To Become a King and a Magician 596-600

Title: The Jeanne Alter Who Will Be Blown Up Into an Ahegao Face

Fafnir.

The evil dragon of Norse mythology. A legendary beast appearing in works such as the Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Volsunga Saga, and Der Ring des Nibelungen.

He was an existence greatly feared by people of that era. Even heroes who gathered their courage to slay him ultimately all perished by his fangs. It wasn’t until the dragon-slaying hero Siegfried appeared and killed him with a Holy Sword—bathing in the dragon’s blood to gain immortality—that the legend of this evil dragon finally came to an end.

Yet even that hero, when facing this evil dragon, had to endure countless dangers and an extraordinary amount of luck just to succeed.

In terms of sheer power, Fafnir was unquestionably a Phantasmal Species—and one at the very peak of that category.

And now, such an existence was under the control of Sorceress Jeanne? Obeying her to destroy France?

【Are you sure, Jeanne? If that really is the evil dragon Fafnir, facing it... Could Akuta and Aozaki even defeat it?】

Roman, who had been about to say it would be impossible, paused and instead turned to ask Hinako and Aoko. In the current situation, the two of them were clearly the strongest combatants present. To face Fafnir, they could only rely on them.

Aoko and Hinako were silent for a moment, then both nodded in agreement.

“If we use Magic, it won’t be a problem.”

“I’m not much different. It’s just an ordinary evil dragon. I can blow myself up a few hundred times—if that doesn’t work, a few thousand times.”

Ignoring Aoko, the words coming from Hinako’s mouth immediately made Ritsuka and Mash tense up. Both vividly remembered the phenomenon that occurred when Hinako self-destructed. Just one explosion caused devastation on a massive scale. If she blew herself up hundreds—or even thousands—of times…

Thinking about it, Mash quickly cautioned, “Akuta-senpai, please consider the collateral damage when you self-destruct! If you really explode yourself hundreds of times, the surrounding area will surely—“

【I don’t think that’s something to worry about.】

Naoki interrupted Mash’s words, turning his gaze to Jeanne.

【Jeanne, can you use your Noble Phantasm right now?】

Jeanne’s Noble Phantasm, Luminosite Eternelle—if she activated it while Hinako self-destructed, the side effects wouldn’t be a concern.

Asked this, Jeanne gave a small nod. “Yes, using my Noble Phantasm is not an issue. Although I was summoned shortly after my execution, I am still a newly manifested Servant. But my connection to the Heroic Spirit in the Throne of Heroes is stable. Even though the privileges and base stats of the Ruler class are weakened, using my Noble Phantasm is still possible.”

【Good. Senior Hinako, this time, you can self-destruct as much as you want. As long as Jeanne’s banner can hold, that will be your time to unleash your full power.】

“Hoo~ You’re the one saying it.”

It was rare for Naoki to actually tell her she could act without worrying about consequences. Hinako’s usually expressionless face lit up slightly with excitement and anticipation. She wasn’t someone who enjoyed fighting, but after being restrained for so long, she occasionally longed to let loose.

【Then, we’ve gathered enough information about Sorceress Jeanne and this Singularity, right? With this much knowledge, we won’t be caught off guard and immediately defeated when we start fighting them.】

“Yes, but...” Mash still frowned with concern. “I feel like our combat strength might still be lacking... They have seven Servants, plus Sorceress Jeanne and Gilles de Rais, Fafnir, and a massive horde of Wyverns. If we start fighting them, our forces are clearly outnumbered and outmatched.”

“The Wyvern swarm can actually be ignored.” Hinako said. “After all, Wyverns are just small fry. No matter how many they summon, I can blow them all up. In truth, the only ones we need to worry about are the seven Servants, the two leaders, and Fafnir.”

In reality, that was just nine Servants and one Phantasmal Species. Still, Mash wasn’t wrong. There was a clear gap in combat power. Unless Hinako self-destructed continuously from start to finish and wiped out every enemy with explosive force, in a one-on-one battle, their side held little advantage.

“What if we stop here for now?”

Aoko suddenly suggested.

“After talking so much, I think you’re all thirsty. Especially since you’ve just walked here. Even if Mash and Akuta aren’t tired, Fujimaru must be. Maybe we should rest first and continue this discussion later—“

*BOOM!!!*

Aoko’s words were cut short before she could finish. A sudden, deafening roar exploded through the air, interrupting her. Then, continuous screams and cries erupted from outside!

