Summary:

After splitting into two groups to more effectively search France for the saint needed to remove Siegfried's curses, both Ritsuka and Jeanne's groups face unexpected difficulties. While they've been lucky thus far, there most always come a point where battles begin growing more costly, no matter how much one wishes to avoid it. Yet it is exactly in these costly situations where those called heroes can shine at their brightest.

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I'm actually alive! Yeah, bet anyone who hasn't followed the updates on my profile is pretty shocked right now. I'll go into more detail in the notes at the bottom, but for now, just enjoy a new Chapter after nearly a year of absence.

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Chapter 14: What Heroes Must Do

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"Hm? 'Where does my power stem from?' An apt question, indeed," Vlad chuckled, amusement and aggravation contesting for supremacy on his face. "Since you seem to already know of my true self, king Vlad III, who fought to protect his country, I won't go into any further details. My current self's power has nothing to do with it, after all." A confirmation that only made Lemminkäinen more confused. 'Nothing to do with it?' Then where did that kind of power come from? And yet, the answer was worse than anything he could've imagined. "At the moment of my summoning, I was shackled with Madness Enhancement, much like the other Servants, but I also received an additional burden: The distortion and degradation of my heroic legend, turned into a Noble Phantasm: Legend of Dracula. [The Succession of Blood] This abominable power is usually sealed away, yet it was activate immediately upon my summoning. Not that I don't understand why my Master desired it so. After all, this monster is far more suitable for slaughtering people than my heroic self."

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The Saber barely heard the last part, far too busy with keeping his anger under check. His hand was gripping on his sword hard enough that his knuckles looked ready to burst out of his skin. He felt like a kettle about to pop open from the heat, but kept himself together since there was still something he needed to confirm. "...Let me just get this straight. That power of yours comes from an ugly rumor that has gone way too far, to the point where it overrides your heroic acts?" He asked, voice straining. And when the Lancer nodded with a vicious grin, he almost lost it. He was mad. No. He was absolutely furious. Lemminkäinen was sure that there wasn't a time all throughout his life when he'd been this outraged. He'd been pissed off at the Dragon Rider before, but now... The grip on his sword tightening to the point where it could crush stone to dust, the Saber shook his head in an attempt to calm down, no matter how slightly. No. Before he could actually let loose, he still had one crucial question to ask. Locking his burning eyes onto the Lancer's monstrous orbs, he asked his final question. "...And you're just fine with this?"

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Silence... For several seconds, Vlad had absolutely no reaction, just standing there. And then, an enraged smile spread across his lips. "At first, I was obviously outraged, yet after spilling so much blood, I've already fallen as low as I can..." he chuckled pathetically, holding a hand on his chest. "A true devil, Dracul."

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...Yeah, that was it.

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With a burst of light and heat, the Saber's sword ignited barely below the force of his Noble Phantasm activation from earlier. His foe looked genuinely surprised by the explosive reaction, but Lemminkäinen was way too pissed to care, his eyes sparking with equal intensity as if to burn holes into the Lancer. "Then, mark my words, fallen king," he growled, pointing his blade at Vlad's heart. "Without question, I will be the one to kill you, and show you the shinin' brilliance of heroes." And then, without another word, he charged.

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Almost immediately after Lemminkäinen made his bold declaration, Mozart nodded with an understanding smile. "So you're going to show us an inferno that'll be a worthy match for a Kokko? I see..." Though as soon as the words left his mouth, he raised one of his brows wryly. "You do realize that that doesn't actually explain anything, right?" Yup, that was the most appropriate response in Ritsuka's books as well. She would have likely said the same if she lacked the vital context the Saber had shared with her.

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In response to the question, Lemminkäinen blinked in surprise before he started to chuckle. "Hah! Fair enough. You see, first I'll-"

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But before he could get going Ritsuka raised her hand towards him. "Sorry to cut you off, but there's something important I need to ask from Da Vinci and Dio before I can start planning." Though the Saber looked a tad disappointed, he motioned her to go ahead. Turning towards the two on the screen, she asked the question that would determine the possibility of the entire scenario. "Guys, can you modify how magical energy is funneled into my Mystic Codes?"

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Da Vinci returned her awaiting gaze with amused curiosity. "Yes, that is possible to a degree," she confirmed, and a relieved smile spread on Ritsuka's lips.

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"Then, could you put all the others to a minimum setting while routing all you can to Spiritron Transfer?"

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Dio chuckled, clearly amused by the request, and gave her a thumbs-up. "I figured that's where you were going with it. Consider it done in 97 seconds."

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Ritsuka gave the two a grateful nod. This was a major hurdle in any possible plans, so it being cleared so easily was relieving. "Amazing. Thank you. That's going to make this whole mayhem so much more doable."

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"So will I finally get my explanation?" Mozart asked, still as impatient as before, so the Master decided to indulge him.

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"While Lemminkäinen goes crazy with his Noble Phantasm, I will be constantly feeding him more magical energy with my Mystic Code. That way, he should be able to fight at his absolute limit for at least a minute." It was far from a complex plan, to the point where Ritsuka could barely even call it one. The Caster seemed to agree, judging by the unbelieving look he shot at Lemminkäinen, joined quickly by Kiyohime.

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"Are you serious? That's your plan? To just use your Noble Phantasm uninterrupted for a while as you kill the enemy?" she asked, glaring at the Saber with somewhat justified incredulity. Not that his boisterous laughter did anything to make him seem more trustworthy.

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"Plus any wyverns that get caught in the crossfire. That's the simple version, yeah."

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Her disbelief in him only seeming to grow, the Berserker gave Ritsuka a worried look. "Master, are you quite sure about this?"

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The Master did her best to respond with the most convincing smile she could muster. "I'm well aware of how insane it sounds, but I have faith that Lemminkäinen can actually pull it off." Miraculously, that small act seemed to be everything Kiyohime needed to be convinced, even if she still shot a few incredulous side-eyes at the Saber.

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Which just left Mozart, looking like he really wanted to say something... And yet, he just threw his hands in the air, seemingly given up. "Well, whatever. If that's the plan, it's better than any I've got. Minus the one that involves us just running away."

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"If you really want to run for your life, I'm not gonna stop you," Lemminkäinen chuckled, only for his expression to shift to serious. "But I'm stayin' here." Turning his face towards the sky in the direction Vlad was in, his eyes narrowed. "This ends tonight."

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"And I'm not letting you just die on your own," Ritsuka affirmed. It really did her heart good to see the Saber being serious once in a while. "If you're going through with this, I'm going to ensure that you'll have the best possible chances at victory."

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He nodded with a grateful smile. A rare one not filled with bravado. "Awesome."

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"Well, if Master says so and believes in our success, I will be joining as well," Kiyohime sighed with a shrug, only for her mood to improve considerably as Ritsuka flashed her a grateful smile. With honestly frightening speed, the Berserker moved right by her side. "If you just need me to act as a defender for her, I have no issues with your plan."

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Also jumping to her side, Mash echoed the sentiment just as eagerly. "I will also do my best. We will keep Senpai safe, so you can freely focus on your battle." Caught between the two, Ritsuka could only let out an awkward laugh. While it was helpful that both Mash and Kiyohime were so ready to keep her safe, them being so eager to do so was admittedly really embarrassing.

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Thankfully Siegfried spoke up, reducing the awkwardness of the situation considerably with his calm earnestness. "While I am weakened to an extreme degree, if the situation becomes dire enough, I should be able to hold off a few wyverns."

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Yet despite his willingness, Ritsuka was admittedly quite hesitant to take the offer. Although Siegfried looked to be in a much better condition and wore his black clothes to cover them, the curses on his body still managed to peek through on some parts. He himself was well aware of just how dangerous combat was to him, so she wouldn't let him fight except as a literal last resort. "I appreciate your offer, but hopefully it doesn't come to that," she nodded gratefully. Still, even if she wanted to avoid using the latest volunteer, most of the Servants were on board with their current plan. Which was great. Now, the only Servant that hadn't offered their aid was...

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All eyes turned upon the Caster expectantly. Faced with the collective stares of the group for a few seconds, Mozart let out a defeated sigh while shaking his head. "...I suppose I can assist as well." Though before anyone could even think to wonder his reasoning, he made it easy for them. "Mostly because if we do survive this and I didn't do anything to help, Maria is going to chew my ear off."

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While the reactions from others ranged from disappointed sighs to frustrated glares, Ritsuka joined Lemminkäinen in a small chuckle. It was basically what she'd expect from this Caster. Still, his aid was far better than nothing. While it may not have had much destructive power, Mozart's music based magecraft was quite useful in both hindering and restraining foes. Satisfied, she faced the Servants with an appreciative smile. "Well, thanks anyway. To all of you. We'll have some time before Vlad actually gets here, so let's use it to prepare and make the plan just a bit more detailed." Their current plan, if she could even call it that, was just way too barebones for her tastes. It worked as the bare minimum, but if they had time to spare, she would definitely use that time to make as many contingencies as possible. The Master wasn't going to let any of the Servants fighting by her side die if she could help it.

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"We can start by gettin' the girls to a safe location, where they don't have to worry about either the wyverns or the noise," Lemminkäinen noted, pointing at the horses waiting uneasily closeby.

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"Good point. I trust you can take care of that." While Ritsuka didn't like the horses by any stretch of the imagination, she still didn't want them to die horrible, agonizing deaths. They were still living creatures and they had been rather helpful during their journey, after all.

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"Just a moment!" Roman suddenly called, bringing everyone to a halt as his screen popped up. "Before I can give you permission to go through with such a dangerous plan, I'm going to need some proper details. While taking out Vlad III is important, I need to at least have some reasonable assurance of Mash and Ritsuka's safety."

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A smile spread on the Master's lips. She had expected the Doctor to speak up at some point about this, given that he was technically their boss and all, and he had honestly waited much longer than she'd anticipated. The least she could do was diminish his worries a bit. "Fair enough. But don't worry, Doctor. As long as Lemminkäinen is going all out, none of us will be anywhere near him." A statement that earned her surprised looks from almost anyone. Not that she could blame them, given the circumstances, but knowing what that Noble Phantasm of his did, it was the most sensible option available. She was definitely open to more suggestions, but at least she already had something of a plan prepared. "Sounds weird, I know, but it'll make sense in a moment. So, here's my initial rough draft on how we can make our chances of victory as high as possible..."

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When Vlad had first heard the voice of the young hero calling for him, he'd felt a burst of excitement far more potent than any that had touched him in this accursed France. Without even a second of consideration, he'd turned his entire wyvern horde around to accept the challenge. Though over the course of the lengthy flight, some seeds of doubt had started to grow in his mind. Was this truly a challenge or some type of distraction? Would the foolhardy Saber's Master actually allow him to do something this reckless? And yet, all those worries were blown away the instant the vampire got close enough to the town ruins to see his promised foe. Lemminkäinen stood in the middle of the paved road, sword resting on his shoulder and a grin on his lips as he boldly returned the gaze aimed at him. The man was the very picture of confidence, and Vlad couldn't have been more pleased. The fact that the Saber was just standing there, calmly waiting for him, fully reignited his wavering anticipation. No longer able to hold his monstrous urges back, he dashed off his wyvern towards the soon-to-be battlefield. And yet, despite jumping off his mount and descending at astounding speed, the Lancer still landed as gently as a feather without even disturbing the ash on the ground, befitting an inhuman being like him. He stared at his opponent standing a short distance in front of him, pleased that the act had barely even gained a reaction. "And here I am, young hero. Are you going to fulfill your claim?" he asked eagerly, and immediately received a reply that didn't disappoint.

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"I meant what I said. This is where this'll all end," Lemminkäinen confirmed with a grin. "You remember, right? 'I will be the one to kill you, and show you the shinin' brilliance of heroes.' Pretty sure those were my exact words."

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"Indeed. And what bold words they were," Vlad chuckled, his curiosity rising by the moment. "But how will you accomplish such a claim? You burned me quite well during the day, but that monstrous form can't even be compared to the abomination I am at the moment." Spreading his arms, the Vampire let his full malicious aura burst forth. At the moment, he was very much comparable to Top Servants, easily the most powerful among the Dragon Witch's troops. Possessing not only extremely high physical might, his unnatural, fictional powers made him nigh impossible to slay.

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The Saber nodded, letting out an impressed whistle as he looked him over with clear excitement in his eyes. "Ain't that the truth. Frankly, I'd heard that you'd be stronger during the night, but I didn't expect somethin' of this level. This'll be one hell of a struggle," he admitted, yet his confidence didn't waver in the least. "Still... I'll make sure to burn that filthy spirit core of yours to ash."

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"And how do you expect to achieve that?" The confidence made him genuinely curious. Lemminkäinen must've had a plan of some sort to achieve victory. At this point he just had to believe it. To face Dracul so confidently without a clear chance at victory... Not even this man could possess such a level of bravado. Then, as he noticed a group of Servants along with the Master a short distance away from the town, his mood soured slightly. "Surely it's not with the assistance of that group huddled up over there?" he asked with slight vexation.

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But to his joy, the Saber shook his head. "Nah. They might offer some support, but I'll be the only one attackin' you." With that confirmation, he finally raised his sword with both hands, taking a proper stance for battle for the first time since the Lancer's arrival. "As for the how... I'll just be goin' all out, like a hero should!" With his maniacal grin spreading wide enough to threaten reaching his ears, an enormous amount of magical energy radiated from Lemminkäinen. And then, he opened his mouth, his following words shaking the very world around them.

"Kuules tässä hieno myytti,

Elämä miehen roihuavan,

Kaukoniemen kainalossa,

Syttyi maan mantereille!

Sydän sykki niin kuin kokko,

Leimahteli tukka päässä,

Kasvoil silmät loistelivat,

Tuli-teräinen ase kädessä!

Ylitteli tulisen kosken,

Päihitti se roihu kuopan,

Suisti siitä palavan ruunan,

Läpäisi pyörteen loimuavan!

Siinä kiihkeä tarina syntyi,

Syttyi kuumaksi legenda,

Nyt näes liekki Lemminkäisen,

Roihu sankarin aikamoisen!

Tuliterä: Kaukomielen Kokko [The Flaring Life of the Fiery Hero]"

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As the full might of the weapon was unleashed, Vlad found himself shielding his eyes from the sheer brightness, only able to gaze upon it through slightly parted fingers. And what a sight it was. The sword wasn't even comparable to the one he had demonstrated a few days prior. Not only was it at least twice as long, but both the heat and the magical energy radiating from the man and his blade were simply absurd, and showed absolutely no signs of slowing down. And as if the blade itself wasn't unbelievable enough with its sunlike brightness, Lemminkäinen himself was a sight to behold. No longer just resembling flames, his hair had genuinely ignited and his bright eyes were glowing as well, piercing into him like signal fires shining in the night. And then, as he managed to pry his full attention away from his foe, the Lancer noticed something bizarre was happening to him as well. His clothes were starting to fume, partially even burn. Vlad could only blink in disbelief. Certainly he could feel that the air rushing towards him was unbelievably hot, but to think that even with this much distance between them, the heat the Saber's blade was giving off could cause such an effect... Only for it to get even more unbelievable as Lemminkäinen took his first step towards him. Instead of the thud one would expect as boots met stone road, it sounded as if he had stepped into a puddle. And that wasn't entirely wrong, seeing as the road that had previously been under him had now melted into a puddle of molten rock...

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Yet even as the Lancer gawked at the sheer absurdity of the situation, his foe didn't appear the least bit surprised. No. Instead, he was the very picture of confidence. "Here I come, Dracul," Lemminkäinen declared, his grin fearsome enough to strike awe even to the vampire's heart. It was like the man had become a living wildfire. "Let's see if the manifestation of your monstrous legend can match my heroic one!"

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Noble Phantasm. Embodying the ultimate mysteries of heroes as symbols of their existences. Even among the countless Heroic Spirits, there were few that represented that description as well as 'Kaukomielen Kokko'. A genuine crystallization of mystery that turned the very life and way of being of its wielder, Lemminkäinen, into a greater magecraft, allowing him to unleash powerful attacks and diverse effects simply by activating it, making it extremely difficult to counter due to the sheer variety of ways it could be used...

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...At least that's what it should have done, if he was summoned as a Caster. As a Saber, the Noble Phantasm was restricted to simply being a powerup to his flaming sword, getting rid of all that diversity in exchange for concentrated power. In most cases, Ritsuka would have been extremely annoyed by this, and she admittedly had been when she first learned of the restriction. Exchanging all those abilities just for the effect of hitting things really hard? Just... Really? It had sounded absolutely idiotic, to the point that she had almost unleashed the rant of the decade on Lemminkäinen. But then, he had shown her what the Noble Phantasm could do, shutting her up almost immediately. Granted, she still would have preferred diversity over just hitting things really hard, but to be fair... That sword could hit things REALLY hard.

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Peeking over flabbergasted Mash's shield, Ritsuka watched in awe as the inferno in the shape of a sword annihilated half of Vlad's body and a dozen wyverns in a single swing. If the Lancer had been a normal Servant without absurd healing and survival abilities, that would have been the end of the battle. If the Master had to guess, a single direct hit from the blade would have been enough to kill any of the enemies they had met in the Singularity, with the exception of Tarasque and Fafnir, thanks to their nature as dragons greatly reducing the effectiveness of fire against them.

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But as incredible as the Noble Phantasm was, the redhead couldn't help but to focus on a detail other than its sheer power. A detail that everyone else present had ignored in their awe, but she had been unable to, most likely since she was the only one that fully understood the meaning behind it. The chant.

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...Like ...seriously? That was the spell that he went with? He chose those exact words? Just... how many synonyms for fire or burning did that thing have? Twelve? Just... wow.

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Still, she couldn't deny that the effects had been just as impressive as he'd said. The wyverns were burning up like moths flying into an open flame, their scorched remains falling onto the scalding ground below. At this point a vast majority of them were already dead, and only a few had even tried to attack her own group. She even saw Vlad trying to use his Noble Phantasm to kill Lemminkäinen, launching bloody stakes from his body in an attempt to impale him. It had definitely looked impressive, but unfortunately for the vampire, most things in the world couldn't survive a hit from something hot enough to melt brick with its presence alone, and the same was true for the demonic stakes. A single swing from the Saber's sword completely disintegrated the attack, plus one of Vlad's arms. At this point, it was quite obvious to anyone watching just how one sided the battle really was.

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Yet, of all those present, Ritsuka was the least surprised by the display, letting her focus purely on her given task: feeding Lemminkäinen magical energy. With the recharging of her mystic codes focused on Spiritron Transfer, she could fire it off every few seconds to restore a chunk of his depleting energy stores. In a normal fight, that would have been enough to keep him in top condition for a good long while, but here, it was the only thing making this fight even possible. If Ritsuka had been solely responsible for providing him with magical energy, she would have been drained dry in ten seconds flat. Even with the mystic code's Spiritron Transfer and the constant flow of magical energy coming from Chaldea, she could still feel him steadily draining od from her. Not that she'd expect anything less from the constant deployment of a powerful Noble Phantasm, but still...

