unsheathed her sword, and without saying anything, the people around her gave her the space.

Crusch and the other retreated back. Reinhard pulled the rein of Stallion and brought it away.

Standing in front of the crowd, Arturia walked silently while holding her sword with both of her hands. The sword was glimmering, reflecting the sunlight. She held it while pointing the tip on the ground before she stopped moving.

Slowly, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She pulled her right leg back, and raised her sword, making it parallel with her shoulder.

The tip of the sword was pointed at Hakugei in the sky, a second later Arturia opened her eyes. Mana began to gather around her and her sword. The wind blew in her direction.

The mercenaries and Crusch who hadn’t yet to see Arturia utilizing mana were amazed. Wilhelm also took his gaze off the Hakugei and looked at Arturia. He glanced at Reinhard and saw him focusing his gaze on Arturia while smiling.

The Hakugei was on its halfway to the expedition squad. Arturia looked at the Hakugei and thought.

‘Half of my strength, that will be enough.’

The mana that gathered around Arturia had intensified, creating a small tornado around her. Her dress and hair danced around because of the wind until it finally settled.

“Please watch me. I will bring you victory.”

Arturia said in a low volume, but all people in the expedition squad heard her.

The mana around Arturia concentrated on her sword, and then she shouted.

“Sword of Selection, grant me power! Cleave the wicked, CALIBURN!”

She thrust her sword towards the Hakugei. A golden beam followed her thrust and it flew towards Hakugei at a fast speed.

It hit Hakugei in less than a second, but nothing happened. The mercenaries and Crusch looked at the attack that did nothing to Hakugei and turned confused.

“Nothing happened?” Muttered Felix.

A second later, Arturia lowered her stance, and then Hakugei exploded.

“Ngiiiiiiii!”

Hakugei let out a loud cry as his stomach exploded. The explosion happened several times and created a cloud of smoke.

“No way…” Said Crusch in disbelief.

“What power!” Exclaimed Wilhelm.

Everyone was shocked by the destruction, they just looked at the Hakugei who was crying in pain with an amazed look on their face.

The Hakugei began to fall to the ground. It was injured greatly and the right side of its stomach was gone because of Arturia’s attack.

Arturia raised her sword and shouted, “Let’s kill it!”

The Mercenaries who were surprised were brought back by Arturia’s shout and began to march towards Hakugei while shouting.

“Let’s go!! Arturia-sama had opened the path!”

“Follow me!” Wilhelm ran towards the Hakugei at a fast speed, faster than the Ground Dragon.

Reinhard approached Arturia and said, “It began. I hope nothing unusual happened. That was amazing, Milady.”

Arturia lowered her sword and answered, “Indeed. I hope nothing happened.”

She looked back at the road that they took to come here and frowned, “I hope this is just my feeling.”

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