Without hesitation, Aoko was the first to rush out of the room. And when she stepped outside—

“ROOOOARRRRR!!!”

A dragon’s roar, like a storm, echoed across the entire sky. The bright midday sun, once clear, was now completely obscured, blocked by an endless shadow. A massive swarm of Wyverns had already filled the skies above Vaucouleurs, blanketing the city beneath their dark wings!

Buildings were torn apart and crushed by the Wyverns’ sharp claws. Dragon breath scorched the earth, dragging every corner of the fortress into a sea of fire.

Just minutes ago, citizens had been walking the streets. Now, aside from those who fled indoors, only charred corpses lay scattered on the roads. On the nearby city walls, soldiers desperately fired cannons at the swarm in the sky—but against such overwhelming numbers, a few cannons made little difference.

It was like throwing pebbles into the ocean—aside from a few ripples, nothing changed. Worse, the Wyverns hit by cannon fire would retaliate by diving straight at the walls, crashing into them in near-suicidal attacks, creating hole after hole. Soldiers and cannons atop the walls were obliterated along with them!

The city was under attack.

And it was already too late. There was no longer any chance to minimize the damage.

Some who witnessed this scene realized it instantly.

At that moment, a loud voice suddenly echoed from above them.

“This is such a delightful sight.”

Holding her dragon banner high, the figure of Jeanne Alter appeared atop a building within their view.

“A burning city, foolish people burning to death... Good. This is truly delightful. Eliminating the nuisances in my sight and making me genuinely happy at the same time—don’t you all agree?”

“Hello, witch... and also, my other self.”

-

Title: Please Help Us, Bomber Warrior, Senior Akuta!

To Jeanne Alter, Vaucouleurs was an utterly detestable place. It wasn’t just a fortress she couldn’t conquer—it was also home to her: both Aoko and Jeanne.

The first was that irritating Magician who had defeated her and frightened her with nothing but empty threats. The second was her other self, the very person she never wanted to see, the one she wished would simply cease to exist.

She hated this place so much that she couldn’t bear for it to exist even for a single second. And now, that goal had been achieved.

Looking down at the fortress engulfed in flames, Jeanne Alter couldn’t help but wonder why she had been so foolish before. It was just a fortress. Even if that troublesome Magician was inside, the stronghold itself wasn’t indestructible. All she needed was to send a massive swarm of Wyverns to overrun it!

Why hadn’t she thought of this earlier?

“Did you see that, Magician?”

As if mocking Aoko below, Jeanne Alter wore an exaggerated, manic grin on her face.

“This is the fortress you’ve been protecting. These foolish people see you as their guardian, believing you can shield them forever. They trusted you just as they once trusted me, Magician.”

“But look at what you’re protecting?”

Her dragon banner swept toward the burning ruins beneath.

“Fragile city defenses, weak defenders... A place that could be obliterated with just a little effort from me, yet still wasted so much of my time. This is what you’ve been defending, Magician—no, this time, you can’t protect it~”

“Come on, let me see your expression of despair. The look on your face as you fail to save anything, forced to watch everything burn to ashes!”

Jeanne Alter’s speech—more of a theatrical performance than a real declaration—only tightened Aoko’s fists further.

They had been discussing how to confront her, and now she had arrived and launched a surprise attack. That wasn’t the issue—Aoko wasn’t the type to get angry just because someone attacked her underhandedly. But she hadn’t expected Jeanne Alter to be so arrogant, so openly mocking…

*ZING!*

Suddenly, several magic circles appeared on Aoko’s arms. Like sparks igniting, bright blue magical energy erupted violently. In the next instant, Aoko, who had been standing on the ground, leapt high into the air—higher than Jeanne Alter herself. Her right arm, glowing with intense magical energy, slammed down toward the spot where Jeanne Alter stood!

*BOOM!*

A magical cannon blast tore straight through the building.

Landing gracefully on another rooftop, Jeanne Alter gazed at Aoko, who touched down not far away. “Are you angry, Magician?”

“No. I’m just annoyed by your cheap provocations. I’m a very vengeful person. I think I’ll have to make you pay for what you just said—pay you back properly!”