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"Such an incredible amount of magical energy and heat..." Mash muttered, seeming to have finally snapped out of the awe the battle had placed on her. Keeping her eyes on the Saber, she took a step towards Ritsuka to cover her just slightly better. "Please be sure to stay behind me, Master." The redhead could only smile at that. Of course, she wasn't planning on leaving its protection in the first place, but the Shielder's caring was always sweet.

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"Oh, wow..." Roman muttered quietly through the comm. "I genuinely thought he was exaggerating when he said: 'Plus any wyverns that get caught in the crossfire,' but he actually meant it literally."

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Even Mozart seemed genuinely impressed by the show. "Tell me about it. I have to admit that seeing wyverns burning to death has some sweet, yet morbid, irony in it."

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"It does make my work quite a bit easier," Kiyohime noted before unleashing a fire blast of her own against one of the few wyverns that had actually decided to target their group. When it was just against individual ones like this, she could handle them without too much difficulty.

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"I must admit that I was hesitant about his claim, seeing how powerful that Lancer was when I fought him myself, but it seems that my worries were unfounded," Siegfried revealed, newfound confidence shining on his face. "With that much power behind his Noble Phantasm, not to mention the sheer effectiveness of fire against him, Lemminkäinen should be able to kill the vampire for good."

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Ritsuka nodded in agreement, yet held some skepticism over the situation. "Yes, but it's not the power that worries me." Something had bothered her for a while. Despite how absolutely one sided the fight appeared, Vlad was doing an admirable job in dodging the attacks assaulting him. While he was getting hit and was constantly on fire, Lemminkäinen had been unable to land a decisive blow on either his head or chest, which let the vampire heal quickly enough to avoid death. It was almost like the Lancer was doing everything in his power to protect his vital areas, which obviously made sense for a normal Servant, but not that much for one of Jeanne Alter's mad Servants. Could it be that... "Oh, damn..." Ritsuka muttered, noticing how Vlad's previous excitement was getting overtaken by both frustration and disappointment. Given how excited he had been during the start of the battle, when he'd been in a far worse position, it hardly made sense. It's like he was frustrated that he was surviving, which only made sense in a single scenario the Master could think of: "I'm pretty sure that Vlad is under the effect of a Command Spell."

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While the Servants present gave her surprised looks for the statement, Dio nodded in agreement on his screen. "Yeah, makes sense, considering that he's effectively the most powerful Servant Jeanne Alter has. Though given that he's not just blasting off, it must be a specific command she gave him beforehand, something like 'don't die' or 'survive at any cost'."

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Yeah, that's about what Ritsuka had guessed as well. She let out a disappointed sigh before a determined smile grew on her lips. "You're right. Looks like we have to intervene after all."

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"Don't even think about going anywhere near them, Ritsuka!" Roman yelled out so suddenly that the redhead was genuinely startled. As she turned towards the man, she was met with a genuinely worried look. "Lemminkäinen wasn't kidding when he said he was going all out. The temperature around him and his sword is around 4 thousand degrees celsius. Even the bricks that haven't been directly hit by his sword are melting. While your mystic codes' protective effects include extreme heat, this is just way too much for them to handle." Oh, she was well aware. Anywhere near the Saber would probably be about as hot as the aftermath of Fafnir's breath attack in Lyon, meaning that she'd barely be able to breathe from the sheer heat. She didn't even want to imagine how hot the sword itself was. Luckily, she didn't need to get that close. Just within a 200 meter radius of the Saber, which wouldn't be anywhere hot enough to endanger her.

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Although, Roman's words kinda bothered her. While she appreciated his worry, she most certainly didn't appreciate being thought of as someone as impulsive as Lemminkäinen. With that in mind, she shot him with a sharp, disapproving look. "There's no need to tell me. Me wanting to help him doesn't mean I would just run straight at him. Do I really seem that rash and stupid?" In response to the question, the Doctor fell silent and just gave her an awkward, apologetic smile. And she definitely didn't miss that tiniest hint of hesitation in his smile. She'd need to have a little talk with him later. Still, there were more important things to worry about at the moment, and she certainly wouldn't want to miss this prime chance to emphasize a certain mentality of hers. With that in mind, she turned to address the group seriously. "And for the record, this right here is exactly why we should always have proper plans." They'd be in some serious trouble if they hadn't made any additions to the Saber's grand strategy of 'hit it till it dies'. But since they had, there wasn't any need to waste time on trying to come up with anything else and explain it to everyone. They could just act, which is why Ritsuka turned to Mash with a renewed, confident smile. "Alright, Mash. Are you ready?"

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While there was definitely some hesitance in her eyes, Mash still gave her a nod. "Y-yes, Master! I'll do everything I can to make this work." But even with that nervousness, Ritsuka knew that her trusted Shielder could pull this off without fail.

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To further emphasize said trust, she gave her an encouraging smile, along with a rub on the shoulder. "Good. Don't worry, I know you're tough enough to pull your part off. Just stay calm and remember what you need to do. All you need to focus on is getting close to him, and leave the rest to me and Lemminkäinen." As Mash's smile gained some confidence, Ritsuka turned to the rest of her team. "It's time, guys. I assume everyone still remembers their part?" And much to her delight, each of the three gave her confirming nods, raising her own confidence even further. "Great. Then let's get ready for the finale. If we pull this off perfectly, this fight will end in less than half a minute."

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As Vlad was assaulted by an inferno in the shape of a sword, his heart felt like it might jump straight out of his chest. With just that first strike, he realized that taking a direct hit to any of his vital areas would be catastrophic. And in less than a minute, it became abundantly clear that he had no effective way of attacking Lemminkäinen while that blade was burning with such intensity. The spear he carried had been completely annihilated several attacks ago, reduced to a number of blobs on the ground that looked like melted wax. His stakes were effectively useless, burning to ash before the blade could even make proper contact with them. Even his Noble Phantasm was unable to reach the man, with the absurd heat incinerating the attack thoroughly. Even his so-called underlings, the wyverns, were completely useless against the blade. Their own flames were nothing compared to the sheer fury of the greater mystic that scorched their bodies to cinders.

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Yes, it was truly a hopeless battle, one that would have made anyone with a desire to live retreat immediately. And yet, when facing the man armed with the mystic blade, a complete opposite feeling swelled in the Lancer's mind. An excited grin spread on his distorted face. This truly was an attack capable of killing him. No. He would even go as far as to say that aside from some powerful holy relic, this Noble Phantasm was absolutely perfect for annihilating him in a battle. A perfect, most fitting death for a devil like him. It was an absolutely wonderful realization that rocked him to his core.

'

And yet, that very same realization also brought with it a feeling of immeasurable frustration. His Master had specifically ordered: 'If by some miracle it looks like you're about to die, you must retreat!' She'd even gone as far as to use a Command Spell to enforce the order, just to keep him around. From the moment he'd understood that his chances of victory were effectively nonexistent, the compelling force of the order had started to grow, with no end in sight. The Lancer had hoped that his nightly, more demonic self would be powerful enough to resist, but no such fortune was by his side. Each passing second, the force compelling his body to escape was growing stronger, leading to him quite simply attempting to block and dodge the onslaught of attacks thrown his way as he retreated. He mostly kept to his fog form, dashing around the ruins in an attempt to mitigate damage to his Spirit Core.

'

The Saber kept swinging his fiery blade at him, also growing frustrated with each passing second. He seemed to be well aware that if he didn't deal an absolutely lethal blow, he wouldn't be able to vanquish the devil he was facing. There was also the astounding fact that he'd kept his powerful attack up for so long, using his Noble Phantasm for about a minute straight. While Vlad didn't know what sort of source he had for magical energy, it would no doubt be nearing its limit by now, further explaining the frustration.

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And then, the Lancer's will finally reached its limit. Forced by the Command Spell, his body began full retreat, dashing away with all its might, like a spirit of death rushing through the burning ruins. Without an instant of hesitation, Lemminkäinen charged after him, running with speed and vigor more befitting a phantasmal beast than a humanoid spirit. "Like hell I'm letting you get away!" he roared, his eyes burning with an intensity that seemed to challenge the sun itself. Forcing his head to turn enough to witness the sight, the Lancer felt both admiration and frustration at his opponent's sheer vigor as he kept flying away, the distance between them slowly growing. It was absolutely infuriating, but even with his great speed, the Saber wouldn't be able to catch him and deal the finishing blow. His natural abilities boosted by the Command Spell ensured that Vlad would be able to escape, recover, and continue his path of destruction across the country. As aggravating as that fact was, neither of them could do anything to change it...

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Yet, just as he had resigned himself to that fact, Vlad suddenly felt another Servant approaching him from the opposite direction from Lemminkäinen. His gaze snapped towards the source as a regrowing feeling of excitement burst from his heart. The Saber's companions had joined the battle after all!? Could they still pull this off? And then, he managed to spot the Servant rushing right towards him with... a worried look on her face... The young girl with the large shield... An intense disappointment washed over the Lancer. This was it? This was their attempt to cut off his escape? A last, desperate pincer attack? He would have no trouble getting past any attack the girl could throw at him, to the point where he doubted she could slow him down in the least. With that in mind, even the Command Spell didn't force him to change his course as he rapidly approached her. Yet, as he got a closer look at her bearing, it didn't seem like she was there to attack him. Much to Vlad's confusion, he couldn't find even the slightest hint of aggression in her charge, and if anything, it appeared that her entire being was focused on defense. So what in the world could be the meaning behind such a-

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Before Vlad could even finish the thought, his fate was already sealed. In a flash of light, as instant as the blink of an eye, the armored girl was gone and Lemminkäinen was right in front of him, a mad grin on his lips and sword at the ready. Ready to strike his target down. And without wasting even a single second to give Vlad time to think and change his course, the Saber brought his gigantic blade down, slicing him from shoulder to thigh. An astounding amount of heat assaulted the Lancer's body as the sword of fire cut right through it, completely overwhelming his demonic sturdiness and any healing that might follow. Faced with such catastrophic damage, his spirit core had absolutely no chances of recovering.

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A fact that filled Vlad's mind with an overwhelming sense of elation, to the point where he could barely even feel his flesh and bones burning.

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With the final explosion of flame, Lemminkäinen knew he had won. Even as Vlad's burning body was blown away by it, landing to an area still untouched by their battle, he was absolutely sure that his blade had annihilated the Lancer's spirit core. Demon or not, he wouldn't survive the damage he'd dealt. As soon as he got that confirmation, the Saber deactivated his Noble Phantasm, its raging flames dying down both on his body and on his blade. Unfortunately, he could also tell that it had been too late. Looking at his hand, Lemminkäinen felt a frustratingly ephemeral response as he curled his fingers. Damn... He'd actually gone too far after all. It just went to show how strong his opponent had been, but his Master was definitely going to tear him a new one for this screw up. Still, what was done was done, and there was nothing he could do about it. With that, the Saber began walking towards his fallen enemy, who looked far happier than anyone he'd ever beaten.

'

To say that Vlad looked bad was an understatement. He had been basically cut in half, and every visible part of his skin was horribly burned. Almost any other Servant would have already disappeared, yet he was hardy enough to keep his body around for just a few more moments. Yet despite the horrific state of his body, he just chuckled quietly as Lemminkäinen walked to his side, laying on a small pile of dirt and rubble. "Truly magnificent... Lemminkäinen..." His voice was absurdly raspy, like an old man that hadn't had a drop to drink in days. Not really that surprising, considering how much he'd been burned. More than anything, it was honestly impressive that he could speak at all. "Clearly... your bold words... were more... than mere bravado..."

'

The Saber puffed out his chest slightly, a grin growing on his lips once more. It wasn't often that vanquished foes got to compliment his strength, (mostly due to them dying before the chance), so it was definitely a rare and welcome treat. "Well, you put up one hell of a fight," he noted, though a hint of frustration made its way into his voice. "As annoyin' as it is, I couldn't have put you down without some help from Pomo and the others."

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But Vlad just shook his head. "It's only expected... for a Master to... aid their Servant..." he croaked. "My own hastened... my escape... with a Command Spell... so we're even in... that regard..."

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The redhead's eyes widened at the reveal. He had wondered about that, since it didn't really seem like the Lancer had wanted to run away, despite almost pulling off an effective escape. With that, his grin regained some of its energy. "Yeah, guess that's fair." At least that detail got him to feel better over having his Master help him win. Though he was still kinda bothered by the fact that one of the other Servants had been absolutely necessary for his victory. Mash was tough enough to survive the heat his sword gave out after the switch for a few moments, so he wasn't too worried about her. It was more that she'd had to rush in to help him in the first place, since he just wasn't strong enough to take down Vlad.

'

"And even with... help... your victory was... was more than awe inspiring..." the Lancer continued, his approaching end made clear by the golden particles beginning to radiate off his body. "I doubt there are... many heroes in... history who... could accomplish the same..."

'

Oh, that wasn't gonna fly. While he knew that the praise he received was genuine, Lemminkäinen shook his head at the words. That was definitely not something he could agree with. "Nah. It's obvious that I'm awesome, but you're givin' me too much credit there. Plenty of heroes could've done the same, since your defeat was guaranteed the instant you were summoned as a monster." Vlad looked at him in confusion, perplexed by his words, yet Lemminkäinen just laughed at the obvious answer the Lancer seemed to have missed. "After all: the Monster is always vanquished by the Hero."

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For the next few seconds, Vlad stared at him in utter disbelief, yet as Lemminkäinen returned his stare with an assured smirk, his lips started to loosen, until: "Hah..." With an amused snort, a smile spread on the Lancer's burned lips, followed by a chuckle. "Ha, hahaha..." The chuckle continued to grow louder and longer. Despite the fact that even speaking had to be painful to him, soon the man was basically laughing his heart out. "Aahhahahahhaaa! That's true! That is indeed so! A hero's duty is to triumph, while a monster's duty is to be slain!" With a wild grin matching the Saber's own, he gave out his final congratulations as the golden glow rapidly spread throughout his body. "Well done, Lemminkäinen, young hero! You have triumphed over the Devil known as Dracula!"

'

The Saber nodded, satisfied that he'd gotten his opponent to understand such a simple fact. "Yeah. Although, I've fought plenty of monsters already, so I hope to meet with the real you one day," he noted, getting another unbelieving look, only for it to shift into a grin as well. "If that ever happens, you'd better show me the true might of Vlad III, the great hero of Romania."

'

Another chuckle escaped the Lancer's mouth as his body was completely covered with the golden particles. "Certainly..." And with that final, expectant gasp, Vlad III faded away, leaving behind only a crystal shining like a rainbow. Picking up the precious stone, Lemminkäinen let out a content sigh. It was rare for his enemy to be just as pleased with his victory as himself, but it wasn't a bad feeling. It was just too bad that there wouldn't be any time for a proper celebration. A nice, cool and strong drink would've felt great right now...

'

"Lemminkäinen!" Hearing his name being called, the Saber turned around to spot Ritsuka and the others running towards him. While she looked somewhat exhausted thanks to all the od she'd spent, the girl appeared to otherwise be feeling great, judging by her smile. Most of the group had relieved looks on their faces, and none seemed to have any notable injuries. Mash in particular didn't seem to have even a scratch on her, which probably meant that their Master had properly healed even the slightest burn, explaining why they didn't rush over immediately. That alone got him to smile again. At least he didn't have to leave them with some additional problems. "You actually did it, you..." Her voice drifting off, Ritsuka came to a complete halt and stared at him, eyes wide in shock. Faced with such a reaction, Lemminkäinen could just chuckle and rub his neck awkwardly.

'

"Well, damn. You noticed right away." She might've not been that powerful of a mage, but her eyes were pretty damn sharp. Guess there was no chance of her missing such an obvious detail on her own Servant.

'

About a dozen emotions flashed across Ritsuka's face in the next few seconds, ranging from confusion to sadness, until finally she settled on one: extreme frustration. "D-damn it, Lemminkäinen!" she shouted, marching closer to him with a piercing glare as the other Servants stared in surprise. She looked like she really wanted to punch him, and he couldn't blame her for that too much. "You absolute moron! If you were going to overuse your Noble Phantasm to that degree, you should've drawn more magical energy from me to compensate!" With those final words, her gaze fell to the ground as she clenched her fists by her sides. The Master looked just absurdly frustrated and disappointed, though that latter emotion seemed to be directed at herself more than anything. That really wasn't something Lemminkäinen would want to see as one of his last sights.

'

"As if you woulda had enough. You'd have turned into jerky way before I could've dealt the finishin' blow," he huffed, not caring about the glares few of the other Servants aimed at him as he continued. "Hell, I doubt any of you modern mages could've handled my awesome power for that long. Y'all really let yourselves go." He wasn't even saying that last part to make her feel better. At this point he'd met every person that was still alive in Chaldea, and none of them had anywhere near the amount of od it would've taken for him to get the job done. Except for that Dio guy. While his overall magecraft skills were still up in the air, the Saber could tell that he had one hell of a power storage. But not like it mattered, since he couldn't even get to the Singularity. Besides, it's not like the Saber could've just taken some od from Ritsuka, since he still would've needed to do what he did anyway to get the power he needed to finish the job. In that case, he would've just caused her to unnecessarily suffer. Lemminkäinen didn't exactly like how this whole thing turned out, but it was still the best result of any possible alternatives. If he was the only one to face the consequences of his screw up, that was fine, but he didn't want the others getting hurt just because he wasn't strong enough.

'

Mash walked up to their frustrated Master, her gaze bouncing between her and the Saber, obviously confused, even if she knew that something was wrong. "I... W-what happened to Lemminkäinen? I didn't see him getting injured, so..."

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Before Lemminkäinen could deliver the unfortunate news, Da Vinci cut in. "The idiot burned parts of his spirit core as fuel to keep using his Noble Phantasm," she confirmed from Chaldea, though she didn't really sound like she was blaming him. Mostly just somber that he needed to go that far. "While not enough to kill him instantly, the rest will soon collapse, making the end result the same."

'

A stunned silence took over the area, with the only sound being the crackling of flames. While the degree and reasoning varied, all Servants present stared at him in surprise. Every one of them understood the severity of the situation, yet the Shielder stared at Da Vinci in disbelief, until her eyes began darting between them. "B-but that's..." Her eyes finally settling on him, Mash shot a pained look at the Saber, almost making him flinch. Man... He really couldn't handle young ladies looking at him like that. Showing genuine concern towards his life. Brought back some rough memories with Kyllikki...

