Chapter VI – Divine Realm of the Round Table: Camelot.
"Oof! An explosion..."
Da Vinci-chan, piloting the ornithopter and keeping an eye on the refugees, glanced irritably into the rearview mirror. Ritsuka, having laid the unconscious Mash on the back seat, flinched at the sudden roar behind them.
It seemed Deadpool had indeed clashed with Gawain. But Gawain's Noble Phantasm had flared up a moment earlier. Then that light and explosion...
"What a fool!" Da Vinci fumed: she hadn't understood Deadpool's antics since meeting that Archer Knight. "I have enough problems with Mash here, and he decided to heroically stop Gawain! He should have slipped away quietly, idiot..."
What worried her even more were Ritsuka's words about Mash's breakdown. The Shield Bearer, who hadn't left her master's side, had dropped her shield just to protect him. A bad premonition plagued Da Vinci. Could Deadpool be involved?
"Oh! Look, there's a refrigerator..."
While Da Vinci was lost in thought, Ritsuka noticed something strange: in the sky, tossed by the blast wave at the city gates, flew an ordinary refrigerator.
"Ritsuka, what are you talking about? What refrigerator in this era? That's nonsense..." Da Vinci trailed off as the wildly spinning appliance came into view. "...No way?! It really is a refrigerator!"
But why, damn it, this one? While they were astonished, the refrigerator, after a series of somersaults, bounced on the ground a few times like a skipping stone and finally came to a halt, gliding a few more meters by inertia.
"I think there's someone inside."
Something bumped dully inside. The door was flung open, and two people tumbled out, as if from a sauna. They clung to each other with a death grip and were almost losing consciousness from the heat. One was, of course, Deadpool, the other a knight with a silver hand, unfamiliar to them.
"Listen, Teddy," Deadpool rasped, "I hope you're not poking me in the butt with your hand right now?"
"Oh! My apologies!"
Bedivere was so disoriented in the cramped space that he didn't even notice his prosthesis getting stuck between the mercenary's buttocks.
"Wade! You're back! But... why in a refrigerator?"
Ritsuka was genuinely happy for his comrade's return, although the method of transportation raised many questions.
"This is the best refrigerator in the world, it can even withstand a nuclear explosion! 'GoldStar', I think?" Deadpool checked the logo inside the chamber and gave a thumbs-up, as if filming a TV commercial. "That's right! 'GoldStar', built to last!"
Sweating profusely, he dragged Bedivere into the ornithopter.
"Can you explain what happened, Deadpool?"
"Oh, it's a long story, but if you insist..."
Da Vinci-chan could barely contain herself. She was on edge due to the injured Mash and the general confusion, but she still listened to Deadpool's story while he introduced his companion.
"I was a knight of the Round Table. Now... probably not... However, my name is Bedivere, Knight of the Silver Hand. It is an honor to meet the comrades of the Scarlet Mercenary," Bedivere smiled meekly.
The names of King Arthur and his knights were well-known, so Ritsuka and the others knew something about Sir Bedivere.
"Nice to meet you. But this hand..." Da Vinci squinted. "It's not just a prosthesis, is it?"
Bedivere didn't hide anything and held out his hand.
"Yes, it's an unusual item. It was created in imitation of the silver hand of the Celtic god of war, Nuada. Although it's not a Divine construct, with it I can stand against the knights of the Round Table."
"I've heard of it," Da Vinci nodded. "The Hand of Nuada, also known as Agarthram."
"Eye of Agamotto?" Deadpool chimed in. "Oof!" Da Vinci, with clear pleasure, landed a hook to his side.
"That's all I can say," Bedivere concluded. "Now we need to get away from the pursuit."
Da Vinci finished her pleasantries and accelerated, guiding the ornithopter after the refugees.
"What were you thinking when you rushed out there alone?!" she snapped at Deadpool again. "Never mind that Mash was out of her mind, your job is to protect the children! Did you forget that?!"
"Yeah, my job is to be a nanny. But you know, when you see innocent people being turned into mince before your eyes, something boils inside. I'm a mercenary, I kill, but I don't cut down those who are innocent. And these bastards don't care at all. It would infuriate anyone. Even Mash."
Looking at Mash, who was breathing heavily on Ritsuka's lap, they both understood that arguing now was pointless – it would only upset the master.
"And yet, it's good that you're alive."
"I'm almost immortal, so I can't be killed that easily. Besides, we have a contract..." Deadpool hesitated and awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
When the Holy City was far behind, and the ornithopter entered the vast desert, the knights ceased their pursuit. The refugees were given a short respite, and Ritsuka and his companions began to discuss their next plan.
"Now there's only one way – towards those mountains," one of the old men pointed. "They say there's a village there protected by the 'Mountain Elder'. They take in all the destitute, they'll surely let us in."
