Determination

"Ha――!"

The moment the cross is raised, explosions assail from the space.

"Kuh!!"

Reacting faster than thinking, she jumps back, and magical energy erupts almost instantly at her previous location.

"!"

Each time she raises the cross, explosions and bursts of magical energy swirl around her.

"What's wrong!? Just running away won't open up a way out!"

Martha scolds Jeanne, who keeps avoiding the explosions with somersaults, backflips, and somersaults.

(Using that staff to pass through and create a miracle that exceeds the process... Truly the technique of a holy person...!)

Utilizing her own skill "Revelation" to the fullest, Jeanne continues to avoid perfectly with optimal body movements.

If she lets her guard down, she will be burned by miracles.

As Martha said, there is no escape in running away.

(Then――!!)

"Here!"

The cross's staff shines even brighter, and a violent miracle descends.

"Raa!!"

Rolling up the flag like a spear, she soars into the air.

She accelerates in midair, riding the shockwaves.

"Yaaa!!"

Twisting her body, she strikes with all her might――!!

"Guh!"

They clash, blocking each other's attacks with their staffs.

"You dare to charge in! I didn't train with the flag for nothing, you know!"

"I am a woman who knows nothing but waving a flag――Dealing with rough situations is an everyday occurrence for me!"

"Not bad――Likewise, it's true for me too."

The flags push against each other.

"Don't underestimate me!"

Jeanne falls to one knee due to Martha's immense strength.

(This power... could it be the power of Madness Enhancement!?)

"Take this!"

She kicks, creating distance.

"Come on, keep coming at me!"

"No need to tell me――!"

...

"⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛――!!"

Heracles rages furiously. Swinging his stone axe, he unleashes overwhelming strikes against Tarasque like a storm.

With each blow hammered into the sturdy armor-like shell, Tarasque's expression contorts.

"⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛!!!"

"Guoo!!"

The giant scorpion-like tail swings wildly to create distance.

"⬛⬛!"

"Kuuu!!!"

Mash intervenes to block Heracles' trajectory with her shield.

"I'll cover you! Heracles, focus on the attack――!"

"⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛――!!!!"

Releasing the stone axe, he grabs the tail with both arms.

"⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛!!!!!!!"

With all his might, Heracles seizes the tail of Tarasque and swings it like a giant swing.

"――――!!!"

"⬛⬛――!!!"

His swing uprooted the tree and broke it.

He gains momentum and slams the tail with full force onto the ground.

"!!!!!"

"'Wow, that's amazing! Heracles is incredible in a different sense from the King of Heroes! The Greek hero is no joke!'"

"'Ritsuka, allocate Chaldea's resources! Keep a constant watch so Vital doesn't enter the danger zone! Hurry, do it now!'"

"Huff, haa, haa, haa!"

"'Ritsuka, do your best! It's all about spirit in the end!'"

"I know! For me, just standing is a fight――!"

"!!"

From Tarasque's body, a scorching light is emitted after being slammed.

"Heracles-san!!――Dzuuuhh!!!"

Rushing in to intervene, Mash shields Heracles from the approaching heat ray.

"⬛⬛⬛⬛!!"

Heracles gripping the stone axe, and "throws" it at Tarasque from between the shield.

The axe strikes directly at its right leg, causing Tarasque to stagger.

"⬛⬛!!"

"Eh――Kyaaa!!?"

He picks up Mash, who is nearby, and throws her with all his might.

"At this position!!"

With the help of Heracles' throw, Mash stretching her body firmly, and slams the shield toward the top of Tarasque's head!

"Yaaaahhh!!!"

...

"Haah, haaah, haaah..."

"You're still hesitating, aren't you?"

For quite some time, they have been clashing repeatedly. Jeanne strikes, and Marta parries. The battle is a back and forth, and Jeanne is unable to gain an advantage against the skilled Marta.

"What's the matter? Is it because you can't muster enough strength? Are you confused? Because I'm just like you?"

"――"

That might be the case. Even though she's under the effects of madness, the person in front of her is undoubtedly a holy figure. They share the same prayers, the same vows, and though Jeanne understands it logically, there is still some unyielding emotion that prevents her from going all out.

"Kindness and thoughtfulness are virtues, the radiance of humanity never fades. You possess that――"

"...I am just a simple country girl who has run tirelessly. There's no comparison between me and someone like you who can sway dragons."

"You also show humility; you've grown into a good person. But..."

Suddenly, Marta releases her grip on the staff.

"Don't underestimate this flag bearer――!!"

In an instant, she closes the distance between them.

"!?"

――Iron fist, a flash.

"Aaahhh!?"

Jeanne blocks the full-force right straight with her flag, but the impact sends her flying.

"Hah! Don't underestimate me! I received this staff from her! I'm not so soft as to be taken lightly by a brat who came after me!"

"Ugh..."

Tremendous strength. Tremendous weight.

This is――Marta's prayerful fist that once subdued a dragon!

"If the staff makes it difficult for you, I'll give you a handicap. As a Rider, I'm quite dull, but it should be enough against you now."

Taking a fighting stance.

"Now, let's give you a good beating!"

――With a momentary step, she slips into Jeanne's guard.

"Take it, Take it, Take it, Take it."

A barrage of powerful punches, a combination of various heavy strikes, mercilessly pummel Jeanne.

"Kuuuuu!!!"

***

"――!!"

Tarasque roars and suddenly starts spinning.

"!?"

"――⬛⬛⬛⬛!!"

Hercules stands, protecting the Master.

――It's coming!

"Master!――Noble Phantasm! Deploy it!!"

With tremendous force, the iron-armored dragon Tarasque comes flying.