'

Wondering about the best words to use here, Lemminkäinen scratched the back of his head. The sensation was annoyingly vague, as if he was stupidly drunk, but since this didn't affect his mind, he had to face reality head on. Sometimes it was just best to say things straight. "Yeah, I really screwed up," he confirmed with an apologetic smile. "I couldn't finish him off for good fast enough, so I had to put 110% into killin' him. That extra 10% was just too much for my body to handle."

'

The other Servants didn't say anything, clearly understanding why he had done what he did. Letting Vlad get away at that point would've been even worse than what had happened to him. While the situation was pretty shitty, it had been the right choice, not just for a hero, but also for a Servant. Siegfried gave him an appreciative nod, which he was quite pleased with, while Kiyohime seemed to not detest him for once, and Amadeus... didn't have much of a reaction besides appearing just the slightest bit glum. Their Master still looked as frustrated as before, while also seeming to be trying really hard to think about something. About what he'd expect. Yet then there was Mash, who was definitely taking it the hardest. Her gaze jumped from one person to the next, in disbelief that they were all taking it so well. Suddenly, there was a shift in her bearing, and Lemminkäinen could immediately tell where it was going. Yup. There it was. Denial. Mash turned towards the screen floating in the air, faint hope in her eyes. "C-can't you Rayshift him back to Chaldea? There... there should be equipment there to help stabilize him, and-"

'

"That is true, but unfortunately, he wouldn't survive the trip," Roman cut in firmly, looking at the Shielder apologetically. "As his spirit core keeps deteriorating, the constant fluctuations make him too unstable to transport properly. I'm sorry."

'

"But... That's..." The faint hope was drained from Mash's eyes as soon as it had appeared, and though Lemminkäinen felt a bit bad for her, she needed to hear it. While the Doctor was quite a coward in his experience, at least he knew when to give things like this straight, which the Saber could respect.

'

"...Yeah, like I said, my bad," he apologized to the despondent Shielder, before turning towards their Master. "I guess I'm gettin' that lecture from you if I get resummoned, huh Pomo?" Despite how nonchalantly he spoke, that was probably the part that bothered him the most about this. She had basically the best catalyst possible for summoning him, so he was pretty sure that he would get resummoned. But the problem was: What would he lose in the process? The throne could be a real pain in the ass when it came to information, so in the worst case, the next him would show up, but only have some basic information about what the current him had done. Lemminkäinen could only imagine how frustrating that would be for his next self, let alone everyone at Chaldea. But, at this point, there was nothing he could do about it. His spirit core was crumbling slowly for now, breaking apart bit by bit, but it would soon accelerate. Kind of like chipping away at a stone wall. It was slow work, until eventually, it would all come crashing down. The least he could do now was make his comrades feel a bit less shitty about all this. He had maybe a few minutes left, and he didn't want his final moments to be depressing as hell to everyone. After all, this was just the price for his own actions. He'd gambled, and he'd lost, so now it was time to pay up...

'

"Da Vinci." Ritsuka suddenly spoke up, her face the definition of severe as she looked at the Caster inquiringly. "He's too unstable because his spirit core keeps collapsing, right?"

'

Lemminkäinen blinked in surprise at her sudden question, joined soon by the other Servants. They were all thinking the same thing: Why was she asking about that at this point? Their Master was hardly dumb, so she should be well aware of the situation. So why now? Much like those present, Da Vinci looked at her with clear curiosity, seemingly trying to figure out the reason for her sudden question while giving her a slow nod. "...Yes."

'

Her determination burning brighter than ever, Ritsuka asked her question: "Then what if it was forcibly stabilized for just a moment?"

'

A silence followed that only lasted a second or two, yet seemed to stretch on for eternity, before it was suddenly broken by the most unexpected sound: Dio's roaring laughter. "Hah! I love how this girl thinks! Aahahahahaa!" All eyes moved from Ritsuka to him. For a moment, it even seemed like the Spaniard was going to be incapacitated by his laughing fit, only for him to direct a grin at the Master, along with a raised thumb. "Go for it, Ritsuka. There's a solid chance of success, so it's worth the shot." A confirmation that practically ignited the girl's determination, her gaze focusing on the Saber.

'

Lemminkäinen on the other hand, blinked in disbelief at his Master's shift in attitude. Was she serious? There was only one solution he could think of that might be able to help him while also being within Ritsuka's ability to pull off. But it wasn't actually guaranteed to succeed, and the cost was pretty high as well, so he wasn't exactly sure if she would go for it. And yet, right then and there, the Master raised her right hand towards him, the Command Spell on it beginning to glow. She wasn't seriously going to...? "With my Command Spell, I order you, Lemminkäinen!" Ritsuka announced in a loud voice, and the Saber felt his lips curling upwards. Oh, she was totally going to do it. "Don't die! Keep yourself together for as long as you can!" One of the three strokes of the Command Spell vanished, its red glow transferring into his body, and Lemminkäinen withheld a grunt as he felt its full effect upon him. It felt like some of the worst muscle pain he had ever experienced, but he couldn't deny the results. He didn't exactly want to die to begin with, so his body doing its best to keep itself together also made his mind go into overdrive, focusing his entire being to upholding his crumbling spirit core. After his Master had gone this far to ensure that he wouldn't disappear, he sure as hell wouldn't let her down. And while the whole process hurt like hell, he could tell it was still working. The Command Spell's power working with his own determination to survive managed to stop the collapse. Even if his spirit core wasn't fixed, it should still have a noticeable effect.

'

As the eyes of everyone present turned towards the screen expectantly, Roman answered them with a slow, dumbfounded nod. "That... actually did it. We should be able to Rayshift Lemminkäinen back now."

'

"Then stop your gawking and get to working!" Dio practically roared while trying to hold back laughter. "Move those fingers, everyone! Start the process of getting this man back in one piece! Since his spirit core has partially collapsed, the values of his existence have changed compared to when he was Rayshifted in! Make sure to accommodate for that in the calculations!" Soon the sounds of people running and typing down on those console things filled the communication, but the Saber didn't care about that. He had someone in front of him that had earned his full attention.

'

Turning to face Ritsuka, he couldn't help but to be impressed by what she'd pulled off. "Well, damn... You actually did it," Lemminkäinen grinned at the girl, even if he felt absolutely awful on the inside. Frankly, he felt like he was using his hands to keep his guts from spilling out, but he wasn't going to let that ruin the moment. Pulling something like this, she had definitely proved herself to be just about the most perfect Master for him. The Saber's smile softened as he offered her the most sincere gratitude he could. "Thanks, Ritsuka. I'll owe you one."

'

Ritsuka returned his smile. "You owe me nothing. That's just what a Master is supposed to do," she nodded coolly. Though he didn't miss the look of genuinely pleased surprise that had flashed on her face for a split-second. She seemed to at the very least be quite pleased that he had used her actual name for once. But just as he thought of that, the most devious smile he had ever seen on the girl grew to her lips. "Besides, you're still getting that lecture once I get back to Chaldea, so look forward to that." Lemminkäinen had to hold himself back from flinching. Judging by her expression, she was just about ready to unleash hell upon him. Seemed like he had something to actually anticipate once this mission was through. ...Was it too late to let himself just disappear at this point...?

'

Doing his best to distract himself from that awful future, the Saber moved his attention towards the rest of their companions. While the sentiment was the same, the two knightly Servants had very different ways of expressing themselves. Siegfried in his stoicness gave him an approving nod and Mash just looked unbelievably relieved at the conclusion, her smile threatening to even outshine his flames. Meanwhile, the man to their right had a much different reaction. "So I guess what they say is true. Idiots really can survive anything," Amadeus chuckled while shaking his head, clearly entertained by this unexpected turn of events.

'

On the other hand, Kiyohime seemed far less amused as she muttered with a frown: "Some nerve. Making Master waste a precious Command Spell on his foolishness." Her usual dislike of him was back with a glare, but it was noticeably weaker normally, making the Saber count it as a small victory.

'

Thinking about it, these last few moments had gone far better than Lemminkäinen had dared to hope. While personally, he would've liked to give the Dragon Rider a few more pieces of his mind, he could be somewhat satisfied with this outcome. At least he'd managed to show Vlad the unmatched might of heroes, so that was all good. Besides, it was Jeanne who had to be the one to take that Wannabe Witch down, and no one else. It wasn't his place to interfere between their confrontation, so in a way, this was the best outcome he could hope for. Still, there was one more thing he needed to say before leaving.

'

"Hey, Siegfried!" Lemminkäinen shouted suddenly, getting a surprised look from the other Saber as he pointed at him. "Now that I have to go get myself fixed up, you're the only Saber remainin' on our side! So, once you're fixed up, it's up to you to show everyone what the strongest class is made of! Got it!?"

'

Siegfried's surprise soon turned into a small smile of his own as he raised a fist over his heart. "Leave it to me. I can't promise to match your passion, but I will still let everyone know the might of Sabers."

'

A pleased smirk grew on the Finnish Servant's lips. "Damn right!" That was all he could ask from the Dragon Slayer to begin with. Hell, asking someone to match his passion was way too tall of an order for basically anyone.

'

For a moment, the Saber thought that was it, convinced that he'd said everything that needed to be said for now. But then, he noticed Mash approaching him, and that thought was instantly blown away. While there was still some relief left on her face, it was heavily overshadowed by a growing uncertainty. "Lemminkäinen, you..." the Shielder mumbled, looking at him kind of like a lost puppy. "After everything that's happened so far... Do you really think we'll be able to win?"

'

Lemminkäinen considered just laughing the question off, but quickly ruled out that option given how sincere Mash was. After all, her uncertainty was hardly unfounded. Sure, losing Vlad was a big blow for the Dragon Rider, but it had come with the cost of him being taken out of the fight as well. She still had several more Servants, with at least one of them being really powerful, a stupid amount of wyverns, and worst of all, that big bastard called Fafnir. While Siegfried could deal with the last one, he'd need to get healed up first, and who knew when that was possible. To get that started, they still needed to find some other saint, hoping that one had materialized in this era in the first place. Certainly, when looking at their current situation like that, it seemed like one hell of an uphill battle, where their chances of victory were somewhere between slim and none.

'

But, that wasn't how their current situation seemed like to the Saber in the least. After all, he was well aware of a detail that the Shielder was completely missing. An absurdly important detail. With that in mind, he put on his most victorious grin while locking eyes with her. "Nah. I know we'll win," he answered with such absolute confidence that Mash could only stare at him with surprise. He wasn't just saying it either. His heart held absolutely no doubt, knowing full well that his companions wouldn't lose. "The Dragon Rider guaranteed her own defeat the instant she underestimated the Determination of Heroes."

'

The girl's amazement only grew, her eyes round and mouth agape, which was just the kind of response the Saber had hoped for. In truth, that last part might've been among the most impressive phrases he'd ever spoken, so the reaction was more than warranted. Though despite the awe, there was still some confusion in Mash's eyes, which meant that Lemminkäinen still had some clarifying to do... Only for Da Vinci's voice to suddenly proclaim: "We're done! Begin recalling him!"

'

Almost immediately, the Saber could feel the familiar pulling sensation beginning to take hold of him. He shared a look with Mash, both of them equally surprised by the suddenness of it all. "Well damn. Guess that's that. Sorry," he shrugged, giving the Shielder an apologetic smile. While she stared at him with unbelieving dissatisfaction for the abrupt departure, it's not like he could help it. It'd just be up to the remaining heroes to teach the girl exactly what he meant. And with that, as the pulling sensation grew stronger, he gave the others the wave with a grin. "See y'all later."

'

While Mash still gaped at his sudden departure, both Ritsuka and Kiyohime shook their heads at his attitude, though the former had a small smile on her lips. That, combined with Amadeus' outright laughter, improved his mood considerably. This was how departures ought to be, instead of some crying fest. The sounds from Chaldea were growing more lively with each second as well. "Everyone get ready! Go, go, go!" Those were the last words Lemminkäinen heard before the pulling sensation fully took him over, his vision going white as he was flung across the ages.

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"He's here! Begin stabilizing his spirit core, quickly!" The instant Doctor Romani gave the call, Brynhildr and the two men waiting beside her jumped into action. As the the bright light shining at the center of the magic circle faded, the unmistakable form of Lemminkäinen was left standing in its place. And almost immediately, he began to stagger.

'

Cú Chulainn was the first to reach him, catching the Saber before he could fall over and laying him on his back on the floor. "Man, you put on one hell of a show, but you really messed yourself up," he noted, though Lemminkäinen just chuckled with a grin, despite how obviously strained his entire body was.

'

The instant Brynhildr got to him, she began carefully examining his body using her runes. The results made her want to cringe, but she withheld the reaction and focused on her task. His condition was just about as bad as she had imagined when she'd first heard of the situation. "This is difficult..." she muttered while continuing her inspection, with the Caster joining her efforts. Tampering with a Servant's spiritual core was a delicate procedure in the best of cases, so the current situation made it all the more precarious. The Command Spell's effect was beginning to wear off as well, and the collapse would resume soon afterwards. "With how damaged the core is, it's difficult to ascertain where it needs to be stabilized the most. He may die before we can-"

'

"Sorry, no time to talk. This'll hurt a bit, but bear with it." Immediately after Dio finished his sentence, the Saber let out a suppressed grunt as the Spaniard's palm slammed onto his chest. With a bright flash, circuits of magical energy burst from the hand into the spiritual body, penetrating it all the way to the core. "There. Follow my magical energy and begin treatment on the most critical parts."

'

Brynhildr blinked in surprise as she stared at the man, Cú Chulainn doing the same. This certainly made their work much easier, yet the immediate assistance only managed to distract her. Even if it was heavily damaged and the owner was not resisting, forcing magical energy into a Servant's body was no simple task, especially this accurately. And as if that wasn't surprising enough, forcing the energy into the spirit core without damaging it in the process was simply astounding. But, there was no time for pondering such things, seeing how the Saber could begin to disappear at any moment, so she pushed them aside and began focusing fully on her task. "...At once."

'

The Caster quickly flashed him a grateful smile and a raised thumb. "Oh yeah, that makes this a whole lot easier. Great job." That, she could certainly agree on. With such a clear guide on where to direct their runes, the difficulty of the task had plummeted. Not to the extent where they could begin taking it frivolously, but at this point, Brynhildr was quite certain that they could save Lemminkäinen without further complications.

'

A few minutes later, their work was effectively finished. Lemminkäinen wasn't healed by any stretch of the definition, given that not even Primeval Runes could repair damage this severe this quickly, but his spirit core's collapse had been completely halted. While Brynhildr kept an eye on the runes to make sure that no complications occurred, Cú Chulainn took the moment to stand up and stretch his limbs, obviously satisfied with their work. Though apparently not satisfied enough, seeing how their Master, who had been observing the situation the entire time through one of the screens, looked at him with great anticipation. "...Well?" she asked, worry obvious in her voice. Ah, that kindness towards her Servants was just so troublesome for the Lancer to deal with. At the very least it wasn't being directed towards her at the moment, which kept her from getting distracted.

'

Not one to keep people worried in a situation like this, the Caster smiled as he gave her a confirming nod. "We got it. He's stable for now."

'

Ritsuka let out a relieved sigh and some of the Servants behind her followed suit. Though before any of them could get the wrong idea, Dio cut in. "Given all the damage to his spirit core, full recovery will take at the very least several weeks, but at least he'll still be around," the Spaniard added while walking a short distance away to fetch something.

'

His eyes snapping wide at the words, Lemminkäinen turned towards Dio with a mix of frustration and disbelief. "The hell? That long? Seriously? I thought I was gonna be out for a week at best!"

'

Completely ignoring the Saber's complaint, their Master didn't lose any of her relief and smiled gratefully. "Even so, I can't thank you all enough. Amazing work, everyone." Faced with such genuine gratitude, this time directed towards her as well, Brynhildr came dangerously close to losing her focus on the runes. Oh, this truly was a troublesome moment...

'

Thankfully, another screen suddenly popped up next to the Master's one. Da Vinci's timing was truly perfect. "While Lemminkäinen is not in immediate danger at the moment, you can't keep supporting him with runes forever. I've prepared a Spiritual Containment Cistern in the Infirmary, so get him in here as quickly as you can." And the orders were even more fortunate, at least as far as the Lancer was concerned.

'

"You heard her. Let's move," Dio agreed while bringing over something that appeared to be floating stretchers. While Brynhildr kept her focus on the runes, the two men lifted Lemminkäinen on it before the whole group headed for the exit. Glancing at the face of the warrior smiling with satisfaction, the Valkyrie quickly averted her gaze. Frankly, the Saber's noble self-sacrifice had been close to driving her to the edge of her self restraint, so she would be more than happy to get him to the Infirmary as soon as possible, before isolating herself for some time...

'

'

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'

'

During the following half an hour Ritsuka's group set up camp near the battlefield, yet the Master herself, and Mash, couldn't help but to worry over Lemminkäinen. While he had been stabilized for the moment, there could still be any number of problems that could threaten his life, given how critical his condition was. And yet, all those worries were dispelled by Da Vinci's smile as soon as she called them. "Everything went perfectly. Lemminkäinen is now inside the Spiritual Containment Cistern and has begun his recovery."

'

Ritsuka immediately exchanged relieved smiles with Mash, and at the same time, she felt a sigh escape her mouth. It was like she'd held her breath for the last half an hour, until now, finally, she could start properly breathing again. And she knew exactly what to use that first breath on. "Thank you, Da Vinci."

'

"All part of being me." The Caster smiled proudly without a hint of modesty. Though her smile took a far more gentle feel as she continued. "That said, you did well too, Ritsuka."

'

"Really?" The redhead cocked a brow. She didn't think she did anything that special in the situation. Just what was expected of a Master.

'

Yet Da Vinci insisted on her assessment. "Certainly. You didn't panic when you learned of his condition, and instead carefully went over your options. And to make it all the more impressive, you chose a good one, even if it had its risks. Lemminkäinen would have definitely died if you didn't act so quickly, so you should take pride in that."

'

"I agree, Senpai," Mash eagerly chimed in. "Your quick response to the situation was worthy of a first rate Master."

'

"...I see." Ritsuka nodded with a hint of hesitance. She still felt like it was just what a proper Master should have done in the situation, but she wasn't going to start arguing with them. She didn't want to ruin the mood, and frankly, she was just too tired to. "Whatever the case, I'm just glad it all worked out."

'

"That it did." Da Vinci smiled warmly at the two of them, and the redhead couldn't help but to slightly avert her gaze. That smile was just so gorgeous that it was bordering on dangerous. "But, it's getting late and you've all had quite a rough night, so I'd recommend that you and Mash eat something light and head to bed for now. The Servants also need to recover their magical energy."