Ritsuka and the others decided to head for the mountain village. However, there was one problem.
"Wait... Didn't those Hassashins who kidnapped Nitocris go in that direction?"
If the kidnappers went into the mountains, there was a high probability of encountering them again. Relations were strained after that skirmish.
"We don't have to worry about the refugees, but we'll have problems," Da Vinci sighed. "I'm practically a knight of the Holy City, and the Master had a misunderstanding with them."
The situation was complex, but a solution was quickly found: the refugee representatives promised to put in a good word for them. The Hassashins were favorably disposed towards common folk, so there was a chance.
"We're leaving immediately. The fact that the knights have retreated doesn't mean anything yet. I have a bad feeling."
"Teddy's right. A woman's intuition never fails." Deadpool clapped Bedivere on the shoulder familiarly.
"Huh? Excuse me, Teddy... who? And what intuition?" Bedivere was taken aback. Deadpool looked at him as if the knight had said something foolish.
"Well, what? You're a girl. Aren't you? Or... wait. A guy?!"
"Of course! I'm a man by birth! And my name isn't Teddy, it's Bedivere!" He tried to defend his honor, but Deadpool merely squinted skeptically.
"Take off your pants! We'll check right away if you're a man or not. There's no way such a cutie could be a guy! Take them off, Teddy!"
"How can you... how can I, a knight, do such a thing..." Bedivere blushed and covered his face with his hands. "Are you out of your mind?! And I'm Bedivere!"
"Well done," Da Vinci sneered. "You've driven the only capable knight to a nervous breakdown."
"Oh, come on, be honest. Where have you seen such cute knights at the Round Table? He's unique! And think about it: he served Arthur until the very end. Surely not just as a loyal vassal?"
Bedivere, hearing this, suddenly remembered something from the past and let out a choked cry. Indeed, sometimes the king looked at him as if he saw a woman in him.
"See, his sanity is slipping!" Da Vinci shouted.
"What does that have to do with me? Ow! That hurts! I get it, I get it! My fault! Aaaaaah!!" Da Vinci first simply punched the mercenary with her fists, and then used her staff.
Having brought Bedivere back to his senses, the group moved on. Soon the desert ended, and the mountains that loomed in the distance rose before them in all their glory. Huge red rocks turned the place into a natural fortress. The harsh terrain and winding paths were ideal for holding back an enemy onslaught.
"Hmm..."
As they reached the border at the foot of the mountain, Mash, who had been unconscious until then, finally came to.
"Mash! You're awake?"
Seeing that she had opened her eyes, Ritsuka, wiping away tears of relief, hugged her tightly.
"Oh! S-Senpai?! People are watching us!"
She was clearly embarrassed, but she didn't pull away.
"Smile!" Click!
Deadpool didn't miss the moment and took a picture.
"Hey! Old lady! Mash is awake!"
Deadpool shouted this to Da Vinci-chan, who was surveying the mountains, and then jumped off the ornithopter and began checking the girl's condition.
"Mash, do you remember what happened?"
"Well... Senpai rushed to save the child, and I suddenly got so worried, I couldn't breathe... I shield... Oh my god!"
Mash's face contorted in pain. Ritsuka feared she would lose consciousness again, but Deadpool shook her by the shoulders, trying to calm her.
"Mash, Mash! Listen to me carefully. Nothing terrible happened. You just wanted to protect this young man. That's all. So don't blame yourself."
"Mister Pool..."
Soon Da Vinci-chan approached. Romani, who was receiving reports about the situation, was almost in tears of relief upon learning that Mash was all right.
"And yet, this voice of the invisible image is astonishing," Bedivere said, mesmerized, listening to Romani check Mash's condition. "Abilities on par with the best mages I've known."
[Oh, is someone praising me now?]
Bedivere, thoughtfully propping his chin, sincerely admired Romani's talent, but Deadpool couldn't leave such an atmosphere without his intervention.
"Oh, our Chick... he's so much of a chick that you can't even make nuggets out of him. He's nauseated by the sight of blood, and all he can do is rely on his iron parts. I heard he bought his medical degree with a bribe. We should check his dissertation for plagiarism."
[Hey, Mister Pool! I can hear everything!]
"And I'm speaking specifically for you, Doctor Pee-pee-pee."
[How rude...]
While this brief exchange continued, Ritsuka and Mash, having rested a bit, were playing with Rushid. Looking at them, Da Vinci-chan called Deadpool over.
"We'll need to talk when we have a moment. It concerns our previous conversation... Both you and Mash. Don't you think something strange is happening in this Singularity?"
Contrary to his usual habit of arguing about everything, Deadpool just nodded silently.