“Oh? Good. If you were angry just because of my actions, I’d be disappointed in you… But it seems you’ve misunderstood. I never said I wanted to duel you. You have many others to face.”

Jeanne Alter said this while tapping the ground with her banner. Immediately, several Wyverns broke formation from the swarm above. Seven figures leapt down from their backs.

“We meet again, Magician.”

Landing beside Jeanne Alter, Atalanta—bow in hand—fixed her gaze on Aoko. “This time, my arrows won’t miss. Prepare for one to pierce your head.”

“If you said that to Naoki, I’m sure he’d be absolutely thrilled.” Aoko said, taking a deep breath. “So, it’s just you two against me? I’m truly being underestimated. Do you really think a single Servant can stop me?”

“Of course not.”

A cold female voice echoed from the other side. Instantly sensing a violent gust of wind attacking from behind, Aoko spun and threw a punch without hesitation!

Fist met massive metal object in midair. A tremendous burst of mana swept across the entire rooftop.

Stepping back several paces to create space, Aoko shook her slightly numb hand and glared toward the source of the attack. “Attacking people with something like that—you really have terrible taste.”

That massive metal object, in Aoko’s opinion, looked like a coffin—or perhaps a cage meant to trap something. Its shape resembled a girl in prayer. Only someone with truly twisted aesthetics could possibly find it appealing.

And the woman wielding this giant coffin-like object with heavy chains was someone radiating a strong scent of blood. Her skin was pale, clad in a strange red dress adorned with numerous metal ornaments, as if entangled in thorns. Her very presence made Aoko feel nauseated.

“What a magnificent entrance, Assassin.” Jeanne Alter laughed. “Then I’ll be off to face my other self. I leave this place to you, Archer, Assassin.”

“Of course. Actually, I’m very glad you’re leaving it to me.”

The Assassin stared at Aoko with wild, excited eyes. “You’re truly beautiful. Though you’re not the young, pure maiden I usually prefer, with beauty like yours, I want to drink every last drop of your blood. If I drain you completely, I’ll surely become even more beautiful, won’t I?”

“Assassin… never mind.”

Atalanta, clearly uncomfortable with her ally, hesitated for a moment, then held back her thoughts and raised her bow, aiming it at Aoko.

Facing the two Servants before her, Aoko let out a deep sigh. “Haaahhh… How dare you talk to me like that. From your tone, it sounds like you look down on mature, grown women like me? You’d rather have some immature little girl than a real woman?”

“Thankfully, my man doesn’t discriminate. If he thought like you, I’d make sure he couldn’t get out of bed every single day—Fujimaru! Mash! Jeanne! Akuta!”

Hearing Aoko’s sudden shout, Ritsuka and the other three—engaged in battle with Wyverns and other Servants below—immediately perked up.

“Even though I wanted to give you a break, it looks like we’ll have to fight this through to the end. Just like we discussed—Gather up!”

As soon as she finished speaking, Aoko leapt down from the roof, swiftly returning to Jeanne’s side. Ritsuka and the others quickly broke away from their battles and regrouped where Jeanne stood.

“Jeanne, please!”

“Understood!”

Jeanne spun her war banner and planted it firmly before her. “Noble Phantasm, activate—My banner, protect my nation! Bring down the will of God here! Luminosite Eternelle!”

At that moment, the Fleur-de-lis banner blazed with a radiant, gentle light. A vast shield of light expanded, protecting Jeanne and everyone around her.

Everyone—except Hinako.

As if forgotten, or perhaps deliberately keeping her distance, Hinako was the only one left outside Jeanne’s Noble Phantasm protection.

“Akuta-senpai!”

“Don’t shout so loud. I know exactly what I need to do.”

After giving Ritsuka an annoyed glance, Hinako looked around at the Servants approaching with confused expressions. Slowly, she removed her glasses. Like a wild beast awakening, a fierce, almost predatory smirk spread across her face.

A swirling vortex of red mana began to form around her as she slowly rose into the air. Hinako sneered—and then, amid the growing, uncontrollable storm of mana—

*BOOOOOOM!!!*

A torrent of blood-red rain fell from the sky, accompanying her self-destruction like a violent downpour!

-

Title: Jeanne Alter: Does This Rain Never Stop?!

—Are they planning to use a turtle tactic?

