When Artoria finally arrived on the island of Uzushio with her followers and students, she immediately felt that the island was full of life once more.
Only a few weeks ago, when she had first come here, nothing but death and abandonment had reigned.
Now it was different.
The air was filled with movement. With breath. With small, living sparks scattered all across the island.
Avalon stirred within her.
"How can there suddenly be so much life here? The last time you were here, the island was completely empty."
Artoria's gaze drifted calmly across the landscape.
"I know, Avalon. But I have a feeling. You must be able to sense it as well."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"These beings possess stronger life force than ordinary animals. And they are toads, slugs, and snakes, of all things."
A faint smile touched her lips.
"Doesn't that seem familiar to you?"
Avalon was silent for a moment.
Then her voice turned more thoughtful.
"You mean to tell me these are children from the three holy realms of this world?"
A short pause followed.
"But they are all so small. What are children doing here?"
"I would say they are seeking shelter," Artoria replied calmly. "Gamamaru can see the future — at least according to the lore of this world. I suspect he realized what I intend to create here."
Avalon's voice softened.
"That could indeed be true."
But before Artoria could think further on it, loud arguing tore her from her thoughts.
"Hey! Get your hands off Naruto-ne, you little vixen!"
Artoria turned her head.
Kurumi and Kaguya were both pulling on Naruto at the same time.
"You white-eyed monster!" Kurumi hissed. "He is my jinchūriki! I won't let any other vixen near him!"
Naruto's face twisted in pain as he was tugged back and forth between the two of them.
Then a shadow fell over all three.
Artoria was suddenly standing directly behind them.
Her voice was calm.
Far too calm.
"What," she asked slowly, "did I tell you two about Naruto?"
Kurumi's eyes widened at once.
Her nine tails drooped.
"But she's trying to take him away from me!"
Artoria bent down, effortlessly picked Kurumi up, and pressed her to her chest.
Then she began to gently stroke her head.
"It seems you really are a tsundere," she said with the faintest hint of a smile. "Deep down in your heart."
A soft purr escaped Kurumi before she could stop it.
"No one is taking Naruto away from you."
And yet, the moment Kurumi saw little Kaguya still holding onto Naruto, a low growl escaped her anyway.
Before she could say anything, she felt Artoria's hand on her head once more.
"Naruto needs this," Artoria whispered softly into her ear.
Not far away, Tsunade, Shizune, and Jiraiya watched the scene.
None of them could quite hold back their laughter.
Jiraiya was the first to recover.
"And what exactly is your plan here now?" he asked.
Artoria released Kurumi.
At once, the little vixen ran back to Naruto and Kaguya and demonstratively wrapped several of her tails around Naruto's legs.
Then Artoria lifted her gaze across the island.
Her blue eyes grew still.
Almost solemn.
"That," she said quietly, "you are about to see."
Artoria walked ahead of the group.
Her armor caught the sunlight and threw it back like liquid gold. Her golden hair moved in the wind, and her mere presence made it seem as though the world itself were waiting for her next command.
All across the island, animals lifted their heads.
Instinctively, they turned toward that aura which was spreading farther and farther across the land.
Then Rhongomyniad appeared in her hand.
Artoria came to a halt.
Slowly, she raised the Holy Lance.
"I, Artoria Pendragon, command you to bend to my will."
At that same instant, a wave of golden light spread across the entire island.
Trees shot up from the ground.
Flowers burst through stone and earth.
Dead land was brought back to life in a single breath.
"This place shall become the core of my new kingdom."
The energy sank into every stone, every root, every layer of the island until it reached deep into the earth itself.
New rivers were born.
Clear and luminous, they wound through the landscape as though they had always existed there. Fish shimmered within their waters as if even they had come here from a fairer world.
"It shall offer protection to all my subjects."
Along the slope of a mountain, walls of light and stone rose up.
Towers climbed skyward.
Hallways took shape.
Roads, gates, and battlements came into being.
There, where only ruins and emptiness had existed before, a city arose that had once been called Camelot.
Artoria's voice remained calm.
And for that very reason, it sounded all the more tremendous.
"It shall carry me and my subjects through the vastness of the multiverse."
Then she lowered Rhongomyniad and let its tip touch the ground.
A tremendous tremor ran through the island.
At first, only the land shook.
Then it slowly began to rise from the sea.
Rocks split apart.
Water poured down from the cliffs.
And piece by piece, Uzushio tore itself free from the world, as though it had never been meant to remain bound to a single place.
Artoria lifted her gaze to the heavens.
"Awaken, my divine realm… Avalon."
Her voice echoed across the island, through the new city, and far out over the sea.
All animals froze.
Tsunade, Shizune, Jiraiya, Naruto, Kurumi, and even little Kaguya could only stare at her.
More than one of them looked as though their eyes might fall right out of their heads.
Slowly, Artoria turned back toward them.
Then she inclined her head slightly.
"There," she said with perfect composure. "That is what I wanted to do with the island."
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"It is far more pleasant to possess a flying island than to have to walk everywhere on foot."
At that exact moment, the voice of the system rang out in her mind:
Universal Master System
Warning.
Mentor System v0.1 has suffered catastrophic overload.
Core personality module unstable.
Emotional support assistant unresponsive.
Cause: Host has exceeded the projected parameters of divine power.
A brief pause followed.
Then a new line appeared.
Emergency protocol initiated.
Would the Host like to install a new system?
Option 1: Standard replacement system
Option 2: Universal login system for all worlds