'

"No need to tell me twice," Amadeus yawned while walking by, as if he'd been a major contributor to the battle. While Ritsuka couldn't deny that he'd been helpful, such an attitude still made her roll her eyes at the Caster.

'

Nevertheless, Da Vinci's idea sounded just about the best one she'd heard the entire day. "But yeah. We'll definitely be following that recommendation of yours. I know that I'll be sleeping better tonight knowing that one of our toughest enemies is out of the fight."

'

"I'll quickly prepare some supper for you two, Master," Kiyohime announced happily, and Ritsuka reciprocated the kind gesture.

'

"Thank you." She really couldn't overstate how nice it was to have someone in their group who was both good at cooking and liked doing it. Even if it was just warmed up leftovers, the quality of the Berserker's cooking made it definitely something to be looked forward to.

'

As Kiyohime went off to prepare the food, Da Vinci cast the two of them one last, brilliant smile. "Well, that's that for my report. Unless something happens, we'll call you in the morning. Rest well, you two."

'

The transmission cut off after both Ritsuka and Mash said their goodbyes, leaving them in a comfortable silence only broken by the sounds of nature and quiet cooking preparations a short distance away. Then, the Shielder had quite an unexpected reaction. Letting out a deep sigh, she closed her eyes and leaned back on the log they were using as a bench, far enough that Ritsuka was a bit worried that she might end up falling backwards. A mixture of emotions were competing for supremacy on her face, ranging from relief to consolation to satisfaction. She'd yet to see Mash look quite like that, not even after especially arduous battles, so the redhead admittedly got curious. "Are you alright, Mash?" she asked, and the other girl turned towards her, opening her eyes just slightly.

'

"Yes..." Mash mumbled, and a smile spread on her face. The genuine happiness and relief were practically shining from her eyes. "I'm just... I'm just happy that everything worked out, Senpai. That we didn't lose Lemminkäinen."

'

Ritsuka did everything she could to withhold herself from hugging Mash and patting her head at that very instant. That caring side of her was just so unbelievably precious and pure. So instead, she just put her arm around the Shielder's shoulders and pulled her closer, letting her lean on her. The gesture was clearly appreciated, seeing how Mash's smile softened as she leaned against her, her body visibly relaxing. In the redhead's mind, this moment of calm was just what they needed after such a hectic night, so she allowed herself to relax as well, feeling the warmth of both the campfire and Mash as she closed her eyes with a sigh. "Me too, Mash. Me too."

'

'

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'

'

The following morning, Mash stood by Ritsuka's side as she gave Jeanne's team a report of their latest battle. "And that's essentially what went down last night."

'

"I see..." Jeanne nodded, taking a moment to fully go through the information she'd received before a grateful smile grew on her lips. "In any case, Vlad III was among our most formidable enemies, so it's relieving to know that he has been defeated. Please give our best wishes to Lemminkäinen. Even if he is too injured to join us for the remainder of our battle, his victory was a tremendous feat he should be proud of."

'

"Trust me, he is well aware of that last part," the Master chuckled, getting a few laughs from the others as well. Mash too was quite certain that the Saber would bring up said exploit more than once in the future. "But now that he was called back to Chaldea, we should have a new ally joining us as soon as the technicians get the system to cooperate."

'

Marie suddenly popped up behind the Ruler, smiling as brightly as ever as she gave her a small hug. "Oh, wow. Things are really looking up for us, aren't they Jeanne?"

'

While Jeanne seemed a tad surprised by the sudden appearance, she still smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yes. All this, together with the rumors we've heard, really does make our future appear to be growing brighter."

'

"Rumors?" Mash repeated, remembering a topic from their previous reports. "Are they about the Servant you've been tracking?"

'

Jeanne nodded. "Indeed. We are currently approaching Mont-de-Marsan, which is rumored to be protected by a saint."

'

The Shielder shared a surprised look with her Senpai, which soon turned to hopeful smiles. It seemed that their search was finally bearing fruit. "That's definitely promising."

'

"Yup. But it's not just any saint!" Marie announced, brimming with enthusiasm to the point where she'd started to hop up and down. "In fact, we've even got a name: Georgios!"

'

To say that Mash was surprised would've been an understatement. No, her jaw practically dropped as the Rider revealed the saint's supposed identity. She glanced to her side to check if she'd somehow heard wrong, but her Senpai wore an identical expression on her face, removing that doubt. Even Siegfried, who was usually so stoic, appeared genuinely surprised. But before anyone else could get a word in, Dio's voice echoed through the other communication, asking the question in everyones' minds. "Georgios!? As in Saint George, the man himself!?" As soon as both Jeanne and Marie gave him a confirming nod, the Spaniard's disbelief turned immediately into laughter. "Hah! Damn did we just hit an absolute jackpot! Him being the Saint that was summoned is basically the best case scenario." Reaching a hand towards his right, he shared a high-five with Da Vinci, who seemed equally as excited.

'

"Exactly. Not only is he one of the most famous saints around, but he should also be of tremendous use in direct combat. Oh, if this saint is actually the genuine Georgios, then this could just be the opportunity we've hoped for."

'

Mash had to agree that the Caster was absolutely right. She herself couldn't think of any famous saints more perfect for their needs at the moment. Though as she focused on her Senpai again, expecting to see relief similar to her own, Mash was met with something quite different. "I..." The redhead stared at the screen Jeanne and Marie were on, disbelief still clouding her face. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Saint George also kill a dragon?"

'

"That he did," Da Vinci confirmed with an amused smile, clearing away some skepticism from the redhead. "And while I'm not sure he could take down a dragon on Fafnir's level by himself, he would without a doubt be a great asset in fighting both it and the hordes of wyverns."

'

"And he should be more than qualified in helping me remove the curses from Siegfried," Jeanne followed, removing even more doubt from Ritsuka's face.

'

"This... This is just amazing. I'm almost afraid that it might be a dream..." Though as her voice trailed off, Mash alone noticed how the redhead quite literally pinched her own hand, as if to make sure that she was awake. Despite the fact that the pinch looked somewhat painful, she couldn't help but to find her Senpai's action quite cute, especially so as she continued talking as if nothing happened, a bright smile now on her face. "Incredible work, you all. Please do your best to find him as quickly as possible."

'

Marie was quick to reply with a bright smile of her own. "That's the plan."

'

"We should reach our destination in roughly a day's time, and once there, we will contact you again," Jeanne informed them, her expression the very definition of hopeful. "I wish you luck in your own search."

'

And while it hadn't quite reached that point yet, Ritsuka's expression was extremely similar. "Thanks, Jeanne. But if you're lucky enough to find our Saint, we might not even need any extra luck for our group." With one last agreeing laugh, Jeanne and Marie closed the communication, leaving the other group in silence. Mash watched as her Senpai sat down, face upwards as she stared at nothingness. "Saint George... Just... wow..." she muttered. Despite the earlier pinch, she seemed to still be in slight disbelief over the turn of events, not that the Shielder could blame her.

'

"Indeed," Siegfried nodded with a smile. There was even some genuine excitement in his expression. "I must admit, even putting aside the removal of my curses, I would very much like to meet him. It would be quite an experience to fight beside such a renowned knight."

'

While she could understand it, seeing her Senpai this astounded admittedly made Mash feel somewhat uneasy. So with that in mind, she did the only thing she could think of to cheer her up, and quickly skipped to her side with a bright smile. "It really is an amazing stroke of luck, Senpai."

'
While she at first only blinked in surprise, the redhead finally shook off her stunned amazement and returned her smile. "That it is, Mash. Absolutely, unbelievably amazing." And yet, just after the words left her mouth, her smile faltered somewhat. "But having said that, I really hope that our luck isn't about to make a complete 180."

'

'

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'

'

As a new day began, Kintoki was on the move first thing in the morning, marching through the still empty halls of Chaldea. His goal: to keep his new friend Lemminkäinen from slipping into a coma out of pure tedium. He was way too aware of just how boring recovering from serious injuries could be, given how many times he'd clashed with Shuten and the other oni back in the day, so he'd made sure to spend as much time as possible with the Saber. Sure, it was kind of awkward with him being stuck in what was essentially a coffin, so most of the time they could only chat, but at least once thus far, Lemminkäinen had been let out for long enough for them to play cards, so the future looked at least somewhat hopeful. And even if that wasn't possible right now, he'd spent last evening digging through Chaldea's archives for the most Golden motorcycles they had information on, and saved all their info on one of these handy tablet things. The two of them could easily spend hours just talking about those bad boys. Though as he was heading for the Infirmary to meet up with his bud, he just happened to come across another person he'd really wanted to talk to, a wide smile spreading on his face as soon as he turned the corner and spotted him. "Yo, Dio! This is some golden timing."

'

The Spaniard immediately returned the smile, along with a wave. "S'up, Golden." The Berserker felt his lips curling just a bit higher as he was greeted with his preferred name. He'd told Dio about it once, and every time after that, he'd used it without even a hint of a slip-up, all without even questioning why he preferred the name. He really appreciated people who could just go with the flow like that. It was sometimes honestly kind of hard to believe that he was a mage. He had none of that high-and-mighty or stick-up-the-ass attitude a ton of the onmyouji back in his day had. Though even if he didn't act like them, there were still some similarities, mainly his observation ability, which was in full effect judging by how he stared at him. "Hmm... There's some seriousness on your face, so I guess this isn't a fun subject," the Spaniard muttered, taking only a second or two to think before continuing. "This is about PM, isn't it?"

'

Kintoki couldn't help but to let out an impressed whistle at the spot-on guess. "Yeah. Got it in one." He'd been interested in Pressure Man ever since he first spotted him in the Command Room, (how could he not be when he looked so Golden cool?), but that had evolved into a full blown friendship over the last few weeks. The red robot had been an amazing companion to spend time with, especially while Lemminkäinen was in the Singularity. They'd head into the Simulator and wrestle for hours on end. The whole thing just reminded Kintoki of his childhood. It was kinda like wrestling with bears, just... way less fluffy. At least, that's how it was until a few days ago. "It's just... After my last win a few days ago, he hasn't even talked to me once," the Berserker admitted while rubbing his neck awkwardly. "Just wanted to, you know, make sure I didn't break him or something."

'

But much to his relief, Dio just chuckled at his words. "Nah, PM is having a great time with you. He's been super stoked on having someone to roughhouse with on a regular basis," he revealed, almost sounding like a grateful, proud father of sorts as he patted him on the back. "He's just not used to being physically overpowered by something of similar size to himself, so he's acting like a baby. Just give him some space for now. He'll get over it eventually and be right back to challenging you."

'

"Well, that's Golden," Kintoki nodded, his smile making a comeback. He'd been hoping it was something like that, so this reveal was a nice weight off his back. He definitely didn't want to lose such a great wrestling buddy.

'

"Sure. Just take care not to get too rough with him outside the Sim..." Dio's voice died off in the middle of the word, leaving him standing completely petrified. "Oh...?" came out of his mouth a second later, just before the Berserker could start getting worried. His frozen eyes started to widen in excitement, looking exactly like those of the children Kintoki would meet almost every day back in the capital. "Ooooh, shit!"

'

Before the words had even fully exited his mouth, Dio held out a small jewel-like thing that started shooting beams of light into the air, which soon turned into proper shapes as they melded together. Kintoki could only stare in surprise as something that looked like a disk took form. It was like a painting with depth was being created right in front of his eyes, materializing into the world. Though that description soon lost meaning as the creation kept growing, turning into something akin to the motors the Berserker had seen in motorcycle files, only like, a million times more complicated. There were stationary parts, moving parts, and even several types of flowing substances that were going all around the place. While it was kind of beautiful in a weird sense, he had absolutely no idea what was even going on at the moment. Why did Dio just start making this thing out of the blue? "Hey? What are you-?"

'

"Shush! No distractions!" the Spaniard silenced him instantly, continuing creating his... thing. Frankly, Kintoki didn't even try to follow the blueprint or formula or whatever. Stuff of this level went way over his head. It was only after about a minute of projecting that the creation completely stopped changing, leaving Dio staring at his seemingly completed work. "Yes... It actually works, yes!" Clapping his hands together with a victorious grin, he gave the Berserker a quick thumbs up as he started clicking on his Multi-Appliance. "Hahaa! Wait 'till she sees this shit."

'

As expected, the communicator projected a screen that Da Vinci soon appeared on. "What is it, Dio? I'm actually kind of busy right-"

'

"Shut up and check this out."

'

As Dio sent her a file that opened right in front of the Caster's eyes, she stared at the bizarre creation with surprise. "...Huh? This is..." Her surprise was replaced by curiosity as she looked through the blueprint, zooming in on certain sections from time to time. "I see, I see... Wait, but if you do that, then... Oh? But then, this portion will- Ah! Such a rigid rerouting, which would let us..." Da Vinci's voice drifted off as she turned to look back at the grinning Spaniard, and despite her also smiling, Kintoki could only describe the look on her face as impressed frustration. "...Damn it. You actually figured it out before I did."

'

"Eat your entire heart out." Dio winked, clicking his tongue in the process, which only made Da Vinci roll her eyes. "I'll be there in five minutes, 47 seconds. Get everything ready."

'

And yet, despite the obvious frustration, the Caster seemed far more energetic than she had been when the call had started. "Absolutely. This will be our new priority one for the moment."

'

As soon as the screen disappeared, the Spaniard turned towards Kintoki with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about this, but something more urgent just came up. Catch you later, Golden."

'

"S-sure," the Berserker barely responded before Dio zoomed off, disappearing behind a corner in the blink of an eye. Honestly, given how important the discussion had seemed, he'd kinda wanted to pitch in to help... But still, there wasn't any reason for him to get involved. He was well aware of his own strengths and weaknesses, and that type of work was about as far from his expertise as he could imagine. It'd be like Tsuna throwing a party, or... Shuten not drinking for a whole day. Just unnatural. So instead, he started heading towards the Infirmary and focused on doing what he knew he could do, which was making sure his buddy wouldn't die of boredom.

'

'

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'

'

When Emiya made his way into the Command Room that morning, he had hardly expected to hear exceptionally good news before even lunchtime, yet the sight of his Master's awed face on the screen together with the earlier reveal had inverted said expectations. "You mean, you actually managed to do it...?"

'

Standing next to a panel close to the Coffins, Da Vinci gave her a confirming nod along with her trademark smile, even if there was a hint of frustration mixed into it. "Yes. I've run several simulations, and as much as I hate to admit it, Dio managed to find a functional bypass in the system before me, letting us finally make progress with one of our biggest obstacles: Sending multiple Servants into a Singularity with only a single Master." A confirmation that caused plenty of murmur in both the Command Room and in the Singularity.

'

"Hell yeah! Now we're talking!" Cú Chulainn cheered, being one of the three Servants actually present in the Command Room at the moment. The other two being himself and Brynhildr, though she never left the room to begin with. Not once since their Master first rayshifted into the Singularity. Yet even the stoic Valkyrie appeared more energetic upon hearing the confirmation, which was a feeling he shared, likely along with the rest of the Servants. It was no secret that all of them were dissatisfied that they had to stay behind while their Master was out fighting in the Singularity, some more than others, so this was just about the best news they could ask for.

'

"That's amazing!" Ritsuka quickly echoed the sentiment, her eyes practically shining at the news. Mash's reaction was nearly identical by her side.

'

While the genius Caster smiled as well, she waved her hand to settle them back down. "However, for now, it'll only let us send two Servants at a time, so there's definitely room for improvement," she clarified, getting the murmur to quiet down a bit. Some listeners, including a certain Irishman, looked genuinely disappointed, even as she kept talking. "But even so, this is a massive leap forward, and should greatly increase your overall combat potential."

'

The Master's enthusiasm didn't falter in the slightest. "Yeah. Even if it's just a single Servant more, that's still infinitely more than nothing."

'

Emiya nodded in approval, pleased that Ritsuka hadn't gotten carried away with the possibilities and could still focus on the actual benefits. Even if the increase was ultimately just a single Servant, this was a considerable step in closing the gap between the fighting strength between the Singularity team and the Dragon Witch's forces. Although, there was one little detail that bothered him, one he was quick to press Da Vinci about. "This is all rather promising, but there's still some doubt in your eyes. How exactly are you going to accomplish this?" The Caster turned to face him, slightly annoyed that she had been seen through, but before she could respond...

'

"That's the hard part!" A sudden voice called, followed by Dio quite literally sliding into the room. As soon as he came to Da Vinci's side, he hopped off of the metal spheres he'd been standing on, which quickly zipped off the ground and disappeared into his pockets. At this point, no one was surprised by his sudden appearance. "Ideally, we would like to do this while the Coffin isn't in use, but we don't have the luxury for something like that. So instead, we're gonna have to get a bit creative."

'

The Caster let out a small sigh, the hints of doubt still present in her. "Exactly. This needs to be done as quickly as possible, which means that we need to install the system while Ritsuka is still in her Coffin."

'

"Making this a real precision operation," Dio finished, far too nonchalantly for most listeners' liking. Mash in particular looked worried, moving just an inch closer to the redhead.

'

Emiya raised his hand towards the man, not liking the sound of this in the least. "Let me just stop you right there to clarify. You mean to tell me that you'll be modifying the Coffin's electric and magical energy flows while it's being used?" The Spaniard nodded without hesitation, causing his brows to furrow. "That sounds, frankly, extremely dangerous."

'

"It is. And even if we do it as carefully as possible, it's still work far too precise for human hands to accomplish." Before anyone could question him, Dio grinned while raising a perfectly rectangular container roughly as large as your average toolbox. "Which is why I went to pick this up."

'

"Oh, great," Da Vinci sighed, rolling her eyes while he lowered the box onto the floor.

'

A small hatch on the side of the container opened and a group of tiny metallic automatons, each about 5 millimeters tall, began marching out. While they were humanoid in appearance, their bodily proportions and 4 arms immediately reminded Emiya of ants. And after a few seconds of marching, all of them were out, standing in a perfectly square formation. By a quick glance, he'd counted a total of 400 of them. Dio looked especially proud as he introduced the tiny troop. "Say hello to my little Ant-Droids." ...And following it, Da Vinci's groans of absolute frustration echoed across the entire room, despite its large size. Not that he could blame her. During these short few weeks, Emiya had come to understand two notable things about Dio. First was the fact that he could create impressive mystic codes and other magecraft tools extremely quickly and efficiently. And the second was that he always, without fail, gave them absolutely goofy names that no mage would even consider as an option. The first few times he'd been unsure, but at this point he was completely certain that the Spaniard was doing it on purpose. Although whether that was to annoy Da Vinci personally or if it was a broader thing was still up in the air. "By personally controlling each of these little guys, I can do the rewiring way more efficiently and safely than the alternatives."

'

The Archer cocked a brow at this. Certainly, the insect sized automata should be capable of working far more precisely than human hands allowed, but that wasn't what caught his attention. Rather, it was the first part. "All of them? At the same time?"