Establishing a fortified wall, "Virtual Noble Phantasm Deployment: Lord Chaldeas," shielding the Master and Hercules.

"AAAHHHH!!!"

"Guuu, AAHHH!"

Gritting her teeth, Ritsuka falls to her knees.

"'Ritsuka! Hold on!!'"

"'Mashu is holding her ground! This is the crucial moment!'"

"I know!――Heracles...!!"

"⬛⬛⬛⬛"

"Give me strength... to protect Mashu...!"

"――Go for it! Berserker!!"

"'Secure Chaldea's resources! Channel magical energy to Ritsuka!'"

"'Here it comes! Heracles's Noble Phantasm activation!'"

"――――⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛!!!!!!"

"Kuu, uuu!――AAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

Yelling fiercely, Heracles stops Tarasque's charge.

Although it has an enormous mass, the defense remains unwavering, and Mashu's body remains unharmed.

――Eventually, it gives in, and the spinning force weakens.

――And then...

...

"What are you hesitating for!"

A fist cutting through the wind.

"You're supposed to be a saint!!"

The flag catching the blow creaks.

"I am not a saint――!"

"It doesn't matter which one you are!"

A body blow unleashed with the left hand.

The flag bends almost to breaking point as it catches the blow.

"Titles and pretentious words don't matter! There's only one thing that's important!"

The furious rush of both fists.

The flag is battered as it catches the barrage of powerful blows.

"――The only thing that matters is whether you can save someone or not!!"

"!!"

"There are people shedding tears right now! There are people seeking salvation and lamenting!"

She prepares to strike.

"Leave those people alone――"

An uppercut thrusts toward the sky.

"Don't dawdle and hesitate――!!"

The flag is sent flying high into the air.

"――!!"

Even now, there are people shedding tears.

"――I am"

People seeking salvation and lamenting.

"I am..."

For what reason did she dedicate hersself to this?

For what reason did she raise this flag?

"I am――!!"

"It's over――!!"

――She made up her mind.

To protect peace and connect to the future――!!

"――Haaahhh!!!"

The sword sheathed on her left hip.

――She draws it――!!

"――!!!"

That sword embodies Jeanne d'Arc's entire life.

When unleashed, it will burn everything and return her to the heavens.

"The Scarlet Saint"――that's what she thrust into Martha's chest.

"That's right. I wanted to save those people. And even now..."

"..."

"I don't care if I'm a saint or a witch or whatever."

She tightens her grip on the hilt.

"I will save France. And many people."

As if shaking off the wavering of her soul.

"If I can't move forward without fighting, then I'll just crush everything in my path――I'm not afraid to be covered in blood――!"

The saint chants loudly――!

"...That's enough."

Drooping her hands, Marta lowers them.

"You're gutsy... well, if you weren't, you wouldn't be called a saint, right?"

"Saint Martha, you..."

Jeanne hugs Martha as she begins to disappear.

"It's okay this way.――It's karma. Seriously, don't let saints be massacred."

"You... continue to discipline yourself until the end."

"Well, that's no excuse. The fact is I went berserk. My role is over now, it seems."

"Ugh...!"

Jeanne's tears fall on Martha.

"Hey, don't cry. Keep those tears for the send-off."

"But, but...!"

"I may disappear, but you will remain. You'll still be a saint.――There's one thing I want to tell you."

That's exactly why Martha came here.

"Go to Lyon. In the town once called Lyon, there's a trump card that will ensure your victory."

Martha's departure is complete.

"I'm sorry, Tarasque."

"Saint Martha!"

"If there's a next time... I'd like to be summoned properly...――"

A saint with both tranquility and fierceness, Martha.

Her task here is completed, and she vanishes――

...

"――!! (Sis――!!)"

That opening became fatal.

Hercules locks it head and wrenches it up.

"⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛!!!"

He slams her down, exposing her vulnerable belly.

"⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛――――!!"

The carnage begins. Striking, pounding, striking, striking, striking, striking, striking――

In the trials Hercules faced, there were many immortals, monsters that revived no matter how many times he killed them.

At that moment, Hercules pondered.

What should he do?

――And then, he realized.

He should kill them until they die. Every time they revive, he should grant them death.

Until the day they eventually cease to exist... he should kill, kill, kill, and kill them.

For that purpose, an unrivaled technique, the pinnacle of Hercules' martial prowess, elevated to the level of a Noble Phantasm――!!

"『Hundred Heads Rending』――!!! Fire awayyy!!!"

Hercules' furious onslaught. Chunks of flesh scattered, scales flying.

"⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛――!!!"

Eventually, the final blow shatters Tarasque's head.

With its core shattered, Tarasque follows its master.

"⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛――!!!!!!"

"Nice... job..."

Ritsuka loses consciousness just like that――

"Senpai! Pull yourself together! Senpai!!"

...

"It seems it's over."

Confirming the disappearance of the Servants.

――Good. They seem to be finished on the other side.

"Let's go back. We have no more business with these guys."

"But, Lord Gorgeous, there are still so many of them――!"

With a snap of the fingers, all the remaining small fry are impaled on a skewer and dealt with.

"Let's go.――Bring that musician over there."

"Amadeus? What's wrong?"

"――...I hope you'll stop destroying my ears too."

"Huh? Oh, you heard that roar earlier... but let's consider it punishment for your rude remark earlier, okay? Shall we?"

"Darn it, that's what Berserkers are like..."

"It's quite an achievement to take down dragonkind, Master, and you too, Mash! Hohoho, as expected of my Master! I must show my gratitude!"

――I'm glad, really.

After finishing the cleanup, they started walking to reunite with the Master.

***

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