-200- [ Fafnir ]

While the battle outside raged on, Rozen, Mash, and Jeanne arrived directly in the heart of Orleans, once again encountering Jeanne Alter and Caster.

The two-day gap since their last meeting hadn't brought about any changes in either side.

Jeanne Alter still exuded an aura of darkness, hatred, and malevolence, as if cursing the entire world, surrounded by an ominous atmosphere.

Caster remained in the same state, his expression filled with weariness and madness, making him far from approachable.

And now, this Servant who wasn't exactly approachable directed his gaze of disdain towards Rozen.

"It's you again...?"

Caster muttered to himself, almost cursing Rozen as he contorted his face and let out a voice.

"You... taking our Saint away without permission! And barging like this again and again! You...! You you you you you you...! Just who are you!?"

Caster's madness persisted, making even Mash feel like he might attack at any moment. She quickly raised her shield, standing in front of Rozen.

Matching Mash's stance, Jeanne also raised her holy flag. It was as if they symbolized shields protecting Rozen from both directions, firmly shielding him from harm.

Perhaps due to this, the opposing Servants didn't launch an immediate attack. Instead, they directed their attention towards Rozen.

The difference was that Caster's gaze was still filled with loathing towards Rozen, while Jeanne Alter seemingly completely ignored Rozen's presence, merely glancing at him before refocusing on Jeanne.

"Looks like you're still as naive as ever, Saint."

Jeanne Alter said this with her usual mocking tone.

"Without something to protect, you can't fight anymore, is that it? And now it's turned out like this? Betrayed by the France you wanted to protect, now you're protecting that insignificant human Master? Aren't you afraid that he might betray you too?"

There was no denying that Jeanne Alter's words were cutting.

Especially coming from her, someone of such a unique identity, her words were like blades that Jeanne couldn't simply ignore.

Because they could reopen Jeanne's wounds.

Only in front of this person, Jeanne couldn't avoid the fact that her way of existence might be invalidated.

However, Jeanne still spoke up.

"Now, the human Master by my side is my ally, and of course, I will protect him."

Saying this, Jeanne also glanced at Caster standing beside Jeanne Alter as she voiced her thoughts.

"Even if you're full of hatred now, don't you still remember that allies need protection?"

This sentence was also a weapon that strike at Jeanne Alter.

Just as Jeanne Alter deeply understood Jeanne, Jeanne also had a deep understanding of Jeanne Alter. She knew that the "Dragon Witch" held a lingering attachment to her comrades who had fought alongside her all this time. Otherwise, she wouldn't place her trust solely in Gilles.

However, this provoked extreme reactions from both Jeanne Alter and Caster.

"You're actually comparing that human to Gilles?"

Jeanne Alter glared at Jeanne.

Caster, on the other hand, was even more agitated.

"Oh...! Oh oh oh...! Saintess...! Have you forgotten that I am your most loyal devotee? Only me...! Only me...! Even if it's god, I can defy it for your sake, ah ah ah ah...!"

Caster's frenzied outburst was rather unsightly and even Mash consider stepping back.

In contrast, Rozen himself fell silent as he observed Jeanne Alter and Caster's reactions.

In this situation, Jeanne looked at the two of them with a somewhat sorrowful expression and spoke.

"Anyone who fights under the light of the Lord's glory is my ally."

In response to their anger, Jeanne offered these words:

This actually caused the two of them to calm down.

"Jeanne..." Caster's once-mad face suddenly softened, returning to the time before he fell into darkness. He smiled and said, "You're still as kind as ever."

"Unfortunately..." Jeanne Alter said coldly, "I don't need the version of me that's kind."

After saying that, Jeanne Alter paid no attention to Caster's protective stance in front of her and walked forward on her own.

"To be honest, your presence just makes me pity you even more."

Jeanne Alter's face, identical to Jeanne's, took on a mocking expression.

"France is beyond saving. Over seventy percent of its land has become the nesting grounds for Wyverns."

"The foolish people we've protected all this time have either been devoured by Wyverns or brutally slaughtered by my own Servants, reduced to mere heaps of flesh."

"And with the death of Charles VII by my hands, what remains of France is a trifling matter that can be easily dealt with."

"And yet, you claim you want to save France?"

"It's quite laughable."

Jeanne Alter extended her hand and spoke out loud, as if displaying something.

"Look! The thing we've given our entire lives to protect is so fragile! It can be wiped out by a mere calamity! Such a thing... such a country... such people... How could they disappear so easily if the Lord was truly protecting them?"

Jeanne Alter's intended message was crystal clear.

"Gods and such don't even exist."

Jeanne Alter completely denied both Jeanne and herself.

"Because you heard the voice of the Lord, you took to the battlefield?"

"That's just self-deception!"

"No one asked you to save this country. You were merely basking in your own satisfaction, and that's why you've come to this end!"

Amid Jeanne Alter's furious, hateful, and cursed words, the entire audience chamber began to shake.

"This...!?"

"What's happening...!?"

Mash and Jeanne were both startled.

Rozen almost fell to the ground due to the shaking but managed to steady himself. He promptly activated his Spirit Vision and Heaven's Eye skills, assessing the surroundings.

Then, a report from Chaldea arrived at the same time.

"It's here! Enormous magical energy reactions from a massive creature!"

Romani's urgent voice reached everyone's ears.

"This...! This magical energy...! A Phantasmal beast...?! No...! It's reached the level of a Divine Beast!"

Along with Romani's report, Jeanne Alter's voice echoed forth.

"Come forth!"

"Embodiment of destruction and evil!"

"[ Fafnir ]!"

As this call resounded, the shaking of the entire audience chamber suddenly ceased.

And then...

"Roarrr-----!!!!"

A terrifying roar, as though echoing from the depths of hell, resounded throughout the world.

"Boom!"

In the next moment, the ground split open.

There, a colossal entity that resembled the embodiment of malevolence slowly appeared.

Massive wings.

A colossal body.

Enormous limbs.

A gigantic head.

This was a true Dragon species, the mightiest of Phantasmal species.

Its gaze slowly shifted downward, finally fixing on Rozen and his companions.

Within, lethal frenzy and malevolence surged forth.