'

"Yup. The whole thing should only take around three hours," Dio answered matter-of-factly, increasing Emiya's confusion. He knew that those from the Titan's Pit employed a skill known as Memory Partition, but 400 was simply too much. Instead, it was most likely something akin to general direction, like specifying a program what it had to accomplish. But that thought had to be put aside when the Spaniard continued, turning his attention to Ritsuka. "There is a slight catch, though. Once I begin setting the bypass up, we can't send any more Servants to you until it's finished or if I completely remove it, no matter how big of an emergency you face," he informed, earning himself more than a few concerned looks. In the Archer's book, that was more than a 'slight catch'. "I could've just installed it without letting you know, but not telling would just be a dick move, so what's your opinion on this, Ritsuka?"

'

The Master kept silent, seemingly pondering her way through all the information available to her before looking at Dio questioningly. "Three hours?"

'

"Approximately. Depending on circumstances, a more accurate timeframe would be between two hours and 45 minutes, to three hours and 15 minutes."

'

"And Sky Eye and everything else will still function perfectly?"

'

"Absolutely."

'

The uncertainty in Ritsuka's eyes faded. "Then go for it," she nodded, determination shining through. "The reward is definitely worth the risk in this case. If the Sky Eye detects any danger in our area, we'll just run away. Unless the Dragon Witch does something like sending all of her forces after our group specifically, we should be able to hold out until you're done."

'

Emiya felt the edges of his lips turning upwards. It really was relieving that his Master put serious thought into choices like this, and that she didn't need to learn to consider her actions the hard way. Though his good mood was considerably lowered as Dio shrugged and replied: "I mean, in that scenario, even sending two of the strongest Servants here wouldn't be able to save you all."

'

A reply that caused the Master to fall completely silent, just staring at the Spaniard with her mouth agape. Mash had an identical reaction. Not that Emiya could blame them given how flatly such a discouraging fact had been delivered. After a few seconds of awkward silence, she finally managed to speak up. "...Um, yeah, fair enough."

'

Dio, on the other hand, had already started working. He took a seat close to the Coffin as his tiny automatons began rushing into the tiny crevices on the floor, disappearing from sight. "Da Vinci, Cú, Lancer," he called out before pitching three small pieces of paper to them simultaneously. Despite the suddenness of the act, the Servants all caught them without fail and started inspecting the notes. "Here are specific instructions for each of you to help make the whole process smoother."

'

Brynhildr nodded before she had even begun reading the paper. "I will help in any way I can."

'

"Same, but man you weren't kidding. This is some stupidly precise shit..." Cú Chulainn muttered while reading the instructions, scratching his chin in mild annoyance. "Still, I should be able to pull my part off."

'

A confirmation the Valkyrie concurred. "I shouldn't have any issues either. What about you, Da-"

'

"Already on it," the Caster replied, operating on a large metal disk without even turning to look at the other two. Nothing less from the self proclaimed Universal Genius. The two remaining Servants exchanged a surprised look before moving on to their own tasks as well.

'

Meanwhile, Emiya had kept an eye on the scene, while admittedly feeling a tad unessential. He knew that such tasks were better off left to the two Primordial Rune wielders and the genius inventor, but shaking the feeling was proving frustratingly difficult. Ultimately, he decided to turn around and leave the room, heading for the elevator. Should he be called to fight, he would answer without hesitation, but for now, he would just need to focus on helping Chaldea in the most useful way he could... Even if that way was simply preparing lunch. After all, the staff couldn't work without sustenance to keep them going, and if said sustenance also tasted good to improve their mentalities, that was all the motivation he needed to work his hardest. He did always appreciate people enjoying his cooking, after all.

'

'

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'

'

Exiting Marie's carriage along with her companions, Jeanne felt a satisfied smile spreading on her lips as she looked at the city just a short distance away. It had taken a bit longer than expected, mostly from them stopping to deal with a few rogue wyvern flocks along the way, but they had finally reached the visual range of their destination, Mont-de-Marsan. They'd chosen a nearby hill to observe the city from afar, and from what she was seeing, it was very likely that they'd find the person they were looking for right here.

'

Mostly from the fact that there were literally dozens of wyvern corpses piled outside of the walls. From the common green and brown variants to even the more powerful black ones, and all were killed with either a slashing or a piercing weapon.

'

"Looks like all those rumors were correct. No average Servant could deal with that many wyverns," the Ruler noted, observing the structures closest to them. While there was clear damage to the city, it was mostly limited to the outer walls. It would take a skilled protector to contain assaults to this extent. A fact that made the hope in Jeanne's heart only increase. The one responsible might truly be the Saint they were searching.

'

"Hey, doesn't this all look kinda weird? Why are all of those people out there?" Elizabeth muttered with confusion, pointing at the southern side of the city. Indeed, right outside the gates there were a large number of people gathering, along with wagons and carriages, some filled with people while others were filled with all sorts of baggage and supplies. While there were plenty of soldiers, a vast majority of the people were just ordinary citizens. "Are they preparing for something?"

'

Yes, that was something Jeanne had noticed as well, and she had no trouble realizing the cause. "...It's an evacuation," she confirmed, getting surprised looks from the two. She'd seen similar scenes during the war, but to see one here was... troubling, to say the least. "But why? The city has a protector, and I can't sense any hostile presence anywhere near us. Why are they leaving the safety of the walls to move somewhere else?"

'

"Maybe we should ask said protector," the Lancer noted, now pointing towards the gates. "Guessing that's him."

'

Both Jeanne and Marie followed the finger's direction, spotting the specified man soon enough. A rather handsome man who appeared to be somewhere between his late 20s and early 30s, possessing brown eyes and long flowing hair of the same color that reached his waist. He wore knightly armor of a bronze-orange color, which covered him from his neck to his feet, with its most striking feature being a bulky spaulder shaped like a dragon's head on his right shoulder. Aside from the armor, he wore a long white cape and an identically colored garment on the left side of his torso and around his waist, both having a straight red stripe running along them. All in all, the man appeared like the very picture of a virtuous knight as he instructed both the soldiers and citizens at their evacuation preparations. The Ruler was certain that Marie thought much the same as she gasped in wonder, clapping her hands together as a bright smile spread on her face. "My, what a noble bearing he has."

'

"Yes... Seeing him like this, I have no trouble believing that he truly is the famed Saint Georgios," Jeanne agreed, only to find herself surprised as the man turned his attention right towards them. His gaze held no sign of hostility, but caution was abundant. It was likely that they weren't the first Servants he'd encountered here. "He has noticed our presence, not that I would expect anything less. We need to be careful in our approach so as to not cause any misunderstandings."

'

As if said approach was obvious, Marie just giggled with a wink. "Waiting around will only make him more suspicious, so we should go and properly introduce ourselves." Without missing a beat, the Rider wrapped her arm around Jeanne's and pulled her onto her carriage's driver's seat. And as soon as they were on, the crystal horses pulling them began to move, trotting forward at a brisk yet slow enough pace that they weren't just rushing towards the city and its guardian Servant.

'

"Ah! Marie!" Jeanne gasped, but decided against telling her to stop. Coming to a halt now would only make them seem more suspicious. Besides, it's not that she'd expect anything else from her, either. "Well, here goes nothing," she sighed with mild amusement while Marie just giggled.

'

The knight began walking towards them as well, meeting them a short distance away from the gate. "Please stop right there. Who are you?" he asked in a firm voice, still showing no signs of hostility, yet ready to respond in an instant should the need arise.

'

Gracefully hopping off the carriage, Marie gave him a small curtsy along with a smile. "I am a Servant. My class is Rider, but my True Name is Marie Antoinette."

'

As soon as he heard the words, the man's bearing lost some of its sternness, even if some caution still remained as he nodded. "...I see, you are not under Madness Enhancement. Which in turn means that you are not allied with the Dragon Witch."

'

The Rider's smile brightened at his quick understanding. "Yes. We're on the side opposing them," she continued, motioning towards Jeanne, as well as Elizabeth on the carriage's roof. The man turned his attention on the Lancer first, given her flashy appearance, looking quite curious over her draconic features. Though his eyes widened considerably as they moved to Jeanne next, sparking some worry in her. Had he actually met her other self? Marie noticed it as well, quickly proceeding to explain. "Ah! Please, do not misunderstand. This is Elizabeth, a Lancer, and this is-"

'

A knowing smile grew on the knight's lips as he raised his hand to silence her. "I see... She is the holy maiden. Best we keep her name undisclosed for now." The worry that had started to build up within Jeanne was dispelled in an instant. So he really had met her other self, yet could tell the difference between them so quickly... As expected of the venerated Saint Georgios. As her companions' worry also faded, he motioned them all to follow while beginning to walk back towards the gate. "Come. It would be better for us to talk in a more private location. I also wish to let everyone working know that you're not here to cause trouble." After the three of them exchanged relieved smiles, Marie dematerialized her carriage and they did as he'd requested. Though as they got closer to the gate, Jeanne noticed the general unease amongst the people there. The soldiers were all on guard, while the common workers stared at them cautiously. Not that she could blame them, given how they'd seen Marie's carriage disappearing, revealing that the three of them were hardly common travelers, but it still weighed on her heart somewhat. Yet before she or Marie could try anything to ease their worries, the knight stepped forward with a reassuring smile. "No need to worry, everyone. I need to discuss some matters with these ladies, but I will be back shortly. For now, just keep the evacuation going as smoothly as you can. And remember that there's no need to rush. We will make sure everyone gets through this ordeal safely." The unease of the people faded almost entirely with his confirmation, and they all returned to their duties remarkably quickly. It was obvious that they all held a great deal of trust towards him. Jeanne couldn't help but to smile over the familiarity of the scene, given how similar it was to her own past with the soldiers. It also helped that she still wore the Chaldean Perception Guise, so that she didn't actually have the same appearance as the Dragon Witch. It couldn't fool a Servant like Georgios, but worked perfectly against normal people. The Ruler once again felt thankful that they'd kindly lent it to her. After they'd entered through the gate, the knight led them up the stairs inside the walls, before bringing them inside a room with windows overlooking the evacuation efforts down below. There he sat by a table, motioning them all to do the same. Jeanne took the offer eagerly, wishing to convey their purpose there as quickly as possible. Her companions did the same, though Elizabeth did have some trouble with her tail, which earned her a giggle from Marie. "Now then. As I assume you likely know, my True Name is Georgios. I am a Rider as well."

'

Jeanne felt her smile widen. While it was quite obvious at this point, getting confirmation on his true identity filled her with hope. "Yes. It is wonderful to meet you," she said before feeling it was only proper to fully introduce herself as well. "I am Jeanne d'Arc, a Ruler."

'

Georgios nodded, clearly appreciating the gesture. "The one who sought to save France," he muttered, his expression growing more serious. "We find ourselves in quite a complicated situation. While it's hardly unheard of for Servants to have several different variations of themselves to manifest as, for two of those variations to end up clashing is..." His voice trailed off until he shook his head. "No, perhaps you are here precisely because this other Jeanne d'Arc is wreaking all this havoc."

'

Jeanne couldn't help but to agree, even as her gaze fell on the table. "...Yes. That is quite likely." Marie placed a hand on her shoulder encouragingly, but given the topic, it helped only slightly.

'

After a short yet awkward silence, Elizabeth motioned towards Georgios to catch his attention. "So what's up with the whole evacuation thing? You seem to be able to handle the wyverns pretty well."

'

The knight's expression hardened at the question. "This city was nearly razed by the Witch and her dragon," he revealed, and Jeanne felt her heart sink as Marie gasped by her side. She'd realized that he knew what she looked like, but he had actually fought her? In this city? "I was able to make them retreat, likely due to the element of surprise, but that won't happen again. Now that they are prepared for my being here, they won't hold back on their next assault."

'

The Ruler fell silent in thought. Indeed, after what happened with Siegfried, the Dragon Witch would no doubt be cautious of anyone who could genuinely harm Fafnir. She likely wouldn't hold anything back during her next attack, aiming to kill Georgios as quickly as possible. With that in mind, her suggestion should work with him as well. "...Then, will you come join us? Our Dragon Slayer is cursed, and we need to remove it immediately. However, multiple curses are entwined together, so both you and I must be present..."

'

He looked at her in surprise, seemingly not having expected such a request. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke up again. "...May I ask for this Dragon Slayer's True Name?"

'

"He is Siegfried."

'

Georgios' eyes widened at the reveal, yet there was now a hopeful glint in them. "Ah, the hero who originally slew the Evil Dragon. To have him as our ally... That is indeed promising," he muttered, falling into contemplation once more. After a few seconds, he nodded, resolve shining in his brown eyes. "I understand the situation and am willing to assist to the best of my ability." Jeanne felt her heart leap and quickly exchanged looks with both Marie and Elizabeth, both of them wearing smiles matching her own. This was without a doubt the best news they'd had in days. Though before the Rider could let out a cheer, Georgios raised his hand to calm her down, even if he was smiling as well. "But I cannot join you immediately. The residents of Mont-de-Marsan have already started evacuations, so let us depart once that has been completed and they are safe."

'

In Jeanne's mind, that was hardly even a condition. She would have chosen to help them in any case. "Thank you very much!" Reaching her hand over the table, she gratefully offered it to the Saint. "Of course, we will assist the evacuation efforts however we can."

'

Georgios shook the offered hand with a smile. "Then you have my thanks as well."

'

"Oh, this is just wonderful, Jeanne," Marie cheered by her side, and she agreed completely. This had all gone just about perfectly. While she wished to reunite with Ritsuka's group as soon as possible, helping the people in this way was hardly an unfortunate setback.

'

Then suddenly, Elizabeth spoke up. "So, where are you evacuating anyway?" Both of her traveling companions looked at her in surprise. It was such an obvious question, the Ruler honestly felt somewhat embarrassed that she hadn't thought to ask it herself.

'

Walking away from the table, Georgios began to dig through a pile of papers on a shelf, until he seemed to find his target. "Since the Dragon Witch is already aware of this city's location, it's for the best to move further south." Spreading the map on the table, he pointed at the location in the south he'd chosen... But it was one that raised some doubt in Jeanne.

'

"Towards the principality of Béarn then..." While she hadn't visited the area during her life, she was still well aware of it. They'd done their best to detach themselves from France throughout the entire war, so the suggestion didn't exactly fill her with confidence. "While distancing the people from the center of France is wise, are you certain that they'll accept the refugees?" she asked with some uncertainty.

'

"Rest assured, I personally met with the viscount to ensure that the refugees have a place to escape to," Georgios confirmed, alleviating those worries. Though right afterwards, an amused smile grew on his face. "It honestly took less effort to convince him than I expected. Being a famed saint certainly has its perks at times, especially when I can back up my claims with feats far beyond the abilities of normal men."

'

Hearing such a statement from a venerated saint, Jeanne could only stare at him in surprise, while Marie giggled, a hand covering her mouth. "My, how shrewd of you, Lord Georgios. But I suppose no European ruler of this time period could exactly refuse a request for aid when a Saint of your fame came to personally ask them."

'

"I suppose that's true..." the Ruler admitted, finding some amusement in imagining what her king Charles might have looked like had he faced a similar situation.

'

For the next half an hour, Georgios explained to them all the necessary information about the evacuation, from the formation of the caravan, to their main route, to any alternative routes should trouble arise. It was all very efficiently planned out, not that Jeanne would expect anything less from him. But just as they were all about to head out to assist the populace...

'

"Ah!" The Ruler let out a loud gasp, startling the others. It felt like ice had been poured down her back. Yet it was the meaning behind the feeling that caused Jeanne to hold her head, her anxiety starting to skyrocket. "This can't be!" No. No, no, no, no, no. This couldn't be happening. Not now! Why couldn't she have waited just a few more hours!?

'

Georgios moved to her side, concern on his face. "What is it? A wyvern attack?"

'

Jeanne shook her head. "No, that wasn't it." Even if she dearly wished that the crisis they were about to face was that minor. She recognized the feeling, even if she desperately wanted to deny it. Raising her face, she looked the Rider directly in the eyes as she delivered the truth. "This sensation... It's the Dragon Witch!"

'

Georgios' eyes widened in shock while both Marie and Elizabeth stared at her in disbelief. "What did you say?"

'

"She's seriously coming here right now? Does she have some type of Skill that lets her show up at the worst possible times?" the Lancer asked in disbelief, her tail swinging back and forth in agitation.

'

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Jeanne nodded. "While it will take her some time, I'm absolutely certain that she's heading our way even as we speak, and Fafnir will almost certainly be with her." Georgios fell silent in contemplation, clearly taking her words seriously. The Ruler followed his lead, trying to think of a way out of this mess. Fighting them wasn't an option, given the massive difference in the strengths of their forces. Defeat was practically guaranteed. The most sensible option would be to leave as soon as possible and to try and try to reunite with Ritsuka's group. "Let's retreat, Georgios! We don't stand a chance against her right now!"

'

The Rider looked at her in surprise before shaking his head. "...But we can't do that yet."

'

"Oh..." Jeanne felt her mouth fall agape. In all honesty, she felt quite foolish at the moment. From the sheer suddenness of the attack, she'd nearly forgotten why he was here in the first place.

'

"The civilians aren't evacuated. The mayor has entrusted me with their protection and I must fulfill that wish..." Georgios clenched his fists tightly, a mix of frustration and fortitude on his expression. "Or else, I won't be able to stay a saint."

'

A declaration that sparked both anguish and admiration in Jeanne. "But..." She understood how he felt, she truly did, yet this was just...

'

"...I know. If I stay, I will die," he nodded with a somber smile, a fiery resolve burning in his eyes. "But even so, I can't abandon them."

'

"Ugh! Why is this so hard!?" Elizabeth grumbled, holding her head in her hands. "Why isn't there a simple solution, like we either beat them up, or run!?"

'

"...Yes. Those are the two options available to us," Jeanne nodded. "But it's the outcomes that are the problem. If we run, the citizens of Mont-de-Marsan will be sacrificed, yet if we fight, we ourselves will almost certainly die..." The room fell silent as they all began considering their options. No matter how hard the Ruler thought, those were the only outcomes she could arrive at. Even without her other self there, they wouldn't be able to defeat Fafnir. She would be able to block its fiery breath once, twice if she expanded her Saint Graph in the process... Could that be enough to secure victory? ...No. While Georgios was certainly a powerful Servant, with just Marie and Elizabeth by his side, overcoming Fafnir would be too much for him. Defeating that beast for good required Siegfried and his mighty sword. They had no hope of victory here, under these conditions. Ritsuka's group was effectively on the other side of the country at the moment, so they couldn't even hope for reinforcements to arrive. To call the situation desperate was putting it lightly.