When they saw Jeanne activate her Noble Phantasm, all the Servants—including Jeanne Alter—assumed this was the case. At the same time, they inwardly scoffed.

Did they really think hiding in one place and not moving would work? It would only lead to a slow, inevitable death.

Yet the scene unfolding now—exactly what was happening at this very moment—made them understand why Jeanne and her allies had taken shelter within the Noble Phantasm.

Torrents of crimson rain continued to drench the entire land. Anything touched by this blood rain instantly seemed to burn—or more accurately, became cursed. Their entire bodies were consumed by raging flames, then enveloped in thick, suffocating blood mist that slowly eroded and destroyed them from within.

Since this was rain, the first to be affected were the Wyvern swarms filling the skies.

“GAAAAAAAA!”

Wails of agony rose like waves, echoing endlessly through the air. Despite dragons being renowned for their immense physical strength and high resistance to both physical and magical attacks, they were utterly defenseless under this blood rain. They were tortured, burned alive by the blood flames and cursed energy. One by one, Wyvern corpses plummeted from the sky, quickly piling up across much of the fortress interior, which wasn’t all that large to begin with.

Hiding in shadowed corners untouched by the rain, Atalanta stared at the crimson downpour. “I never expected that woman’s suicide attack would trigger such a phenomenon. A curse this widespread and powerful—it might as well be a Noble Phantasm.”

In terms of sheer power, Atalanta considered this phenomenon on par with divine curses. Even a Servant caught in this blood rain would soon be ensnared by the curse, suffering torment and being burned alive by the bloodfire.

“Truly a trick that inspires no laughter.”

Planting her dragon banner beside Atalanta, Jeanne Alter watched the scene with a calm, composed expression. “She wanted to unleash a large-scale attack through self-destruction, likely aiming to wipe us and the Wyvern swarm out at once. Since our forces outnumber theirs, it’s only natural they’d resort to such a desperate tactic.”

“But this blood rain doesn’t distinguish between friend and foe. When it finally stops, the enemy side won’t be able to escape either.”

Besides—

Glancing at the dragon banner in her hand, Jeanne Alter wore a cold, supremely confident smile. In this way, the enemy lost one fighter. Meanwhile, she could use the Holy Grail’s power to summon the dragon swarm again at any time. Not to mention, Fafnir still remained.

No matter what, her other self was destined to lose.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Meanwhile, on Jeanne’s side.

Sheltered within the Noble Phantasm and watching the blood rain fall outside, Ritsuka and Mash still felt a deep sense of dread despite having seen it before. Especially Ritsuka, who had nearly died from the curse during its first occurrence.

“No matter how many times I see it, I still think Akuta-senpai is incredible.”

“Indeed... So this is what she meant by ‘blowing up’?” Aoko looked slightly stunned. “I thought ‘blowing up’ meant she was using Magecraft. But she actually self-destructs?!”

Mash nodded. “Yes. Just like her sister, Akuta-senpai is a fairy born directly from the planet itself. Even if she dies like this, she can revive.”

“So that’s why she can pull off such insane tactics... Honestly, this is just too crazy.”

Jeanne, who was maintaining her Noble Phantasm, could only remain speechless. As a Marshal who led the French army, she had used various strategies to win battles. But a suicidal tactic this extreme? She had never even considered anything like this.

However, since Hinako was a fairy, such a strategy was actually possible.

At that moment, the torrential blood rain finally ceased. Within the fading crimson downpour, Hinako’s form reappeared—human once more, as if time had reversed. After scanning the fortress now littered with Wyvern corpses, she quickly returned to where Jeanne and the others were gathered.

“Good. The Wyvern swarm has been dealt with.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Akuta-senpai,” Mash said, stepping forward with her shield. “But even though the Wyverns are gone, we don’t know if the enemy Servants were eliminated...”

“Then, Mash, go back inside. I’ll blow up again.”

Like a mother sending her daughter to school, Hinako forcibly pushed Mash back into Jeanne’s protective barrier. Then, under the shocked stares of everyone inside, her body—barely recovered less than a minute ago—exploded once more!

Torrents of blood rain poured down again.

Jeanne Alter and her allies, who had just been preparing to emerge, saw this and immediately scrambled back into their already-damaged shelters from the previous bloodstorm.

(Why is the blood rain falling AGAIN?!)