"Honestly, it worries me too, but the situation is too tense right now. We'll discuss it later."
And the situation indeed escalated. A refugee sent to scout ran back, out of breath: a detachment of soldiers returning to the Holy City, led by a Knight of the Round Table, had suddenly started pursuing them.
"They were returning to the Holy City and suddenly turned here? Can you describe that knight?"
"White armor, short purple hair, and a look like he's about to do something."
Based on this description, Bedivere immediately understood who it was.
"That's Sir Lancelot, Knight of the Lake. They say his Gift from the Lion King is 'Perseverance'. If he's started a pursuit, he won't back down. We need to hurry."
Bedivere ordered the refugees to ascend the mountain immediately. Meanwhile, Ritsuka's group had to delay the pursuers at all costs.
"With my 'Silver Hand'," Agarthram... Oops!"
Bedivere was about to step forward, but his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.
"I knew it. Even when you blocked Gawain's Phantasm, it seemed suspicious to me."
Deadpool helped Bedivere up.
"Go on, lead the refugees while I'm being nice. You're not in a state to fight right now. We'll handle it ourselves, leave."
Bedivere wanted to object, but remained silent and retreated to lead the people away.
"You guys go with them too. I can handle it alone."
Da Vinci-chan was hastily converting the ornithopter into something like a heavy tank, addressing Ritsuka and the others.
"Don't talk nonsense! And what are you going to do alone?"
To Deadpool's irritation, Da Vinci-chan, who would normally reply with a joke, merely smiled tensely, presenting her "Sphinx-2."
"It's called 'Second', but in reality, it's just a self-propelled bomb. If I ram them..." She paused. "...we'll at least buy time."
As she was about to take the pilot's seat, Deadpool blocked her path.
"What are you planning?"
"I have to fly."
"Why is that?"
"Because I set it up so it only works on my mana."
"And I'm asking – why the hell did you do that?!"
Da Vinci-chan didn't answer Deadpool's shout. Ritsuka and Mash, having already guessed what she was planning, tried to stop her with tears in their eyes.
"If we fight back together, there's a chance. In the worst case, I'll throw myself at them. I'm immortal anyway..."
"That's your problem! Always trying to solve everything alone! Did you forget your mission?! You have to protect Ritsuka and Mash! That's why I came with you."
After that sharp cry, Deadpool began to understand why she had decided to accompany them to this Singularity in the first place. He stopped bothering her.
"Mister Pool!"
"Wade!"
But Ritsuka and Mash didn't give up. They couldn't lose the one who was Chaldea's main support.
"Ritsuka! Mash! Why did you decide I'm going to my death? I'm the brilliant Leonardo da Vinci-chan. And geniuses are immortal. Besides... there's an emergency evacuation system there, so in the worst case, I'll just be captured. Don't worry so much."
"But...!"
Mash desperately wanted to stop her. She felt that it was all her own fault. From the moment they encountered the Hassans, she had felt her sanity gradually slipping away. Hatred for herself for succumbing to her instincts and losing control tore her apart from the inside.
"Mash, listen. You're okay. Nothing happened. You just... you just wanted to save Ritsuka. Am I right? So don't be afraid. We... we'll see each other soon."
Da Vinci-chan looked into Mash's eyes, who was on the verge of tears, and wiped away a tear. But even her warm "Mona Lisa" smile couldn't stop the girl's crying.
"Da Vinci-chan..."
Ritsuka felt the same way. He hated himself for only being able to watch. If only he were stronger...
"Old woman."
Deadpool no longer obstructed her, but he felt awful.
"I'm not going to die, you idiot! Want to know why? Our score is even now. Deadpool – two, me – two. Our game isn't over yet."
Da Vinci-chan forced a smile and climbed into the "Second." Just as she was about to leave, Deadpool blocked her path again.
"I won't lie, so listen. You won't die. You have to survive. Only then can we finish our argument. Remember that."
"Deal. And victory will be mine."
"No way!"
After these words, Da Vinci-chan in the "Second" rushed towards the pursuers.
"Take care of Ritsuka and Mash..."
Deadpool silently intercepted Mash and Ritsuka, who were trying to run after her. The girl struggled desperately, as if saying goodbye to a loved one, but it was all in vain.
"Mister Pool! You can't do this! We have to... Da Vinci-chan!"
"..."
Ignoring their pleas, Deadpool scooped them both up under their arms and silently dragged them up the slope.
"Wade! It's not too late..."
"Shut up, kid! My duty is to protect you! So... not another word!"
Deadpool tried to appear cold, but he bit his lips until they bled, suppressing the frantic desire to rush to their aid.
As they were high up, somewhere in the distance, in the heart of the barren desert, an explosion thundered.
***
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