'

Though it was then that Jeanne noticed something odd. While both Georgios and Elizabeth were still busy trying to think of something, which likely wasn't going well judging by their expressions, Marie was standing by the window, gazing out of it calmly. "They act like this is completely normal," she muttered quietly, as if only speaking to herself while looking down at the evacuating people with a smile. "Even now, those unreasonable denouncers still haven't given up."

'

Before Jeanne could question what she meant, Georgios spoke up, gaining her attention. "In any case, I am sorry that you have wasted your time in search of me." Looking at her with unblemished sincerity, he gave her a light bow. "I know that this is quite insolent of me, but could I ask you to at least make sure that the citizens reach safety while I hold off the Witch and her dragon?"

'

For the next few seconds, Jeanne couldn't give him an answer. The problem wasn't with protecting the citizens. She would have done that no matter what. It was in how they absolutely needed Georgios to help her remove the curses from Siegfried. If he died here, so would the hope in accomplishing that task which was so vital in saving France. She couldn't just let that happen, yet what alternatives did they have? Neither he nor she could bring themselves to sacrifice the citizens to save themselves... Yet as Jeanne was grappling with that impossible decision, someone else spoke up: "Lord Georgios, you are a man who is thick in head and body," Marie suddenly stated with a smile, getting a confused look from the man.

'

"What was that?"

'

"But, the part of you that is terribly cute has touched my heart," she continued, not caring about the puzzled looks everyone was now giving her. With the brightest smile imaginable, Marie gave them the most unthinkable proposal. "We just need someone to stay behind and defend this city until the citizens get to safety, right? Please allow me to take over that duty."

'

Silence fell over the room. None of them knew what to say, with Jeanne very much included. Both Elizabeth and her were just staring at the Rider in disbelief. She knew that Marie wasn't someone who would joke like this, but she couldn't possibly be serious either. "...Huh? What are you talking about, Marie?"

'

Georgios was the only one who had stayed composed, staring at the other Rider seriously. "That is quite a claim. May I ask you for your reasoning?"

'

Her smile not having faltered in the least, Marie nodded. "Certainly. I am the Queen of France. Even though that is in the 'future' from here, for me neither 'past' nor 'present' make much of a difference. Protecting the citizens is an important duty for me too, and you are now given a duty that can change everything." Walking between both Jeanne and Georgios, she took one of their hands into her own before bringing them together, clasping her hands around them. "St. Georgios, your power is needed along with Jeanne's, so go with her and please lift the curse from the Dragon Slayer." While the two were still surprised by her words, she turned to Elizabeth with a friendly wink. "And Eli still has to face her other self." The Lancer looked like she really wanted to say something, only for her gaze to fall onto the floor, which the Rider clearly took as a sign of compliance. "See? There's clearly only one choice. The one who needs to stay behind is me. In the name of Marie Antoinette, I will make sure to protect this city for as long as I am able to." A declaration that none could oppose. Not when the determination burning in Marie's eyes matched the brightness of her smile perfectly.

'

"Huh...?" Jeanne was so stunned over the sheer rationale of Marie's reasoning that she had been unable to respond... until she stopped trying to speak purely rationally. "P-Please wait up! Marie!" Grabbing the Rider's shoulders, she looked her in the eyes desperately. "Marie, let us stay and fight with you! You can't do it alone, but I am sure the two of us can..." Her voice drifted off, unable to finish the sentence. Jeanne was perfectly aware of how the battle would most likely end, and she just couldn't lie straight to Marie's face when she showed such determination. Besides, she was right. Both her and Georgios were needed to lift Siegfried's curses, so neither of them could afford to stay behind. The fact that two Servants with the qualifications for that were summoned was fortunate enough, but the mere idea that a third one might appear was downright miraculous. If one of them perished here, they most likely wouldn't get another chance.

'

Laying one hand on top of Jeanne's, and another on her cheek, Marie shook her head. "Non. That makes me very happy, but you cannot, Jeanne. I am sure I was summoned for precisely this moment. Not to harbor hatred or defeat enemies, but to protect my cherished people and nation. So that at this second time, I will actually be able to protect those dear to me. To save my dear country, I will do what is right."

'

"B-but..." The Ruler tried to desperately come up with arguments, yet she found none. In the end, she couldn't say anything meaningful. She didn't have the right to stop Marie.

'

"Besides, Lemminkäinen was already willing to sacrifice everything to aid us, and he's someone with absolutely no connections to France. What kind of queen would I be if I wasn't willing to do the same for my own country?" Marie added with a wink, stunning Jeanne once more. "Lord Georgios, do you agree to this arrangement?"

'

After a short silence, Georgios gave her a stiff nod. "...If you are fine with it, I will humbly yield this role to you." His expression made it quite obvious that he didn't wish to burden Marie with the mission, but was forced to given the circumstances. He understood the importance of his own role, even if it wasn't personally ideal.

'

"Of course," Marie nodded happily. "Oh, but please apologize to Amadeus for me. I never got to hear him play the piano after all," she added, some sadness finally leaking through her smile. "He was 6, and I was 7. Since then, we've passed each other, but never met."

'

"...Marie..." Jeanne muttered through her grit teeth, desperation and acceptance fighting for dominance in her mind. Even as she gripped Marie's shoulders, she couldn't stop her hands from trembling. They were shaking from the sheer frustration at her own powerlessness. And yet, that shaking stopped as Marie laid her hands on top of hers.

'

"You know, it really makes me happy that you care about me so much. You can't even imagine how wonderful it feels to hear someone I admired to such an extent during my life say such words to me."

'

"...Huh?" The Ruler raised her head with surprise, meeting the most unexpected expression. Marie had always held a certain amount of affection towards her from the moment they'd met, but this was far beyond that. Both her eyes and expression radiated a single emotion: absolute adoration.

'

"I still remember the first time I heard about you, about the girl who fought to save France centuries before I lived. A young woman like me, who did all of these incredible things. How could I not admire her?" Marie raised her hands, cupping the Ruler's face. The way she smiled at her was overflowing with faith, reminding Jeanne of the pure way many of her comrades had looked at her in the past. That absolute trust and devotion. "So please, Jeanne. The holy maiden, Jeanne d'Arc... My wonderful friend, and the star that I adore... Please guide France to victory."

'

"Marie, I... " Jeanne wanted to avert her gaze, having trouble handling the sheer brightness of the request, yet forced herself to look straight at the Rider as she replied. "I'll do the best I can for everyone's sake."

'

"Good. Just stay strong and see me off with your wonderful smile," Marie said, managing to get Jeanne to smile as well despite the circumstances. "Now go, Jeanne. As short as our time was, it was the greatest honor to fight under your flag."

'

"Yes," she nodded, keeping the smile on her face. Yet she couldn't stop herself from adding one last selfish desire. "...I will be waiting," she muttered while averting her gaze, a light blush growing on her cheeks. Even if it was nearly impossible given the nature of Servants, Jeanne still held a tiny bit of hope that they would be able to reunite someday.

'

A hint of surprise flashed on Marie's face, only to be overshadowed by her smile once more. She looked extremely happy to have heard such words. "Don't worry, I'll catch up soon."

'

"I..." A voice suddenly called from behind them, prompting the two to turn around to see Elizabeth twirling her fingers awkwardly. She looked quite embarrassed, but forced herself to smile as she focused on Marie. "I'll be waiting too..."

'

The Rider's smile brightened even further and she skipped over to give the shy dragon a hug that was immediately returned. "Of course, Eli. Getting the chance to have some proper girl talk even amidst all this chaos was a wonderful treat." Having said everything she needed to say, Marie walked out the door onto the wall, the others following her silently. With a flash, she summoned herself a steed and mounted it gracefully before turning to give them one last smile and a wave. "Au revoir, everyone! I know you'll make France proud!"

'

Riding on her beautiful, crystal horse, the young queen disappeared into the distance as Jeanne watched mournfully, barely managing to keep a smile on her lips.

'

'

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'

"She's doing what!?" Ritsuka exclaimed, giving voice to Mash's exact thoughts as well. When Jeanne's group had called them, she had expected a confirmation on them finding Saint Georgios, or at worst, a report explaining why they hadn't yet found him. But this... This was just beyond anything she could have imagined.

'

"Exactly what I said..." Jeanne sighed heavily, looking uncharacteristically despondent. In fact, she looked even worse than she did during their first encounter with the Dragon Witch. As she fell silent, the loud noises of evacuation echoed from her background. "...We all agreed with Marie's proposal, since we don't have any alternatives."

'

While the others all fell silent, troubled looks clouding their faces, Mash didn't have a single doubt on what they needed to do. "Senpai, we need to hurry!" she declared, sure that her Senpai was planning something similar. Saving Marie would have to be their highest priority for now. "We can let the horses go free and run with all of our might. Then, we might be able to-"

'

But, instead of receiving support like she had expected, the Shielder was met with a shaking head and a quiet reply. "No..." The redhead fell silent after that single word, only continuing after a deep sigh escaped her mouth. "We'll keep traveling at our normal pace while heading for a suitable meeting spot."

'

For the next dozen or so seconds, Mash could only stare at Ritsuka in disbelief. It was like the words had been the exact opposite of what she'd expected. She simply couldn't believe what she had just heard. It was only when the redhead started walking away that she could begin to form anything resembling a coherent sentence. "...Senpai? What do you mean?"

'

Ritsuka kept walking, not even turning to speak as she headed towards the bank of the river they had stopped by. "...We'll leave in a few minutes, so get ready."

'

The answer felt like a slap against the Shielder's face, convincing her that she had heard the earlier words correctly. "B-but Senp-!" she tried to call, only to be stopped by Kiyohime placing her closed fan in front of her face.

'

"That's quite enough, Mash," the Berserker said firmly before glancing at Ritsuka sympathetically. "Please, don't trouble Master any further."

'

Mash frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about!?" She couldn't understand why they were acting like this at such a crucial time. "We need to hurry up and join Jeanne and the others, and then-!"

'

"...Mash," Roman suddenly called out, catching her attention. The Shielder fell silent from shock immediately upon seeing his face. The severe expression he wore at the moment was almost identical to the one he had whenever they were discussing her lifespan. "Even if you're a Demi-Servant, you can't run over 500 kilometers fast enough that it would matter here. Outside of using two Command Spells to propel a single Servant to their location, there is no way for you to reach Jeanne's group in time. They're effectively on the other side of the country."

'

Mash's thoughts froze. She understood what he was trying to say, yet a part of her mind did its best to deny it and tried to find an alternative. But while she was still trying to let the Doctor's words sink in, Da Vinci continued. "And the only way that desperate gamble would make a difference would be through doing it to Siegfried, followed by hoping that Jeanne and Georgios are able to remove his curses before the Dragon Witch arrives." The Shielder's mood sank even further, trying to drown out hope. So even that slight chance had such a low chance of success? And yet, even if the chances were slim, surely they should still try if the possibility existed, right!? It was like her mind was desperately hanging on to that tiny thread of hope, the impossibly small possibility, yet the Caster was doing her best to cut it. "But even that tiny chance has several, extremely dangerous hurdles that would need to be cleared. The first one being Ritsuka's need to form a contract with him. I doubt that I need to remind you of this, but with her already serving as a Master to Jeanne without any support from Chaldea, Ritsuka doesn't have much energy to spare. If she were to form a contract with Siegfried as well, she would at best be drained to the point of being unable to stand on her own." Mash felt like a cold hand had suddenly grasped her heart. That's right... To even attempt sending Siegfried with that method, a contract would be absolutely necessary. It was the only way. B-but to risk Senpai's life like that would be... Yet before she could even attempt to come to terms with such a choice, Da Vinci finally snipped the Shielder's thread of hope. "And even if by some miracle that would work, it's highly unlikely that Siegfried would actually survive the trip in his weakened state. Most likely, he would end up burning away during the flight, much like a meteor crashing through the Earth's atmosphere."

'

"That's..." Mash felt like someone had dropped a heavy, cold stone into her stomach. She couldn't think of anything... She wanted to scream again that they had to do something to help, but she just couldn't come up with any arguments, or anything that even remotely sounded like a sensible course of action.

'

The Doctor's expression had shifted to an apologetic one at this point, likely from seeing how much she was struggling with this. "Unfortunately, aside from that extremely risky act, there's nothing you can do to help them at the moment." Mash knew that... She knew that, yet she didn't want to accept it! She looked around desperately, her eyes darting from person to person, praying that one of them could offer a solution, but none had anything to offer. Even Amadeus, who seemed to be the closest to Marie out of them all, just shook his head with a small smile. It was during that desperate search that Mash actually noticed what her Senpai was doing by the river. She'd filled a bucket with water and was taking it to the horses... She was bringing water to the horses? Throughout this entire journey, she'd only interacted with them when absolutely necessary, yet now she was taking care of a task anyone else could've accomplished easily...? The Doctor seemed to notice it as well, looking at her sympathetically. "Ritsuka was clearly aware of that as she gave her instructions, no matter how much accepting it hurt her..."

'

The Shielder gave their group one last, desperate look. "T-then we can't...?" Everyone shook their heads in unison, and Mash felt like she could throw up at any second. She fell to her knees, hand clutched over her mouth. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this helpless. Usually during desperate situations like this, she could at least stand in front of Senpai with her shield and hope for the best, but here... she just couldn't do anything. None of them could.

'

There was absolutely nothing they could do to help Marie.

'

'

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'

'

Standing alone on the northwestern side of Mont-de-Marsan, back towards the city gates, Marie felt an odd sense of calm throughout her entire being. It was strange. Despite the fact that she was most certainly waiting for her own death, she couldn't help but to feel serene. Maybe because unlike when she had originally died, she was now choosing to walk this path by her own will, hoping to achieve something through her end? Thinking about such things, her gaze wandered across the nearby landscape. There wasn't much to see, just flat terrain with a few wyvern corpses dotting it. No trees or even bushes. For her that was good, since no cover meant that she wouldn't be sneaked up upon, letting her see any attackers before they got to her. The enemies would either come by flying on wyverns or possibly through the road splitting the woods a short distance away. Either was fine with her. Given the circumstances, Marie couldn't help but to think about what Ritsuka did whenever they faced a situation like this. The girl was quick to plan her approach, no matter how little time she had. With that in mind, perhaps she should go ahead and try to think of at least something resembling a strategy, even if that was hardly a task she excelled at. She knew that the Dragon Witch herself was heading here, but who else? Which Servants would she bring to accompany her? Hopefully it wasn't all of them at the very least. Should she face every Servant under the Dragon Witch's command and Fafnir at the same time, Marie knew that her last stand would end up being unfortunately short. She could only pray that wasn't the case. Her being alone would be the best case scenario, even if it only gave Jeanne's group a few short extra moments...

'

And then, as if receiving an answer to her question, the Rider suddenly felt a Servant response approaching her at high speed. Her eyes darted towards the horizon, but with nothing there, she quickly ruled out the possibility of wyverns, which left her gaze falling down on to the forest. There, along the dirt road, a single Servant was running, kicking up a cloud of dust in their wake. Marie was about to dash between them and the city, only for the runner to change their course. The Servant was now rushing straight towards her with quite an impressive amount of speed. She'd seen a few Servants in this Singularity who could definitely move faster, but this one was certainly putting in a considerable amount of effort. Then, upon reaching the edge of the open field, the Servant jumped into the air with a burst of speed, crossing most of the area in an instant and landing only a short distance away from her. She readied herself, only for her eyes to widen as the dust settled and the Servant's identity became clear.

'

Oh... Him.

'

Marie felt a faint smile growing on her lips as she stared at the approaching man. She wasn't exactly surprised that he was the one to show up, even if she wished it had been someone else. "...I suppose it's fate that you would be the first one to arrive here."

'

Charles-Henri Sanson smiled as well, yet he appeared genuinely overjoyed. "Of course. I wanted to meet you, with your neck as white as snow." The Rider felt a chill running down her spine as she felt his gaze fixate intently on her neck. She knew that she shouldn't have been surprised, but the feeling together with his smile was just... ugh. "After all, execution needs qualifications. For both the executioner, and the executed. I couldn't just let the other Servants get here before me. No other person has the right to execute you. You should have realized that, Marie."

'

Oh, dear... The Rider couldn't help but to let her mouth fall agape from surprise. She knew that he wouldn't exactly be sane, but this... This was getting quite emotional. She had to take a moment to think of a proper response. "...Let's see ...Hold on a second, Sanson. I know that you are a wonderful executioner." she started, only to correct herself. "I mean, you're cruel, merciless, and inhuman, but you never once mocked criminals. You guarded the guillotine with great respect, so I do indeed trust you." Marie withheld a groan as the Assassin's smile widened. It was plainly obvious how much he enjoyed her words, but unfortunately, she had to dash his hopes right here. "But, does that mean you alone hold the right to kill me? Isn't that a bit absurd?"

'

Sanson chuckled, shaking his head with clear amusement. "It's not absurd. I was born into a family of executioners, and I was only taught how to execute." In an instant, his previously joyous mood was gone, replaced by such seriousness that Marie was surprised for a second time. With absolute sincerity, the Assassin looked at the executioner's sword he held in his hand. "No compromise. It's not only about dedication, I am particular about the method, the technique. It's natural for a good executioner to not inflict pain on the criminal. " As Sanson fell silent, Marie could only stare at him. If it weren't for the fact that there were blood splatters all over him, including his face, she might have even thought him sane. ...And then his smile returned, along with the obsessed gaze aimed at her neck. "The act of being executed is a punishment that settles the debt of sin, which is why an executioner must give the sinner more pain than that sin. I will aim beyond that. I see the... ecstasy. The moment it feels so good that 'it will kill you.' That is the type of beheading I dedicate myself to. The best slice of my life was my 'kiss' for you."

'

...And that tiny semblance of sanity was now completely gone. Marie let out a deep sigh. She honestly couldn't think of any proper response to the nonsense she'd just heard, so she just resorted to saying what came to mind first. "...Look at you. It seems that before coming here, you've already killed countless people."

'

Sanson blinked in surprise before looking down at himself. There he was met with a disturbingly red sight, with most of the blood on him already dried, yet some still retained its freshness. Starting from the bottom, his boots were completely covered in it, no doubt from walking through countless puddles of blood. His long coat didn't fare much better, with especially the ends of the sleeves being absolutely soaked, while the rest had large splatters all over it. His executioner's sword, once carefully taken care of, now had a noticeable coating of crimson. And then there was his face, which was the cleanest by comparison, yet still had more than a few droplets of blood scattered across it, even as he held his surprised expression. It's like he genuinely hadn't noticed all the gore on him. And yet, despite being such a horrific sight, his surprise quickly faded into a low chuckle. "I apologize for my unsightly appearance, but this is all for you," he revealed with a deep, theatrical bow. The Rider couldn't help but to let out a sharp exhale at his disturbing words. "That's right, it was all that I could..." Without any warning, Sanson dashed towards her while raising his head, a wide, maniacal smile plastered across his face as he swung his sword towards her neck. "Chop off your lovely head one more time!"