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Control Room

Though they couldn’t see the battlefield directly, Naoki and the others could piece together what was happening from the ongoing communication.

Roman, whose face had finally relaxed slightly, now massaged his temples with a wry smile. “Honestly, this feels like cheating. Akuta is becoming way too overpowered. If this keeps up, she’ll destroy the entire fortress—Jeanne Alter and the others included—buried under Wyvern corpses.”

“Yeah, honestly, it’s a bit wasteful.”

Naoki rested his chin on his hand.

“Even if they’re low-tier Phantasmal Species, Wyverns are still Phantasmal Species. If we could preserve their corpses—scales, claws, wings, fangs, anything—it’d all be high-grade raw material for crafting Mystic Codes.”

In the modern age, where Phantasmal Species are nearly extinct, even materials from a Wyvern-tier creature could bankrupt entire Magus families just to purchase.

And now, these incredibly valuable materials were being massively obliterated by Hinako. If any Magus saw this, they’d burst into tears on the spot.

“Ugh... Wasteful... This is so wasteful...”

Correction—not just ‘might cry’—he was already on the verge of tears.

Having no combat experience, Marie—who had been quietly observing from the side—now stared at the screen, watching the Wyvern mana signatures vanish one by one. Though she knew it was impossible to recover them, as a magician, she still felt profound sorrow.

Originally, Chaldea’s Rayshift experiments were forced upon them under immense pressure from the Clock Tower. If they failed to deliver results, the consequences demanded by the Clock Tower would have been severe. But now, if they could’ve brought back even a fraction of these Wyvern remains, Marie wouldn’t just meet the Clock Tower’s demands—she’d have the leverage to negotiate with them!

“Damn it, is there no way to salvage them...?”

Watching Marie bite her nails and think intensely, Naoki and Roman exchanged glances—and then shared a helpless smile.

Their director was truly... something else.

-

Title: Who Is Really the Villain Here?

The blood rain continued for dozens of minutes.

It wasn’t until nearly all the Wyverns had perished from the curse, and most buildings along with Wyvern corpses were burned to ashes beneath the crimson downpour, that the blood-red veil shrouding the sky slowly began to fade.

Once her body had reformed, Hinako approached Jeanne and the others, who now stood surrounded by piles of Wyvern carcasses.

“Like this should be enough, right?”

“Not just ‘enough’...”

There was a helpless tone in Aoko’s voice.

Staring at the horrifying scene of devastation before her, Aoko momentarily couldn’t tell whether Hinako was an ally or an enemy.

If she were an enemy, she had wiped out all the Wyverns. But if she were an ally, then through her repeated self-destructions, she had also completely obliterated the fortress of Vaucouleurs. At this point, hardly any structure remained intact.

“I hope the civilians hiding in buildings or underground shelters are alright.”

“You still care about something like that?” Hinako sneered, indifferent. “This era is our past. The people living here have long since died. Whether they die now, or are saved only to die decades later—it makes no difference to them, and none to us either.”

“Rather than waste time thinking about that, we should focus on how to deal with those still alive.”

【She’s right.】

Roman’s voice suddenly crackled from Ritsuka’s wrist device.

【Although the collateral damage caused by Akuta can’t be ignored, there’s something more urgent now. We can no longer detect Wyvern mana signatures—but Servant signatures remain. Though some have vanished, the remaining count isn’t zero. We can confirm that Sorceress Jeanne’s side wasn’t wiped out by Akuta’s self-destruction.】

【The battle isn’t over. You still need to—Wait! Wait a second! What in the world is this mana reaction?!】

Mid-sentence, Roman suddenly shouted as if he’d just discovered something terrifying.

【This is the mana signature of an enormous creature! This mana... a Phantasmal Beast...! No! It’s nearing the level of a Divine Beast!】

*DUNG!*

As if answering Roman’s words, the moment his voice cut out, a loud crashing sound erupted from a nearby pile of Wyvern corpses and rubble.

“Awoooowooooowooooo—!!”

An ear-splitting, deafening roar of a giant dragon suddenly echoed across the sky!

*SWISH!*

A pair of black wings, so vast they could blot out the heavens once more, suddenly snapped open from within the wreckage. As the wings spread fully, the ground trembled violently—as though massive quantities of explosives buried beneath were about to detonate—

*BOOM!*

Amid the thunderous explosion, a colossal creature shot violently into the air from underground!

Its fully spread black wings once again darkened the sky that had just begun to clear. Its massive, heavy body pressed down on the surrounding space, distorting the air. Its four limbs crushed everything they touched into dust...

“Ggrrrr—!”

Lifting its head, the giant black dragon that had erupted from beneath the earth unleashed a world-shaking roar!

The shockwave of its voice rippled outward like a storm!

Mash raised her shield to block the impact, staring at the black dragon in disbelief. “Is that... could it possibly be... Fafnir?”

“I think so. The presence it gives off is completely different from those little Wyverns.” Hinako narrowed her eyes at Fafnir. “The legendary evil dragon... at this level, it probably can’t be destroyed with just a few explosions. Magician, can you handle it?”

“Yeah, probably. Maybe.”

“Maybe? Can’t you be a little more confident?”

Aoko shrugged helplessly. “I don’t want to use such vague words either. But this is my first time fighting a dragon of this caliber. I’ll only know my chances once I actually face it.”

From experience, she knew Fafnir was undoubtedly an extremely powerful and difficult opponent. Even a Servant, without sufficient strength, would stand no chance of defeating it. At the very least, Aoko believed Fafnir wasn’t someone Okita or Artoria could handle under normal circumstances.

And at that moment—

*BAM!*

Fafnir landed heavily on the ground. Jeanne Alter leapt down from its head.

Compared to before, she now looked far more disheveled. Her entire armor was gone, leaving only tattered clothing beneath. Her body was covered in curse marks. Clearly, she had suffered serious injuries during the blood rain.

And it wasn’t just her—three other Servants accompanying her were in the same state. During the blood rain, four Servants had been completely eliminated.

Atalanta, Lancelot, and Gilles de Rais in his Caster-class form. All three radiated weakness, their spiritual foundation and cores eroded by the intense curses inflicted by Hinako.

“You’ve given me such a deliciously ironic spectacle, Holy Maiden, Guardian Lady!”

Yet Jeanne Alter, far from looking defeated, appeared exhilarated as she laughed and began to speak.

“Weren’t you the ones who claimed to be protectors? The so-called ‘righteous side’? Protecting the people, protecting the city, risking your lives to safeguard everything around you... Hahahaaahaha! And look at this pathetic scene now! I didn’t even need to lift a finger—you completely destroyed this fortress yourselves!”

“Is this your ‘protection’?! Is this your ‘justice’?!”

“It’s so absurd, so utterly ridiculous, I feel like I’m dreaming. I should’ve been the one to do this~~~ I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Magician, my other self, and that jumping bomber woman. Thanks to you, I’ve saved so much effort. Now, France will be utterly destroyed.”

For Jeanne Alter, this situation was an unexpectedly delightful surprise. She was so overjoyed she wanted to scream and leap into the air. She almost wanted someone to splash her with cold water to see if she was truly awake.

“And now... comes the final job—Fafnir!”

Swinging her dragon banner fiercely, under Jeanne’s anxious gaze, Jeanne Alter bared a vicious, predatory grin.

“Go! Kill! This is the final purge!”

Jeanne Alter laughed wickedly, as if eagerly anticipating the coming scene of total annihilation.

-

Title: Mash, That’s Father!

Fafnir was the strongest of evil dragons.

Though there existed a Dragon-Slaying Servant in the West, he was not here now. There was no opponent capable of standing against Fafnir. And with Fafnir’s power, wiping out the five people before him would be effortless.

“Turn them all to ash! Fafnir!”

“HOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH—!”

The moment Jeanne Alter gave the command, Fafnir unleashed a deafening roar. Scorching dragon’s breath gathered in its maw, then erupted outward like a volcanic explosion!

*SHUAAA!*

The blazing dragon fire instantly swept across the entire fortress. Crumbling buildings, piles of Wyvern bones—everything was swallowed whole by Fafnir’s breath!

Not a trace remained. Everything vanished completely into the inferno!

Unlike the flames Wyverns spat, Fafnir stood at the pinnacle of Phantasmal Species, the peak of dragonkind, on par with a Divine Beast. The fire he unleashed was on an entirely different level!

If compared to Noble Phantasms, there was no doubt—it was on the scale of an Anti-Army attack!