'

"Ah!" While Marie herself barely managed to avoid the blade by ducking and jumping backwards, the same couldn't be said for her headpiece. Her lovely hat was sliced cleanly in half by the strike and her momentum caused the remains to fall off her head as well, but she had no time to mourn it. As expected, Sanson quickly spun around and launched another sweep towards her neck, his sword now too close for her to retreat. Raising her right hand towards the Assassin, Marie aimed her ring at his blade before producing a small crystal shield from it, blocking the strike just before impact. But while the improvised construct did manage to keep her from getting wounded, it couldn't halt the sword's full momentum, resulting in her getting launched backwards a good distance and crashing into the ground. "Gh!" Pushing herself up with a grunt, Marie quickly prepared for the next attack.

'

And yet, it seemed that Sanson was in no hurry to chase after her, seeing how he just sauntered closer with a smile. "I'm so happy that I could hear you singing this closely," he hummed, yet there was some disapproval in his gaze. "But if possible, I would rather you didn't resist. My aim isn't to give you pain or anguish." A clarification that would have been far more comforting without the maniacal smile on his face. "It's also why I couldn't help but want to see you so I could ask and confirm it, Marie. How was my beheading? Were you able to climax at the very end?"

'

Marie cringed at the awful wording. Had he seriously just asked her that? His insanity had truly overcome any tact left in his mind. Besides, he had already tried to kill her before even asking his question. What would he have done if he'd actually managed to cut off her head with one of his first strikes? Madness Enhancement seemingly made him completely ignore details like that. Goodness, what a troublesome Skill it was... Still, she didn't want to linger on this topic for even a moment longer. "...I can see that you seriously showed respect for me Sanson, from the bottom of your heart. But, I'm sorry. That's just impossible. It's something that I cannot possibly say..." she sighed, doing her best to make her message as clear as possible. "I already know enough men with perverse hobbies. I'm terribly sorry, but I can't accept a second kiss from you."

'

Sanson's mood soured in an instant, a frown twisting his face. "Ah, yes... Him. To be compared to that man hurts more than you can imagine." Marie could only sigh. Of course he would focus on that, while ignoring the true meaning behind her words. And even that small effect was gone after a few seconds, the Assassin's obsessed smile making its comeback while he approached her, sword held high. "But I'm sure you will be delighted, I've gotten even better than back then. That is why I was summoned as a Servant. I shall give you the final ecstasy once again!"

'

"Oh, Sanson..." Marie couldn't help but to let pity leak into her words. She'd held some small hope, but Sanson truly was too far gone at this point. There really was absolutely no hope that he could be reasoned with. So with that, she hopped upwards, gracefully landing on the back of a crystal horse she just materialized. With determination shining in her heart, she made the animal gallop as Sanson rushed after her. For now, her plan was to outmaneuver him while bombarding him with ranged attacks. Even if he was an Assassin and not even an extremely powerful one, she still couldn't hope to defeat him in close combat.

'

And after everything he'd just said, Marie knew that she absolutely had to win this battle and set things straight with him.

'

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'

'

Rolling out of the way of a blast of wind charged with magical energy, Sanson could hardly take his eyes off of Marie. The sight of her riding on the back of her crystal horse was almost as lovely as her without her head. Almost. Just as he thought of that, the Rider changed course straight towards him, summoning another horse to gallop beside hers before jumping off of it, letting the two freely run towards him as she charged and fired a pink sphere of energy. Swiftly ducking under the sphere, he avoided it without issue, and as the animals charged, Sanson's blade was as precise as ever, slicing off the head of the first one with a single cut before dodging the second trying to trample him. Yet as the survivor turned back to try again, its head quickly joined its companion lying on the ground, fading away a few seconds later. Two flawless decapitations. But despite his precise work, Sanson felt disappointment creeping up on him. The creations had offered him much more of a fight than any soldiers he'd faced so far, but still, decapitating horses... Ridiculous. Even chopping off the inelegant heads of the common rabble brought him far more joy than this. And to somehow make it even more unsatisfactory, they weren't even real horses, just crystal shaped like it. As they were created by the Queen, they were obviously lovely to look at, but there was absolutely no joy to be found in decapitating them. Staring at his target, Sanson couldn't help but to let out a frustrated sigh as he deflected another sphere aimed at him. "Must you truly continue this game, Marie? Just look at your beautiful face." Indeed, while they had only fought for a short time, it had been more than enough to blemish her loveliness. Her beautiful hair was partially disheveled, some dirt stuck to her skin from the force of their exchange, and worst of all, while dodging one of his decapitating strikes, despite avoiding the blade Marie had gotten hit by the flat of his sword, resulting in a bruise on her cheek. Honestly, Sanson wasn't sure how much more of this he could bear to take. "I'd hoped for you to be in perfect condition as I decapitated you, but all this senseless violence just makes me injure you, even as I wished to avoid it."

'

"I appreciate your concern." The Queen smiled at him genuinely, patting some dirt off of her clothes. Though as she wiped away a trickle of blood that was dripping from her mouth, that smile grew far more determined. "But, this is what a fight is. Even if I were to rip my dress or bruise my skin, those who would violate this country must be challenged."

'

Faced with such an attitude, Sanson felt elation rushing through his entire being, a wide smile growing on his face. "Ah... Even when fighting suits you so awfully and you know that your end is approaching, you still put on a brave face." It was as if he was looking at a scene reflecting the past. Even if she was younger, she looked almost exactly like she did on that fateful day. The determined and brave expression that couldn't quite hide the fear evident in her eyes. It was absolutely perfect. "It truly reminds me of our first kiss..."

'

"I wish you'd stop referring to it like that," the Rider sighed as she summoned another crystal horse and started circling him once more. Of course, he was quick to give chase, dodging and reflecting everything she threw at him, whether it was magical wind or spheres of magical energy. While he couldn't match her mount when it came to sprinting speed, as long as she tried to fight him instead of escaping, he was presented with opportunities to attack her. That was how the fight had gone up to this point, his advantage clear. It should have been obvious how this would end. How it should have already ended...

'

And yet, as the battle stretched on and on, a pressing question was starting to haunt him... Why? Why hadn't he cut it off already? Why couldn't he cut it off? Every time he went for the kill, no matter how fast he was and how perfect his angle was, Marie's neck always slipped away at the last possible moment. It just didn't make any sense. He had to cut off her... The Queen's...

'

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'

'

Jeanne kept watch as the trail of evacuees steadily flowed out through the gates of Mont-de-Marsan, ready to assist at the first sign of trouble. While Elizabeth was near the front of the caravan in case any wyverns or Servants showed up, both she and Georgios had stayed at the back to assist in emptying the city as quickly as possible. Fortunately, they had yet to see even the slightest hint of an enemy attack, no doubt thanks to Marie. Still, with every moment passing by, the Ruler couldn't help but to feel her anxieties pile up. They were running dangerously short on time. "How much longer, Georgios?" she asked as she spotted the Rider exiting the city gates together with a group of people.

'

"We are nearly finished! These are the last carriages!" A confirmation that gave her some genuine relief. Under Georgios' guidance, the entire evacuation was proceeding extremely smoothly and efficiently. Before their group had even arrived, he had given clear instructions to the citizens and the city guard on how to proceed with the task. Effectively every horse, donkey and oxen in the city were pulling wagons that held only the most essential items, while the people themselves carried what they could. Georgios had even lended his noble steed, Bayard, to assist them. The famed horse had no trouble pulling several carriages filled with people all by itself, making the task that much quicker. By having the sick and old all board these specific carriages, they could ensure that no one would slow down the evacuation and that no one would be left behind. All and all, this was just about the fastest evacuation they could hope for. Yet despite that, Jeanne still couldn't shake the feelings of unease that continued piling onto her mind...

'

And for a good reason.

'

Without warning, Jeanne felt a wave of power run through her body, like someone had dumped cold water all over her. Judging by how Georgios' eyes widened, he had felt the same thing. The Ruler's gaze snapped towards the other end of the city, looking over its walls and into the endless sky beyond. There was no doubt about this presence that they had both noticed. "Oh, no..." While it would be impossible for normal humans to perceive, her enhanced sight as a Servant allowed her to see a black dot far on the blue horizon, steadily growing larger and clearer. There was no need to even wonder what it was.

'

Georgios nodded, staring in the same direction as her. "...The Evil Dragon approaches." And yet, despite how obviously distressing this newest development was, the Rider's face was the very picture of calm and composed, continuing to direct the people as if nothing had happened. Jeanne could very well understand why. He was the guardian of these people, so if they saw him looking even the slightest bit concerned or troubled, panic was likely to spread across the entire populace like a wildfire. The fact that he could appear so genuinely calm was honestly impressive, and would fill her with hope under most circumstances.

'

But unfortunately, this was not one of those circumstances. At the moment, Jeanne could only stare at the black dot on the horizon that was growing larger each second, a feeling of dread washing over her as it approached her friend. "Marie..."

'

'

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'

'

As Sanson's sword approached her neck in a wide swing, Marie ducked under it and aimed her right hand, specifically the ring on it, right at his chest and fired a sphere of magical energy that blasted him away. The Assassin landed hard on his back, the force of it sending some dirt flying. Seeing that, Marie dared to let out a bated breath she'd held. She couldn't afford to get too careless, even if this was hardly the first blow she'd managed to land. The longer the battle went on, the more it appeared to turn in her favor. Yet the Rider wasn't conceited enough to think that was the case because of her skills as a fighter or her strategy. In truth, she was doing the exact same thing she had done since this battle began: Try to stay out of Sanson's range and fire ranged attacks at him. Against most other opponents, the situation would have hardly improved, resulting in a stalemate at best. Yet here, there was noticeable development, for one simple reason: With every passing moment and each missed swing, Sanson's bearing was growing more agitated, and his attacks were getting more desperate. That was what had allowed her to land several blows at this point, while avoiding his own. Given his desire, Marie had no trouble figuring out why that was, yet it seemed that the man himself was still unaware.

'

Using his sword as support, Sanson pushed himself off the ground, staring at her. "Why...?" he uttered, exhaustion and confusion filling his being. "Why can't I kill you!?" The Assassin screamed desperately, gaze constantly shifting between his hands and her. "This doesn't make any sense! Since I was summoned, I've killed so many! I've become so much stronger than when I was alive!"

'

Hearing his words, the Rider let out a sad sigh. It truly was unfortunate just how far he had fallen. It seemed like she had to let him know after all. Taking a stern yet sympathetic tone, Marie looked him directly in the eyes. "How sad, Charles-Henri Sanson. That is exactly why you cannot kill me."

'

His eyes went wide, now focusing fully on her. "Wh... What do you..."

'

"You were indeed a wonderful executioner who never looked down on the criminals, and you developed your guillotine so that they would not suffer," she started, the faintest sparks of hope returning in his eyes, yet she made sure to snuff them out immediately. "But now, you have changed. You were summoned to this twisted France and honed your skills at killing by taking the lives of countless people. The more skilled you became at killing others, the more efficient you became as a murderer. And yet, aren't an executioner and a murderer different, Sanson?" The Assassin froze completely upon hearing her question. For the next few seconds, it was as if he'd turned to stone, until just his eyes started rapidly trembling. But Marie knew that she couldn't stop there, so she delivered her following words with the most absolute, queenly manner that she could. "That is why it should be obvious why you can't kill me, Sanson. Your blade as an executioner, savior of criminals, was a sharp, precise instrument, but now... it's nothing but a slab of rust."

'

Sanson stared at her, still appearing as if he was made of stone, until finally his expression twisted into utter despair. "No... Lies! It cannot be! You're wrong!" Falling to his knees and gripping his head tightly enough that the skin twisted, his eyes bore into her pleadingly as moisture started gathering at their edges. The sad sight gripped at Marie's heart, even if she knew that her words had been necessary. "I always believed that I would be able to meet you! That's why I kept honing my skills! Because if I didn't...! If I...!" Tears streamed down his despair filled face as he tried desperately to keep his broken mind together, until... "La Mort Espoir! [Death is Hope For Tomorrow]"

'

The distraught scream snapped the Rider out of her sorrowful spell, getting her to instinctively hop onto the back of the horse she'd summoned earlier. A violent explosion of magical energy shook the area, and an enormous object manifested right behind Sanson. An object that immediately made Marie's eyes widen in shock, striking terror into her heart. A large, dark gate with images such as people and angels carved upon it. In the first instant, she wasn't entirely sure why she felt such dread from it. It was certainly eerie, but not to the extent of how she felt... And then, the doors slammed open, making the source of her fear obvious: At the very top of the now open doorway, waited the gleaming blade of a guillotine.

'

Marie immediately dashed off on her horse, just before a large number of pitchblack arms erupted out of the gate to chase her. While her mount was admirably staying out of the pursuing appendages' reach, it felt as if her heart was trying to escape her body through her throat. It seemed that Dio and Da Vinci's guess for Sanson's Noble Phantasm's appearance was indeed correct, even if Marie was desperately hoping that they'd been wrong at the moment. She could tell its true nature just by looking at it. If she got caught by those arms, it would all be over. She would be dragged into the guillotine and killed, much like how her life had ended... Even if it was technically her second time, she was still scared. Once her head was secured, came the agonizing wait that seemed to go on for hours, until finally... the sound of the lever being pulled, followed by the blade whizzing through the air... and then everything would end. It was just so horrifying that she wanted to make her horse turn around and run as far away as it could take her... And yet, she couldn't. Last time, she was nothing more than a disgraced queen whose death was desired by the people. No matter how much she struggled, she wouldn't have been able to escape her death. But this time, the situation couldn't have been more different. The people of France didn't wish for her end. Quite the opposite, the citizens of Mont-de-Marsan were counting on her to keep any manner of danger away while they evacuated the city. And not just them either. Lord Georgios was counting on her. Her friend Elizabeth was counting on her. And most of all, Jeanne was counting on her. She couldn't afford to fail any of them.

'

The only question was: How? How could she overcome this relentless guillotine? No matter how much she thought it through, she couldn't see herself reaching Sanson without being caught. Doing her utmost to overcome the terror attempting to swallow her entire being, Marie changed the course of her horse. She rode it almost directly upwards, gathering her magical energy as the black arms kept up their relentless chase. From high up in the air, she looked down towards Sanson and his guillotine, its arms having spread all over the area trying to chase her. The longer this went on, the closer they got to her. She had to risk everything here. This was a genuine do-or-die charge. If it failed, they would catch her and she would unquestionably face death by the blade of this guillotine. Now, she could only pray that her Noble Phantasm's ironic name would live up to itself. "Glamorously like a flower and the sun. I shall continue to bloom! I shall continue to dance!" As the words left her mouth, Marie smiled brightly and threw the last of her doubts away. No. There was no need to wonder if her Noble Phantasm could do this. After all, she possessed no special abilities when she was alive. Aside from her looks, she was ultimately just a normal human. However, Heroic Spirits, Servants, were molded by the views and hopes humanity held towards them, granting them abilities they didn't possess during their lives. Which meant, all the amazing skills and strength she possessed at the moment were the result of the people's faith in her. And if that was so, how could she possibly lose? Her bright eyes focused on Sanson, Marie Antoinette boldly unleashed her Noble Phantasm. "Here I come! Guillotine Breaker! [Glory to the Crown of Lilies]"

'

Her glass horse blasted forward with speed incomparable to any earlier showing in the Singularity, aiming downwards at a spot short distance in front of Sanson. As it landed on its feet with a loud boom, causing small crystals to form on the ground around it, the black arms that had been chasing her started to creep closer once more, until the horse rose to its rear legs. With a dazzling smile on her face, Marie unleashed most of her magical energy through the horse, resulting in a surge of glittering crystals washing over the area. For the next second, the field was silent. Everything around the Rider, from Sanson, to his guillotine, to the black arms, had been encased in clear crystal. The Assassin stared at her from his translucent prison, teary eyes wide in shock as she offered him an apologetic smile until prompting her horse to charge. The beautiful steed dashed forward once more, crashing through the large crystal in front of it and unleashing a shockwave across the area that shattered every single crystal that had been formed, resulting in a glimmering shower that almost looked like snow. As if they were nothing but a nightmare, both the guillotine and the black arms spawning from it had faded away as well. As her horse came to halt amidst the beautiful scenery, Marie heard Sanson's body falling to the ground with a thud behind her. "...Ah!" was the only thing that came out of his mouth.

'

Marie let out a refreshed sigh as she felt her Noble Phantasm's healing effects flowing through her body. The stinging bruise on her cheek was gone as well, making talking easier. Which was good, because there certainly were words she needed the Assassin to hear. Turning to face him, she couldn't help but to think that he looked quite awful, even if it was mostly her fault. The left side of his torso was mostly gone, along with the arm, while he laid on his back, wide eyes staring emptily towards the sky. He wasn't dead, but in that condition it wouldn't take too long for him to fade away. She would need to get her message across before then. "I should've told you immediately when we reunited, Sanson. Our relationship ended that day."

'

Tears started streaming down the Assassin's cheeks. "If... If I had become more skilled at beheading... If I could grant you an even better, ecstatic, perfect moment... I thought... I hoped..." His voice broke down as he started sobbing. "That by doing so... you would deign to forgive me..."

'

Marie felt an awkward smile spreading on her lips as she walked closer. So those feelings were the source of his madness. "...Goodness. You truly are a pitiful, misguided person, so I will tell you this: I hold no grudge against you," she revealed, hoping that her intent would get fully through to him. "From the beginning, there was no need for you to ask me for forgiveness."

'

The Assassin's teary eyes went wide as he stared at her, and her smile shifted to a more relieved one. Her words had finally registered. "Ah... aah, ah-" Sanson's cry was cut short without warning as he disappeared in a flash of light, startling Marie. Her cautious eyes darted across the area as she tried to figure out what had just happened. That wasn't how Servants usually dematerialized, and the way he'd vanished so suddenly... A Command Spell?

'

And then, as she felt an enormous mass of magical energy approaching her, it all became clear. "Ah, of course... She certainly took her time." Not that Marie would complain over the late arrival, given that it had been quite favorable for her.