The searing dragon flames raged without end, burning everything in their path!

Standing at the only spot untouched by the fire, directly beneath Fafnir, Atalanta sighed as she watched the scene of destruction unfold.

“In the end, it still came to this... Are you satisfied, Master?”

“Ah, very satisfied. I couldn’t be more pleased.” Jeanne Alter laughed. “It’s such a pity though—inside Fafnir’s flames, they must have been reduced to nothing, not even ash remaining. I would’ve loved to hear their screams as they slowly burned alive. Don’t you agree, Gilles?”

“Yes, such a pity, such a pity... Truly, deeply tragic, Jeanne!”

Gilles de Rais, clutching Prelati’s Spellbook, reacted even more intensely than Jeanne Alter. His emotions overflowed so violently that his body trembled, tears streaming from his eyes.

Her Master and the Caster beside her—both were utterly insane.

Glancing at the Berserker, who for some reason remained silent, Atalanta sighed quietly. Though this was a victory for their side, the cost had been high. They had arrived as eight—now only four remained.

After this, she could return to the Throne of Heroes. Her experience in this world had truly been unpleasant. Not only had she been forced to manifest under the curse of Mad Enhancement, but she’d also ended up with a Master like Jeanne Alter.

(I truly hope something like this never happens again in the future...)

Just as Atalanta thought this—

*WHOOSH!*

A blinding light suddenly emerged from within the sea of flames. It came from the direction where Hinako and the others had been.

Could they still be alive?

“True Name, release. I stand upon the throne of calamity—“

A deep voice echoed from within the inferno.

“It is our homeland that heals all wounds and all hatred—“

At the heart of the blazing flames, Mash raised her shield, protecting everyone before her, enduring the fire’s impact as she prepared to release her Noble Phantasm.

Regarding the Servant power within her, after returning to Chaldea from Fuyuki City, Mash had actually discussed it with Naoki. To her surprise, her older brother possessed vast knowledge about Servants. Even about those he’d never seen, he could recite nearly all their details just from their True Names.

Regarding Galahad, Naoki’s main explanation to Mash focused on his shield and the use of his Noble Phantasm.

Galahad’s Noble Phantasm, in a certain sense, could be considered on par with Avalon—the absolute defense. But unlike Avalon, which enforced absolute non-interference, the strength of this shield depended on the wielder’s will. As long as the wielder refused to surrender, the Castle of Correction it manifested would never fall.

Besides defense, the shield could also absorb incoming attacks and retaliate, or even launch attacks by hurling the manifested castle walls—though Mash had dismissed that part as one of her brother’s jokes.

But now, she didn’t need all those functions. All Mash needed was to manifest the very meaning of the shield.

And the meaning of a shield was protection.

To protect her Master, Akuta-senpai, Aoko-san, and Jeanne-san from the attacks of the evil dragon Fafnir—that was what she had to do now.

“Manifest...”

Following the instinct surging from her heart, Mash for the first time shouted the True Name of the shield in her hand with a loud, clear voice.

“Lord Camelot!”

*DING!*

Like the sound of a bell, a pure white castle wall instantly materialized before their eyes, with Mash—holding the Round Table shield—at its center.

If Artoria were here, she might have been overcome with emotion at the sight of this castle wall.

It was Camelot—the Castle of Correction where she once lived, filled with all her memories.

“W-what?!”

The triumphant, confident expression on Jeanne Alter’s face froze instantly at the sudden appearance of the Castle of Correction. And at that same moment—just as she saw the castle wall—

“AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR———!!”

The Berserker, who had been silent until now, suddenly let out a piercing roar! As if driven completely mad, he transformed into a black blur and charged at Mash, who stood at the castle gate, with incredible speed!

“Arthur—!!”

The black iron staff, already a Noble Phantasm, struck with full force amid the black knight’s cry!

“—!”

As if suddenly realizing something—or as if her body moved on its own—just as the black staff was about to strike her shield, Mash abruptly raised it. Along with the shield, she lifted the entire castle wall—

*BANG!*

—and slammed it with full force into the charging black knight!

The entire land trembled from the sudden impact. And without hesitation, seizing the momentum of her victory, Mash raised the shield and the castle wall once more—

*BANG!*

—and struck him a second time!

The black knight, who had tried to rise, was driven even deeper into the ground.