'

Like an unbelievably dark cloud appearing to cover the sky, Fafnir emerged over the treetops of the forest and flew over the Rider, before making a quick turn and landing a short distance from her. The Dragon Witch hopped from its back and started approaching her. Fortunately, it seemed like she wished to talk with her before doing anything else. That worked perfectly with Marie as well, since stopping the dragon's attack just once would likely be all she could do before her life was extinguished. As the Dragon Witch walked towards her, the great dragon just looked around with a dull expression, much like during their first meeting. It seemed like that unless it was ordered to, it didn't really care much about either her or the city. At least not enough to incinerate them. The Dragon Witch on the other hand, looked more annoyed than anything while glaring at her. "You actually defeated him, even if he's still alive..." she muttered, her gaze moving onto the spot the Assassin had disappeared from as a mocking sneer spread on her lips. "First Martha, then Vlad, and now Sanson... It's ironic how the ones who show the most potential are the first to fall."

'

Contrarily, Marie greeted her with her friendliest smile. "Good day, 'Dragon Witch'. It seems you got here just a little too late."

'

The Ruler's piercing eyes focused on her again, and upon realizing the meaning behind her words, she clicked her tongue in annoyance. "...So the other me was able to flee." Yet soon enough, the sneer returned. "She seriously asked you to slow me down while running away herself? My, how unsightly."

'

"No, that's wrong. She left here embracing hope," Marie countered with a smile, believing truly in her own words.

'

Yet, that seemed to just frustrate the Dragon Witch, judging by her glare. "Just by gaining one Servant? How ridiculous," she spat, her irritation growing. "Speaking of ridiculous, it's amazing that you are actually still here. Did you seriously get carried away with this absolutely insignificant mission of yours? Are you intoxicated with the idea of saving these citizens?" Her hateful gaze pierced into the Rider, yet there was also some genuine confusion mixed into her eyes. "You, the person killed by her citizens. A woman put to the guillotine, beheaded in ridicule!"

'

"So disappointing. Witches don't understand such simple logic?" Marie sighed, shaking her head. All of this was making her little theory all the more likely. "It's true that I was executed. There was ridicule, and there was disdain," she admitted, only to continue before the Dragon Witch could say anything. "However, that alone gives me no reason to murder them in return." The Ruler froze, her eyes widening as the confusion in them grew. "I became a queen because the people asked me to. Without her people, a queen cannot be called a queen. Thus, that conclusion was inevitable. If they don't want you, then you exit even if you don't want to. That is the destiny of those serving their country." Putting on her most dazzling smile, Marie let out the answer she had reached after her death. "I believe my execution led to my people's following smiles. No matter when, viva la France! The stars have granted France its radiance and all is as it should be. That's all we need."

'

For the next few seconds, the Dragon Witch stared at her in genuine shock and disbelief, not making a sound of any kind. And then, after what seemed like minutes, she raised her hand and... pinched the bridge of her nose while letting out a long, deep sigh. She didn't even look angry at the moment, just incredibly annoyed, to the point where Marie felt almost insulted. "...This is just way too absurd for me to handle. Do you actually have some Mental Pollution type of Skill?" the Ruler asked, nearly getting an answer from Marie, until flames erupted from her body with enough force to get the Rider to step back. With the way her yellow eyes burned made the earlier fury seem like a weak tantrum compared to this. "There's no way anyone sane would care about this damned country or its wretched people after being betrayed like that! Nothing less than turning the entirety of France into a wasteland could hope to satiate that resentment!"

'

"Yes..." Marie nodded solemnly, and the Ruler's expression grew gleeful. This was something she couldn't possibly deny. After all, she could understand that hatred and rage. She truly could. There was most certainly a version of her that felt the exact same way. But, that was exactly why... "Jeanne d'Arc would never say those things," she declared with a smile, a feeling of accomplishment rising in her heart.

'

"...Huh?" was all that the Dragon Witch said, disbelief filling her eyes.

'

Marie took that as her chance to continue, grateful that she got to praise Jeanne right in this reflection's face. She would teach her just how great Jeanne truly was. "The dream, the love she held that day... She hasn't given up on it. Neither the disdain or the flames she faced at her end could so much as touch her heart. Jeanne is the shining presence I look up to." As the words kept coming, the Ruler's anger only seemed to grow, but before she could say anything, Marie asked her decisive question: "Tell me, Dragon Witch... Do you remember your family in Domrémy?"

'

For a moment, the Dragon Witch looked genuinely dumbfounded by her question, only for that confusion to be washed away by a mocking sneer and cackling. "Dreams? Love? Family? Quit your nonsensical blathering. Can't you see it for yourself?" Her face aimed towards the heavens, flames ignited around her as she kept cackling. "This hatred! This furious rage! This is the only answer Jeanne d'Arc has!" And yet, despite the laughter, it was obvious that she completely meant every word. Each of her malicious roars was filled with her true feelings.

'

But in the face of that fierce, dreadful declaration, Marie just shook her head with a smile. She'd received the exact answer she'd wished for. "Now I am certain. Tell me, 'Dragon Witch'. Who are you exactly?"

'

The Ruler froze, as if the question had genuinely turned her to ice. And yet, a few seconds later, her flames of rage melted that ice completely. "...Shut up!"

'

The Dragon Witch started marching towards Marie with a scowl, manifesting a twisted flagpole in one hand, while the other burst with flames. From the obscene murderous intent directed right at her, there was no doubt that the Rider would be killed as soon as she was within range. But, there was no need for her to cower in fear. After all, she had already fully resolved herself before even coming to this field. Like Lemminkäinen had said: 'That's what heroes do.' As a Heroic Spirit, this was simply something she could, and had to do. With that resolve burning in her heart, Marie unleashed as much of her magical energy as she could. "Crystal Palace. [The Lovable Brilliance, For Eternity]" With those words and her magical energy, crystals far larger than the ones created by her first Noble Phantasm manifested right behind her and began to rapidly grow. In just a few seconds, they had grown into their true size and shape, a large palace sizable enough to cover the entirety of Mont-de-Marsan from her direction. While Marie was well aware that she wasn't a powerful Servant, she was quite certain that her Barrier Noble Phantasm was at least durable enough to withstand Fafnir's breath once to shield the city from destruction. She also felt the strengthening effects of the palace beginning to affect her, even if they were rather useless at the moment. She was beginning to run dangerously low on magical energy, and just keeping the palace around was extremely straining. And even if it wasn't for that drawback, the strengthening still wouldn't be anywhere near enough to close the gap between her and the Dragon Witch's strengths as Servants. No, the only reason she deployed the Crystal Palace was to slow the Ruler down just a bit more. And judging by the shocked look on her face, that plan had at least succeeded.

'

"A second Noble Phantasm!?" the Dragon Witch gawked in disbelief, and even Fafnir seemed to show some mild interest in the structure, at least enough to raise its head and stop laying on the ground like a bored cat. "You would continuously activate your Noble Phantasms without a Master? You're seriously going this far!?" she asked, seemingly growing even angrier by the second.

'

Marie managed to giggle, even through the terrible strain her body was under. "Sorry, but I made a promise." While this was quite rough, she knew that each of her allies were working their hardest to save France, so she couldn't afford to fall too far behind them. She was still the queen after all.

'

The Dragon Witch's hateful, burning glare felt like it was piercing through her very body, making it clear that she would attack any second. ...And yet, instead of any offensive action, she just closed her eyes, turned her face towards the sky, and let out a deep, long sigh. "...You know, I just came here to relieve some stress from all the hard summoning work I've been doing, but now..." Before Marie could even react, the Ruler had closed the gap between them, grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the ground, a wicked smile on her lips. In contrast to Jeanne's beautiful, encouraging smile, her twisted grin felt like it was mocking everything that laid eyes upon it. "I'm even more pissed off than before, so I'm going to be using you as my new stress relief toy!"

'

Yet despite her current predicament, Marie could hardly complain too much. This was just about the most perfect response she could hope for. After all, every moment the Dragon Witch spent tormenting her, was a moment the citizens of Mont-de-Marsan could use to distance themselves from all this. She could have just ordered Fafnir to destroy the city and her palace at this very moment, yet she seemed fully intent on focusing completely on her. "I heard you were smiling as you walked up to the execution stand, but I won't let it happen this time," the Ruler growled, her glare and sneer radiating both fury and amusement as the temperature around them started to rise. "I'll make sure you know just how lucky you were to be killed quickly by a guillotine. Because let me tell you, being burned to death is far more painful." And then, the hand around Marie's neck ignited.

'

"Ah! Aahhhhhh!" She felt screams forcing their way out of her throat as flames raced across her body. It hurt. It hurt more than she could have imagined. It completely overshadowed all physical pain she had felt during her original life and this one. Fire burned her flesh and smoke entered her lungs, making her feel like she was suffocating with each breath. The Dragon Witch hadn't lied. The guillotine had been truly merciful compared to such an end. This horrifying agony truly made her appreciate the work Sanson had done even more... And yet, despite the agonizing pain, Jeanne had endured these same flames to the very end without giving into hatred or despair. With that in mind, Marie couldn't let herself be overwhelmed just yet. While she obviously couldn't be as amazing as Jeanne, she knew that she could hold out just a bit longer. Every single moment she kept the Dragon Witch here, the evacuating citizens would make it further away. That alone was reason enough for her to endure... But not the only reason.

'

As her screams stopped, Marie put everything she had into forming her most beautiful smile. Despite the unbearable pain, she still managed it. The Dragon Witch's eyes widened and her sneer vanished, staring back at the Rider in utter shock and disbelief... And then that shock was completely overshadowed by her overwhelming fury, the flames pouring from her hand only intensifying. Yet, Marie didn't mind.

'

If she could help the Saint who saved France... No, if she could help a friend... Then she would gladly shed the last of her radiance and fall. Like a star, like a flower, like a fleeting dream.

'

That is what a Servant is, and how Marie Antoinette lives...

'

'

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'

Jeanne, along with Georgios, and Elizabeth who had just returned to check up on them, could only stare in wonder as it appeared. A beautiful palace made entirely of crystal, shining brilliantly as if to rival the sun itself. And yet, as wondrous as it was, within just a few moments of appearing the structure began to slowly fade away, as if it had been nothing but an ephemeral dream. Jeanne felt the cold hand of anxiety gripping her heart. She was painfully aware of what that disappearance meant. "Marie..." she breathed out, her voice weak. And yet, there was no time to mourn. Like a shadow threatening to swallow the heavens, the black dragon rose up into the sky from the other side of the city. An enormous amount of magical energy was being gathered inside its body, and there was no need for anyone to say what it was going to do. As it raised its maw towards the heavens, a blue, foreboding glow started to slowly leak out of it, until it brought its aim downward towards the city, unleashing its wrath.

'

Elizabeth let out a quiet gasp. "The city..." Jeanne remained quiet, only staring. It was an awful sight to say the least. Fafnir's breath was like a wave of annihilation, incinerating both wood and stone in equal measure. Houses were incinerated as easily as leaves in a furnace. The protective walls that had withstood all previous attacks melted like snow brought indoors. Despite their long distance from the ruin, a wave of hot air still washed over the three, yet none could take their eyes away from the sight. In just a short few moments, the beautiful city had been reduced into a glowing mass of fire and molten earth. Even after the area cooled back down, all that would be left would be shapeless globs of melted stone, making it unlikely that humans would ever be able to properly live there again.

'

Georgios let out a long sigh, gazing at the remains with melancholy. Not surprising, given his role as the city's guardian. "Queen Marie held the Dragon Witch off valiantly, but it unfortunately seems like it wasn't enough to completely halt her progress." It was then that Fafnir finished its attack, just hovering in the air while waiting for further instructions. The Rider's demeanor changed in an instant. His mournful gaze hardened and his legendary blade, Ascalon, materialized in his hand. "Prepare yourselves. It might take a moment, but she'll catch up with us..."

'

Both Jeanne and Elizabeth materialized their weapons, though neither could quite match Georgios' resolve. The Ruler wasn't even entirely sure what their current goal was. The optimal objectives would either be for them to hold out for so long that the Dragon Witch would get tired of the battle, or for them to wound Fafnir severely enough that she decided that continuing to fight would be too risky, both leading to her retreating. Of course, both of those were just absurdly optimistic results. Most likely, all three of them would die here, leaving only the slight hope that it would satisfy the Dragon Witch's lust for destruction for the day, which would let the citizens escape. And if that came to pass, Jeanne didn't even want to think what options it would leave to Ritsuka's group. In the first place, she didn't have the luxury for such thoughts at the moment, focusing her attention on Fafnir, or more accurately, the one riding it. Even across that extreme distance, when it shouldn't have been possible, she could clearly see the Dragon Witch's hateful face. And yet, as the furious eyes glared at her, they also contained... hesitation? And... uncertainty? Then, without those emotions fading, her counterpart gave Fafnir a command, prompting the beast to turn around and... fly back towards the direction they'd originally come from? Jeanne could only stare in disbelief, a reaction shared by her companions, as the great dragon's form began to slowly shrink smaller and smaller in the distance. "The Dragon Witch... She's actually leaving?"

'

Elizabeth stared at the scene as well, though her expression soon shifted to genuinely dumbfounded. "...Wait. She has to know that all the people got out, right? So did she seriously just destroy the city out of pettiness?" Ah? Jeanne's mouth fell agape at the realization. She hadn't thought of it from the sheer surprise, but that really did seem to be the case. The Dragon Witch even knew where they were at the moment, so she must have been aware of that much. ...This other her truly was awful.

'

"It would appear so," Georgios nodded, equally confused. Though that confusion soon made way to a relieved smile as he turned his gaze towards the evacuees continuing to make their way in the opposite direction. "But while losing it is a shame, the true heart of the city, the people, all managed to escape."

'

Yes, that was something that Jeanne couldn't forget either. Even if the city was annihilated, they had managed to save the populace. Yet the question that eluded her was: How? By all logic, the Dragon Witch should have pursued them with Fafnir, at the very least trying to kill the three Servants. Had she done so, even their combined strength would've more than likely failed to hold her and the legendary dragon off. There was very little reason for her to let them go, yet she did anyway. With all that in mind, Jeanne could only draw a single conclusion: "So, Marie won after all..." she muttered quietly, some awe in her voice. She didn't know how, but by some miracle, Marie had managed to affect the Dragon Witch greatly enough that she hadn't pursued them.

'

Judging by the grateful smiles on their faces, Elizabeth and Georgios agreed with her as well. "Indeed," the Rider nodded, his warm, thankful gaze aimed towards the retreating dragon. "While the full reasoning evades me, this is most certainly the result of Queen Marie's actions."

'

Jeanne smiled as well, following his gaze. This was truly a miracle that they should be grateful for... Yet her smile faltered as her gaze moved lower, at the grassy field on the other side of the city. With some uncertainty in her voice, she made a request: "...Georgios, Elizabeth, can I ask for you to look after the refugees without me for a short while?" While she realized that this was somewhat selfish of her, it was something she absolutely had to check.

'

The Lancer stared at her in confusion for a few seconds, until a sudden realization flashed across her face. Her expression turned solemn as she nodded. "...No problem."

'

Georgios, obviously having understood her from the moment of her request, held his hand atop of his heart and nodded gallantly. "I assure you that no harm will come to them."

'

Jeanne gave the two a somber smile, grateful for their understanding. "Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me..." With that, she dashed off, rushing towards the ruins while the other two Servants headed for the refugees. As she ran across the grasslands, only one thing was on her mind, and she had to make sure if it was true.

'

She circled the annihilated city, passed the corpses of dozens of wyverns, until she finally arrived at the battlefield that had been occupied by Servants just some moments ago. It was easy enough to identify, given the number of craters that dotted the area. They resembled ones created by cannonfire, yet their different shapes quickly ruled out that possibility. Jeanne felt her heart pound as she inspected the area. The spot where Marie's life had ended was obvious. While there were burn marks across the field, one spot in particular had been scorched badly enough that the earth itself was completely blackened. There, she began to carefully inspect the area to find what she had come here for. She had no proof that it was actually here, since the Dragon Witch could have easily destroyed it, yet she held hope that her search would be fruitful.

'

And then, as the wind blew some ash off to partially expose it, her eyes caught the sun's brilliant rays reflecting off of it and she found exactly what she had been both dreading and hoping to find. Kneeling among the burned grass, she carefully brushed the rest of the ash off from atop of it. Gently, as if it was a flower made of glass, Jeanne picked up the colorful crystal off the scorched earth and held it against her chest as she whispered in a soft voice: "Thank you, Marie..."

'

'

.

.

Notes:

After working on this Chapter for almost a year, ya'll have no idea how rewarding it feels to finally finish it.

'

First off, I just want to apologize for taking so long to get this Chapter out, as well as explain why. As some of you might know, after releasing the last chapter, I took a small break from writing to focus on a school project. In hindsight, this was a mistake, as weird as that might sound. Before that break, I had written this fic basically daily. No matter how little it was, I made sure to write at least a few sentences. But with the break, I ended up breaking that habit, and caused my writing pace to collapse almost completely. Even after I got back on the fic, I found myself skipping writing during some days because I was feeling tired or something of the sort, which wasn't something I used to do. And I want to make it clear that it wasn't because I was losing interest in the fic. Hell no! If I could get myself to work, I would spend most of my days writing this thing. It was the literal process of physically writing that started to feel so rough. And I'm absolutely pissed at myself because of it. Like, this is nowhere close to being the longest Chapter of this work. If I could write as well as I used to, this Chapter would've been finished in 2-3 months. I honestly want to kick my own ass for taking this long with it.

'

This also brings me to my second point: Please leave a comment if you liked what you read. It can be anything from asking about certain choices in the Story, to just saying that you liked some small thing in particular. Comments are massive motivators to me, since they let me know that there are actually readers who give a shit about my writing. The few comments I got during this last year definitely helped.

'

As for the Chapter itself, I'd like to hope that I did a good job with it. Marie's choice of staying behind was really the first necessary sacrifice in the Game's story, since while it sucked, there was really nothing that could be done to avoid it. I made that even more so in my story by having Ritsuka's group be way further away from Jeanne's. But even if most of the characters understand the necessity of that choice, that doesn't mean that they're happy with it, which is what the next chapter will focus on.

'

Now, as for Lemminkäinen. He did his best to go out in a blaze of glory, but Ritsuka doesn't like heroic sacrifices like that, so he'll now have to sit his ass down in the Infirmary and think about his actions. While he won't be a part of the story for the rest of Orleans, he'll definitely be appearing in the future. He'll also get back into the spotlight when I write an Interlude for him, though that'll happen somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd Singularities.

'

Also, I'll post some updates on the Servant Profile for Lemminkäinen, mainly the NP he used in this chapter, so check it out either tomorrow or the day after, on the World Revisions Doc.

'

And finally, I just want to add this here so that no one will miss it: Updates on the Newest Chapter will be posted on my Profile every 1st, 10th and 20th day of each month. This is how you can check if I'm still working on the fic even if you don't see any updates on the Story itself. Though I'll be doing my damnedest to make sure that you don't have to wait for the next one for almost a year.

'

Next time: [A Precious Moment of Calm]